Blended Families in Today’s Society Essay

Blended families, according to William P. Fuller the author of Preparing for Blended Families, are those comprising of at least one spouse who has a child or children from a prior relationship. These types of families â€Å"are becoming increasingly common and present a unique challenge when creating an estate plan† (Fuller 1). Similarly, according to Pauline Erera, â€Å"although traditionalists have held blood ties of consanguinity to be a defining characteristic of the family, others argue that we should define families according to the attachments and intimacy that individuals have toward significant people in their lives†, meaning even though they are a blended family, they should be considered a family none the less (Erera 352). A nuclear family, or the more commonly known traditional family, consists of a marriage by holy union and the promise to keep that marriage holy by staying with that one person â€Å"until death do us part. This includes the raising of any children within the family and the promise to provide them with food, shelter, clothing, water, and nourishment as well. Yet, there is still a need for a law which protects the marriage itself. This law states that it recognizes husbands of inseminated women as the real fathers and denies parental rights to donors or step-parents. Although, we still leave room in this law for things known as adoption, foster parenting, or informal care by other relatives. This is where blended families begin to show. Blended families seem to be considered the result of a previous divorce. Therefore, causing the need for the terms step-brother, step-sister, step-father, etc. Blended families then seem to become less of a family simply because of the creation of these terms, and their specific meanings. For example, it seems to be less meaningful to be step-brothers rather than actual biological, blood related, brothers. In the article, Toward Revels or a Requiem for Family Diversity? , Judith Stacey states that â€Å"the social scientists seem to have presumed that well into the twenty-first century dad and mom would remain singular and unproblematic concepts† (Stacey 390). Unfortunately, they were wrong. Although they predicted that the traditional family would remain unchanged, they seemed to have overlooked the fact that in time, marriage would not be as final as it used to be. There was no such thing as a proper divorce, once you were married, that was it. But in today’s world, â€Å"until death do us part† is not seen as often as divorce. Another overlooked remark of the social scientists is the fact that the family tree did not remain so â€Å"firmly rooted. On the contrary, the family tree has been split, blended, mixed, crossed, and spread throughout several generations of families. The word Family, in today’s American society, has so many different meanings that it is hard to distinguish one from another. Being able to categorize every single definition of the word is a task that no one has yet completed. Although, each and every meaning has one little difference, it all comes down to the same thing. A family is a family.

Match made in heaven Essay

â€Å"There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends. † Homer That bard created such two people in The Odyssey, their contrasting roles concealing the similarities in their natures. Both Penelope and Odysseus dealt with â€Å"a world of pain†, but in very different settings: she wastes away at home, while he faces a myriad of adventures and sufferings around the Greek world. Although Homer assigned them dissimilar parts in his epic, however, his story still reveals striking resemblances between Odysseus and Penelope: they possess positive qualities and several faults in common as well as one major dissimilarity, all of which are the secrets to their long and blissful marriage and help them to see â€Å"eye to eye. † One can easily see why Ithaca’s king and queen remained happily united for so many years when looking at the shining characteristics they share. Both are wondrously loyal, even when faced with an abundance of temptations. Over the course of twenty years, Odysseus knew countless lovely women, from Nausicaa to Calypso, yet he remained determined to return to his wife. Likewise, Penelope had her choice of one-hundred and eighty of the best men in Greece all vying for her hand, but she still â€Å"falls to weeping for Odysseus† every time she thinks of her beloved husband. Undoubtedly, The Odyssey’s happy ending could not have occurred without their mutual fidelity. Cunning brilliance is the second attribute common to both Odysseus and Penelope, and it served to reunite them as much as their reciprocal devotion did. Odysseus is known as the â€Å"man of twists and turns†, and presumably, he used his acumen to select a wife who could match him in matters of the mind. Being the hero of the story, Odysseus’s brains are flaunted by Homer in his every action, from his escape from the Cyclops to all the creative stories he fabricated. But Penelope’s wisdom can also be detected within the text, and is crucial to the plot. For example, take the often-retold story of her web, woven and unwoven to keep the suitors at bay for three years, or when in Book 18, she coyly elicited expensive gifts from each suitor to compensate for some of her husband’s squandered estate. One can also adduce the test she devised for the suitors as a confirmation of her sagacity: â€Å"The hand that can string this bow with the greatest ease†¦ he is the man I follow. † Penelope knows very well that it is highly unlikely that one of her brazen suitors could muster the strength needed to shoot â€Å"his polished bow†: it was just another clever way postpone marriage. Had Penelope not â€Å"sp[un] out her wiles†, much like her husband had done abroad, the lovely queen of Ithaca would probably have been coerced into an unwanted union long before Odysseus returned. Not only are the queen and king of Ithaca alike for possessing dominant traits of loyalty and astuteness, they also share several shortcomings. Firstly, although they are devoted enough to pine for each other for two decades, neither were one hundred percent loyal to their spouse. Odysseus did not remain faithful to Penelope, sleeping with Circe, then Calypso, and perhaps some mortal women unworthy of being mentioned as well. Odysseus claims that he lay with the Circe for the sake of diplomacy, but if so, then why did he stay in her â€Å"arching caverns† for over a year, leaving only at his crew’s urging? Homer also hints at Odysseus’s voluntary treachery during his seven-year detainment with Calypso, including lines such as â€Å"they lost themselves in love†, and â€Å"since the nymph no longer pleased. † Is the bard implying that the nymph with lovely braids once pleased him, and thus, he willingly copulated with her? Penelope, being a woman, could not have had such affaires d’amour and still be considered loyal. However, because she was only a woman, she still harbored an innate desire to attract men. In Book 18, she fulfilled Athena’s wish that she should â€Å"display herself to her suitors, fan their hearts, inflame them more† in order to receive the suitors’ gifts, but perchance also to satisfy her own longing for attention – after all, Penelope is a woman whose husband has been gone for more than twenty years. She succeeds in accomplishing both: After she descends the stairs, â€Å"the suitor’s knees went slack, their hearts dissolved with lust† and they showered her with â€Å"gorgeous presents. † Homer seems to reiterate this fact that Penelope enjoyed the courtship of so many fine, young princes, even though her suitors were a burden and a plague to the household. Book 19 includes a passage describing a dream Penelope had, in which an eagle, which later reveals himself as Odysseus, destroys her flock of geese by â€Å"snap[ping] their necks and kill[ing] them one and all†, the geese obviously symbolizing her gaggle of suitors. Penelope is comforted by this dream and seems to hope that it foreshadows future events, but also acknowledged that she â€Å"wept and wailed† and was â€Å"sobbing, stricken† at the slaying of her geese. Hence, though Penelope does remain honorable and is faithful to Odysseus during the twenty years when they were apart, she still, perhaps subconsciously, fostered a desire to do otherwise. However, Penelope’s slight interest in her suitors may not be a have been such a bad thing; on the contrary, it could have inspired her to forgive her husband more easily if he ever told her of his dalliances with goddesses. Second, both Odysseus and Penelope are characterized as â€Å"wary†, and although their caution helped them to succeed in many situations, both are overly circumspect at times, causing them to be suspicious of those who love them most. One of the most tense and heartbreaking scenes in the book takes place in Book 23, when Penelope is face to face with her devout husband for the first time after twenty years of separation, yet refuses to acknowledge him, prompting Telemachus to reproach: â€Å"What other wife could have a spirit so unbending? Holding back from her husband, home at last for her After bearing twenty years of brutal struggle- Your heart was always harder than a rock! † Her son is right, but Penelope still refused to speak to Odysseus, even after Telemachus’s rebuking, causing the great-hearted Odysseus to â€Å"blaze up in fury† over his wife’s distrust. An analogous incident took place later between Odysseus and his old father. Seeing Laertes in the orchard, Odysseus observed him sitting alone, â€Å"his heart racked with sorrow†, a sight enough to make even â€Å"long-enduring Odysseus† stop to weep. Yet, even so, Odysseus decided to test the old man first, to â€Å"reproach him with words that cut him to the core. † It was wholly unnecessary to verify the loyalty of Laretes, for after all, the man is his father and if that were not enough, Odysseus had heard testimonies to Laretes’s grief from Eumaeus as well as his own mother in Hades. Odysseus’s often-praised caution prompted him to be rather irrational his handling of the situation, telling a tale that causes his dear father to grieve even more: â€Å"Both hands clawing the ground for dirt and grime, he poured it over his grizzled head, sobbing, in spasms. † His suspicion inflicts unnecessary pain on his father, much as Penelope’s caution angered him; nevertheless, it is because their minds operate in such a similar fashion that they are able to understand each other’s rash actions, caused by that extreme â€Å"wariness† which dominates their reasoning. It was because of their faults that Odysseus and Penelope could see â€Å"eye to eye. † But for all their innate likenesses, one main difference remains between the hero and heroine of The Odyssey: Odysseus has pride, a kind of virile self-regard that Penelope surely lacks, for better or for worse. Odysseus’s excessive self-respect gets him into many difficult circumstances: his odyssey of misery would not have occurred had he not revealed his identity to the Cyclops because he could not bear being remembered as â€Å"Nobody†. One cannot imagine that Penelope would find ever herself into such a predicament. However, there are some instances during the plot of The Odyssey when Penelope should have displayed more dignity. Several times throughout the story, Telemachus scolds her in a disrespectful manner, telling her to â€Å"Tend to your [Penelope’s] own tasks†, declaring that he â€Å"hold[s] the reins of power in this house. † Penelope didn’t put her teenage son in his proper place, opting instead to meekly withdraw to her own quarters. Had Telemachus spoken similar words to his father, Odysseus’s ego certainly wouldn’t have allowed such a lack of reverence, and Telemachus most likely would have received some tough love at his hands. Pride is the only significant distinction between the characters of Odysseus and Penelope, but it is a meaningful difference as well. If Ithaca’s queen was as self-righteous as its king, one could expect many royal family squabbles instead of the marital bliss they are famed for. Penelope is modest and demure, attributes that are absolutely necessary in order to live in harmony with a proud man like Odysseus. In conclusion, Odysseus and Penelope are alike in almost every respect, with their good qualities holding them together, their faults leading to understanding, and their one dissimilarity producing compatibility. That is why they were able to build the strongest kind of love, the love described in I Corinthians 13:7 : † Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. † The Odyssey itself is a testimony to this kind of bond between husband and wife, a bond forged by harmonious natures, able to survive through twenty years of separation, temptation, and suffering.

Lord of the Flies Chapter 4-6

————————————————- Chapter 4 Summary Life on the island soon develops a daily rhythm. Morning is pleasant, with cool air and sweet smells, and the boys are able to play happily. By afternoon, though, the sun becomes oppressively hot, and some of the boys nap, although they are often troubled by bizarre images that seem to flicker over the water. Piggy dismisses these images as mirages caused by sunlight striking the water. Evening brings cooler temperatures again, but darkness falls quickly, and nighttime is frightening and difficult.The littluns, who spend most of their days eating fruit and playing with one another, are particularly troubled by visions and bad dreams. They continue to talk about the â€Å"beastie† and fear that a monster hunts in the darkness. The large amount of fruit that they eat causes them to suffer from diarrhea and stomach ailments. Although the littluns’ lives are largely separate from those of the older boys, there are a few instances when the older boys torment the littluns. One vicious boy named Roger joins another boy, Maurice, in cruelly stomping on a sand castle the littluns have built.Roger even throws stones at one of the boys, although he does remain careful enough to avoid actually hitting the boy with his stones. Jack, obsessed with the idea of killing a pig, camouflages his face with clay and charcoal and enters the jungle to hunt, accompanied by several other boys. On the beach, Ralph and Piggy see a ship on the horizon—but they also see that the signal fire has gone out. They hurry to the top of the hill, but it is too late to rekindle the flame, and the ship does not come for them. Ralph is furious with Jack, because it was the hunters’ responsibility to see that the fire was maintained.Jack and the hunters return from the jungle, covered with blood and chanting a bizarre song. They carry a dead pig on a stake between them. Furious at the hunters’ irresponsibility, Ralph accosts Jack about the signal fire. The hunters, having actually managed to catch and kill a pig, are so excited and crazed with bloodlust that they barely hear Ralph’s complaints. When Piggy shrilly complains about the hunters’ immaturity, Jack slaps him hard, breaking one of the lenses of his glasses. Jack taunts Piggy by mimicking his whining voice. Ralph and Jack have a heated conversation.At last, Jack admits his responsibility in the failure of the signal fire but never apologizes to Piggy. Ralph goes to Piggy to use his glasses to light a fire, and at that moment, Jack’s friendly feelings toward Ralph change to resentment. The boys roast the pig, and the hunters dance wildly around the fire, singing and reenacting the savagery of the hunt. Ralph declares that he is calling a meeting and stalks down the hill toward the beach alone. Analysis At this point in the novel, the group of boys has lived on the island for some time, and their society increasingly resembles a political state.Although the issue of power and control is central to the boys’ lives from the moment they elect a leader in the first chapter, the dynamics of the society they form take time to develop. By this chapter, the boys’ community mirrors a political society, with the faceless and frightened littluns resembling the masses of common people and the various older boys filling positions of power and importance with regard to these underlings. Some of the older boys, including Ralph and especially Simon, are kind to the littluns; others, including Roger and Jack, are cruel to them.In short, two conceptions of power emerge on the island, corresponding to the novel’s philosophical poles—civilization and savagery. Simon, Ralph, and Piggy represent the idea that power should be used for the good of the group and the protection of the littlunsâ€⠀a stance representing the instinct toward civilization, order, and morality. Roger and Jack represent the idea that power should enable those who hold it to gratify their own desires and act on their impulses, treating the littluns as servants or objects for their own amusement—a stance representing the instinct toward savagery.As the tension between Ralph and Jack increases, we see more obvious signs of a potential struggle for power. Although Jack has been deeply envious of Ralph’s power from the moment Ralph was elected, the two do not come into open conflict until this chapter, when Jack’s irresponsibility leads to the failure of the signal fire. When the fire—a symbol of the boys’ connection to civilization—goes out, the boys’ first chance of being rescued is thwarted. Ralph flies into a rage, indicating that he is still governed by desire to achieve the good of the whole group.But Jack, having just killed a pig, is too excited by his success to care very much about the missed chance to escape the island. Indeed, Jack’s bloodlust and thirst for power have overwhelmed his interest in civilization. Whereas he previously justified his commitment to hunting by claiming that it was for the good of the group, now he no longer feels the need to justify his behavior at all. Instead, he indicates his new orientation toward savagery by painting his face like a barbarian, leading wild chants among the hunters, and apologizing for his failure to maintain the signal fire only when Ralph seems ready to fight him over it.The extent to which the strong boys bully the weak mirrors the extent to which the island civilization disintegrates. Since the beginning, the boys have bullied the whiny, intellectual Piggy whenever they needed to feel powerful and important. Now, however, their harassment of Piggy intensifies, and Jack begins to hit him openly. Indeed, despite his position of power and responsibility in the gro up, Jack shows no qualms about abusing the other boys physically. Some of the other hunters, especially Roger, seem even crueler and less governed by moral impulses.The civilized Ralph, meanwhile, is unable to understand this impulsive and cruel behavior, for he simply cannot conceive of how physical bullying creates a self-gratifying sense of power. The boys’ failure to understand each other’s points of view creates a gulf between them—one that widens as resentment and open hostility set in. ————————————————- Chapter 5 Summary As Ralph walks along the beach, he thinks about how much of life is an improvisation and about how a considerable part of one’s waking life is spent watching one’s feet.Ralph is frustrated with his hair, which is now long, mangy, and always manages to fall in front of his eyes. He decides to call a meeting to attem pt to bring the group back into line. Late in the evening, he blows the conch shell, and the boys gather on the beach. At the meeting place, Ralph grips the conch shell and berates the boys for their failure to uphold the group’s rules. They have not done anything required of them: they refuse to work at building shelters, they do not gather drinking water, they neglect the signal fire, and they do not even use the designated toilet area.He restates the importance of the signal fire and attempts to allay the group’s growing fear of beasts and monsters. The littluns, in particular, are increasingly plagued by nightmare visions. Ralph says there are no monsters on the island. Jack likewise maintains that there is no beast, saying that everyone gets frightened and it is just a matter of putting up with it. Piggy seconds Ralph’s rational claim, but a ripple of fear runs through the group nonetheless. One of the littluns speaks up and claims that he has actually seen a beast.When the others press him and ask where it could hide during the daytime, he suggests that it might come up from the ocean at night. This previously unthought-of explanation terrifies all the boys, and the meeting plunges into chaos. Suddenly, Jack proclaims that if there is a beast, he and his hunters will hunt it down and kill it. Jack torments Piggy and runs away, and many of the other boys run after him. Eventually, only Ralph, Piggy, and Simon are left. In the distance, the hunters who have followed Jack dance and chant.Piggy urges Ralph to blow the conch shell and summon the boys back to the group, but Ralph is afraid that the summons will go ignored and that any vestige of order will then disintegrate. He tells Piggy and Simon that he might relinquish leadership of the group, but his friends reassure him that the boys need his guidance. As the group drifts off to sleep, the sound of a littlun crying echoes along the beach. Analysis The boys’ fear of the beast becomes an increasingly important aspect of their lives, especially at night, from the moment the first littlun claims to have seen a snake-monster in Chapter 2.In this chapter, the fear of the beast finally explodes, ruining Ralph’s attempt to restore order to the island and precipitating the final split between Ralph and Jack. At this point, it remains uncertain whether or not the beast actually exists. In any case, the beast serves as one of the most important symbols in the novel, representing both the terror and the allure of the primordial desires for violence, power, and savagery that lurk within every human soul. In keeping with the overall allegorical nature of  Lord of the Flies,  the beast can be interpreted in a number of different lights.In a religious reading, for instance, the beast recalls the devil; in a Freudian reading, it can represent the id, the instinctual urges and desires of the human unconscious mind. However we interpret the beast, the littlunâ €™s idea of the monster rising from the sea terrifies the boys because it represents the beast’s emergence from their own unconscious minds. As Simon realizes later in the novel, the beast is not necessarily something that exists outside in the jungle.Rather, it already exists inside each boy’s mind and soul, the capacity for savagery and evil that slowly overwhelms them. As the idea of the beast increasingly fills the boys with dread, Jack and the hunters manipulate the boys’ fear of the beast to their own advantage. Jack continues to hint that the beast exists when he knows that it probably does not—a manipulation that leaves the rest of the group fearful and more willing to cede power to Jack and his hunters, more willing to overlook barbarism on Jack’s part for the sake of maintaining the â€Å"safety† of the group.In this way, the beast indirectly becomes one of Jack’s primary sources of power. At the same time, Jack effectiv ely enables the boys themselves to act as the beast—to express the instinct for savagery that civilization has previously held in check. Because that instinct is natural and present within each human being, Golding asserts that we are all capable of becoming the beast. ————————————————- Chapter 6 Summary In the darkness late that night, Ralph and Simon carry a littlun back to the shelter before going to sleep.As the boys sleep, military airplanes battle fiercely above the island. None of the boys sees the explosions and flashes in the clouds because the twins Sam and Eric, who were supposed to watch the signal fire, have fallen asleep. During the battle, a parachutist drifts down from the sky onto the island, dead. His chute becomes tangled in some rocks and flaps in the wind, while his shape casts fearful shadows on the ground. His head seems to rise and fall as th e wind blows. When Sam and Eric wake up, they tend to the fire to make the flames brighter.In the flickering firelight, they see the twisted form of the dead parachutist and mistake the shadowy image for the figure of the dreaded beast. They rush back to the camp, wake Ralph, and tell him what they have seen. Ralph immediately calls for a meeting, at which the twins reiterate their claim that a monster assaulted them. The boys, electrified and horrified by the twins’ claims, organize an expedition to search the island for monsters. They set out, armed with wooden spears, and only Piggy and the littluns remain behind.Ralph allows Jack to lead the search as the group sets out. The boys soon reach a part of the island that none of them has ever explored before—a thin walkway that leads to a hill dotted with small caves. The boys are afraid to go across the walkway and around the ledge of the hill, so Ralph goes to investigate alone. He finds that, although he was frighten ed when with the other boys, he quickly regains his confidence when he explores on his own. Soon, Jack joins Ralph in the cave.The group climbs the hill, and Ralph and Jack feel the old bond between them rekindling. The other boys begin to play games, pushing rocks into the sea, and many of them lose sight of the purpose of their expedition. Ralph angrily reminds them that they are looking for the beast and says that they must return to the other mountain so that they can rebuild the signal fire. The other boys, lost in whimsical plans to build a fort and do other things on the new hill, are displeased by Ralph’s commands but grudgingly obey. AnalysisAs fear about the beast grips the boys, the balance between civilization and savagery on the island shifts, and Ralph’s control over the group diminishes. At the beginning of the novel, Ralph’s hold on the other boys is quite secure: they all understand the need for order and purposive action, even if they do not al ways want to be bothered with rules. By this point, however, as the conventions of civilization begin to erode among the boys, Ralph’s hold on them slips, while Jack becomes a more powerful and menacing figure in the camp.In Chapter 5, Ralph’s attempt to reason with the boys is ineffective; by Chapter 6, Jack is able to manipulate Ralph by asking him, in front of the other boys, whether he is frightened. This question forces Ralph to act irrationally simply for the sake of preserving his status among the other boys. This breakdown in the group’s desire for morality, order, and civilization is increasingly enabled—or excused—by the presence of the monster, the beast that has frightened the littluns since the beginning of the novel and that is quickly assuming an almost religious significance in the camp.The air battle and dead parachutist remind us of the larger setting of  Lord of the Flies: though the boys lead an isolated life on the island, we know that a bloody war is being waged elsewhere in the world—a war that apparently is a terrible holocaust. All Golding tells us is that atom bombs have threatened England in a war against â€Å"the reds† and that the boys were evacuated just before the impending destruction of their civilization. The war is also responsible for the boys’ crash landing on the island in the first place, because an enemy aircraft gunned down their transport plane.Although the war remains in the background of  Lord of the Flies,  it is nevertheless an important extension of the main themes of the novel. Just as the boys struggle with the conflict between civilization and savagery on the island, the outside world is gripped in a similar conflict. War represents the savage outbursts of civilization, when the desire for violence and power overwhelms the desire for order and peace. Even though the outside world has bestowed upon the boys a sense of morality and order, the danger o f savagery remains real even within the context of that seemingly civilized society that has nurtured them.

Its very clear from the writings of the Spaniards in New Spain that Essay

Its very clear from the writings of the Spaniards in New Spain that the conversion of the Azetecs Christianity didn't completely - Essay Example They made statues representing their gods. Some of the gods were made from seeds and vegetables joined by blood from human hearts. Cortes reported this in his letter citing â€Å"after they are made they offer them more hearts and anointed their faces with blood† (Andrea and Overfield 463). The sacrifices involved anointing these idols with sacrificial blood. The market place formed an important part of their culture. Cortes, who led the Spanish forces that conquered the Aztecs, reported, â€Å"This city has many squares where trading is done, and markets are held continuously† (Andrea and Overfield 462) Cortes continued to expound on the expanse of the market and the range of merchandise. He indicated that he could not report all of them saying â€Å"but they are so many and so varied† (Andrea and Overfield 463). The Spaniards conquered the Aztecs in 1521, after which they introduced Christianity to the inhabitants of the fallen empire. However, despite the intr oduction of Christianity, their transformation was not complete as they continued with some of their cultural practices. Andrea and Overfield presented an excerpt from the writings of Duran. Duran served as a priest from 1556 until his death in 1588. One of the ways that the priest noted remained unchanged was attendance to the market places. The markets, as previously indicated, formed a chief part of the Aztec culture. The markets were operational throughout, and people were compelled by law to attend the market fairs. Duran observed that the custom of attending markets after a number of days continued among the people. He wrote, â€Å"The markets were so inviting, pleasurable, appealing, and gratifying to these people that great crowds attended, and still attend†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Andrea and Overfield 405). He further noted that when the market days were on Sundays, no one attended the mass. He noted, â€Å"Occasionally, this falls on Sunday, and no one hears the mass in the area o f the town where the market is held† (Andrea and Overfield 405). This attachment to the market place was so strong that it was placed first before Christianity. Duran presented this in what he thought was the most probable reply from a woman choosing between heaven and the market. He perceived the woman would say, â€Å"Allow me to go to the market first, and then I will go to heaven† (Andrea and Overfield 405). Duran identified three ways through which a person could receive honor in Aztec. These included soldiery, religion and trade. Soldiery was the first and the main way, while trade was the least admired. Nevertheless, it presented a credible way of attaining honor. Traders who traded in expensive wares and acquired wealth received recognition like brave soldiers. Duran reported that â€Å"and so they were considered among the magnates of the land, just as the valorous soldier† (Andrea and Overfield 404). Thus, the market presented one way that was accessibl e to most of the people. Duran noted that this attachment to the market as a way to acquire status did not end with the introduction of Christianity by the Spaniards. He noted of how merchants saved up to twenty years and prepared expensive parties, which consumed all their savings. Duran added, â€Å"This could not be wrong except that for their celebration they await the day on which the god was honored† (Andrea and Overfield 405). This indicated the unchanged connection between trade and honor in the people’s life. Additionally, attending markets presented a form of

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Strategic managemet - Essay Example This is because those factors may help towards determining measures that can be taken to increase their business efficiency and productivity. Additionally, managers should understand factors within their business environment (internal factors) such as: their competitors, available finances, employees, suppliers and their consumers in order to act strategically towards ensuring their business objectives have been realized (Nieuwenhuizen, Rossouw and Badenhorst, pp-7-20). In above connection, both internal and external business environment tends to undergo via dynamism this may act as an impediment for managers to understand the entire business environment (Thompson, John L and Frank, p 83). Managers tend to over concentrating on day to day problems and overlook on other factors that affect their business, this may also act as an impediment for understanding the entire business environment (Stokes, David and Nicholas pp140-141). Additionally, inability of managers to learn fast and consistently monitor changes that are taking place may act as an impediment towards understanding the whole business environment (Stokes, David and Nicholas p140). Tyndall, Gene R, John Cameron, and R C. Taggart. Strategic Planning and Management Guidelines for Transportation Agencies. Washington, D.C: Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, 1990.

UNIQLO in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

UNIQLO in China - Essay Example UNIQLO in China In a Company Perspective. The concept of marketing problem can be termed as a constraint or issue due to which organizations face significant hurdles in launching or promoting any product or service. The marketing problems of an organization can be identified through analyzing its internal influencing factors. With respect to the company perspective, the internal factors involve few major dimensions that influence the marketing activities of an organization. In this context, these dimensions can be associated with 4Ps of marketing mix including product, price, place/distribution and promotional attributes of the organizations (The Chartered Institute of Management, 2009). These dimensions have been discussed hereunder. Product Development Factors With respect to the business strategy of UNIQLO, the organization tends to possess two major strengths including the usage of quality based materials along with unique functional materials in manufacturing its range of fashionable garments and apparels. Specially mentioning, the use of high quality materials such as Merino wool, cashmere and Supima cotton in producing Women's Winter Style products enabled the organization to comply with the requirements of the customers. Moreover, the unique functional material in designing Women's Winter Style products tends to create increasing demand in the markets during the cold/winter season across different geographical locations (Fast Retailing Co., Ltd, 2013). Promotional Variables Across every season, the promotional campaigns of UNIQLO incorporate endorsing its core products including HEATTECH, ultra-light down jackets, fleece and polo shirts among others throughout its different overseas retail locations. The promotional campaign s of the company focus on developing advertising activities encompassing different tele-media (Fast Retailing Co., Ltd, 2013). Pricing Variables The pricing strategy of Women's Winter Style products is also a major attribute of UNIQLO to successfully achieve its business objectives across the markets where it operates. The company provides quality based Women's Winter Style products in a more reasonable price as compared to other fashion retailers. In this regard, the adequate control of inventory along with the marketing department and merchandisers of the company facilitate to reduce the cost up to 30% in comparison with the regular price of the products (Fast Retailing Co., Ltd, 2013). Place/Distribution Variables In relation to the place/distribution variable, the continuous expansion in the global destinations significantly provides adequate support to UNIQLO in order to avoid different sorts of marketing problems. Currently, the organization operates more than 11,000 retail st ores across different nations including the UK, the US, France, Russia along with Japan and other major Asian countries (Fast Retailing Co., Ltd, 2013). 1.2 In an Industry Perspective. According to marketing concepts, the industry influencing factors have also major bearing upon the organizations to face different marketing problems. In order to critically assess the major influencing factors of the fashion garments business industry, the analysis of Porter’s five forces would enable to critically identify the current marketing strategy of UNIQLO. These have been discussed hereunder. Power of Buyer According to the recent phenomenon, the power of buyer is relatively high for UNIQLO due to increasing number of fashion retailers.

Interview Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interview Questions - Essay Example I would be looking into valid reasons and even pry on the previous academic records. If previous records indicate that the standard GPA was met (which I assume it was since the student is already a sophomore student and would not have been admitted to the course due to the minimum admission criterion), I would determine the reasons for the apparent decline. Could there be stressful and challenging external factors that could have contributed to the decline other than failure to study or deliberate non- submission of academic requirements? If there are, I would seek the student to submit proof of circumstances that might have contributed to the lack of focus on educational pursuit. Likewise, I would like to know if the student is determined and committed to graduate from the course. If not, I would immediately advise that the student be taken out from the program. If, there is evidence that the student tried hard to attain the standard GPA, but mitigating circumstances that could not have been avoided, I could give the student another chance – provided that the standard GPA would be met next semester. Finally, I would determine what strategies were planned by the student to improve the academic performance in the coming semesters. 2. What role does technology and social media (such as Facebook, instant messaging, video conferencing, blogging, Twitter, podcasts, etc.) have in the adviser/student relationship? How do they help? How do they hinder? In contemporary generation’s academic pursuit, the role that technology and social media plays in the adviser/student relationship is crucial and significant. One strongly believes that both students and educators maintain registered accounts with social networking sites that could be utilized to exchange information, relay academic messages, and be used as a medium for enhancing much needed information, as required from the course. As proven from the research conducted by Lin (2011) and published in the Jo urnal of Online Learning and Teaching, the findings revealed that â€Å"integration of online activities into traditional teacher education courses can shift some of the power, authority, and control from the instructor to the learner while providing the interaction and connection that are central and valuable to traditional classrooms† (p. 99). Thus, technological applications and social media help in fostering a more conducive learning environment by encouraging active interaction and participation of course modules. As emphasized, â€Å"it used technology to increase interaction among students, increase engagement in learning and established a learning community outside of the classroom, while allowing individual contributions to be identified and evaluated† (Lin, 2011, p. 106). On the other hand, these networking sites could also hinder effective academic performance if the adviser or educator fails to provide a more vigilance and pro-active oversight to govern and validate student’s performance. This simply means that educators must have ways and means to discern that it is the students themselves who responded to the required academic requirements. 3. The media landscape is evolving. How do you approach advising a current student to prepare for a job market that is ever changing? As the media landscape was acknowledged to be continually evolving, students who prepare to hunt for job opportunities must exercise

Income Statement Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Income Statement - Case Study Example ' Repairs to flat 420 Repairs to shop floor 575 Cash register repairs 125 Re-painting of exterior of property 2,240 Replacement weighing scales 75 Sundry allowable items 2,100 Total 5,535 9. Sundry expenses ' Tea, coffee and milk for staff 78 Telephone, postage and stationery 284 Calendars for customers @ %2.80 each 560 Window cleaning 500 Cleaning expenses 600 Donation to local Playgroup 250 Sundry small expenses 130 Total 2,402 10. Depreciation Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over 4 years for motor vehicles and equipment. Additional information: 1. Capital allowances The written down values for capital allowance purposes at 6 April 2008 were as follows: ' Motor car (Vauxhall Astra) Private use agreed as 25% 10,500 General Pool 7,200 2. Additions and disposals - fixed assets ' Addition 21 May 2008 Computer equipment 3,200 Disposal 1 July 2008 Computer equipment proceeds (original cost '2,100) 300 3. Goods for own use Ted estimates that fruit and vegetables with a retail price of '10 (cost price '3.50), are taken for the family's use each week. No provision has been made in the accounts. Task 1 Prepare a trading profit computation for Ted's business for the year ended 5 April 2009. Task 2 Net property rental income from the flat has been agreed with HMRC as '4,800 for 2008/2009. Lora received dividends of '2700 for the year 2008/2009 Prepare income tax computations for Ted and Lora, showing Income Tax liabilities and Income Tax payable. Task 3 Ted and Lora are not expecting to pay income tax this year as the Income Statement shows a loss. Write a letter to Ted explaining why you have disallowed each of the Income Statement items in the trading profit computation for income tax purposes, the amount of Income... Write a letter to Ted explaining why you have disallowed each of the Income Statement items in the trading profit computation for income tax purposes, the amount of Income tax payable and the dates due, making any reasonable assumptions you wish. Assuming that Ted goes ahead with his plans to expand the business to include a juice and smoothie bar, prepare a trading profit computation for the new business, for a full year of trading based on the projected results for the year to 5 April 2009 given above, (use 2008/9 tax rates and allowances).

7 pages Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

7 pages - Assignment Example If people buy a lot of drinks or many tickets are sold, the players’ salary increases. If there are only a few people who buy the tickets or the drinks, the players’ salary decreases. Q.1. When there is underutilization, a country uses fewer resources than those that it can use. The production possibilities frontier is that line on the production possibilities graph which indicates the maximum possible output. Q. 2. The Product Possibilities Curve abbreviated as PPC shows the optimum production level hat economies can attain. For example, if a person compare the main level of production for an economy, with the actual curve, it is possible to determine the economy’s efficiency. Q. 3. Opportunity cost is demonstrated when making a comparison between data on different points on the production possibilities frontier. When the production of an element goes up, the curve on the PPC shows the production curve decreasing. Q. 4. If there is a decrease it does not mean that the production possibilities for farm’s output have decreased. If the decrease in farms was higher than the production possibility then the farm output would increase and vice versa. Q. 6. Certain events such as natural disasters for example, floods and hurricanes are likely to move the PPC down and to the left because there would be a reduction of productivity in the economy since most businesses in operation. Q. 6. Repairing a leaking roof and paying the night security guard are fixed costs because the payment does not change despite the events surrounding the expenses. Cotton, food and electricity at the mill are variable because they always change. Q. 3. Regulations affect the output decisions of producers because it may make it too expensive or cheaper. For example, companies will not continue to supply if the regulations support the expensive

Foundations of Mythology Essay Example for Free

Foundations of Mythology Essay Myths have been a great part of history, from the very moment humans roamed the green marble we call Earth. Therefore, mythology has become just as relevant in attempting to answer lifes greatest questions as any scientific method. Myths have shaped our world from the very beginning to the world we live in today. We will explore the common meaning of myth versus the academic meaning of myth, what are some of the common mythological themes, and the relationship between belief, knowledge, mythology, and religion. Myth is a word commonly used to describe a widely held but false belief or idea, (Google, 2014). As an example, when someone says thats a myth, they are commonly referring to something being false, untrue, or nonfactual. It is in this context that the majority of the population would use and have used the word myth. In an academic context, a myth is an ancient narrative that attempts to answer the enduring and fundamental human questions, (Leonard McClure, 2004, pg. 1). I would define a myth as a statement or  event that is believed in without factual basis. Just because the facts elude us, does not make something untrue or false, merely unproven. If something remains unproven, it should not be considered or perceived as false. After all, if it is not proven to be false, it does not make it true and vice versa. The most common mythological themes are of creation, the birth of order, and secretion themes. Many diverse culture around the globe address such similar and universal themes because they are all attempting to answer the most profound questions. Questions that deal with our existence, the existence of all around us, as well as what occurs upon the death of our bodies. These themes tend to cover the creation of all that exists, the order and mechanics of everything, and why things are the way they are. One commonly overlooked creation myth is that of the big bang theory. There is no factual data that indicates that the big bang occurred millions of years ago, or that it occurred at all, let alone that it will repeat the cycle of condensing all material into a sphere (the size of a period on this page, up to marble sized which is the source of another debate). Truth is that there is more data that points to a young earth, solar system, and universe than there is for millions of years (Creation Today, 2010). There exists an intertwining relationship between belief, knowledge, mythology, and religion whether or not we acknowledge it. Many religions are based on mythology and those in practice of such religions must believe in the knowledge attained from and passed on by centuries of practitioners prior to them. For example, a Buddhist believes he or she will reincarnate to a higher or lower social class depending on their behavior during their current life. This cycle is repeated until enlightenment is attained. This is based on the mythology of Buddha that has become a religion, which millions of people around the globe believe to be truth based on the writings of Buddha himself and the knowledge of all those who came after him. It is this intersection of belief, knowledge, mythology, and religion that has helped countless of people cope with fear of death, or fears in general, with poverty, injustice, suffering, and the unknown. Mythology is still relevant in todays contemporary culture. Although, the word mythology is not commonly used synonymous with religious beliefs, mythology has shaped the modern social cultures. The majority of people have a religious point of view, whether they believe in a god, many gods, or none at all. It is these belief systems that help them to deal with the unknown, hardships in life, and death. Science has been making leaps and bounds in recent years. Nevertheless, modern science cannot pretend to know half of everything, but given that it did know half of everything, is it not possible to have a creator that dwelled in the half we do not know? I dare to comment that it is quite possible, even more so, that it is inevitable. References Creation Today. (2010, May 12). The age of the earth. Retrieved from http://creationtoday.org/seminar-part-1-the-age-of-the-earth/ Google. (2014). Google search. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=mythsafe=off Leonard, S., McClure, M. (2004). _Myth knowing: An introduction to world mythology_. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Biography of Aldous Huxley Essay Example for Free

Biography of Aldous Huxley Essay Aldous Leonard Huxley was born on July 26, 1894 in Surrey, England, as the third son of Dr. Leonard Huxley and Julia Arnold. Huxley was born into a long line of scientists and intellectuals. His grandfather Thomas Henry Huxley had the nickname â€Å"Darwins Bulldog† for his fierce defense of evolutionary science and for his passion for teaching Victorian scientific advancements to Britains working classes. Aldous Huxley was also related to the poet Matthew Arnold on his mothers side of the family. These two disciplines, literature and science, converged at the end of the Victorian era and characterize Huxleys own career and ambitions as an author, journalist, and humanist. Educated at Eton, Aldous Huxley was forced to leave the school at the age of seventeen due to an affliction of the eyes. He was partially blind for two or three years and therefore was unable to complete the rigorous scientific training he had undertaken. Though problems with his eyes would remain with him for the rest of his life, Huxley was able to attend Oxford where he received a degree in English literature. Huxleys career began in journalism and included music and artistic criticism as well as book reviews. He also began writing poems, essays, and historical pieces. Huxleys first introduction to British intellectual society occurred while working as a farm laborer at Garsington Manor, the site of the â€Å"Bloomsbury Society,† a group of public intellectuals that included Bertrand Russell. There he would marry Maria Nys and they would have one child, Matthew Huxley. He also wrote his first book, a volume of poetry called The Burning Wheel. While working as an editor for â€Å"House and Garden† during the1920s, Huxley wrote many novels including Brave New World. Huxley spent several years in Italy where he formed a friendship with D.H. Lawrence. They would remain close friends and Huxley would later edit Lawrences collected letters after his death. In 1937, Huxley moved back to the United States to live in Hollywood, California, where he helped write scripts for several Hollywood movies of the time, although he never had a lasting career in movies. After World War II, he famously became involved with the early psychedelic drug movement. Huxley was an early proponent of the use of LSD, mescaline, and peyote for their mind-altering effects. His 1954 book The Doors of Perception argued that through the use of psychedelic drugs, people would be able to â€Å"cleanse† the doors of perception in order to embrace the infinite reality of the world. A controversial figure for most of his life, Huxley died from cancer on November 22, 1963, only hours after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas, Texas. By the time of his death, he was embraced in some circles as an intellectual and writer of the highest class, especially for his creation of the dystopian fantasy in his novel Brave New World and his engagement of the theme of commercialization in modern society. Others, however, saw him as a pseudo-scientist for his work in mystical traditions and his insistence on experiencing alternate realities through meditation, Eastern religions, and drug use. For his accomplishments, Huxley received the Award of Merit for the Novel from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1959.

The Architectural Theory of Semiotics

The Architectural Theory of Semiotics This essay will examine the architectural theory of semiotics and its relationship to the built work of Peter Eisenman, specifically his project titled House VI. This essay will define the theory of semiotics from Saussure through to Chomsky. It will then go on to describe how Peter Eisenman, influenced by the writings of Noam Chomsky would apply semiotic linguistic principles to his design process namely those of deep structure and also syntactic transformational; expression. In doing so Peter Eisenman would set architecture on the path towards breaking free from drawing as the main vehicle for design. Semiotics in architecture is the search for a deeper discourse with the built environment, a way of understanding the rich array of metaphor, ambiguity, rhetorical nuance and metonymy that can occur in architectural meaning. A meaning that does not change and evolve over time dependant on specific context, convention or simple accidents.[1] It is the attempt at better understanding of just how a building communicates. The general study of signs was known as semiology in Europe and semiotics in the United States, it is these theories that have been applied to graphic and visual communication. Both the theories of semiology and semiotics appeared around the same time in the early 1900s. This new scientific approach to language and signs was proposed in Europe by the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure (1857–1913) and parallel to this in the United States by Charles Sander Peirce (1839-1914). Both were looking at the fundamental building blocks and structure of language, and the necessary conditions for language to exist.[2] Ferdinand de Saussure theorised the synchronic approach, that language should not only be looked at in its historical context but also in how it relates to a specific moment independent of its developmental context.[3] Differentiating between language as a system of enabling communication and the way language is used by individuals through speech. Saussure sought to discover and better understand the underlying principles of language, the structure and signs that all languages share.[4] Both Saussure and Peirce sought to understand the structure of signs, looking at the structure would facilitate a better understanding of how meaning was extracted from a sign. Peirce looked at the relationships of the structures as a way of categorising the signs.[5]The categories that Peirce divided signs into were Icon, Index and Symbol. An Icon bears a physical resemblance to the thing it represents, an Index represents a direct link between sign and object, and a Symbol relies purely upon the reader of the sign having learnt the connection to the meaning. Saussure determined the meaning of a sign by using what he called value. What was important for Saussure was the relationship between signs in the same system. He took a positive versus negative approach judging a sign by not only what it means but what it doesnt mean in relation to something else. For example a book is not a magazine or film.[6] Semiotics looks at the oppositional relationship of things as key to communication and cognition, undestanding something by understanding what it is not.[7]This signification helps to categorise reality so we can understand it. However Saussure was only concerned with language at not the part of the reader of language in the process, which contrasts with Peirce who believed that the sign is affected by the person who is reading the sign. It would be Roland Barthes in the 1960s who would take this theoretical idea forward. Barthes saw the science of signs as encompassing a much broader range of systems than just language. Barthes linked semiotics to any system of signs no matter the content or limits of that system. Semiotic meaning can be derived from images, sounds, gestures and objects. The system of signification could cover many forms of social and ritual convention.[8] The semiotic theories would also start to link with architecture. Architecture being similar to language in that it too is system of signs. A very obvious example of this would be to compare a house to a hospital, both buildings give off different signs as to their function and purpose. Our ability to read this purpose occurs much in the same way as a book is read and understood.[9] To distinguish architecture from building requires an intentional sign which suggests that a wall is doing something more than literally sheltering, supporting, enclosing; it must embody a significance which projects and sustains the idea of wallness beyond mere use, function, or extrinsic allusion. Thus its paradoxical nature: the sign must overcome use and extrinsic significance to be admitted as architecture; but on the other hand, without use, function, and the existence of extrinsic meaning there would be no conditions which would require such an intentional act of overcoming.[10] The crossover of linguistic semiotic theory with architecture would occur more thoroughly around 1966 when Peter Eisenman began looking at the work of Noam Chomsky.[11] Eisenman at the time viewed both language and architecture and being made up of three semiotic categories, these being semantics, pragmatics and syntactics. These three categories contain similarities to Peirce and his division of signs into icon, index and symbol. Semantics refers to the relationship between form and icon, pragmatics form to function and syntactics the relationship of physical form to conceptual space.[12]Eisenman was also interested in another idea closely related to the early theories of semiotics, that of structuralism. Using structuralist principles to go beyond function in architecture to discover the innate order of things, subverting simplistic readings of space by adding complexity through architectural semiotics.[13] It was through the reading of Noam Chomsky that the idea of deep structure became apparent to Eisenman as a useful means of investigating architecture. This syntactical opposition of line, plane and volume generated a physical architecture from a series of abstract rules. The essence of Eisenmans theoretical musings at this time would be distilled into his Houses project. The most thorough exploration of this would occur in House VI. House VI was commissioned by Suzanne and Dick Frank. A small building, it would be one of Peter Eisenmans first built works. Construction would take place between 1972 and 1975.[14] The building acts as a record of the abstract series of rules used in the process of design, with the Chomsky influenced theories of syntax and deep structure crucial to the transformative process. The building would become the manifestation of a system of relationships, with the system acting as generator of both form and meaning. The semantic generator of form is replaced by the syntactic. [15]The axonometric drawings dont just represent the house they become the house. As Eisenman states The diagrams for House VI are symbiotic with its reality; the house is not an object in the traditional sense that is the result of a process-but more accurately a record of a process.[16] The priority of the drawings in considering the house remove the pressure placed upon a finished building to deliver complete meaning. The building forms only a part of the conversation, as technical drawings are used to enhance the experience. Drawings and finished building-the entire process- should be viewed holistically, each providing an important summation of the architectural intent.[17] The axonometric drawings reveal the starting point for the design of House VI and the syntactic structure that these would form. The starting point is a cube divided by a four square and nine square grid. Eisenman then starts a series of simple movements of this grid in the process creating two centres. The hierarchy of these overlayed patterns develops the expressive interrelationship.[18]However rather than a further refining of this relationship, instead Eisenman materialises the expressions of the inherent geometries through axonometric sketches which turn the competing axes of the four and nine square grid into walls or voids cutting through the building.[19] In House VI Eisenman attempts to move away from the idea of function as the driving narrative of design, and along with this the overarching human scale design considerations which restrict architecture. This moves Eisenman towards an autonomous architecture, a conceptual matrix[20] that fragments the relationship between concept and percept. House VI seeks to place the viewer not at the end point of design but instead engaged actively in continual intrepretation and reinterpretation of process. This engagement with the viewer enables a reanimation of the process, a conversation between the viewer and the building that undermines the physicality of House VI as an object instead making it an active part of its surroundings. The concept at odds with the viewers historical perception of a general solidity normally associated with building.[21] Eisenman attempted to introduce an architectural system free of external reference, autonomous, not restricted by function and the classical notion of architecture as referential to the human body. Eisenman saw traditional architectures primary concerns being semantic through the linking of physical indicators to the external meaning, form and function. He viewed the possiblities of a semantic architecture as having been exhausted by both modernist and classical architecture. To unlock new variations in architecture the syntactic dimension needed to played with. Semantic architecture sought solutions to problems and was dependent on preconceived external requirements.[22]Through his exploration of linguistic theory the semantic became absorbed by the syntactic. It was Eisenman interest in Noam Chomsky as mentioned earlier that gave him the knowledge base to theorise a generation of form previously undiscovered by both classicist and modernist architecture. Form in its syntactic nature led to an antifunctionalism that enclosed any meaning generated by the form back within itself, creating an interplay of oppositions and empty positions.[23] House VI can almost be seen as design itself, with the rules the of transformational process inscribed within the final object. What these explorations into syntax sought to achieve was a design not limited by cultural preconceptions of function. These preconceptions Eisenman theorised were limiting the developmental possibilities of architecture. How could a design be achieved without being slave to the aesthetic experiences of the architect? Removing ego would allow for an exploration into multiple manipulations never previously conceived. Eisenmans work is driven by the continual process of thinking and rethinking both philosophy and architecture. It is an attempt to broaden the critical search for inspiration away from the architectural precedent by incorporating other fields of inquiry into the discussion. This reactivation of architectural dislocation moves it away from the complacent relationship of tradition, extending the possible search parameters of occupiable form.[24] The architectural development of Eisenman as an architect can be seen a continued battle against complacency in the profession. Eisenman sees House VI as still having the ability to provide shelter, the main driving function of the house. However this need is not pushed to the point of romanticism and nostalgia. The living room does not require the need to have a beautiful view, columns in the dining area do not hinder any activity in that area nor do they aid functionally or decoratively the area. The design of House VI is not driven by the need to accommodate every whim of its occupants, it is driven by the syntactic rules set out at the project start.[25] Critics of Eisenmans work suggest that his writings describing his theories do not describe his design process in a concise manner, that they deliberately ambiguous in order to allow Eisenman to close a critical examination. It is suggested that Eisenman uses jargon and rhetoric as a way to control the critical debate, to conduct it on his own terms. Eisenman can be seen as distancing himself from his own work, through the claims of an autonomous design process, the object is separated from creator.[26] Mark David Major and Nicholas Sarris criticise Eisenmans theoretical writings and the objects they refer to by suggesting that the theories arent quite of the analytical quality that Eisenman would have us believe, and the objects express more traditional notion than Eisenman would like. This is their cloak and dagger theory of Eisenman and his architecture. They describe Eisenman of using theories that cannot be objectively used to discuss other architecture, perpetuating a myth of Eisenman as architectural genius. Major and Sarris go on to describe Eisenmans writings of House VI as being closer to what is the architectural ideal rather than pursuing an analytical discourse. They suggest that Eisenman is doing both architecture and himself an injustice because rather than seeking to expose the application of the elegant and simple rules of composition used in the design of House VI he instead obscures them with rhetoric. Finally they put forward that the rules that Eisenman has laid out for himself do not strictly limit the architectural possibilities open to him and that aesthetic and tradition considerations could still subconsciously influence the design.[27] House VI acts as a commentary on architectural form, the principles of composition and the processes involved. Eisenman uses House VI to highlight the historical failures of architectural composition by highlighting drawings hold over the profession, but in doing this he limits the scope of his critique to traditional drawing based architecture.[28]The problem with drawing being in its ability to describe or show process. A finished architectural drawing becomes an object rather than an act of design. What Eisenman was attempting to achieve with House VI was the display of the design process, however paradoxically by displaying the process he in turn made it an image. The images can be reanimated through writing but the process itself is doomed to ambiguity. Eisenman used House VI to push at the boundaries between process driven design and drawing, but was ultimately limited at this time due to drawing being his primary medium of communication.[29]Eisenman saw the reliance on drawing as stumbling block in his search to free architecture from its emphasis on form and function. What he achieved with House VI however was for the first time to bring the industries reliance on drawing into question. House VI with its grids used a traditional method of architectural practice common since the Renaissance, but he managed to turn that process in upon itself revealing a infinite possibilities in turn made form utterly meaningless. The shifting priorities of design were brought forward with House VI and in doing so Eisenman shifted the future of architectural practice. Eisenman through his study and introduction of semiotics sought to not only break free from the not only the cultural practices of his profession but also its limiting historical traditions. Drawings role in the design process reached a visibility not seen before in architecture. House VI helped to define the limitations of drawing on the design process, by using an approach such as semiotics and applying it to the design process, drawing was held up in the spotlight. This led to the questioning of the role of drawing and attempts to seek other modes of representation. What Eisenman achieved with House VI was to pave the way for computational design, this was by no means the original intent with the idea of using computers not even thought of at this stage.[30] But in opening the architectural discipline up through the science of semiotics and the syntactic approach of House VI he enabled and eased of that future possibility to take place. Eisenmans buildings encourage exploration in architecture through the non-traditional means not as the only course of action but instead as an important alternative. [1] (Mallgrave and Goodman 2011) [2] (Crow 2010)p7 [3] (Mitrovic 2011)p148 [4] (Crow 2010)p15 [5] (Crow 2010)p30 [6] (Crow 2010)p41 [7] (Hattenhauer 1984)p72 [8] (Crow 2010)p54 [9] (Davies 2011)p24 [10] (Patin 1993)p88 [11] (Patin 1993)p91 [12] (Patin 1993)p88 [13] (Chapman, Ostwald and Tucker 2004)p389 [14] (Luce 2010) [15] (Patin 1993) [16] (Luscombe 2014)p560 [17] (Luscombe 2014) [18] (Luce 2010)p127 [19] (Luce 2010)p129 [20] (Luscombe 2014) [21] (Luce 2010)p132 [22] (Patin 1993)p89 [23] (Patin 1993)p91 [24] (Benjamin 1989)p50 [25] (Benjamin 1989)p51 [26] (Major and Sarris 1999)p20.2 [27] (Major and Sarris 1999)p20.4 [28] (Luce 2010)p132 [29] (Luce 2010)p132 [30] (Luce 2010)p134 Bibliography Benjamin, Andrew. â€Å"Eisenman and the Housing Tradition.† Oxford Art Journal Vol.12, 1989: 47-54. Chapman, Michael, Michael J Ostwald, and Chris Tucker. â€Å"Semiotics, interpretation and political resistance.† Contexts of Architecture. Launceston: ANZAScA, 2004. 384-390. Crow, David. Visible Signs: An Introduction to Semiotics in the Visual Arts. Lausanne: AVA Publishing, 2010. Davies, Colin. Thinking About Architecture. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2011. Hattenhauer, Darryl. â€Å"The Rhetoric of Architecture: A Semiotic Approach.† Communication Quarterly, 1984: 71-77. Luce, Kristina. â€Å"The Collision of Process and Form.† Getty Research Journal No.2, 2010: 125-137. Luscombe, Desley. â€Å"Architectural Concepts in Peter Eisenmans Axonometric Drawings of House VI.† The Journal Of Architecture, 2014: 560-611. Major, Mark D, and Nicholas Sarris. â€Å"Cloak and Dagger Theory.† Space Syntax Second International Symposium. Brasilia: Bartlett School of Graduate Studies, 1999. 20.1-20.14. Mallgrave, Harry F, and David Goodman. An Introduction to Architectural Theory 1968 to the Present. Chicester: John Wiley and Sons, 2011. Mitrovic, Branko. Philosophy for Architects. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2011. Patin, Thomas. â€Å"From Deep Structure to an Architecture in Suspense: Peter Eisenman, Structuralism, and Deconstruction.† Journal of Architectural Education (Taylor Francis, Ltd) 47, no. 2 (November 1993): 88. Sargazi, Mohammad Ali. â€Å"Explaining the Meaning of the Symbols in Architectural Semiotics and Discovery.† Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Vol 1, 2013: 129-134.

the awakening :: essays research papers

Music Throughout The Awakening, the manner in which each of the characters uses and understands music gives us a sense of Edna’s ideological alignment in relation to the novel’s other characters. Additionally, Edna’s exploration of music and her meditations upon its significance enable her own (visual) art to flourish. Edna first learns about the emotive power of music from Mademoiselle Reisz. Whereas Adà ¨le Ratignolle’s piano playing had merely conjured sentimental pictures for Edna, the older woman’s playing stirs new feelings and probes unexplored emotional territories in her. Mademoiselle Reisz uses music as a form of artistic expression, not merely as a way of entertaining others. In contrast to Mademoiselle Reisz, the Farival twins play the piano purely for the sake of the gathered company. The twins’ association with the Virgin Mary, and, hence, with a destiny of chaste motherliness, links them thematically with notions of how Victorian wo men should behave. Their piano playing—entertaining but not provocative, pleasant but not challenging—similarly serves as the model for how women should use art. It becomes clear that, for a Victorian woman, the use of art as a form of self-exploration and self-articulation constitutes a rebellion. Correspondingly, Mademoiselle Reisz’s use of music situates her as a nonconformist and a sympathetic confidante for Edna’s awakening. The difference Edna detects between the piano-playing of Mademoiselle Reisz and Adà ¨le Ratignolle seems also to testify to Edna’s emotional growth. She reaches a point in her awakening in which she is able to hear what a piece of music says to her, rather than idly inventing random pictures to accompany the sounds. Thus, music, or Edna’s changing reactions to it, also serves to help the reader locate Edna in her development. Children Images of children, and verbal allusions to them, occur throughout the novel. Edna herself is often metaphorically related to a child. In her awakening, she is undergoing a form of rebirth as she discovers the world from a fresh, childlike, perspective. Yet Edna’s childishness has a less admirable side. Edna becomes self-absorbed, she disregards others, and she fails to think realistically about the future or to meditate on her the consequences of her actions. Ultimately, Edna’s thoughts of her children inspire her to commit suicide, because she realizes that no matter how little she depends on others, her children’s lives will always be affected by society’s opinion of her. Moreover, her children represent an obligation that, unlike Edna’s obligation to her husband, is irrevocable.

Essay on A Society of Oppression in A Handmaids Tale -- Handmaids Ta

A Society of Oppression in A Handmaid's Tale      Ã‚   As the saying goes, 'history repeats itself.' If one of the goals of Margaret Atwood was to prove this particular point, she certainly succeeded in her novel A Handmaid's Tale. In her Note to the Reader, she writes, " The thing to remember is that there is nothing new about the society depicted in The Handmaiden's Tale except the time and place. All of the things I have written about ...have been done before, more than once..." (316). Atwood seems to choose only the most threatening, frightening, and atrocious events in history to parallel her book by--specifically the enslavement of African Americans in the United States. She traces the development of this institution, but from the perspective of a different group of oppressed people: women.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Like the institution of slavery, women in Gilead were enslaved through biblical justifications. According to the Commanders, God intended the ultimate power to be in the hands of man, not only because man was created first, but also because it was woman's temptation that expelled them both from the Garden of Eden. Women, therefor, must be controlled by man. Slave traders and owners also justified the enslavement of Africans, arguing that slave labor existed extensively in the Bible (Jews were enslaved by the Egyptians, for example), and therefor God did not condemn the institution. Once a master acquires slaves, or a Handmaid, he must rule over them effectively, to assure that they will meet his needs. To so, the term "human" must be taken out of consideration (for that may evoke some sort of pity or compassion) and replaced with the term "it"--detonating property. This is clearly demonstrated when Offred reflects on the ... ...at the top of the underground railroad...Canada's position would be to do what she always does: try to remain neutral without antagonizing the superpower to the south," (320).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After reading The Handmaid's Tale, one may conclude that Margaret Atwood is not simply feeding her readers history, but rather warning them of our future. We may, for example, see modern day oppression in homosexuals. Various religious groups doom them to Hell, rights are taken away from them (the right to marry, for example)...the list goes on. As Atwood says of The Handmaid's Tale, "The novel exists for social examination..." (316). One can only hope that our history of social oppression will cease to repeat itself if only we can learn from the past.    Works Cited Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1986.

Ayn Rand Essay -- essays research papers fc

This essay will discuss the life and works of Ayn Rand. The woman who would become Ayn Rand was born Alice Rosenbaum on February 2, 1905. (Branden, Barbara pg.3 1986). She was born during the eleventh year of Nicholas II's reign in Russia.(Baker pg.1 1987). Rand's birth was just before a revolution in Russia, however this revolution was put down by her first year.(Branden, Barbara pg.3 1986). The Rosenbaum's lived quite comfortably under the czar.(Baker pg.1 1987). Beneath their large apartment was Fronz Rosenbaum's chemist shop.(Branden, Barbara pg. 4 1986). Rand's father was a serious man whom she never knew very well.(Branden, Barbara pg.4 1986). Ayn's mother, Anna Rosenbaum, was the opposite of her father and was very sociable. (Branden, Barbara pg. 4-5 1986). As a child, Rand did not have a true sense of affection with her father. (Branden, Barbara pg.5 1986). However, she did develop a strong bond of love with him as she grew older. (Branden, Barbara pg. 4 1986). Ayn did not get along well with her mother. (Branden, Barbara pg.5 1986). Although the Rosenbaum family was traditionally Jewish, it is said that Rand really did not have a religious upbringing. (Baker pg.2 1987). As a result, she became atheist as a child after coming to the conclusion that believing in God is degrading to humans in the sense that man should live for no one else but himself. (Baker pg.3 1987). Rand discovered a passion for upbeat, lively music which she began collecting on records. (Branden, Barbara pg.8 1986). By the time she was five years of age, she had two little sisters, Natasha and Elena. (Branden, Barbara pg.7 1986). As a whole, Ayn's childhood was not a pleasant experience for her; in later years it proved to be an unhappy memory as well. (Branden, Barbara pg.34 1986). Ayn Rand received a good education and learned to read and write at age six. (Baker pg.2 1987). She found her classes boring and too easy. (Baker pg.2 1987). This led her to begin writing simple short stories and novels. (Baker pg.2 1987). Rand's inability to fit in socially at school and her boredom with the education she was receiving led her to become somewhat of a recluse with one exception: her passion for literature. (Branden, Barbara pg.11 1986). Literature seemed to absorb Ayn more than any other thing; it intrigued her and gave her much pleasure to read and soon, to write. (Branden, Barbara p... ...ssionate goal--to create her ideal world and her ideal man. And at the end of her life--despite the odds against her, despite the pain and the losses, despite the illness and anguish and death--it was done." (Branden, Barbara pg.404 1986). "It's a benevolent universe, and I love it, and any struggle was worth it. Struggle or unhappiness are so enormously unimportant. I don't regret a minute of my life." (Branden, Barbara pg.404 1986 [said by Ayn Rand]). Rand led an eventful and memorable life. She inspired many with her novels and her philosophy. The world has gained tremendous insights and knowledge from the philosophy and intriguing novels of Ayn Rand. Bibliography: Branden, Barbara The Passion of Ayn Rand 1986 Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc. New York, N.Y. Nathaniel, Branden Judgement Day: My Years with Ayn Rand 1989 Houghton Mifflin Company Boston, Massachusetts James T. Baker Ayn Rand 1987 G.K. Hall and Co. Boston, Massachusetts The Ayn Rand Column: A Collection of her Weekly Newspaper Articles Written for the Los Angeles Times. With additional, little-known essays by Ayn Rand 1971, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1991 Second Renaissance Books Oceanside, CA

Video Game and Console Gaming Addiction

I. The Problem and its BackgroundA. INTRODUCTIONIn recent years gaming addiction (computer game addiction, console gaming addiction, or even excessive play on portable systems) has received increased attention not only from the media, but also from psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health organizations, and gamers themselves.Gaming addiction is not yet classified as a mental health disorder or â€Å"true† addiction like gambling or alcohol addiction. However, some gamers clearly struggle to keep their playing habits under control and may place more importance on their gaming accomplishments than their happiness and success in the real world (e.g., academic achievement, friendships, relationships, career advancement, health, etc.).B. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMMany people or computer users have their thoughts and questions about online games. But this is some common questions that we will have to acknowledge:a. Why do students easily get addicted in computer/online games?b. Wha t are the harmful effects in getting addicted to computer/online games?C. IMPORTANCE OF STUDYThis study aimed to know why many student easily get addicted to computer games and the harmful effects of computer/online games.D. DEFINITION OF TERMS†¢ Addiction- is the continued use of a mood altering substance or  behavior despite adverse dependency consequences, or a neurological impairment leading to such behaviors. †¢ Online Game- is a video game played over some form of computer network, using a personal computer or video game console. This network is usually the internet or equivalent technology, but games have always used whatever technology was current: modems before the Internet, and hard wired terminals before modems. The expansion of online gaming has reflected the overall expansion of computer networks from small local networks to the internet and the growth of internet access itself.

Procurement plan Essay

Procurement plan The procurement plan for the NHS hospital development may be undertaken through the following steps and processes: 1. Procurement guidelines: a) Goods and services shall be procured under and in accordance with NHS guidelines and provisions outlining the functioning and operation of such procedures. b) Outsourced services, consultants, off-branch goods and services are to be procured in accordance with the requisite NHS guidelines and project specifications. c) Standard bidding documents/ Proposals/ bidding paper etc will all be finalized as per NHS guidelines and will adhere strictly to NHS quality and safety requirements (Fewings 2010) 2. Selection of goods and services: The current project is one of re-development and upgrading the current capabilities of the Southmead hospital project. In keeping with that goal there are certain target areas that have been determined as priority areas these can be enumerated as: a) Infrastructure: The re-developed institute is one that is seeking to combine the two institutions of Southmead and Frenchday into one overarching institution for providing the best quality healthcare to the people of that particular county. b) Services: In addition to traditional healthcare services the facility will also host a significant parking facility, concourse, catering facilities and a variety of similar commercial interests that will fill the seven story structure. The facility will also feature a helipad that poses its own unique problems in terms of special infrastructural needs and requirements. C) Accessibility and environmental compatibility: One of the main issues facing the institution prior to the redevelopment of the institution was one of accessibility i.e. the acute and non-acute service centers where spread over the various sites reducing accessibility for the clients and patients, thus reducing effective service time and severely affecting patient care. Another issue that was identified as a core  issue was that of the environmental integrity of the institution, specifically in regards to energy wastage and infection containment. The existing infrastructure was one of wasteful energy leakages and un-contained infection that resulted in the spread of hospital diseases and led to severely compromised patient care and health infrastructure. Consideration of all the above variables and factors needs to be taken into consideration while considering the infrastructural needs of the institution. 3) Goods and services: In terms of goods the following generic categories of products need to be stocked up on surplus levels of inventory: Sanitary products Dressing Equipment Laboratory consumables Emergency consumables Disposable syringes Saline solution Theater equipment (Gloves, scrubs, gowns, masks etc) Generic medication (Antibiotics, coagulants, local anesthetic etc ) The above detailed equipment is one that is used in copious amounts and regularly in all major health institutions and healthcare providers need to be well stocked on the above goods and the like. There are certain other kinds of good which form the median range of products to be kept in stock, to be stored at optimum levels: Bed-sheets and related supplies (pillows, blankets etc) General anesthetic and specialty medicinal supplies (insulin, adrenalin etc) Housekeeping supplies (bed pans, cafeteria supplies etc) In keeping with the same classification of goods, there is a third level of classification of products and goods that a healthcare institute requires that may be classified as critical products such as: Specialty equipment (Physiotherapy, patient recovery etc) Specialty medicine (Epinephrine, methamphetamine etc) The above equipment (especially drugs ) are to be kept on a strictly controlled basis and require to be carefully monitored and controlled, thus  these are kept at levels that are closely calculated on a need of use basis. D) Services: From time to time the institution may require specialty services in order to aid in its smooth functioning and operation. The different services required may be classified as below: Healthcare services: These include services related to the medical nature of the healthcare institution, most commonly related to consultative services and operational guidance in the forms of outside medical consultants for specialized medical care for patients in case of ailments that are not routinely treated at the center; secondary healthcare services such as those relating to early infant care and patient outgoing also fall under this category. Non-Healthcare services: These include services related to the commercial aspect of the institution, for example: independent contractors to handle the catering aspect of the institution, or construction consultants to aid in the different infrastructural needs and requirements of the institution. For example: contractors and outsourced services to handle the IT infrastructure of the institution and other secondary and tertiary aspects associated with the facility. 3) Procurement methods: In keeping with the classification of the different procurement requirements of the institution as outlined above, there can be different procurement methods adapted to each category of product: Category A products: These include products that are consumed in large bulk in the daily operation of the institution such as; sanitary products, dressing equipment, etc. As these are required to be replenished in continuous cyclical repetition the best procurement method for these kinds of products would be to request competitive quotations from interested parties and entering into long term contractual obligations with the selected parties in order to ensure continuous supply of the said products, bulk buying is required and contractual terms and conditions may be changed to reflect the cost benefit  acquired due to the economies of scale achieved through bulk buying. Category B products: These include products that are used on a somewhat daily basis, products that may be reused and put into the operational cycle over a medium period of time such as: bed sheets, pillows, cutlery etc. A similar procedure as for category A products may be used for these kinds of products except the period of contract for such products should be short to medium-term periods of time i.e. 1-2 years to provide for changing market conditions and to accommodate favorable, more cost effective offers from different vendors. Category C products: These generally include highly restricted and seldom used products, mostly in use for highly specialized medical procedures, such as: radioactive isotopes, scheduled drugs, restricted materials etc. These kinds of products are kept under strict control by the medical advisory bodies and are used only in cases of strict and extreme medical necessity. The procurement method for these kinds of products should be as per use and consists of a strictly formalized approach to the governing and regulatory bodies. Generally use of such products comes with strict guidelines and benchmarks that determine the level of competence of the institution to handle such materials, special care should be taken to ensure strict and absolute adherence to such standards and guidelines before initiating the procurement method for said substances. Services: Non-medical services: These kinds of services are procured by the fixed and sealed tender method wherein fixed tenders are invited from interested parties and the lowest bidder wins the contract for providing the said services to the institution. Medical services: This category of services is available only from a limited pool of resources and as such traditional methods of procurement give way to new, innovative forms of contracts and agreements such as having a visiting specialist, or having a ‘guest specialist’ who visits the institution regularly or on  demand whenever a situation arises requiring the specialists unique skill sets. Procurement issues: Post-tender negotiations: There are several situations wherein changing market conditions and various environmental variables necessitate the re-negotiation of contracts after the finalization of tenders. One such example may be in the drop in the prices of raw materials required; change in the immigration policy may flood the market with more affordable labor creating the requirement for new terms of contract with longstanding contract partners. However NHS does not permit post tender negotiations. (NHS, Barnet, 2009:37). This creates significant levels of problems in negotiating contract details after the issuance of tenders (Morris et al., 2007). Fund Management: Typically there are several differences in how the funds allotted to a particular project are managed in respect of public and private interests, for instances privately managed projects have more flexibility in regards to funds allocation and consumption and are subject to less paperwork, therefore are consequently subject to greater independence. However, being a public project, it would require better and more efficient management of public funds. This translates into tighter controls, apprehension in fund allocations, delayed fund usage and general financial disarray. This is a very real, very serious issue facing most all government institutions and not necessarily limited to just the NHS. Environmental issues: In recent years renewed attention has been paid to environmental concerns emanating from organizational operations. Medical institutions have traditionally been highly inefficient in terms of energy usage and According to a research conducted by Torbay NHS Care Trust, (2010, p. 10), 60 of the total carbon footprint of NHS originates from the procured goods and services. Implementing IT infrastructure: The business model for a lot of the modern healthcare facilities has integrated the need for a comprehensive IT support framework that supports the operational activities of the organization. Ensuring compatibility with modern standards of IT infrastructure and implementing modern IT concepts like e-commerce etc in the procurement plan is a major challenge for the managers. Procurement strategy: Core strategic priorities: To establish a process of sourcing contracts and frameworks to ensure the delivery of best value. To implement and fully utilize efficient on†line procurement systems and processes that move away from a paper based system and reduce the transaction effort within the Trust. To implement a set of standard policies and processes to ensure that all staff understand and comply with the mechanisms for purchasing goods and services. To implement a range of management information systems that allow for the results of current procurement patterns to be analyzed to ensure that best value is secured. To develop a materials management structure to allow efficient and effective delivery and stockholding. Establishment of accurate assessment centers catering directly to the diagnostic needs of patients from various medical need backgrounds. Aesthetic and functional design of the hospital interiors, compensating for the needs of special requirement patients involving senior citizens as well as early childhood care. Combination of easy access as well as synergistic design based construction that combines the best of functionality, environmental friendliness and ease of use. Strategic principles: The strategic principles on which the procurement strategy will be based can be enumerated as follows: Strive for continuous improvement in quality, price and processes by researching and developing a detailed understanding of potential products and services. Encourage environmentally advantageous products and services by, where appropriate, working with providers to minimize the environmental and social impacts associated with products and services. Strategic Model: The strategic model which will ensure the application of the strategy formed is described as follows: 1) Control: Performance: The various parameters of healthcare deliverables, measurable service outputs, and performance indicators etc will be used to measure performance efficiency and effectiveness. Governance: Formulating executive level strategies and policies to guide the procurement process and strategy. Risk: Acceptable parameters of different procurement components such as inventory levels, service delivery time, turnaround time etc. 2) Process: Sourcing: The activity of determining and defining business demand and the subsequent engagement with the supply market to acquire or fulfill that demand in the most cost effective way for the hospital is to be determined and executed by a central procurement department. Financial management: The allocation, budgeting and consumption of funds is to be managed in accordance with NHS guidelines and undertaken by the executive level governing body overseeing said functions of the hospital. Data Management: The use of above mentioned IT infrastructure to enable efficient data forecasts and effective material management. References: Bower, Denise 2003, ‘Management of procurement’ Pearson Publishing Fleming, Quentin 2003, ‘Project procurement management’ SUNY press Zaman, Nadeem 2011, ‘Procurement Management Process’ Toronto Press Sherman, Stanley 1985, ‘Government Procurement Management’ Penguin Publishing England, Wilbur 2009, ‘Modern procurement management’ Harvard Press Ukalkar, Sanjay 2000, ‘Strategic Procurement Management’ Abrahms Publishing Nelson, Clarence 2001, ‘IT use in Procurement Managament’ SUNY press

Ethnographic: Teen Pregnancy

Teen pregnancy is when an adolescent male and female from the pubescent age to twenty years old, which are involved In sexual activity that results in the female becoming pregnant. Whether the pregnancy Is continued or terminated, the child Is keep with parents or given up for adoption and whether or not the parties Involved where married. Interviewer Targets: Teen Mothers Teen Fathers Open-Ended Questions: 1) At what age did you partake in sexual activities? And at what age did you get pregnant? 2) Why did you choose not to abstain? 3) What role did your self-esteem play in your decision to have sex? How did your social relationships with friends, family, and the opposite sex play in the determining fact of your choice to have sex? 5) Did your parents/guardians discuss sex, sexual activities, prevention and SST with you? Did those conversations have an effect on your decision to continue or to stop all sexual acuity? 6) In your relationship, who was the person concerned about preven tion and protection? 7) How did teen pregnancy affect your life? 8) Considering everything, what do you think are the disadvantages to having a baby now instead of waiting until you were older? How did being a teen parent impact your life goals before the pregnancy? 10) What are some steps you will take in the future to help your child prevent teen pregnancy? 1 1) How did your social relationships change? 12) How has the opinions and assumptions of others effect you? Ethnographic Style: The ethnographic style completed on this paper is done through theory and method. The theory Is addressing the concern of the specific social problem of teen pregnancy In the modern society versus the same problem In the united States past generations.The method Includes different research tools, open-ended question Interviews and participant observation, research design of community studies and data presentation the use of select quotes, fieldwork and statistical research found. Teen Pregnancy of â €Å"Epidemic Proportion† Teen pregnancy is an adolescent male and female, from the pubescent to twenty years old, who are involved in sexual activity that result in the female becoming pregnant. Whether the pregnancy is continued or terminated, the child is kept with parents or given up for adoption and whether or not the parties involved where married.The assumption that teen pregnancy is 100% preventable, adolescences re participating in sexual activity at younger ages than in past generations, and that the underline reason teens are choosing to participate in sexual activity is not addressed. These assumptions only initiate the need for purpose of this social problem to be address by understand the underline reason teen pregnancy is occurring, researching methods that will better prevent teen pregnancy and to better understand the reasons and the affects of teen pregnancy for both sexes. The assumption and purpose of this paper will be presented through the ethnographic st yle.The ethnographic style completed on this paper is done through theory and method. The theory is addressing the concern of the specific social problem of teen pregnancy in the modern society versus the same problem in the United States past generations. The method includes different research tools, open-ended question interviews and participant observation, research design of community studies and The ethnographic style is broken down through the assumption, purpose, target interviewees, open-ended question responses that were collected and the data research of statistical research documented and collected by past researchers.