Feminism in Lives of the Saints

Kenneth Tambuwun Ms. Barrow ENG4USB 26 October 2012 Feminism in Lives of the Saints Men and women are expected to be different. In the novel Lives of the Saints by Nino Ricci, gender roles in Italy during the 1960s affect how the characters behave. Characters such as Cristina and Vittorio are affected by living in the patriarchal society of Valle del Sole. Feminist critical theory is observed in Cristina’s strength, her independence and the society she lives in. Feminist terms such as semiotics can be applied to Cristina’s strength and it is seen during the conversations of Cristina in the car after she had been bitten by the snake. Where did it bite †¦ I didn’t think of it† (Ricci 12). Cristina once again did not panic â€Å"My mother let out a sigh†¦ to other people’s nonsense† (Ricci 15). Cristina is strong as her words are calm unlike what women would feel after they are bitten by a snake. Cristina goes against Phallogocentrism t hroughout the novel especially since she is not confined to a regular mother and she can do whatever she wants to unlike most women in the village. Cristina also shows Androgyny. â€Å"The cloth sank into †¦ indifference to pain† (Ricci 13) and â€Å"The story about my own †¦ ad fallen asleep† (Ricci 13). It is clear that the villagers believe that Cristina can bear pain like a man. Cristina’s strength differentiates her from the rest of the women in the story. Cristina is an independent woman as she does not rely on others because when Alfredo offered Cristina the money her husband gave her, she rejected it. â€Å"You think it’s the †¦ need his money† (Ricci 97). After her husband left for America, she raised Vittorio by herself. Moreover, she solves her family’s problem by her own.When Vittorio had a fight and is hurt by Vincenzo, instead of asking for help from her dad or anyone else, Cristina confronted Vincenzo’s h ouse and clarify things up with Maria and Vincenzo. She does not want other’s help at all. When she is offered a luxurious room in the ship by Antonio Darcoangelo, she denied the room. â€Å"It’s kind of you †¦ that kind of luxury† (Ricci 199). Cristina believes that she can survive by herself and prefers to do so without any help. Cristina’s independence goes against what gender roles had put upon women. Patriarchy can be seen throughout the novel.Men are much respected in the village. Vittorio recalls about the memory when Mario hurled a plate towards her mother â€Å"I saw my father †¦ against her cheek† (Ricci 32). Cristina’s husband abused her and yet she did not dare to fight back because men are expected to behave that way. High positions in the village are held by man. Vittorio describes his grandfather as â€Å"My grandfather †¦ since the time of the fascists† (Ricci 2). A male have held the mayor position for a very long time. In addition, men have to work and do all the job whereas women will wait for their husband. â€Å"The men left †¦ geing parents followed† (Ricci 166). Most men of the house are expected to work and find money abroad like Vittorio’s father. Valle del Sole is a society dominated by men. To sum it up, feminism can be repeatedly noticed throughout the novel. Firstly, Cristina goes against the typical women who are afraid of pain. Secondly, Cristina is an independant woman. Last but not least, Valle del Sole itself is a patriarchal society. Gender roles set upon by society causes men and women to be different in one way or another. Works Cited Ricci, Nino. Lives of the Saints. Toronto: Cormorant Books Inc, 2010. Print.

How Do Critical Perspectives On Crime Differ From Traditional Essay

Critical perspectives on crime differ from other perspectives in that they focus on ways people and institutions respond to crime and criminals. Critical perspectives are often called social reaction theories. The different theories covered under critical perspectives include Labeling theory, Conflict and radical theory and feminist theory. Labeling theory states that deviance is not the act itself that a person commits; a deviant label will lead us to be more deviant. Labeling theory is one of the most significant perspectives in the study of criminology. Amongst these theories is the labeling theory which is one of the most significant theories studied. Labeling theory adopts a relativist’s definition, by assuming that nothing about a given behavior automatically makes it deviant. While traditional theories accept the accuracy of official labeling such as the arrest and prosecution, Labeling theory challenges the view and says some people’s behavior is more likely to be labeled deviant than others. Conflict and Radical theories take up where labeling theory leaves off. They argue that law is only controlled by the powerful and that they are often preserved by the dominant, unlike traditional theories that promote the law and stress the positive aspects of it. One area inspired by feminist work is often called gender-ratio; it is the study of female rates is so much lower than male’s rates in violent crimes. Within the feminist theories we have victimization, differences in crimes, Gender Differences, Masculinity. A great deal of focus is spotlighted on masculinity of crimes. Researchers argue that in order to reduce crime men must be socialized more and male dominance must be illuminated. It was noted in Chapter 3 that we already do a good job of raising our girls not to be criminals, however how can we implement this into the masculine side of things. Masculinity and crime is the significant focus of the work of gender-ratio issues. The problem according to sociologists is that crime is essentially a male issue and we need to figure out how we get to it being much less of an issue. Most crimes against women are either produced as a crime against a weaker person or a crime because the criminal is the dominant one. It seems to be a double edge sword. Power-Control theory explains the level of female criminality by examining the gender process of families. It highlights the roles played by women and men in perspective to their class. Power Control theory looks at two primary sections, the first is Patriarchal households in which only the father works outside the home and the mother is left at home to care for the children. In this type of household boys learn the masculine roles and girls learn the feministic roles. The other is egalitarian, in which both the matriarch and patriarch works outside the home, therefore the guidance is not there to justify roles which tends to lead to delinquency in both gender children. Although most tests of Power control theory produce mixed results. Feministic theories show us just how unequal women are portrayed in law and society. The main issue with control theory is a mother’s occupational place vs. a father’s occupational place in the family. It focuses on the balance of power and control and how this affects the child’s preferences for risk taking. Criminal law divides murder and non-negligent manslaughter into four subgroups: first degree murder, second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. Some of the patterns described in our book include geographic patterns in which is chronicled with data statistics. It focuses on the different regions and shows the highest statistics in the South, with the Northeast and Midwest being low to mid. According to data the highest weapon used in homicides are handguns at 68 % with knives and blunt objects at 13%. Researchers say that the south is the highest percentage of crime due to the high temperature and crowded urban areas. According to our book (P200) an adequate explanation of homicide and aggravated assault must answer the following questions: Why does the United States have a higher homicide rate than any other industrial nation? This is answered by research that provides data that the United States has more inequality than other nations and thus this pro duces more crime. There is a vast difference between the rich and the poor. The other reason or answer given to this is that in the United States more handguns are owned, and since handguns are the major cause of homicides, this also contributes to the higher rates. Within the United States, why are homicide and aggravated assault rates highest in the urban areas? This is best answered with Social  disorganization, anomie and strain theory help explain why crime in general is higher in urban areas; this includes higher populations, denser areas of habitation, household overcrowding as well as dilapidated living conditions. There is also a chance of higher unemployment rates. Why do men commit almost all homicides and aggravated assaults? The masculinity theories were brought up in chapter 9, but this question is answered as this seems to be shaped in adolescence and the need for boys to grow up stronger and better than women who are looked upon as less dominant. Poverty also interacts with masculinity, the competitiveness in families and social groups. Why do African-Americans and other people of color have high rates of homicides and aggravated assault, both as offenders and victims? This question is explained in similar ways to those above. It has been a question full of hard emotions and personal opinions. It could also be construed as a racist or stereotypical question. Because it is such a touchy subject most researchers go about it in explaining how minorities have criminogenic structural and ecological factors which cause their crime rate to be higher. There is social disorganization stress, the stress of being deprived and discriminated against. Also listed are negative family and school experiences along with the peer pressure from other deviant youths that are common in the urban areas. All of these factors separate may not have much effect, but together it proves to be the perfect combination to put African Americans, especially y oung African Americans at a higher risk for crime. For which two types of violent crime are women’s rates of victimization much higher than men’s victimization rates? At what rates are women victimized for these crimes? Describe cultural myths supporting rape and battering that are discussed in the text Rape/sexual assault and domestic violence/violence committed by intimates are at the top of the list for crimes committed against women more than men. (P220) Our book states that women represented 89% of all sexual assault crimes and 79% of aggravated assaults. Many of the cultural myths are involved in overseas and third world countries which see women as possessions or less than worth compared to a man. In India, as well as Pakistan Dowry deaths which claim the lives of thousands of women are committed daily. These deaths are sanctioned as legal or usually overseen by law enforcement with payment. Dowry deaths are committed against  a bride by either a husband or the husband’s family because the bride’s dowry was not paid as it was supposed to be. Wartime rape and batteries is also high in other countries and often overlooked in the judicial system. Some of the myths involved in these victimizations include women â€Å"like† to be raped or they â€Å"ask† to be raped. Our book uses the opening scene in Gone With the Wind to express one of the many portrayals of women enjoying being sexually assaulted , she is whisked up-stairs against her will, and then is shown with a smile on her face in the morning. The other myth is that women ask to be raped by the way they dress or how they behave. This has been an excuse used by many, even today. The blame does not go on the abuser in these cases but looks at how the woman was behaving prior to the sexual assault. For domestic violence and assaults the women is again said to have â€Å"asked† for the beating by antagonizing the abuser. The woman is blamed for saying or doing something to anger the male and therefore deserved the beating or abuse they received. Women are also blamed because they do not leave the abuser when they have a chance to leave, nor do they press charges when they often have the chance to. Women normally do not leave abusive spouses because they are often the sole providers, women have children and often no money to leave or pay for housing anywhere or legal fees to divorce or put restraining orders on abusers.

War Brings Out the Good in People

War brings out the best in people War does not bring negative effects all the time. It does bring out the best in people. This is because during war people start caring more about everyone. The war unites people and makes them more courageous. During war time, people start caring more about everyone’s humanity. When people see, for example, a family in distress due to war, then people would become more hospitable and help them in every way they can. They might give them clothing, food and provide all their necessities, and also sometimes let them stay at their own place.During the war time people become more united. For example, the town I lived in got bombed, then all the people in our town would get together to survive in the bad times. Even enemies will be united in these bad times . During war people will not only think about themselves, but they would also think about others too. For example, the people who live in the next town would collect money and help our town that was bombed. Even other neighboring countries would help us in times as these.During the war time, people would get more courageous. This is because to survive people will have to be courageous. If they are not scared then they can somehow bare any sort of pain. But if people are scared they would not be able to face the ugly truth of war. To conclude, I would say that war does not bring bad in people. It does bring the good in people as the facts I have written above. Because of war people would be more hospitable, caring , courageous and be untied to survive together.

Final paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 10

Final paper - Essay Example Therefore, in this paper, I will be discussing institutional racism based on stereotypes and how it has come to affect Middle Easterners. I will attempt to make a comparison between past and present treatment of students of Middle Eastern origin in the United States as well as show different places where this type of discrimination might take place. Furthermore, I will discuss how stereotypes of these individuals often affect these individuals in both their public and personal lives based on my own experiences. In the United States, institutional racism has become a part of everyday life for many individuals especially from the Middle East or for those Americans who have origins in this region. In my experience as a student of Middle Eastern origin, institutional racism enforces stereotypes of people from this region without necessarily taking into account their individual differences. I have been faced with many problems during my stay in the United States and this has been based on beliefs by ordinary Americans that because of the way I look, I am a threat to them. There was an instance where after going into a restaurant to get something to eat, I was viewed suspiciously by not only its staff, but the customers as well. Many of these customers actually moved away from the table that I took and despite waiting for a long time, no one seemed to be willing to come to my service. This was within my first few days in the United States and my dreams of this country being a bastion of liberali sm were shattered as I came to realize that the stereotype of Arabs as terrorists had become firmly entrenched in American viewpoint (Oswald 1775). I later came to experience open discrimination at the University of Arizona when attending classes, and this became a trend because whenever I entered a classroom, and took a seat, the students who had been sitting all around me would move away from me and take other seats. Only those who did not seem to have a problem with me or my

Right to Vote Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Right to Vote - Essay Example One of the few countries in the Middle East that has allowed women the right to not only vote but also run for political office is Lebanon, showing a willingness to change with the times.   â€Å"Lebanese women won the right to vote and to participate in national elections in 1952, 19 years before women in Switzerland† (Khalife, 2009).   Although women in Lebanon are allowed the right to vote and hold political office it is still a very male dominated culture, â€Å"in fact, only 17 women have served in Lebanons Parliament since suffrage† (Khalife, 2009).   One of the major reasons that women’s voices in Lebanon are marginalized is the fact that political parties are focused on sectarian differences.   Lebanese politics are unique to the Middle East, with 18 separate political parties being recognized and allowed the right to represent the people.   Although Lebanon is not considered free by freedom house, it is one of the few countries in the Middle Ea st that is actively working towards democratic representation of the people.  

Under Armour Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Under Armour - Assignment Example Under Armour Under Armour’s current marketing strategy is to market its products primarily to customers who participate in sports, fitness, outdoor, and training activities. They execute this strategy through professional and collegiate sponsorships, individual athlete agreements, and outfitting agreements. Because of this, Under Armour can be seen on the field, fiving them exposure to the consumer via live sporting events and television. Under Armour is the official footwear of the NFL and the MLB giving them national recognition. The University of South Florida, University of Auburn, and the University of Maryland and many other colleges are all sponsored by Under Armour. Internationally, Under Armour provides uniforms for the Tottenham Hotspur Football club and the Welsh Rugby Union. By sponsoring and providing uniforms for all these teams, Under Armour is able to become a recognized brand in sports. Under Armour’s retail marketing strategy involves increased brand floor space for their products in major retail businesses. Due to increased sponsorship of sports teams allows Under Armour to be recognized easily in stores and have specified areas specifically for Under Armour products. Wholesale channels including sporting goods stores, department store chains, institutional athletics departments, and specialty retailers are responsible for the majority of Under Armour sales. Under Armour also have specialty and factory stores throughout North America and certain countries in Europe to sell strictly Under Armour products to consumers. ... Wholesale channels including sporting goods stores, department store chains, institutional athletics departments, and specialty retailers are responsible for the majority of Under Armour sales. Under Armour also have specialty and factory stores throughout North America and certain countries in Europe to sell strictly Under Armour products to consumers. Internationally, Under Armour competes in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. North America makes up for about 94% of Under Amours total revenues. The two largest customers in North America are Dick’s Sporting Goods and Sports Authority. In Europe, products are sold to about four thousand retail stores and through the Under Armour website. Under Armour has had a license agreement since 2002 with Dome Corporation that sells, markets, and produces its products in Japan. In China, Under Armour has two specialty stores in Shanghai and also distributes products to customers through a third party logistics provider. Under Armour also sells its products in Latin America through independent distributors, which are distributed from factories in the United States. Financial Performance Under Armour Nike Adidas 2010 2011 2012 2010 2011 2012 2010 2011 2012 Revenues 1.06B 1.47B 1.83B 20.89B 24.12B 25.33B 16.23B 18.03B 20.15B Net Income 68.48M 96.92M 128.39M 2.13B 2.22B 2.46B 891M 823M 709M Under Armour’s current strategy seem to be working well. They have increased their revenues by .77 billion dollars since 2010. Under Armour has almost doubled the amount of net income over the past three years as well. When looking at their competitors Nike and Adidas, the amount of revenue that they create is far more than Under Armour. This is due to

Food Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Food Security - Essay Example Global warming has worked to exacerbate tensions rising over food insecurity concerns. The influence of climate on food supplies is so phenomenal that both entities are popularized as being inextricably linked to each other. Food shortage is the reason why people in many parts of the world are driven toward the practice of committing suicide. This is because hunger is a great punishment and many people are bound to suffer from this punishment at hands of heaven-kissing food rates. People from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds suffer the most from this shortage of food supplies and resulting high food rates. The suicide rate is also particularly common among such groups. As food prices spiral out of control and agricultural practices get the worst of climate change, the world is advised to prepare for an upcoming dearth of many basic food products. What is so different now from the past is that masses of people have moved from calm rural areas to chaotic urban areas in respo nse to industrialization and these areas suffer from a climatic risk that is more deadly and influential. It is the result of such mass migration of as many as 650 million people to arid or semi-arid areas that problems like the flood, droughts, and skyrocketing food prices affect them the most. This small statistic helps to gain an insight into the awry situation of the food problem in present contemporary times.  Human numbers increasing at an unprecedented rate also serve to exacerbate food insecurity issues.  

SEE THE ATTACHMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

SEE THE ATTACHMENT - Essay Example Due to factors of its formation, hydraulic fracturing has faced critics between different groups of scientist especially the environmentalists and the miners of the United States of America. A number of bills have been passed to criticise and support this kind of method. I guess it is time for a push for these bills to be passed since manufacturers and miners have caused a lot of health complication and environmental degradation but a proper punishment have not been given to these polluters. Discussion First call; supportive argument Surely by now people living around mine field’s area none of you can deny that hydraulic fracturing has been the major cause of air pollution. Institution like the University of Arizona is supporting the use of hydraulic fracturing. In Beijing on 27th of November 2013, authorities in the capital destroyed more than 500 open air barbecues due to small particulate matters in the air that can enter deep into lungs causing health difficulty (abc News) . In a survey published by environmentalists group, 86% of those polled said that air pollution have caused health complication, 40% reported that environmental degradation have been highly caused by hydraulic fracturing. ... The university group can therefore develop various ways to improve the air quality while maintaining the hydraulic fracturing method. The environment department of the university call consider bringing together a group of experts to participate in the discussion of the risk involved in hydraulic fracturing. Â   Scientific research team from the group recently formed in the University of Arizona, the GREEN (Greening Research, Education and Environment Network) can develop research study that can help determine the impact of hydraulic fracturing and its effect to air and water pollution. The group can come up with various proof as to what cause the environmental air pollution apart from the hydraulic fracturing at the same time they can determine certain element that pin hydraulic fracturing as the source of air pollution. They as well can figure out the fact found in the research carried out in 1997, where an important study appeared in the New England Journal of medicine, the author s, Donald Redelmeier and Robert Tibshirani studied around 700 volunteers who made health as a study subject to the hydraulic fracturing effect to the environment. The participants agreed to report any non-fatal collision in which they were involved in during the research; the researchers then assessed the dangers involved with air pollution. The result was that people who were close to the mines and industries were highly exposed to the effects of air pollution fracking. Groups have argued differently, the scientist from different countries have argued that the reservoir stimulation through the hydraulic fracture is a critical element in unlocking geothermal potential energy

Significance of US Involvement in WWI Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Significance of US Involvement in WWI - Essay Example The World War I had a significant play on the USA’s further development and growth. For corporate America, the war has started long before it began for the common citizens. Charles Schwab, the president of Bethlehem Steel, one of the world’s largest weapons merchants, within first two months of strive took a trip to London having money-making interests in mind where he received contracts from the British government for millions of weaponry shells and ten 500-ton submarines. Assembling of such foreign vessels was against the law, however Bethlehem Steel went ahead with it, and the Wilson administration did not take any action to prevent it from doing so. The company earned $61 million in 1916, which was more than its combined gross revenues for the previous eight years. (Dwyer, 2004) Another thing that the war brought was an influx in funds selling ammunition, which had a positive effect on the economy of the United States. According to Thomas Fleming in The Illusion of Victory: America in World War I, the United States was supplying Great Britain, France and Russia with 40 percent if their war material.(Fleming,71) The president Woodrow Wilson, upon being elected with the slogan â€Å"he kept us out of war† only few months later appealed to Congress to declare that a state of war between the United States and Germany. When calling for war, he was appealing to the grates American idea – fight to make the world safe for democracy. (Fleming, 1-3) By the time America officially declared war to Germany, the international banking firm of J. P. Morgan in New York already loaned Britain and France $2.1 billion (which is worth around $30 billion by 2004 measures), and had gained $30 million – around $425 million in 2004 dollars – in profit. (Fleming, 70) Perhaps the next significant fact of participating in the war is best explained by the president Woodrow Wilson’s in his own words when he said, in regards to his concept ion for American-inspired democratic after-war global peace and harmony and unity: As head of a nation participating in the war, the president of the United States would have a seat at the peace table, but . . . if he remained the representative of a neutral country, he could at best only ‘call through a crack in the door. (Fleming, 79) What Wilson really wanted to get through the war was to raise the status of the USA in the world, for the country to have more influence on an international scale. No American interest was at stake in WWI, the war never affected American territory, however a total of 120, 000 men died. The war significantly raised the authority of the US in major international issues. It allowed the United States to interfere in solving European issues, which did not even concern them. (Thomas, 137) So the most significant changes that World War I brought was a strengthened economy and bigger authority in international matters. Another significant fact about Wo rld War I is that it set the stage for War World II. The Life and Death of Sergeant York Alvin Cullum York was born the third oldest of a family of eleven children. The York family just barely managed to make a living by farming and hunting, and York became a proficient marksman at an early age. Prior to the World War I, York was employed on the railroad as a day laborer. He had virtually no experience with money managing and later suffered from chronic fiscal problems. When York had the money, he would spend it, invested it poorly, and would generously give it away to other people who he believed needed it. As York came of age he earned a reputation as a deadly accurate shot and a trouble maker. He would spend too much time drinking and gambling in borderline. He was generally considered a problem and someone who "would never amount to

Response paper about Turkish Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Essay

Response paper about Turkish Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Imperial Ambassador at Constantinople, - Essay Example o introduced both the lilac, which generally earned acceptance to the West, and tulip due to his fascination for herbalism local flora according to scholarly records. Based on the scholars, it is interesting to note how Busbecq demonstrated a picture of the international politics at the time through the Turkish letters, especially detailing the relations between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire which is claimed to be given negligible focus in history courses. Hence, Busbecq’s letters are regarded as amply useful as a firsthand reliable source in studying the Western Civilization or European history for students in higher undergraduate levels. Since the inner workings of 16th century European diplomacy are also dealt with, a reader would essentially perceive the historical and personal insights of the Flemish author regarding the culture and society of the great empire of the east. Such undertakings as Busbecq’s become noteworthy of being judged as open-mindedly capable in ridding itself of inevitable biases so as to create a better illustration of the truth which the audience should be left mostly to evaluate. As a polymath who had been able to obtain remarkable education via Europe’s erudite capitals, Busbecq managed to exhibit in the Turkish letters, forwarded to the knowledge of a fellow diplomat at Hungary, the potential to respond to the heightening tensions between the Ottomans and Ferdinand of Habsburg between 1555 and 1562. By chronicling the encounters of his journey in fulfilling the mission assigned him as part of the imperial embassy, the ambassador quite proved that he deserved the position to settle border treaty negotiations between Suleiman ‘the Magnificent’ and the future emperor of Rome. With Ogier Ghiselin’s composition of the Turkish letters, one acquires a perspective of making history through diverse experiential learning like that of Busbecq as he made the most of his stay in Istanbul. Eventually, this establishes

Social media marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social media marketing - Essay Example In the context of this view, Web 2.0 does not serve only as a communication tool but also, mainly, as a marketing tool, promoting products or ideas. From this point of view, Web 2.0 has introduced an important change on Internet. Apart from improving the terms of communication between Internet users, Web 2.0 has increased the potentials of Internet to be used as a marketing tool, not necessarily in regard to products/ services but also in regard to specific ideas and social trends. At this point the following issue should be highlighted: Web 2.0 did not reveal the advanced technological potentials of World Wide Web; in fact, the technology required for the development of social networking sites, of virtual world platforms and other features of Web 2.0 has been available earlier, before the appearance of Web 2.0. Through Web 2.0 this technology was used for attracting the interest of Internet users in regard to the benefits and the potentials of online communication, a target that was achieved (Brown, Rob 2). Moreover, it seems that Web 2.0 has responded effectively to the needs of Internet users for interactive communication, but the time required for the achievement of such benefit is often significant (Brown Eileen 7). In this context, Web 2.0 has effectively promoted social media requiring by its users to spend a significant amount of time for becoming familiar with the relevant applications. In regard to the social media and their potential role in the development of a brand the following issues should be highlighted: social media are based on communication among an extended network of users. In fact, popular social networking sites, such as Facebook or Myspace, have millions of... The appearance of World Wide Web, in 1990s, has changed the standards of communication worldwide. In its initial form, World Wide Web offered to its users the potential to enter websites, with ‘static or infrequently changed content’. New features of World Wide Web emerged, that resulted to the establishment of a new form of World Wide Web.In the context of Web 2.0 users were offered’ advanced interactive applications in which users can participate through organizing, distributing and creating their content’ (Cashman and Frydenberg 1). In practice, Web 2.0 includes blogs, wikis and social networking tools’ (Wankel 61). The term Web 2.0 has been often considered as similar to the term ‘social media’ (Wankel 61), reflecting the advanced potentials for social interaction and participation in the creation of web content (Wankel 61). The introduction of Web 2.0 has caused radical changes on Internet and social media. Before the appearance of Web 2.0 the potentials of Internet users in terms of communication were limited; e-mail messages were massively used as the key tool for communicating with other Internet users. Web 2.0 offered to Internet users the chance to communicate through a series of interactive platforms, such as the networking and the microblogging sites, as Facebook and Twitter accordingly (Campesato and Nilson 7). Users can share their views on a particular brand highlighting the benefits or disadvantages of the specific brand.

Southwest Airline Essay Example for Free

Southwest Airline Essay Southwest Airlines was introduced in Texas on June 18, 1971 with three Boeing 737 airplanes and only serving three cities of Texas which included Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. The company came a long way since 1971; today Southwest Airlines has 537 Boeing 737 airplanes and serving 68 cities around the US. Southwest Airlines has become a major airline in 1989 when it hit the billion-dollar revenue mark. Southwest Airlines is the United States’ most successful airline due to the low fares, high frequency, and point-to-point carrier. According to the Southwest Airlines Fact Sheet 2010 â€Å"Southwest operates more than 3,200 flights a day coast-to-coast, making it the largest U. S. carrier based on domestic passengers’ carrier as of September 30, 2009†. As June 2011, Southwest Airlines has become the top airline to carries the most domestic passengers in the US. Southwest Airlines in 2013 has expanded their destination to 86 cities in 42 states and Puerto Rico. The current CEO of Southwest Airlines is Gary Kelly and his vision for the company is â€Å"to connect people to what important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low cost air travel†. According to the swamedia.com â€Å"Gary is a 27-years Southwest veteran who began his career at Southwest Airlines as Controller, moving up to Chief Financial Officer and Vice President Finance, then Executive Vice President and CFO, before being promoted to CEO and Vice Chairman in July 2004. Gary assumed the roles of Chairman and President in 2008. Prior to joining Southwest Airlines in 1986, Gary was a CPA for Arthur Young Company in Dallas and Controller for Systems Center, Inc.† Gary has received many awards during his 27 years with the company and twice being named CEO of the year by D CEO Magazine’s. Also, he was named of the best CEO in America by Institutional Investor three times. According to the Sawmedia.com â€Å"Gary was selected as Dallas Business  Journals CEO of the year for 2011. In 2010, Gary was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2013, Gary will be inducted into the McCombs School of Business Hall of Fame at the University of Texas at Austin; Gary is the recipient of the 2013 Father of the Year Award; and Gary is the recipient of the 2013 McLane Leadership in Business Award at Texas AM University.† According to Gary Kelly and SouthwesAirlines.com their mission statement â€Å"is dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual price and Company Spirit†. They have been operating their business exactly as their mission statement. They have been so successful due largely to the usual focus on their employees. LUV and FUN is the program which Southwest has created for their employees and their focus on customer service which they have to show respect for one and another, represent the company and create a comfortable, relax and fun working environment. Southwest Airlines’ Strengths Southwest airlines has many strengths’, but one that brings in profit to the company in a major way is their customer service. Southwest airlines has the highest quality of customer service that is delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit. That statement is not only their motto, but also their way of making a profit. Southwest brand their name on good customer service. They have been admired to be the third top ranked airline in the U.S and the tenth in the airline industry. Buyology and an online research marking company evaluated 4,000 men and women, with four key parameter of a company; the awe, the superiority harmony and exploration of a company to rank the top ranked company. According to www.southwestonereport.com, â€Å"220 brands and companies were studying during this evaluation the company were matched by numerically with strength and weakness. With relation with Southwest airline consciously and unconsciously Southwest airline earned the top spot for 2012.† Not only do bag fly free Southwest airline was the first airline to offer senior discounts, ticketless traveling, and services for air freight delivery to the common traveler. Southwest airline offers credit based on the number of trips with the airline instead of the total miles traveled also understanding the not how far you fly it’s how many times you fly with  Southwest airline. As Southwest’s major strength is the customer service making a profit is another strength that has sustained them. In 2012, Southwest airline marked the most profitable airline in U.S airline industry unmatched for over 30 years. These profits is the results of the exemplary customer service that Southwest airline has making over 421 million dollars in 2012 alone. Another major strength is Southwest airlines website. During the second quarter of 2013, 80 percent of Southwest airline passenger revenues were booked via southwest.com. In addition to flights, customers are able to make car, hotel, cruise, and complete vacation package reservations on southwest.com. Southwest airline has the Southwest Shortcut feature on southwest.com, which is the first online tool that helps customers find the lowest fare based on availability across the entire month. Southwest airline has many strengths, but as southwest airline put it in a nut shell its all about. According to www.southwestonereport.com, â€Å"Southwest continues to differentiate itself from other carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by nearly 46,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers each year among 96 destinations in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and five near-international countries all at low far.† Southwest Airlines’ Weaknesses Southwest Airlines has become one of the top airlines in America, it is the number one airline that carries domestic passengers around the state. Southwest Airlines have followed their CEO leadership, they do what they are supposed to do and they are carried on their mission statement to the fullest. With that in mind Southwest Airlines could be the only perfect airline and have many advantages compare to others: as for examples low fares, beautiful flight attendants and happy employees who respect one and another. Southwest Airlines has successfully built a great, comfortable and relax workplace for their employees. Also, they have great customer service which is always their first priority. Unfortunately there is no such thing as a perfect company or a perfect person because the world that we live in right now is not perfect, so Southwest Airlines has many strengths but they are also have many weaknesses as well. The first weakness of Southwest  Airlines is within their company. Debt and operating expenses are among the tops of the company priority, according to quality-assurance.com â€Å"The company is estimated to possess $361 million of debt on their balance sheet, and until they pay down these debts it will drag significantly on their business†. Debt will drag on the business of Southwest. Also the Mounting Operating Expense can count as one the weaknesses of the company as well. The company has to pay out more for fuel because it has grown 182.30% for the average of gallon from 2005 to 2011. Unfortunately, the company also has to deal with it employees’ union because of the union has demand more services and benefits for their members, and by the end of the day Southwest doesn’t have much left money to cover their debts and expenses. The second weakness of Southwest Airline is the services provided to customers. According to businesstune-ups.com â€Å"Southwest Airlines doesn’t provide international flights, they don’t have seating options, their cargo space is very limited, they only have one type of airplane, Very short trips earn the same amount of perks as a long, extensive flight. Scrutiny of potential employees based on personality before skill could be dangerous.† Not having international flights and only have one aircraft for their services are the disadvantages to Southwest’s competitors. These days more and more passengers going out of country for their business trips which will increase profits and customers for the company. Only have one type of aircraft which is a great way to save money when the maintenance services come. Also, it is a big disadvantage for Southwest Airlines because the aircraft has a limited space for passengers’ luggage. Southwest Airlines also doesn’t have a seating chart and no business option for their passengers. It is a great way to save money for the company and as well for the passengers to get a lowest air fares as possible, but many business passengers want their own space to work on their presentations or their companies’ projects. So, without the business class option the airline will be losing out to its competitors. Another weakness of Southwest Airlines is the company only provides limited destinations for its passengers and mostly is from the South. The limited areas will limit the number of passengers who will choose Southwest as their designated airlines. It is hard and difficult to compete with other larger airlines that serve both domestics and internationally with also help them to build bigger market for their companies. Southwest Airlines’ Opportunities Now that the merger of Southwest Airline with AirTran is now complete, growth is on the rise for Southwest, its customers and employees. In the acquisition, Southwest now can handle more international destinations with its new fleet of larger aircrafts. This gives more diversity for the customer and gives Southwest the ability to keep its fares low. Southwest also gained 8,000 additional employees from AirTran and if done correctly, this merger can only improve its customer service rating. Southwest Airlines is one of the top airlines in service today; known for their strategy, dedicated work force, low fares and customer service. The competitors’ component or analysis is defined as the process of identifying the performance and marketing strategy of competitive brands or products in the marketplace. So what is it about Southwest Airlines that has put them in such an elite category compared to the competition? Southwest’s main strategy is to keep things simple. â€Å"It has never served meals, does not have advanced seat reservations, and flies only Boeing airplanes. These decisions have helped Southwest be flexible in the face of the recent decreases in airplane passengers caused by the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the world economic crisis.† (http://teamsparksouthwest.blogspot.com) By reducing some of the amenities that other airlines offer, it allows them to reduce the amount of employee cut backs, maintain low fares while retaining employees that are loyal to the brand, ensuring a good customer experience. This strategy has allowed Southwest to have 39 years of profitable growth (Thompson). Southwest has been on the cutting edge of managing employee loyalty. In a recent interview with, Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest, he expressed that the key to a productive workforce is â€Å"Paying personal attention to each of your people instead of a formula, also to empower employees and back them up (Kelleher)† (Thompson). Over time, implementing these general tactics has reinforced a working culture at Southwest that separates them from their competition. A happy employee means great customer service, customer retention and consistently growing profit margins. Southwest airlines is known for its low fares but due to increasing fuel costs, limited destinations and people finding alternate ways of travel; ultimately Southwest’s competitive advantage of being the leader of low fares will diminish. Having fewer planes equals lower fuel costs which  is an area that Southwest is struggling with to maintain those low airfare prices. â€Å"Fuel crisis and fuel price become threats to Southwest Airlines Company. Fuel costs in 1978 averaged 37 cents per gallon while in 1979 it became 80 cents. In 1980 fuel costs exceeded $1.00 per gallon. This price hike changes the expenditure pattern of the company. Operating costs become 40% of the total budget† (MBA Study Point case study). The only true competition for Southwest is regionally. Delta out marks them in most areas but due to Delta’s concentration in the Southeast they only compete on a regional level. Delta does however fly to most of the areas where Southwest is the preferred airline. The same is not true for Southwest who has more limited destination availability. In order to compete, Southwest will need to add more destinations to their roster. Business travelers will still prefer Delta because of their perks for Business travelers which Southwest does not have. Not to have a business class excludes a whole subset of travelers that are more likely to fly on a regular basis which cuts down on profits. Southwest’s culture is centered around the customer. While in recent years they were positioning themselves as a low-cost airline with exceptional customer service; their fares have seen a slight increase but the standard for high quality customer service remains the same. They create an employee friendly environment that motivates employees to want to work hard and be the best they can possibly be for the company. Southwest’s website states â€Å"happy employees = happy customers† and this is the culture they operate with every day. Southwest airline believes that volunteering is crucial to the health of nonprofit organizations that work to meet needs in different communities. Southwest airline employees volunteer their time day in and day out for the important causes that are closest to their hearts. â€Å"In 2009, Southwest Airlines Employees volunteered more than 45,000 hours to charities across the country. In an effort to support these passionate Employee volunteers, Southwest Airlines launched the Tickets for Time program. For every 40 hours our Employees volunteer for a nonprofit organization, the benefitting nonprofit organization is eligible to receive one complimentary, round-trip ticket on Southwest Airlines for fundraising or transportation needs†(Southwest.com). Southwest Airline has an outreach program for every culture and lifestyle the employee volunteer more than 137,  000 hours. Southwest airline has an Adopt-A-Pilot program where students will  research careers and further develop life skills, while the importance of staying in school is reinforced. Southwest Airlines and AirTran pilots mentor fifth grade students and offer this program at no charge to the schools that participate in the Adopt-A-Pilot program. Southwest airline has several outreach programs that reach out to many cultures such as African- American, Asian, and Hispanic programs and LGBT. Southwest Airlines’ Treats Airline industry could be affected by many factors such as general economic environment, fuel price, airline terror acts, weather conditions and air traffic restrictions. General economic environment has an impact on the demand for travel, and therefore influences the number of flights run by Southwest. The fuel price controls the company’s costs; rising fuel price would increase the cost, and the company cannot always avoid influences of fuel price by fuel hedging. Terrorist attack incidents would both physically and psychologically affect customers and employees, which leads to a higher security cost. Weather conditions also, have an important impact on flights as well. Bad weather conditions may delay flights, increase turnaround time, and thus mark up costs. All these potential threats are faced by Southwest Airlines. Having been very successful in their operations, Southwest Airlines is surely a target of competitors’ focus. And by that, other airlines may begin co pying Southwests strategies. Though this may show that Southwest is definitely a leader in the airline industry, it is somehow disadvantageous for the company in the long run. If those airlines try to imitate Southwest’s cost efficiency strategies, they can also lower their ticket prices and compete with Southwest. Through such, competition will get tougher for Southwest and it will no longer be able to monopolize the low fare sector of the industry; and worse, there is a possibility that a big company in the future, possessing more advanced technologies and facilities, will operate using Southwest Airlines low-cost model to a wider market, which will encroach and outdo Southwest Airlines. Terrorism is one of the greatest threats for people to lose faith on the airline industry. Airline companies in the US can attest to that after experiencing the â€Å"911 Attack† in 2001 when they incurred major losses. Though Southwest was one of those airlines who did not incur a major loss, the possibility of an unforeseen terrorist aggression using airplanes is still a major threat in  the company’s operations. This is because any loss of confidence in the safety of air travel would lead to a shift to the use of other forms of transportation, leaving Southwest struggling to fill its seats. High unemployment and inflation are keeping more travelers at home; Supply and demand price elasticity of airline carriers may vary depending on the nature of the industry. The macroeconomic factors affecting the airline industry include unemployment, the economic growth in the United States, and inflation. With low economic growth, consumers are finding luxury items more difficult to purchase and airline tickets for vacations fall into that category. Unemployment contributes to a lack of vacation travelers since individuals who are not employed do not have extra money for vacation or airline tickets. Inflation also causes operating costs of the airlines to be higher which entails cuts into the profits of Southwest. Unemployment is affecting the airline industry because consumers are taking more â€Å"stay-cation† at home or vacationing to areas to which they can drive. As unemployment has risen, the airlines have laid off a much higher percentage of their people as well. Southwest Airlines’ Grand Strategies Recommendations Grand strategies, often called master or business strategies, provide basic direction for strategic actions. There are many grand strategies that Southwest Airlines can choose from when considering which match with their company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Southwest Airlines is excellent in planning their long-term goals. The above SWOT analysis proved that the company is successfully carrying out the cost leadership strategy to manipulate their competitors and boost up their company. Their mission in providing low fare cost is one of the best strategies that they have to increase their market share, and it also put a significant increase in the demand of air travel. Southwest Airlines’ rapid rewards program is brilliant, so they should continue and expand it even more. Southwest Airlines’ employees mainly belong to the Union and they are mainly full time workers. Since the Union has demanded more services and benefits for their members, the company gained limited profit. To fix this, the company should hire more part time workers instead of full time workers because if they implemented this they would not have to provide full  benefits and instead focus on gaining profit. Also, Southwest Airlines should make all flights within the states point-to-point flights, and give their employees a strict timeline to alleviate delays. This will keep an accurate time frame for customers. As far as the flight concerns, Southwest Airlines has only one dependable flight, which is very dangerous when it comes to safety, but the good thing about that is an inexpensive cost for maintaining the aircraft. The safety of the customers is very important, so Southwest should increase at least one more dependable aircraft just in case something unexpected happens to the other one. Customer service is superior for Southwest Airlines, but many of their weaknesses can give their competitor many advantages. Southwest does not offer international flights, and there are increases in demand for international flights, so they should consider flying internationally within the next 5 or 6 years, or Southwest should completely become integrated with AirTran Airline by 2014 because they could put an increase in their net income. The advantages that Southwest’s competitors such as American Airlines and US Airways have are their inflight meals, seating charts, and highly advanced technology they have available for their customers. In this case, Southwest Airlines should invest in one more jet that provides higher quality and luxurious experience for customers such as business travelers who are willing to pay extra for it. In that jet they would offer inflight meals, provide seating options when customers book their tickets, and most important of all, they have to adv ance their jet to have advanced technologies such as television. One of Southwest Airlines’ threats is a general economic environment problem like high unemployment and inflation that they cannot control. One thing that can be done is to create a program that provides customers time to pay off their ticket 5 months in advance before flying. So the customers would have enough time to pay in increments over a period of time so they do not have to worry about spending a lot of money at once. When it comes to expanding their name brand Southwest Airline should continue to increase their popularity by increasing the advertisements on both their and AirTran’s website. Since the websites are the main places where customers go to book their tickets, the company should put that into a good use by creating more advertisements, and therefore gaining more popularity. Lastly, Southwest should continue to foster its remarkable culture. The fun-loving attitude that the company has  for their customers and employees shows that Southwest has a great working environment; the dedication that the employees have for the company contributes to both the tangible and intangible benefits. â€Å"It is a true competitive advantage for Southwest Airlines.† (Terra Thompson) Conclusion As a result in performing this project, we have learned that SWOT Analysis is the key for all businesses success. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses within the company and understanding the opportunities and threats that the company has externally are extremely important in planning the strategic plans to help the business overall outlook. As far as Southwest Airlines, we have learned that the company is very successful when it comes to the superior customer services, but Southwest should definitely continue on increasing their brand by upgrading their services within their aircrafts to become more high tech. We know that Southwest is known for their low cost fair, which gave them a huge advantage of their competitors. And the fact that they are integrating with Air Trans was a brilliant idea, because they are expanding their brand through Air Trans in providing International flights, which are, in a very high demand right now. We think Southwest Airlines is in the borderline in gaining a sustainable competitive advantage if they are expanding their aircraft to fit what their customers needs and wants. References Analyzing southwest airlines [Web log message]. (, April). Retrieved from http://teamsparksouthwest.blogspot.com/2012/04/southwests-competitive-advantage.html AP News. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://traveltips.usatoday.com/kind-planes-southwest-airlines-fly-62394.html Broughtson, R. (n.d.). Southwest airline swot analysis. Retrieved from http://www.quality-assurance-solutions.com/southwest-airlines-swot-analysis.html Bruwick, L. (n.d.). Southwest airlines swot analysis powerful business assessment tool. Retrieved from http://www.businesstune-ups.com/Southwest-Airlines-SWOT-Analysis.html Case analysis: Southwest airlines. (2012, may 17). Retrieved from http://netmbastudy.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/case-analysis-southwest-airlines/ Gale Encyclopedia of Small Business. Competitor analysis. Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/competitor-analysis Gary , K. (n.d.). Gary

Globalisation: An Economic Phenomenon

Globalisation: An Economic Phenomenon Globalisation is in itself an abstract term without a fixed objective definition. The extent to which the world has become interconnected in even greater ways in recent contemporary history has blurred this definition further. To categorise Globalisation as an essentially economic phenomenon, sheds no light on the true circumstance the world finds itself in today. Economic integration may be a large contributing factor driving Globalisation forward, but it is far too simplistic to label globalisation as essentially an economic phenomenon, for the world we find ourselves inhabiting today has a much deeper level of interconnectedness than solely economics can profess accountancy for. Globalisation today has come to describe an ongoing and pervasive phenomenon which is redefining the economic, social and cultural dynamics of contemporary societies,  [1]  acting in all spheres of twenty first century life, not just those related to economic linkage. The world itself is interconnected in an ever growing number of ways not just trough the global nature of trade, finance and production but in other more diverse aspects of daily life. Socially people around the globe are becoming closer, supranational political institutions based not solely on economic aims but on political goals and social grounds, strengthen the argument that although economics plays an undeniable role within the concept of globalisation, this economic aspect can no longer be viewed in isolation from Globalisations other attributes. This argument is also evident in many of the problems the world faces today; terrorism, environmental disasters and epidemics, no longer affect nations in isolation rather affect the world as a whole, such is the varied and diverse nature of the phenomenon of globalisation. The nation sate can no longer effectively tackle problems within its own boarders, gone is the age of isolation. The informal ebbing away at state autonomy is, and will continue to be a major characteristic of globalisation, with politics-understood as the pursuit of world order and justice are played out in a global context,  [2]  thus globalisation is prevalent in all spheres of contemporary existence and this is what this essay will argue. Economic globalisation refers to the intensification and stretching of economic interrelations across the globe,  [3]  this is displayed through the instantly connected and dependant nature of global production; trade and finance, that has resulted from the deregulation of global markets allowing greater product and capital fluidity around the globe. This in part has been ever grater intensified through the development of communications and informations technologies, allowing business to operate instantly on a global scale, through the click of a computer mouse. Economic globalisation has relied upon the concepts of neoliberal economics as an ideological base. This has been exemplified through the Washington consensus. Although this consensus directly relates to the policies of the World Trade Organisation, the International Monetary fund and the World Bank, it can be seen broadly as describing the agreed terms on which the economic aspect of globalisation has come to flourish. This consensus can be defined as the acceptance of trade and capital market liberalization, fiscal austerity, rapid privatisation, widespread deregulation and the downsizing of government,  [4]  Economic liberalisation has handed market forces free reign to decide global prices and levels of production allowing the Adam Smith notion of the invisible hand, to drive the market to its most profitable equilibrium. This free market aspect of globalisation can be exemplified through the recent trends within world trade. Global trade has become a principle factor of the economic aspect of the phenomena of globalisation. This globalised nature of trade has resulted in consumers dispersed across many corners of the planet purchasing the same articles and the same time  [5]  . Thus for manufactures the global market has allowed companies to source the best possible materials for production, at the lowest possible price, resulting in the global nature of both production and trade. For contemporary multinational companies, no longer is it important to produce a product within a particular nation when the product will be sold to consumers globally. Thus production competition and the trade of goods is no longer regionally affiliated but linked to a highly competitive global market by which companies are present across the globe with factories, offices and shops situated in many different regions, contributing to the economic aspect of globalisation. This economic aspect of globalisation has also been exemplified through the expansion of global finance. This change in money and capital markets since the 1970s is perhaps the most unequivocal indicator of the globalization of economic affairs  [6]  . Financial transactions are now processed instantly on a planetary basis, allowing a greater ability for companies to trade and produce regardless of geographical boarders. This financial flow has been coupled with and aided by greater levels of foreign investment through international share markets. Capital in todays globalised world can be traded instantly allowing investments into foreign companies from around the globe directly linking capital flow between countries through direct share investment. This foreign investment into production and trade has blurred the boundaries of nation sate further for example, as much United States dollar is now traded outside the US as inside  [7]  . This illustrates the truly global nature of finance, with clearly outlined currency boundaries becoming blurred. Possibly the best way to exemplify the true global nature of global economics is through the global financial firestorm of the 2008. This crisis was largely caused by the collapse subprime mortgage system within United States however, due to the interconnected nature of the financial system the collapse of investment banks within the US created a domino effect highlighting failing banks around the world, resulting in implementation of fiscal stimulus packages by governments throughout the western world. Economic globalisation has thus resulted in the ever greater interconnectedness and dependency level of national economies. No longer are nation sates economic decisions enacted in isolation. The global economy is quickly replacing the nation state economy. Critics argue that the loss of sovereignty from nation states in terms of economic policy has reduced accountability for decision when policy collapses however, there can be no argument that even if accountability is lost, globalisation does have and will continue to include an economic aspect. The economic aspect of the phenomenon of globalisation has an undeniable role in shaping a globalised world however; it is only through the linking of this economic aspect with other political, cultural and social aspects that we define globalisation as a whole. The economic aspect describes a greater level of interconnectedness within world markets, however this is not the only way the world is interconnected and thus does not define the complete notion of contemporary globalisation. Political globalisation has become a key constituent part and also a driving force behind contemporary globalisation. These political forces however often go unrecognised, Rarely, indeed are the political aspects of globalisation recognised by either its friends or its foes  [8]  . This does not mean however that this aspect of globalisation is less important or influential to the phenomena as a whole. We shall see that it is in fact political globalisation that often drives interconnectedness in much greater ways than those presented through global markets. The political aspect of globalisation can be easily represented by the plethora of international organisations, supranational bodies and international none governmental organisations, that profess an active role in delegating decision above individual nation sate circumstance, providing a forum for global issues to be targeted. Society in todays more global world is regulated in what can be described as a polycentric manner  [9]  . This is a manner by which even the most basic political decision is involved in a complex command structure based not solely within sates geographical boundaries. Increasingly political decision directly affects the interconnected nature of the world and thus, International organisations have developed in accordance to meet these new demands. An example of this new form of political globalisation is through the ever expanding role of the European Union. Although the Union was initially founded on economic grounds as the European Coal and Steel Community, it was now occupies a much deeper, active role in the daily politics of the 27 member sates. This can be illustrated through an ever greater focus on the social charter and the hoped creation of common European values. This more social aspect of globalisation through the EU however has not been void of critique most notably through the rejection of the European Constitution. States in this instance seemed unwilling for a greater level of deepened integration and pooled sovereignty. Despite this rejection however, there is no doubt that the role of the European Union has become undeniable in the daily lives of citizens, acting as a political institution within the phenomena of globalisation. The most notable institution within this political realm of globalisation is the United Nations, the United nations has an interest indeed and obligation to help secure the equitable and lasting success of globalisation  [10]  . The UN With 192 members represents the very embodiment of legitimate political globalisation. This aspect of political globalisation can be displayed through recent UN interventions into sovereign states, an increasing readiness by the UN to intervene within states would indicate a move towards global governance  [11]  . This intra state intervention notably professes global legitimacy through the support of member states. The UN is authorised in acting to maintain global order, thus the values of Globalisation are expressed through UN intervention. For example the NATO intervention into Kosovo was backed by the UN in order to avert ethnic cleansing. We are here seeing how global agreement through the UN allows the expression of a global consensus o n political values, providing legitimacy to intervene within sovereign states professing a global political mandate. Thus through UN intervention we are seeing a political institution upholding common planetary values thus, acting as a driving force behind the phenomenon of globalisation. This Political aspect of globalisation is also expressed through the growing focus on Human rights and social targets within nations. This once again represents a global consensus on issue and the formation of global policy, again through the UN. The Millennium Development Goals represent the formation of a global consensus to reduce poverty throughout the developing world. Here it is demonstrated that through an International political institution, global policy is formed that is then applicable on a global level. Critics argue that the failings of the millennium development goals highlight that globalisation is not an evenly spread phenomenon however, objective results for this question are regardless. The global agreement of nations to target these areas, exemplifies the way in which politics and policy through international organisations, contributes to the phenomena of globalisation. Another example of the way in which the phenomenon of globalisation is formed is through world issue politics. Within the globalising world, issues have developed that cannot be combated by the nation state alone, rather require global co-operation to resolve them effectively. These challenges to world security and peace have been varied in their origins, acting as agents of globalisation beyond the economic front. There has been a rising consensus between sates that global problems may need global solutions  [12]  . Examples of decisions taken transcending national borders, due to global nature of the issue, are those regarding the environment. The problems surrounding global warming have lead to, although in places reluctant in the case of the United States and China, a general consensus that this threat cannot be tackled effectively by any single nation no matter how large. Successful Global planetary agreements have been reached, notably with the almost universal adoption of the Montreal Protocol. This protocol tackled the depleting ozone layer through the banning of CFCS. Despite this ban having obvious economic impacts on the pharmaceutical companies of the richest nations in the world, Each country would have been better off had it rejected the Montreal Protocol  [13]  , agreement was reached. This signals an instance where Globalisation of issue rather that economics proved a driving force within the political branch of Globalisation. There became a political consensus that for the greater good of each individual country, the economic aspect must be overlooked and collective decision reached. Thus in this case it is not economics that drove globalisation, rather contemporary threats to world security that enabled collective agreement and the formation of global policy, thus contributing to the concept of globalisation. Despite this example however the more recent Kyoto protocol has stuttered greatly in comparison largely due to the most developed states of the world namely the USA and China refusing to ratify more radical cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases, principally on economic grounds. However, it is arguable here that it is not the agreement or consensus of nations on a piece of legislation that represents globalisation, although this is useful it is not necessarily needed. The very fact that every nation of the world entered into dialogue because of the global issue of climate change is enough to strengthen the argument for a globalising world not driven by economic interests necessarily but also to tackle global issues. Cultural interconnectedness is also becoming an ever greater feature of globalisation. It may here be arguable that economics and free trade ultimately dictating the way in which culture is becoming a less diverse concept through the influence and domination of multinational companies on everyday life. However we shall see that cultural globalisation has and will continue to become a distinct phenomenon within globalisation itself. The homogenisation of culture whether damaging or enhancing is taking place. Global brands such as Coca-cola, McDonalds represent an inescapable global culture that it is impossible to evade or counteract. The extent to which global brands are decaying national culture is arguable, however there can be little doubt that one of the most directly perceived and experienced forms of globalisation is the cultural form  [14]  . This cultural globalisation is seen critically by some and positively by others as a largely American phenomenon. Increasingly American brands are penetrating everyday lives in the most distant parts of the world. This McWorld culture is not only synonymous to the fast food industry it represents, but to virtually all aspects of modern life.  [15]   This cultural linkage through global branding has been greater intensified through the communications revolution. This has allowed the time space aspect of the world communication to shrink considerably. Global satellite television channels have allowed the same events to be portrayed simultaneously across the globe leading to a global identity being formed by which peoples around the world become synonymous, relaying the same information through various means of technology promoting links between individuals, communities and societies around the globe. Possibly the most notable example of this cultural aspect of globalisation is the development of language. Through the above mentioned Americanization of world culture native languages have suffered to compete on the world business stage. This has resulted in the extinction of many languages that have no longer proved beneficial in an ever Americanised world. Languages in the world have dropped from 14,500 in 1500 to less than 7,000 in 2000  [16]  , this represents the market like competition of cultures as an added dimension to contemporary globalisation allowing the strong to flourish and the weak to perish, in the continued path to an ever more global homogenised culture. The interlinking and merging of cultures from around the world can be seen as a driving force behind and a constituent part of the phenomenon of globalisation. Cultural practices lay at the very heart of globalization  [17]  , although it may be argued that it is the economic activities of multinational companies drives the global culture we are experiencing today, there is no doubt that this economic aspect is inherently liked to the greater interconnectedness within ideals and values. Multinational companies may drive culture forward through the global dimension of business however, as citizens of the world become familiar with global brands, a much deeper element of cultural globalisation is taking place thus, although linked to economics cultural synonymity is an undeniable part of the complex phenomenon of globalisation. Globalisation thus cannot be described as a purely economic phenomenon. We have seen that contained within globalisation are many different aspects that overlap to form what is understood as globalisation. The economic aspect of globalisation relies upon the political dimension of globalisation through the management of international monetary markets by global institutions such as the World Bank, but also relies upon the global consumerist demand created by a globalised culture. Globalisation is best seen as a spherical three dimensional fluid concept which contains; cultural political and economic aspects, which are dependant rather than independent from one another. A globalised world would not describe the mere interlining of world markets without the same influence of cultural and political interconnectedness that individuals experienced today.

Architectural History of Blenheim Palace

Architectural History of Blenheim Palace INTRODUCTION Blenheim Palace is the one of the huge building in England and it was designed by playwright Sir John Vanbrugh, assistants  Nicholas Hawksmoor, and landscape architect Lancelot Brown (Capability Brown). An impressive example of 18th English baroque style. It was located at a town in southwestern New York, Oxfordshire,  England. Formerly it was called by â€Å"Woodstock Manor†, This building of the palace was originally intended to be a reward tothe first duke Marlborough, John Churchill. [1] It was built in 1705 when Queen Anne bestows to John Churchill, he was Winston Churchill forefather. This was to celebrate the victory over the French in the War of the Spanish Succession in 1704. By Blenheim Palace as the axis a huge palace building complex, it was the center of Woodstock. Beside this hidden a lot of precious oil painting and sculpture of magnificent palace, it also had a lake, pasture and a typical of English manor. Even though in later period had add in a lot of art ificial features, but it is still a faction elegant English-style afternoon tea. Blenheim palace is an immortal country house, one of the England’s largest country house. it is the only non-royal, non-episcopal in England to hold the title of palace. [2] This is a territory of the Oxfordshire quiet, green village. Futhermore, Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace, the former Prime Minister of the England. In 1988, Blenheim Palace was list as cultural heritage of the world. In early the 20th, the 9th Duke of Marlborough, Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, was rebuilt the east and west sides in the shape neat gardens. This pattern of garden, had become a lawn. Regarding to the famous architect and sculptor, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the 9th Duke of Marlborough, he was praised to him. Figure 1: Front view of Blenheim Palace Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blenheim_Palace Source of Name The origin name of Blenheim Palace was come from a decisive war at the north shore of the Danube and it was happened in 13th August 1704. In a north shore of the Danube, nearby had a small village called Blenheim. It was built as a gift to the 1st Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill the military commander who led the Allied forces in the Battle of Blenheim on 13th August 1704. It was Marlborough who personally received the surrender from Marshall Tallard, leader of the French forces, following the battle.[3] Charity generous queen Anne giving the â€Å"Woodstock† royal honor and the construction of â€Å"Blenheim Palace† as a gift. The construction of this building start from 1705 to 1722 by Mr. Wenbuhler.The title of â€Å" Woodstock of the royal honor and building given by her majesty the queen Anne and confirmed by parliament.[4] In 1712, the construction of Blenheim Palace forced to stop all work. Since when Duke Marlborough continue across work for the queen, host ile forces are trying to think of ways to destroyed the queen for his love. Finally, the funds approval to build Blenheim Palace did not get, so that they owned the masonry, sculptor and other things include the architect. [1] [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blenheim_Palace [3] http://www.blenheimpalace.com/blenheimpalace/about-blenheim-palace/the-history-of-blenheim-palace/ [4] http://en.labtud.com/article-160217-1.html Architectural Style Interior Design Blenheim Palace, the main building consists of two wings on the main building and courtyards. The exterior mixed with Collins-style colonnades and tower with Baroque style. High uplift of the triangular wall, forming patchwork of facade line. Entering the hall, it is surrounded salon, reception room, library, living room, all surrounded by a small courtyard, connected by corridors and hall. Furnishings with families portrait paintings, tapestries and a variety of decorative ornaments, each one from the hands of masters. To mimic the natural landscape sculpture gardens seldom do the decoration, while Blenheim Palace is a French Baroque garden. Sculptures are visible everywhere. The Grand Bridge Blenheim palace is an English baroque architecture. In 1709, the manor was destructed by the Duchess of Marlboroughs command, the foundation of Vanbrughs Grand Bridge used a lot of rubber to fill up. When John Churchill and Vanbrugh walking though inquired into Woodstock Park, they saw a valley of marsh, this gave Sir Vangbrugh some inspiration, he created and designed the fitnest bridgein Europe. Since in 1711, Marburg was the Queen of favor and banished several years. Sarah Churchill, the first duchess, she finished the Blenheim with Vanbrugh by their own expense, even though they faced a lot of budjet problem and enter the prohibited place. Figure 2: The Grand Bridge of Blenheim Palace Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blenheim_Palace From the figure 2 above, can see the sea is surrounding the grand bridge. After the first duke died, his wife called in Colonel John Armstrong, he was a chief engineer, to re-designed the water-works in the park. The Great Hall The most amazing thing is the grand lobby, especially theGibbons hall. The hall is 67’ ft high, due to James Thornhill who is an english painter of historical subject, in 1716 he painted the ceilings of blenheim palace, according the order of war and to expand in blenheim palace, and to show the Madero victory. Futhermore, there had stone carving by Grinling Gibbons. However, the 9th Dukes bronze bust was made by Sir Jacob Epstein. Sarah Churchill was famous on bargain prices, she always argue with the workers that she hire. In a similar situation, she was argue with Grinling Gibbons, the master carver, he haven’t complete the work on house, but after that he never returned to complete and continue his work. Figure 3: Great Hall of Blenheim Palace Source:  http://www.discoverbritainmag.com/britain/blenheim_palace_steeped_in_history_1_3770278 The Saloon The Saloon, can only use once a year in Christmas dinner for the family of Duke Marlborough. In this elegant and classic room painted murals and paintings of French artist Louis Laguerre. Figure 4: Saloon ceiling of Blenheim Source:  http://www.wikigallery.org/wiki/painting_282079/Sir-James-Thornhill/Proposed-design-for-the-saloon-ceiling-at-Blenheim-Palace,-Oxfordshire-The-Apotheosis-of-Hercules Sarah Churchill were instructed to the first duke, John Churchill report the victory to Queen Anne. John Churchill used solid silver centerpiece writing the dispatch on horseback to his wife in this room. The centerpiece was made byGarrard, the Crown Jewellers. [5] The Green Writing Room In addition to Blenheim’s wall, there were thick tapestries made of expensive fabrics hang from the wall, describing the surrender from French on the battle been accepted by Marlborough in the green writing room. A carefully planned bureau in the room, the style of decorated was a modern inlay style, and this was made from the Queen’s nephew. The Long Library The long library, is one of the private house in Britain, the long library it was originally designed for the gallery, designed by Vanbrugh and Nicholes Hawksmoor. The library can contain around 10,000 books, the largely collection was from 9th Duke. Inside the wall, at the northern end, hang in a systemic statue of Queen Anne, King William III and the first duke, John Churchill. Maybe the most compelling place in the room is the magnificent Willis government agencies. In 1891, there was an organ belongs to Henry Willis and he designed it. This is the most ou tstanding room from Hawksmoor’s designed. The ordinary stucco ceilings designed, included two false domes, was completed in 1725. Figure 5: The Long Library Source: http://prato12.blog.sbc.edu/2011/08/11/blenheim-palace/ Due to the figure 3 above, there have a blank ceiling. At first, Sir James Thornhill was entrusted to filled up allegorical scenes. But it was too expensive, so they remained blank. The interesting things is, in 18th century, the blank and plane ceiling giving simple appearance to show atypical of the neoclassical or Georgian style of the Robert Adam. For many years, this long library had a number variety of uses. During World War I it was a hospital ward and during World War II it served as a dormitory for Malvern College boys. [6] [5] http://gouk.about.com/od/thingstodo/ig/Blenheim-in-Pictures/The-Saloon-at-Blenheim-Palace.htm#step-heading [6] http://gouk.about.com/od/thingstodo/ig/Blenheim-in-Pictures/The-Long-Library.htm 3.2 The Water Terraces Due to the water terraces of Blenheim palace, Winston Churchill was be responsible for the creation of a huge lake, the artificial fluctuations and a series of water cascades. He wrote that Blenheim’s unique attraction lie in its perfect adaptation of English parkland to an Italian palace. The â€Å"Italian palace† it seems to be part of the reference about the unique garden, the western water terraces, designed bythe French landscape architectAchille Duchà ªne. Figure 6: The upper water terrace in Blenheim Palace Source: During the 9th Duke of Marlborough, water terraces was built. It was built form 1925 to 1930, took around five years. The lower Water Terrace, separated from the upper Water Terrace by a wall of caryatids and tiered shells has been compared to the Parterre dEau at Versailles. Reportedly, the Water Terraces were inspired by the sculptor Bernini. The sphinx is one of pair with heads modeled on the features of the 9th Dukes second American wife Gladys Deacon. It was created by Ward Willis in 1930. Another piece of sculpture on the lower Water Terrace was modeled on local man and gardener by Bert Timms of Hanborough. Due to the story, he got inspired when walking through the garden and noticed who was carving Visseau at the time, As a result, he made the model of the head and torso of the leftmost caryatid on the wall that separates the two Water Terraces at Blenheim When walk in through, there had an archway describe about British lion forced down to a cockerel (the emblem of France). Altogether, on the exterior there were almost 15 references to mention British Victories against the French. 4.0 Architectural History In 13 August 1704, John Churchill achieved victory the Battle of Blenheim, who led the Allied forces. He was defeated in Bavaria with army of Louis XIV, in order to award his feats, he was awarded be the first Duke of Marlborough the king and giving him the construction of Blenheim as a gift. Blenheim Place is a masterpiece completed with a famous architect John Vanbrugh between 1705 until 1722. The building style of this was intended to reflect the establishment of the Duke of Marlboroughs outstanding contributions. The British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill was born at Blenheim, he is the eighth generation the first Duke of Marlborough’s grandson. He inherited on the fine tradition of the family, exert excellence military talent, go through brilliant political career. Winston Churchill wrote a biography about his family. Long ago, he was an officer, but later he served as British Prime Minister because of he successfully defended Britain in World War II. First, the first Duke took a fancy to a wide valley, later it formed to a piece of marsh. Sir John Vanbrugh design and build a grand large bridge. Bridge arches of main bridge total width 31 meters. It started the construction in 1708, but because of the cost was too high, and did not complete the constructed. Sarah Churchill, the first duchess, disagree to build an arched bridge under the valley. So, just built an ordinary bridge to connected between Blenheim and the ranch. In 1764, the family of duke the important task of construction to Blenheim Palace handed over to landscape architect, Capability Brown. He think that landscape design should blend with the natural landscape, not to leave traces of artificial modification. He repaired dams in the valley, form to a large territorial waters. Therefore, under the bridge become two edges of crooked lake. The first duke, John Churchill death on 1725, after the five years he death, the construction of Blenheim Palace just fully completed. The duke memo rial was a landmark to Blenheim Palace, under the memorial hall rooftop have a small tower and belfry. Supporting the Duke memorial hall there have 4 pillars, have the sing of Marlborough moral merit. The main part of this construction was using the columns to connect, and to replace the wall. Top of the memorial hall. There have a sculpture of British lion forced down to a cockerel, which means that the strength of victory. In early the 20th, the 9th Duke of Marlborough, Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, was rebuilt the east and west sides in the shape neat gardens. This pattern of garden, had become a lawn. The 9th duke of Marlborough hire the famous French landscape designer,  Achille Duchà ªne to create a water garden. Duke hopes to restore the original appearance of the lake, but he just here to build a strange pond. Regarding to the famous architect and sculptor, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the 9th Duke of Marlborough, he was praised to him. Bernini used the Roman of St. Pi erre Cathedral transformed into the famous Palazzo Barberini, it was very famous and well-known in Europe. At that time, they called it Bernini was a â€Å"Knight†, Louis XIV also asked him to remodelled the Louvre. In order to satisfy the wish of the Duke, Achille Duchà ªne have to follow according to Berninis approach to the design of Blenheim Palace Gardens. He imitated Bernini to build a new plaza, in this pond middle of Alpheus built a small fountain. In England, natural landscape gardens seldom to do the decoration, yet Blenheim Palace was a French Baroque garden, sculptor can easy to be seen at here. The layout of garden neat and orderly, wherein plants and ornaments panoramic view passage. Statue in every corner is a sign of military bravery and honor of military. Because this is to commemorated the residence of the British army and built it. Bibliography References The front view of Blenheim Palace, available on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blenheim_Palace, accessed on 29 April 2015, 8p.m The Grand Bridge of Blenheim Palace, available on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blenheim_Palace, accessed on 02 May 2015, 02:14am. The Great Hall of Blenheim Palace, available on http://www.discoverbritainmag.com/britain/blenheim_palace_steeped_in_history_1_3770278, accessed on 2 May 2015, 01:50 a.m. Saloon ceiling of Blenheim, available on http://www.wikigallery.org/wiki/painting_282079/Sir-James-Thornhill/Proposed-design-for-the-saloon-ceiling-at-Blenheim-Palace,-Oxfordshire-The-Apotheosis-of-Hercules, accesed on 1 May 2015 2:30pm. The Long Library available on, http://prato12.blog.sbc.edu/2011/08/11/blenheim-palace/, accessed on 1 May 2015, 4:00pm.

The Land is Mine Essay -- Hebrew Scriptures

The author identifies and analyzes six discrete land ideologies found in the Hebrew Scriptures that have influenced its readers. (preface) In his book land refers to not only as physical realities where there is dirt and rocks, and where plants are growing, and where humans build their cities. Land refers to a social symbol with a range of meanings in which we construct its meanings for ourselves.(p.1) A subtle distinction between theology and ideology can be ; biblical theology is the doctrine and discourse about God expressed within a biblical literary unit that reflect the living faith of a given community, and Biblical ideology is a wider complex of images and ideas that may employ theological doctrines, traditions, or symbols to justify and promote the social, economic, and political interests of a group within society.(p.10) The evidence that they both are closely interrelated can be found in the biblical Prophets such as Jeremiah or Amos The author has taken five basic categories of analysis for exploring the land ideologies. ; Dominant images of the land, Location of God ( what is God’s position relative to the land?), Locus of power in the land (locus of power and interest), Charter justifying entitlement to the land (who is justified in claiming and why?), Rights to/of the land (what rights do people have to the land?) (p.14) Land as the Source of Wealth: A Royal Ideology This justifies the king’s right to control and rule the kingdom and basically â€Å"to this royal land ideology are the concepts of the land as the source of wealth, the divine right of the monarch to appropriate that wealth, and the entitlement of the monarch as God’s representative to have dominion over the whole earth as an empire.†(p.17) The author ... ...tes respect the ownership of the land YHWH holds. YWH is a local landowner and the land is YHWH’s extended sanctuary.(p.99) Land as Host Country: An Immigrant Ideology Abraham immigrated with his household to Canaan to settle down. In the course of Abraham’s journey to the land, he did not have to confront with hostile indigenous people; it is written â€Å"They set forth to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to the land of Canaan.† (Gen. 12:5) (p.118) Abraham shared the land through generous grants, peaceful negotiations, or legal purchase. Abraham found God at sacred sites. Abraham’s rights and responsibilities were not those of a monarch or conqueror, but involve acknowledging YHWH as the host deity, teaching justice to the Abraham household, establishing peaceful relations with the peoples of the land, and dealing justly with the land itself.(p.132)

Rebecca :: essays research papers

Rebecka 1) Is "Rebecka" a suitable name of the the book? Why?/Why not? Another name? Why is it called Rebecka? Yes, I think it ´s the perfect name of the book since everything, every subject is circulating around her. Her name characterizes the book so well. Rebecka doesn ´t leave too much of a space for other things in the book, even though she ´s dead. 2) What does people think about Rebecka? Does everybody like her? How was she really like? Friends, servants, strangers, they all adored her. She was the beautiful, sweet, tender and loving lady who every woman wanted to be friend with who every man would just like feel the scent of. They all loved loved. Almost. There were some persons who had a more special relationship with and therefore liked her diffrently. To begin with, the housekeeper, Mrs Danvers. She probably loved her most of them all. She devoted all her life to raise and help and make her the woman she knew she would never become herself. She and Rebecka were very close. Rebeckas death was an extremly hard crush to Mrs Danvers. Like a mother who loses her one and only child who was her everything. But she always feels Rebeckas presence and therefore keeps the house as it always was. When the new Mrs de Winter came to take Rebeckas place Mrs Danvers went furious. Not only could she not stand with the thought that someone was going to take Rebeckas precious place and the one to do it was a joke. In her eyes a shy brat that even the servants laughed at. Maxim liked her for a beginning but the fifth day after their marriage he realizes how she ´s really like. She played with him and other men. He couldn ´t divorce her since their marriage seemed perfect on the surface. But she didn ´t really love him. She told him things like what life would be like for him later when they had a child and he wouldn ´t be sure of whose father it was. Not either her cousine Jack Favell. Jack loved Rebecka very much and he met her many times in a cottage near the sea. They had an affair and Jack wanted to get rid of Maxim in some way. 3) Why does not Mrs Danvers like the new Mrs de Winter? Who is she? See above 7) What happened to Rebecka? What was the verdict in the court?

English As A Second Language Education Essay examples -- Educational M

English As A Second Language Education When the English as a second language learner (ESL) or the English language learner (ELL) students have achieved English proficiency, it helps students to develop their understanding of mathematics. Students then effectively use mathematical tools, charts, patterns and other strategies, as well as their prior learning experiences to make connections to solve related problems. The majority are able to transfer their manipulative exploration to solving problems with pencil and paper. Students use multiple solutions and strategies when they solve problems. They express their mathematical thinking through drawing, writing, and speaking. Students socialize their intelligence through playing games and taking part in opportunities for team or pair work, when they explain their thinking. Upper grade students often find it difficult to discuss or write in mathematical terms, even after they have been given multiple opportunities to investigate. In order to make schematic connections, instruction must be meaningful (in a language students can understand) and relevant (relating to students’ prior knowledge). Meaningful contains native language or sheltered English. Relevant contains culturally and/or experientially familiar. English language development that is integrated with developing knowledge about, for example, American school life and procedures, is usually a more effective way of proceeding than simply focusing on English language (Duff, 2001). The activities, tasks, and problems that students encounter should be accessible to students with a wide range of knowledge and skills. That is, students with diverse backgrounds should be able to understand what is required, make meaningful ... ...erse Students. http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/lem/esl/evce.html. Lass, M. J. (1988). Suggestions from research for improving mathematics instruction for bilinguals. School Science and Mathematics, 88, 480-486. McKeon, Denise & Samway, Katharine. (1999). â€Å"Myths and Realities: Best practice for language minority students.† Heinemann. Perkins, Cathy. Equity in mathematics assessment for English as a second language students. The University of Georgia. Summer 1995. http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/EMT705/EMT705.Perkins.html. Raborn, Diane. â€Å"Bilingual Education Journal.† Mathematics for students with learning disabilities from language-minority backgrounds: recommendations for teaching. NY, V10, pp. 25-33. Summer 1995. Seceda,Walter G. Teaching mathematics for understanding to bilingual students. http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/pathways/immigration/mathematics.htm.