Latino Population And Hispanic Population - 1150 Words

Currently within the United States one of the fastest growing minority population (Schwartz Scott, 2012) is the Latinos. In 2010 Census Bureau Brief ( Ennis, Rois-Vargas, Albert, 2011) it stated how an estimated 15 million Latino individuals were living within the United States, which is approximately about 16% of the entire U.S. population. There is one big problem with addressing the Latino population, and that is the family patterns are either misrepresented or not properly understood, due to the label of Hispanic and Latinos being placed together. These two groups may share the same spoken language of Spanish and have similar cultural ancestry but the diversity among Hispanic and Latinos (Schwartz Scott, 2012) make generalizations about their lifestyles difficult. The term Hispanic came to be used in the 1970’s by government officials (cdc.gov, 2011) in trying to provide a diverse label on this population that had connections to speaking Spanish and the Spanish culture. Latino became more of a termed to be used when distinguishing between Mexican (Hispanics) and Latinos who descendants from Latin America such as Cuba and Puerto Rico. The Castillo’s Joaquin and Estrella Castillo have a small family home that they own in Ceres, California. They have two children. Matteo who is 17 years old, and is a junior at Ceres High School, and Sophia who is 14, and is a freshman attending the same school. All members of the nuclear family are native born US citizens and haveShow MoreRelatedHispanic Ethnicity And The Latino Population1370 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Latinos are considered an American community of considerable diversity of culture, race, ethnic, and national origin. It is a community on the forefront of significant demographic change and sociopolitical growth (Appleby, G.A., Colon, E., Hamilton, J., 2011). Latinos in the United States are diverse, and collectively the second largest ethnic minority population in the country (Vigil, 1996). Culture represents a way of life that binds Latinos together through their language, valuesRead MoreLatin American Immigration And The Growth Of The Latino And Hispanic Population Essay955 Words   |  4 PagesUnited States and the growth of the latino and hispanic population is currently one of the most controversial topics being debated right now. What started as a small, regionally concentrated population of fewer 6 million in 1960, is now broadly scattered population of more than 50 million. Latino population keeps growing and exerting enormous impact on social, cultural, political, and ec onomic aspects in the U.S. However, unlike what a lot of people think, Latino immigration to the United states isRead MorePolitics And Its Impact On Hispanics941 Words   |  4 Pagesof politics on Latino in United States by studying various factors such as- population, citizenship status, geographic location and age. 2. The presentation talked about one of the core issue, which is Politics in this case, that affected Latino in USA. A thorough research was conducted to understand the causes and effects of politics and how it moulded the growth of Latinos in this country. 3. The learning outcome was to understand the role of politics and its impact on Latinos living in USA.Read MoreLatin American Of The United States1426 Words   |  6 Pagesdenotes that the term Hispanic is derived from the Latin word for Spain, while Latino is derived from Spanish word for Latin but which as an English word is probably a shortening of the Spanish word latinoamericano, which in English means Latin American. This term is used to denote the culture and people of countries formerly ruled by the Spanish Empire, usually with a majority of the population speaking the Spanish language (www.diffen.com). Commonly known as Hispanic America, this definitionRead MoreThe Latino And Latino Culture Health Care1397 Words   |  6 PagesUnited States will be of Hispanic/Latino origin (Selig Center Multicultural Economy Report, 2006). The Hispanic community in the largest minority in the USA and the fastest growing, it is also one with a high incidence of preventable diseases such as Diabetes, periodontitis, colorectal cancer and HIV. Obesity and teen age pregnancy are significantly more prevalent in Hispanic/Latino population as well. Rate of vaccination is also below that of the majority of the population. Addressing their healthRead MoreAnd Amerindian Stock885 Words   |  4 PagesRacialization of the Hispanic-Latino Category, â€Å"Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Salvadorans, Colombians, and the many other nationalities from Latin America and even Spain itself - were not ‘Hispanics’ or ‘Latinos’ in their countries of origin† stressing not only the wide range of country of origin, but also the racial conceptions that those immigrants from those countries may have (2). The origin and effect of racialization on what we now call Latinos is very pertinent to how Latinos assimilate. TheRead MoreEthnic Variability Of Hispanic Latino936 Words   |  4 PagesAn Analysis of the Ethnic Variability of the Latino/Hispanic Group in the United States Census (112) The historical development of ethnic categorization as a distinct concept from race in the U.S. Census was defined through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in October 1997. This criterion was meant to discern between biological/genetic factors and the ethnic aspects of Latino/Hispanic identity as part of this governmental decree: â€Å"The racial and ethnic categories set forth in the standardsRead MoreThe Latino And Latino Community1610 Words   |  7 PagesThe Hispanic/Latino community has been known to be underrepresented on college campuses, both at the community college and four-year university level. Factors such as low-income households, poor or harsh living conditions, under-educated parents, cultural and family commitments, and unfamiliarity with the college process, all serve as unfortunate barriers that keep Hispanic/Latino students from reaching the goal of attaining college degrees. Although these barriers keep many students from succeedingRead MoreEssa y on Hispanic Marketing in Latinos INC by Arlene Davila691 Words   |  3 PagesHispanic Marketing In the book Latinos INC, Arlene Davila discusses and explores many of the dimensions and elements of Hispanic Marketing. In the beginning of the book she states that the Hispanic market is a multi-billion dollar industry. This market has grown tremendously and it is most prominent in densely populated Latino cities, such as Miami and Los Angeles. In these cities the main percentage of these Latino Americans tend to be Cuban. Davila explains and argues many points about HispanicRead MoreThe Influence Of Latinos In America1153 Words   |  5 PagesIn his powerful address to Del Sol High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, then-President Barack Obama delivered a profound statement to his largely Latino audience, encouraging them that â€Å"What makes someone American isn’t just blood or birth but allegiance to our founding principles and faith in the idea that anyone-from anywhere-can write the next chapter of our story† (â€Å"Remarks†). This thought provokes listeners t o reflect upon the definition of an â€Å"American†, encouraging them to expand beyond the confinements

The Great Gatsby Final Free Essays

In the novel The Great Gatsby, each heartache has very distinctive characteristics; all has life goals and dreams, and played an irreplaceable role in the novel. At first glance, the protagonists and antagonists are clear to see. One would place Jay Gatsby as the good guy, the one who has American dream, and who is a hopeless romantic who believes in everlasting love. We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Gatsby Final or any similar topic only for you Order Now For Daisy and Tom, they are definitely the antagonists, the bad ones, the one who tore Gatsby dreams and hopes apart. Nick on the other hand, has a great transformation throughout the novel; being the narrator of the novel, he seemed to have a fairly good view n himself while he’s narrating the story’. Nevertheless, as the novel progress, there are parts and bits that could reveal how he may not be who he claimed to be. This paper would focus on the two characters, Nick Caraway and Daisy Buchanan. Their character will be viewed in an objective way, and attempt to see deeper into their life and why they did what they did. In the end, eventually find out whether they are actually the bad or good guy that people tend to view them, or perhaps there’s something more to them. L. Nick Caraway: The narrator of this novel is Nick Caraway, a man who grew up in family of prominent, well-to-do people† in Chicago; he is a Yale graduate, loves literature and even considers himself as a â€Å"well-rounded man†. After he fought in the World War I, he joined the prosperous and fast-growing business world in New York. Somehow, he is the cousin of the tremendously wealthy Daisy Buchanan, and a college acquaintance of Tom Buchanan, they lived a luxurious life that was completely opposite of his. Being the narrator, it is easy to believe everything that he said, but there are signs that could show that he is not as simple or positive as he pronounce to be, as Peter L. Hays aid in his paper, Initially Nick’s father tells him that â€Å"all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages you’ve had†, presumably material advantages. But Nick interprets the statement to mean â€Å"a sense of fundamental decencies is parceled out unequally at birth†, something very different, and a belief that qualifies Nick very much as a snob. In the novel, Nick is a tolerant and open minded listener, and highly educated so is also an intellectual, people felt the urge to confide to him and trust him. However, while Gatsby made up his past and have illegal business in his present life, Nick’s family also did something similar; they earn their money by selling hardware but cover it up by saying that they have ducal blood. When he describes his own house, he said his house is a â€Å"small eyesore,† and gives him â€Å"consoling proximity of millionaires. † Though sounding somehow self- mocking, he might actually feel like being near to the rich does make up for his own living standards, as if lying about his background and living next to the rich could take up closer to being one of the people in the high society. Nick’s true thoughts over the rich and himself were never clearly identified, UT it seems possible that he does want to fit into the complicated high society, despite the fact that he views himself as morally more advance than all the rest The readers learn more about his personality by the way he speaks and how he described the others as the novel progress. Nick calls himself â€Å"one of the few honest people that I have ever known† In the beginning of the novel, he claimed that he would reserve all judgments while interacting with others, as quoted from the novel: â€Å"Whenever you feel like criticizing any One,† he told me, â€Å"just remember that all the people in this oral haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had. † He didn’t say any more, but we’ve always been unusually communicative in a reserved way, and I understood that he meant a great deal more than that. In consequence, I’m inclined to reserve all judgments [†¦ J. In the above passage, Nick said that he would reserve judgment on all things, but throughout the novel, he seems to be making personal remarks on the other characters. For example, he said his gracious next door neighbor Jay Gatsby is â€Å"unaffected com†, and the Buchannan couple were â€Å"careless people†; even said that his lover Jordan Baker is â€Å"incurably dishonest. Nick is not only the righteous and objective narrator who he claimed to be, he is also someone whose sight is muddled by the lavish life Of the rich and famous. His internal conflict over the lifestyle of his new life in New York goes on throughout the book, and is especially represented by his romantic relationship with Jordan Baker. He is in love with her energy and sophistication, but he is repeatedly disgust by her carelessness and dishonesty. Towards the end of the novel, Jordan said, â€Å"You said a bad driver was only safe until she met another bad driver? Well, I met another bad driver, didn’t l? I mean it was careless of me to make such a wrong guess. I thought you were rather an honest, straightforward person. Thought it was your secret pride. Perhaps in the end, the ones who seem the most trustworthy is the one that should not be trusted at all. I. Daisy Buchanan Daisy Buchanan is an interesting character to kick at. In common day terms, some people might view her as the head cheerleader who married the quarterback of the football team, a shallow beauty who cares about nothing but the superficial, money and good looks. No t exactly a scheming gold- digger, since she is already from the elite social class and has incredible lath of her own, but like what she said she wished her daughter would be, â€Å"a beautiful little fool†. Daisy was born in a rich and high class family in Louisville, where she had a short fling with the handsome young man Jay Gatsby who had a fake identity. When Nick described his cousin Daisy, he said she has a voice that makes her untouchable and â€Å"full of money,† and made her sounds like someone who lives â€Å"high in a white palace, the king’s daughter, the golden girl† She was the kind of girl who would make every girl feel jealous, who lived the life of comfort and had everything that any girl could ever wanted. To Gatsby, she is a symbol of wealth and social status, everything that he wanted and trying to achieve, and Gatsby fell in love with her, dedicated his whole life just for her basing on a faint hope that they could somehow be together once more. Unfortunately, the young lovers never got the chance to have their wishes come true, Daisy married another man when Gatsby was away at war. She did seem regretful though, before she got married, she drunkenly said: â€Å"Here, dearer’. â€Å"She groped around in a waste-basket she had with her on the bed and pulled out the string of peers. Take ‘me down-stairs and give ‘me back to whoever they belong to. Tell ‘me all Daisy change; her mind. Say: ‘Daisy’s change’ her mind! ‘†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ She still ended up marrying the rich Tom Buchanan, some may say she married for the money or did not had the patience to wait for Gatsby any longer, but perhaps all she ever wanted was to be loved and live an easy life, as Jordan described: â€Å"If he left the room for a minute she’d look around uneasily, and say: â€Å"Where’s Tom gone? † and wear the most abstracted expression until she saw him coming in the door. She used to sit on the sand with his head in her lap by the hour, rubbing her fingers over his eyes and looking at him with unfathomable delight. Her love for Tom was not entirely based on his wealth or power, but she simply loved him. When she eventually fell in love with Tom after she reluctantly had got married, it was not that she only cared for the fabulous life and forgot all about Jay Gatsby, she merely wanted what every other 20 something girls wanted, to love and to be loved. Most readers have negative opinions of her. She killed a person by driving clumsily and decided to run away, leaving Jay Gatsby broken hearted and in the end, dead. She is overly rich which caused her to seem careless and did not have any constructive thoughts over other subjects beside love and money. But one must not neglect the fact that she was raised and lived in an environment that only taught her to act the way she did, she did not know any better. As a rich girl growing up, she was probably well protected and well loved, what was she to know what it meant to be responsible for ones actions? And yet, when her baby girl was born, she told Nick: â€Å"all right,’ I said, ‘I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ It seemed that she was glad that her daughter was a girl, but in between her tears, a sadness also appeared, perhaps she ad wished that her child would be a boy, so it would not have to live as vulnerable as her. But since her child was a girl, she then wished that it was a beautiful fool like she is, to live a simple life and be blinded from all the unhappiness that she had to live with despite her wealth. Although not exactly not as complex and great as the â€Å"Great Gatsby’, and very flawed, Nick and Daisy are still characters who are worth the reader’s attention. They consist of complicated characteristics, both likable and repugnant, which made them seems like people who readers can relate to in their own lives. Novels are reflections of the realities, and having doubts and making bad decisions are things that everyone faces in their life. How to cite The Great Gatsby Final, Papers

Consumers as Individuals free essay sample

The self-concept refers to the beliefs a person holds about their attributes, and how they evaluate these qualities. Components of the self-concept It is composed of many attributes, some of which are given greater emphasis when the overall self is being evaluated. Attributes of self-concept can be described along such dimensions as their content (for example, facial attractiveness vs. mental aptitude), positivity or negativity (i. e. elf-esteem), intensity, stability over time and accuracy (that is, the degree to which one’s self-assessment corresponds to reality). Self-esteem Self-esteem refers to the positivity of a person’s self-concept. People with low self-esteem do not expect that they will perform very well, and they will try to avoid embarrassment, failure or rejection. People with high self-esteem expect to be successful,, will take more risks and are more willing to be the centre of attention. Self-esteem is often related to acceptance by others. Marketing communications can influence a consumer’s level of self-esteem. Exposure to ads can trigger a process of social comparison, where the person tries to evaluate their self by comparing it to the people in these artificial images. Real and ideal selves Self-esteem is influenced by a process where the consumer compares their actual standing on some attribute to some ideal. The ideal self is a person’s conception of how they would like to be, while the actual self refers to our more realistic appraisal of the qualities we have or lack. And we often engage in a process of impression management where we work hard to ‘manage’ what others think of us by strategically choosing clothing and other cues that will put us in a good light. The ideal self is partly moulded by elements of the consumer’s culture, such as heroes or people depicted in advertising who serve as models of achievement or apprearance. Products may be purchased because they are believed to be instrumental in helping us achieve these goals. Some products are chosen because they are reaching the standard set by the ideal self. Multiple selves We have as many selves as we do different social roles. Depending on the situation, we act differently, use different products and services, and we even vary in terms of how much we like ourselves. A person may require a different set of products to play a desired role. The self can be thought of as having different components, or role identities, and only some of these are active at any given time. Symbolic interactionism If each person potentially has many social selves, how does each develop and how do we decide which self to ‘activate’ at any point in time? The sociological tradition of symbolic interactionism stresses that relationships with other people play a large part in forming the self. This perspective maintains that people exist in a symbolic environment, and the meaning attached to any situation or object is determined by the interpretation of these symbols. Like other social objects, the meanings of consumers themselves are defined b social consensus. The consumer interprets their own identity, and this assessment is continually evolving as they encounter new situations and people. The looking-glass self When you choose an article of clothing, the mirror superimposes it on your reflection so that you can see how it would look on you. This process of imagining the reactions of others towards us is known as ‘taking the role of the other’, or the looking-glass self. According to this view, our desire to define ourselves operates as a sort of psychological sonar, we take readings of our own identify by ‘bouncing’ signals off others and trying to project what impression they have of us. Self-conciousness There are times when people seem to be painfully aware of themselves. If you have ever walked into a class in the middle of a lecture and noticed that all eyes were on you, you can understand this feeling of self-conciousness. Some people seem in general to be more sensitive to the image they communicate to others. A heightened concern about he nature of one’s public ‘image’ also results in more concern about the social appropriateness of products and consumption activities. Several measures have been devised to measure this tendency. Consumers who score high on a scale of public self-conciousness, for example, are also more interested in clothing and are heavier users of cosmetic. A similar measure is self-monitoring. High self-monitors are more attuned to how they present themselves in their social environments, and their product choices are influenced by their estimates of how these items will be perceived by others. High self-monitors are more likely than low self-monitors to evaluate products consumed in public in terms of the impressions they make on others. Products that shape the self: you are what you consume Recall that the reflected self helps to shape self-concept, which implies hat people see themselves as they imagine others see them. People use an individual’s consumption behaviours to help them make judgements about that person’s social identity. A consumer exhibits attachment to an object to the extent that it is used by that person to maintain their self-concept. Objects can act as a sort of security blanket by reinforcing our identities, especially in unfamiliar situations. Symbolic self-completion theory predicts that people who have an incomplete self-definition tend to complete this identity by acquiring and displaying symbols associated with it. Self/product congruence Because many consumption activities are related to self-definition, it is not surprising to learn that consumers demonstrate consistency between their values and the things they buy. Self-image congruence models predict that products will be chosen when their attributes match some aspect of the self. These models assume a process of cognitive matching between these attributes and the consumer’s self-image. Research tends to support the idea of congruence between product usage and self-image. Congruity has also been found between consumers and their most preferred brands of beer, soap, toothpaste and cigarettes relative to their least preferred brands, as well as between consumers’ self-images and their favourite shops. Some specific attributes that have been found to be useful in describing some of the matches between consumers and products include rugged/delicate, excitable/calm,†¦. The extended self. Many of the props and settings consumers use to define their social roles in a sense become a part of their selves. Those external objects that we consider a part of us comprise the extended self. Many material objects, ranging from personal possessions and pets to national monuments or landmarks, help to form a consumer’s identity. Four levels of the extended self were described. These range from very personal objects to places and things that allow people to feel like they are rooted in their larger social environments. †¢ Individual level. Consumers include many of their personal possessions in self-definition. These products can include jewellery, cars, clothing and so on. The saying ‘You are what you wear’ reflects the belief that one’s things are a part of what one is. †¢ Family level. This part of the extended self includes a consumer’s residence and its furnishings. The house can be thought of as a symbolic body for the family and often is a central aspect of identity. †¢ Community level. It is common for consumers to describe themselves in terms of the neighbourhood or town from which they come. †¢ Group level. Our attachments to certain social groups can be considered a part of self. A consumer may feel that landmarks, monuments or sports teams are a part of the extended self. Sexual identity is a very important component of a consumer’s self-concept. People often conform to their culture’s expectations about how those of their gender should act, dress, speak and so on. To the extent that our culture is everything that we learn, then virtually all aspects of the consumption process must be affected by culture. Gender differences in socialization A society’s assumptions about the proper roles of men and women are communicated in terms of the ideal behaviours that are stressed for each sex (in advertising, among other places). Gender goals and expectations In many societies, males are controlled by agentic goals, which stress self-assertion and mastery. Females, on the other hand, are taught to value communal goals such as affiliation and the fostering of harmonious relations. Every society creates a set of expectations regarding the behaviours appropriate for men and women, and finds ways to communicate these priorities. Gender vs. sexual identity Sex role identity is a state of mind as well as body. A person’s biological gender does not totally determine whether they will exhibit sex-typed traits, or characteristics that are stereotypically associated with one sex or the other. A consumer’s subjective feelings about their sexuality are crucial as well.

Selling Organs Should Not Be Legalized Essay Essay Example

Selling Organs Should Not Be Legalized Essay Paper Organ contribution affects 100s of 1000s of people and their households worldwide. At the terminal of October 2008. more than 100. 000 people were waiting for an organ in the United States entirely. Unfortunately. the figure of givers is nowhere near that figure. The development of organ organ transplant as a standard medical process denotes that there is a significant demand for variety meats than is equal to carry through the current demands ( Barber 234 ) . If the variety meats were readily available as needed. 1000s of lives could be saved each twelvemonth. However. an organ market would redefine the act of donating variety meats and would in bend diminution organ parts ( Childress 71 ) . True. many would reason that the legalisation of organ markets is both morally ethical and good for the state. For illustration. some citizens feel it is the American manner to let people be free to auction their single variety meats and do whatever they desire with their organic structures. Add itionally. many obviously declare that sale would increase the supply and non decrease the per centum of selfless contribution ( Rothman 70 ) . We will write a custom essay sample on Selling Organs Should Not Be Legalized Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Selling Organs Should Not Be Legalized Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Selling Organs Should Not Be Legalized Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Finally. advocates for legalisation province that it would be a natural inducement to assist intensify the sum of contributions. To sum up. protagonists of organ selling believe that fiscal benefits might promote people to donate and should be a normal portion of a free endeavor system. Indeed. many might believe legalisation of the merchandising of variety meats is good. However. organ markets should go on to remain illegal in the United States because selling is unfair. promotes unhealthy greed. and devalues human life. Initially. selling should non be legalized because it is unfair. For case. there is a strong economic motivation for low-income households to sell their variety meats yet none for affluent people to make so. Likewise. the hazard of coercion and development. specially of hapless people. is considerable. Some insist the rich have been habitually prepared to let underprivileged persons to make similar life endangering things ( McClellan 106 ) . Another unacceptable com ponent of unfairness is the fact that affluent people can ever afford to acquire a clasp of these invaluable variety meats but the hapless can non. At one point in clip a kidney was put up for sale on the on-line auction site ‘eBay’ . The monetary value for the organ had gone up to 7 million U. S dollars by the clip eBay was notified of the state of affairs. It is sensible to believe that if sale was legalized the hapless would be capable to being to forced to sell to derive this money and merely the wealthy would be capable of affording the pricy variety meats. â€Å"We have neer accepted the notation that the poor persons should go the beginning of trim parts for the rich persons. † . says Goodman. Based on this research. under the weight of poorness. persons might hold to fall back to â€Å"cashing in† one of their expendable variety meats. In summarisation. the hapless have less of a opportunity to secure the dearly-won variety meats than the rich and the wealthy have a strong motive to coerce the hapless to sell because of their economic state of affairss. Furthermore. research shows legalisation could advance unhealthy greed on the population. To exemplify. â€Å"No longer would donors supply the ‘gift of life’ — they alternatively would donate the equivalent of the market value of the organs† ( Childress 71 ) . In add-on. all excessively frequently where money is involved. greed overwhelms all other considerations. All excessively frequently. those who stand to derive the most will plave more value on the terminal ( money or needed organ ) than the agencies ( the mutilation or decease of another human being ) . For illustration. in the instance of Chinese captives. it was reported that prisioners with premier variety meats and ready clients would acquire bumped to the forepart of the executing line. And a leery figure of prisioners were executed each twelvemonth. more than four 1000 in 1997. many of them for minor offenses. If the Torahs were changed. the greed of some really bad people would go even stronger. The impression that people might see an organ. or the money derived from sale. as a higher value than the chance of mangling or butchering another human being is absolutely upseting. The bets are high. What is being sold is in high demand. What is being bought makes a difference between life and decease. These facts entirely cause person to make whatever they can to obtain an organ. Obviously. the footing of this position is found in the old expression. ‘Money is the root of all evil’ . As a consequence. we clearly see that hard currency payments affect moral duties and all excessively frequently when money is involved. ?greed overwhelms all other considerations. Ultimately. organ selling should non be legalized because it devalues human life. In peculiar. leting the trade of variety meats would ensue in the commodification of organic structures and their parts. Similarly. trade goods would carry on us to be under the feeling that expired organic structures are simply merchandises and would finally take the manner to the devastation of societal values. Think about the enticement. If you had a comparative whose decease was inevitable. would you be enticed to halt his or her intervention early if you knew you would acquire money for the variety meats harvested? If you wouldnt travel that far. would you take a breath a suspiration of alleviation when the patient eventually died and you would pay some measures or take a dreamed-of trip? That sort of tempation can’t aid but do people bury. at least a small. that the deceasing patient is a human being. â€Å"It is a cardinal maltreatment of people so despairing that they would hold to sell a kidney or half of their sight† ( McClellan 106 ) . Commodification has the complete ability to decrease every bit good as destruct the pattern of selflessness. Therefore. purchasing and merchandising variety meats devalues human existences and turns them into merchandises. In decision. organ markets should non be legalized because it is unjust. devalues human life. and promotes unhealthy greed. Our society has enormously powerful accounts as to for what grounds the trafficking of variety meats for money should non be allowed. â€Å"We have been rather decently nauseating about the free market attack to the human organic structure. There are some things that aren’t and shouldn’t be for sale — among them an ‘extra cornea’ or ‘spare kidney’† ( O’Neill 46 ) .

Spirituals essays

Spirituals essays As slaves, Africans had to make many mental adjustments in order to survive in a foreign land. These adjustments are well shown in their poetry and music. Spirituals were the first form of African American music. They were the songs sang by the slaves on American plantations, that expressed feelings about freedom, religion and death. Spirituals were the songs of the children of disappointment. The central theme in spirituals was the divine liberation of the oppressed from slavery. This theme is quite often shown in spirituals such as in Swing Low Sweet Chariot I looked over Jordan what did I see, coming for to carry me home, a band of angels coming after me, coming for to carry me home. This spiritual expressed fellings of freedom through Slaves rejected white distortions of the bible, which emphasized the obedience of slaves to their masters. The basic idea of the spirituals was that slavery contradicts God; it is a denial of his will. The songs proved the slaves beliefs that human servitude was not reconcilable. The message of liberation in the spirituals is based on the biblical contention that Gods righteousness is revealed in his deliverance of the oppressed from the shackles of human bondage. That message showed the slaves confidence in God. The faith of black people was hence grounded in the faithfulness of Gods word revealed through the scriptures. African American music is not an artistic creation for its' own sake; yet it relays feelings and thought of African American people and the mental adjustments they had to make in order to survive in a foreign land. Spirituals were of the first form of African American music. They were the songs sang by the slaves on plantations that expressed their freedom, religion, and death. The songs told of suffering and unvoiced longing toward truer worlds of misty wanderings and hidden ways. Through all the sorrow songs there breathes a hope, and faith in the ultimate ...

Analysis of Lester Burnham

From the outside, Lester seems to have a perfect salary, and a perfect family who lives in a perfect neighborhood. In reality, things are not what they seem to be. In fact, he is on the verge of getting fired from this job, his wife and only child hate him, and he also hates himself. Slowly a series of crises begin to occur that ensure that eventually the family will be destroyed. It starts off with the deterioration of his relationship with, his daughter Jane, and wife Carolyn. â€Å"She wasnt always like this. She used to be happy. We used to be happy. †(Cohen, Mendes, 1999) Everyday is different in his life, but also the same. He goes to work and comes home only to have dinner with the same music and same people who despise him the most. Not to mention how every dinner ends the same, with personal attacks towards him, only to make him feel worse about himself. The worst part is that he knows he is going to do the same tomorrow. As things seem to escalate more and more it is becoming more obvious that he has reached his mid-life crisis. Especially when he meets Angela, his daughters attractive best friend, he thinks he has finally found a new purpose for living. This is when Burnham has reached a critical point in his life. This film revolves around many ideas and themes. One of these is the value of life. â€Å"I have lost something. Im not exactly sure what it is, but I know I didnt always feel this sedated. But you know what? Its never too late to get it back. †(Cohen, Mendes, 1999) From now on, in the movie, Lester decides to turn his life around. Starting by getting himself out of the depression he is currently in. As the movie goes on, one of the first things you notice while watching the movie is how perfect the houses are aligned and how his whole entire house is furnished with the color gray or light shades of blue. The only things that do seem to have color are either painted with red or blue. In turn the red signifies the things that make the characters happy and the blue signifies the troubles the characters are facing. How does that person interact with others in the movie? Lester’s interaction with others in the movie was the one significant thing that showed his true colors of his character. He seemed to have a positive outlook on gaining relationships, but most characters in the film wanted nothing to do with him. They saw him as an impersonal individual with no care in the world, but to fulfill his own desires. On the other hand, all he wanted was to have a happy relationship with his daughter and wife. However, in return they never showed him an ounce of gratitude. Especially his daughter Jane. From the first time I saw them have dinner with the vase of red flowers and perfect family portrait between them, I knew that Jane had repressed anger towards her father. Particularly when Lester tried to conversate with Jane and she clearly expressed that she could care less. â€Å"Well, what do you expect? You cant all of a sudden be my best friend, just because you had a bad day†¦I mean, hello. Youve barely even spoken to me for months. †(Cohen, Mendes,1999) At this point in the movie it has become pretty obvious that the main character is not only depressed but he also has a passive aggressive personality disorder. The first psychological behavior shown was depression. Depression is an Axis I disorder under the DSM-IV-TR criteria. Which is also described as by doctors Sharp and Lipsky in 2002 as a â€Å".. common psychiatric disorder in children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Persons who are depressed have feelings of sadness, loneliness, irritability, worthlessness, hopelessness, agitation, and guilt that may be accompanied by an array of physical symptoms. A diagnosis of major depression requires that symptoms be present for two weeks or longer†¦Targeted screening in high-risk patients such as those with chronic diseases, pain, unexplained symptoms, stressful home environments, or social isolation, and those who are postnatal or elderly may provide an alternative approach to identifying patients with depression† The main characters loneliness and sense of worthlessness has become more evident when his neurotic wife no longer wants to engage in sexual activities with him. And his fourteen year job as a writer for a media magazine has come to an end. In addition, what seems to throw him over the edge is the lack of communication he has with his daughter. Although she wants nothing to do with him, he still longs for her happiness. A Person who is also depressed shows a sign that life is not worth living for them. The character of Lester Burnham didn’t hesitate to express this within the first minute of the movie. He narrates â€Å"My name is Lester Burnham. This is my neighborhood. This is my street. This is my life. Im forty-two years old. In less than a year, Ill be dead†¦Of course, I dont know that yet†¦And in a way, Im dead already. †(Cohen, Mendes, 1999) However what ultimately deteriorates Lesters life is his passive aggressive personality disorder. Also found in the Axis II DSM-IV-TR criteria. These are all the things that the character of Lester Burnham embodies on a day to day basis: â€Å"People with this disorder resent responsibility and show it through their behaviors, rather than by openly expressing their feelings. They often use procrastination, inefficiency, and forgetfulness to avoid doing what they need to do or have been told by others to do†¦A person with this disorder may appear to comply with anothers wishes and may even demonstrate enthusiasm for those wishes. However, they perform the requested action too late to be helpful, perform it in a way that is useless, sabotage the action to show anger that they cannot express in words†(Vorvick, Rogge, 2008) His evident mid life crisis causes him to irresponsibly buy a red sports car and fall in lust with someone that is the age of his daughter, also known as Angela in the film. His first encounter with Angela started the red rose petal frenzy. Everytime he interacted with her red rose petals appeared in her significance. The rose petals signified a sense of happiness for Lester and acceptance by the only female in the film. Another symptom for passive aggressive behavior is feeling resentment and hostility. Mr. Burnham clearly displayed his feeling of resentment and hostility in the second dinner scene where him and his wife get into an altercation over how Lester up and quit his job, when he had a clear chance to save it. But things started going downhill after Lester shouted across the table to his daughter â€Å"And your mother seems to prefer I go through life like a fucking prisoner while she keeps my dick in a mason jar under the sink†(Cohen, Mendes, 1999) By this point Carolyn and Lester are screaming to each other, but all Lester seems to want is someone to pass the asparagus. Finally, he becomes feed up with the non-respect he is shown as the man in the household and he gets up himself to get the asparagus. After serving himself, a minute later he throws the aspargus directly across the wall next to the perfect family portrait, in order to command attention from his ungrateful wife and daughter. Another sign for passive aggressive personality disorder in Lester Burnham is the drug abuse and poor career development. (Something that Lester didn’t hide throughout the film. ) Especially his interest in smoking marijuana, which he ironically receives from his neighbor and also his daughters boyfriend, Ricky Fitts. By this time, the main character Lester, has shown how withdrawn he actually is from the world and how irresponsible he has become.

A discussion of a contemporary play by an Asian or Asian-American Essay

A discussion of a contemporary play by an Asian or Asian-American playwright - Essay Example truggling; a forty year old mother, who sacrificed everything for her family; a forty five year old carpenter, who wants to promote his ancestors’ arts; director Ma is fifty years old and is very bold and flaunt-natured. Name of each character shows appearance of people belonging to their specific age groups. They are waiting for a never arriving bus; if, by any chance, it arrives, it never stops for its passengers. The place where eight characters are desperately waiting is a bus stop; however, the bus almost never arrives at this bus stop, and when it does, it passes by without stopping. There are two iron railings where time and again all the passengers ask each other to form a queue. Sign board is almost erased due to being so old, and people wait for endless hours on the bus stop and then leave without ever catching a bus. Time is passing very slowly and the waiting passengers are looking at their watches over and over again. Somebody says it’s an hour, another says that a whole year has elapsed. In China, the most common and most convenient way of traveling is through bus, and, therefore, people from every class use it quite often. That is why whatever is happening at the bus stop is the portrayal of the real life issues. Even though a lot of their time is wasted while they are waiting for the bus, which, in turn, makes them annoyed, rude, irritated and violent, yet they still go through this whole process of waiting every day. They pass their time by talking and discussing different things with each other. Although all of them are destined to go different places and have different purposes and ambitions of life, this bus stop is the element that connects their lives, links them to each other, with people belonging to every group of age. The bus stop has become an important part of their lives, where they expect to find someone with whom they can indulge in discussions about things of common interest and who can help solve problems by talking about

Company Law globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Company Law globalization - Essay Example But significant parts are outmoded or have become redundant and they are enshrined in law that is often unnecessarily complicated and inaccessible." In today's world, global companies are able to control more human and economic resources than many nation states. The economic influence of these firms goes far beyond stock markets; these organisations have a genuine impact on people's lives, as the case of Enron illustrated in the U.S. With this perspective, questions like, who governs corporations and how are top executives appointed, or is economic globalisation changing corporate governance practices, are worth asking. Setting up and running a company in the UK is governed by the Companies Act 1985, but many other set of laws affect company operating procedures. These include the Sale of Goods Act 1979 that regulates the sale of any item; the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 which regulates the minimum standards of health and safety for employees; and the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 which requires employers to have insurance against physical injury and disease sustained by employees. Likewise, there are two types of companies: Private Company - this is usually a small or a family-run business. ... Public Company - must have a minimum capital of 50,000, offer shares to the public, and must have at least two directors or members. They must include "plc" (Public Limited Company) in the registered company name. The law characteristically views a company as a fictional person, a legal person, or a moral person (as opposed to a natural person). Under such tenet, traditionally seen as a legal fiction, a corporation enjoys many of the rights and obligations of individual persons, such as the ability to own property, sign binding contracts, pay taxes, have certain constitutional rights, and otherwise participate in society. It must be noted that corporations do not possess all the rights appertaining to individuals, for instance, in most jurisdictions, a corporation cannot become a citizen, nor vote. On the other hand, corporations often have rights not granted to individuals, such as treaty rights or as an example, the right to stockpile restricted pharmaceuticals without a prescription (Cooke, 1950). In common law nations, standard statement of this theory is found in Lennard's Carrying Co Ltd v Asiatic Petroleum Co Ltd [1915] AC 705, where Lord Haldane stated: "My Lords, a corporation is an abstraction. It has no mind of its own any more than it has a body of its own; its active and directing will must consequently be sought in the person of somebody who is really the directing mind and will of the corporation, the very ego and centre of the personality of the corporation." Salient features of incorporation include: Limited liability - Unlike in a partnership or sole proprietorship, members of a modern business corporation have "limited" liability for the corporation's debts and obligations (this is

A Critical Analysis on Wal-Marts Failure in Germany Essay Example for Free

A Critical Analysis on Wal-Marts Failure in Germany Essay After eight unprofitable years, Wal-Mart backed out of Germany in July 2006 and sold the entire retails outlets to Metro AG. After dominating the US market for quite a long time, Wal-Mart expanded its market to Germany in 1997. In 1997 Wal-Mart continued its strategy of globalization, and acquired two German retail chains for $1. 6 billion. After eight unprofitable years, Wal-Mart backed out of Germany in July 2006 and sold the entire retails outlets to Metro AG. The Essay examines why Wall-mart was a big failure in its international operations in Germany on a Cross-culture perspective. Inadaptability and ignorance f local culture can become a big problem in global business, even for a Corporate giant like Wal-Mart with proven success formulas. Being number one in the United States does not always guarantee for being number one elsewhere in the world. It is very important to understand the pulse of the local market and culture of the clients exactly and should make strategies accordingly and exactly that is where Wal-Mart went wrong in Germany. COMPANY PROFILE Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. s the largest retailer in the world, the worlds second-largest operates retail stores in various retailing formats in all 50 states in the United States. The Companys mass merchandising operations serve its customers primarily through the operation of three segments. The Wal-Mart Stores segment includes its discount stores, Supercenters, and Neighborhood Markets in the United States. The Sams club segment includes the warehouse membership clubs in the United States. The Companys subsidiar y, McLane Company, Inc. rovides products and distribution services to retail industry and institutional foodservice customers. Wal-Mart serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,416 retail units under 53 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion, Wal-Mart employs more than 2. 1 million associates worldwide. Nearly 75% of its stores are in the United States (Wal-Mart International Operations, 2004), but Wal-Mart is expanding internationally. The Group is engaged in the operations of retail stores located in all 50 states of the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom, Central America, Chile, Mexico,lndia and China Wal-Marts entry and operation in Germany Wal-Marts initial entry into German market was through the acquisitions of renowned 21 store Wertkauf chain for an estimated $1. 4 billion in December 1997. 1t was followed one year later by the acquisition of In-terspars 74 hypermarkets from Spar Handels AG, the German unit of the French Intermarch © Group , for ‚ ¬560 million. Thus Wal-Mart immediately became the countrys fourth biggest operator of hypermarkets. However, with a turnover of around ‚ ¬2. 9 billion, and a stagnating market share of Just 1. 1 per cent, the US giant still was a negligible one in the German retail market. Even worse, with estimated accumulated losses of more than ‚ ¬ 1 billion, it is literally drowning in red ink although, according to Wal-Mart Germanys CEO, Kay Hafner, its non food assortment, which accounts for around 50 per cent of its revenues, is profitable.. Instead of expanding its network of stores by 50 units by early 2001 , as originally planned, the company has been forced to close two big outlets, while at the same time it was only able to fully remodel three locations into its flagship Super center format. Due to its problems the company also had to lay off around 1. 000 staff. On July 2006,Wal-Mart announced its official defeat in Germany and would sell its 85 German stores to the rival supermarket chain Metro and would ook a pre-tax loss of about $1 billion (E536million) on the failed venture. A Critical Analysis of Reasons for Wal-Marts failure in Germany: There were several factors that contributed to Germanys unsuccessful business ride. Amazing management blunders have plagued Wal-Marts German operation from the very start.. Wal-Marts major mistakes on the German market may be summarized as follows. Cultural Insensitivity was the major reason of failure Entry to German market by acquisition strategy, Failure to deliver on its legendary every-day low prices and excellent service alue proposition. ? Bad Publicity about the company due to breaking of some prevailing German law In January 1997, Wal-Mart had first entry in Europe market with the acquisition of Wertkauf hypermarkets in Germany. Later in that year, Wal-Mart also acquired Interspar, another German hypermarket chain.. While its first move the 1997 takeover of the 21 Wertkaufstores was indeed a shrewd one, given that companys excellent earnings, its competitive locations, and its very capable management. Wal- Marts 1998 follow-updeal with Spar for 74 hypermarkets was widely Judged an ill- nformed, ill-advised act, for several reasons: Spar is considered to be the weakest player on the German market due to its mostly run-down stores, very heterogeneous in size and format, with the majority of them located in less well-off inner-city residential areas. Wal-Marts cultural insensitivity led to its failure in Germany. This Study focuses only on the flaws made by the Wal-Mart in its International operations in Germany from a Cross-cultural Managements perspective. Wal-Marts failure in Germany- A Case of cultural insensitivity: Most of the Global mergers and acquisitions failed to produce any benefit for the shareholders or educed value, which was mainly due to the lack of intercultural competence. Lack of sensitivity and understanding of language barriers, local traditions, consumer behavior, merchandising, and employment practices irreversibly damaged Wal-Marts image in Germany. One of the main reasons that failed Wal-Mart in Germany is when it attempted to transport the companys unique culture and retailing concept to the new country. The top management refused to even acknowledge the differences in customer behavior and culture in Germany when compared to its US customers, and the top management failed to listen to the feedback from its employees. Not every new cross- border retailer can be a retail giant outer its home. The mistake of exporting its culture wholesale, rather than adapting to local market, leads Wal-Mart failed in Germany market. Wal-Marts ambitions to position itself profitably in European markets through Germany have been hit badly by their inability to fully understand and to adapt to the specific conditions of doing business in other countries. This exposed their obvious lack of intercultural competence and management skills. The main challenge of post-merger integration is further complicated significantly if it is in a Cross- order Merger or acquisition, with all issues frequently being compounded by a lack of language and culture bridging skills. Failure to accomplish this task satisfactorily, results in mutual distrust, de-motivation and negatively impacts the merged companies competitiveness, profits and shareholder value. This is exactly what happened to Wal-Mart Germany. Following are the main two factors that Contributed to the Wal-Marts unsuccessful efforts in Germany: 1)Specific Difference in German Consumer behavior and Culture in comparison with US consumers: and impose an American boss on its German operations. Wal-Mart stores are esigned for customers who are willing to spend lot of time shopping. But in Germany, the shopping hours are shorter: Shops close by 5 PM on weekdays, and no shopping on Sundays. This meant that customers dont have the habit of spending lots of time in a store wandering around for the things they need. Coupled with this problem, German customers do not like to be assisted by Wal-Marts friendly store assistants. Germans prefer to do their own search for bargains. Instead of understanding and adjusting to the culture of its clients, Wal-Mart tried to impose their Culture on to the Customers, which never worked out. Germans like to see the advertised discount products upfront without having to ask the store assistant. This implies that the discount products must be placed at the eye level. Instead Wal-Mart chose to use its US style merchandise display strategy where premium priced products are kept at eye level and discount products are kept at higher shelf or in the bottom racks. This irritated the German shoppers. Wal-Mart also got its store inventory wrong, Wal-Mart stocked its store with clothes, hardware, electronics and other non-food products were given much bigger floor space than ood products, as a result more than 50% of the revenue was from non-food products. But other German retailers stock more of food products. For example for Metro, food products constitute more than 75% of the revenue. Germans prefer to bag groceries themselves into reusable carriers, or at least to pay a small fee for the avoidable sin of needing a plastic bag. Germans are introvert in nature and doesnt like display of emotion in public, as they always care for their private personal space. Employees, like the reserved customers, didnt care for Wal-Marts public displays of corporate moral such as the morning heer. The German Customers even didnt liked to be accompanied by the Cheerful employees either, as they would like to make choices by themselves. These are cultural misunderstandings as well, but one could say the cultural philosophy of Wal- Mart could not survive in the context of a German culture with a Happy Planet Index significantly higher than Americas 2)lnefficient Top Management which ignored the relevance of local Culture: It was clear that the cultural insensitivity of Wal-Mart started right at the top management. To begin with, it appointed four CEOs during its first four years of peration. The first head of German operations was Rob Tiarks ,an expat from the USA who did not understand Germany or its culture. He had previously supervised around 200 Supercenters in America. Not only did he not speak any German. Due to his unwillingness to learn the language ,English was soon decreed as the official company language at the management level. He also ignores the complexities and the legal framework of the German retail market, ignoring any strategic advice presented to him by former Wertkauf executives . This has resulted in the resignation nsuccessful in integrating German Outlets with the Wal-Marts Business model and culture. Suggestions and Recommendations: Cross-border, Cross-cultural business is a challenge even for the biggest companies. Companies have to be sensitive to the local cultures and tailor their offerings to local market. To localize their offerings, Wal-Mart and other Companies that are going global companies must carry out cultural assessment of the Citizens of the Country before acquisitions. All their Corporate Business and Communication strategies should be based on this cultural assessment. This will help companies measure the ffectiveness of its localization efforts and make adequate changes in local strategy ; tactics as and when required. Considering the following steps would help Wal-Mart or any other Company while they are on lookout of Global alliance or business. 1)Political, Social, Economic and Cultural Analysis of the Country Before expanding its business operations to a new country, the Company should understand the Political, Social, Economic and cultural aspects of the Country in depth. Wal-Marts case, Germany was selected primarily because of a central European location and economic attractiveness of the Wertkauf acquisition. But a serious research would have shown that Germany had strong national values resistant to change; possibly the most deeply rooted retail traditions in Western Europe. This could have avoided either Wal-Marts selection of the Country or the strategies it has adopted in Germany. 2)Go global and think they are local After conducting an in depth research about the prevailing trends in the customers Country, the Company should be ready to modify its own identity to suit itself to the cultural differences without compromising much on its Corporate Mission. This step will also force organizations to clearly define globalization goals. Wal-Mart put the company name on many German stores before being fully established. Immediately, the run down stores left an impression on consumers who formed a negative image of the Wal-Mart name. 3)Employment of Cross-cultural Management approaches like Hampden-Turner and Trompanaars Analysis: Employement of Hofsteds Culture Dimensions or HT;T Analysis will help Companies in understanding the minute cultural differences between the countries. For example, Communitarianism over Individualism Germans degree of communitarianism is on the higher side mainly because Germans prefer participating on a team. Most Germans see business as a group of related persons working together. But, most of Americans see their company as a set of difference in Cultural dimensions between the 2 countries has resulted in inside management conflict among the employees, which also resulted in resignation of efficient German executives from Wal-Mart post integration. Understanding the cultural dimensions of a Country through proven Cross-culture models will always help a company to formulate a specific approach that will encourage team spirit and joy among the Global Team. 4)Continuous Updation of Strategies to successfully ithstand the local competition It is very important for a Global firm to continuously analyse the impact of their various strategies on the local market. Understand the shortfalls, and modify it in such a way as to cater the local market in a much better way than the competitors. It is always better to scrutinize the strategies adopted by them with a panel of Local experts, as they will be having a better picture about the local consuming behavior and culture. Perceptions do matter a lot, So a surveys to find the customers perception about the company will also help them to change their trategies accordingly. Conclusion: Even though Wall-Mart was the Biggest of the companies, while going Global understanding the culture of customers, employees of the new Country is very critical for the success. The achievement in the U. S. market cannot always guarantee that Wal-Mart will also success in anywhere else. Companies need to understand the local culture in order to capitalize on the local market. The lessons learned from Wal- Marts experience in Germany, can be applied by other retailers who are planning to go global for expanding its market.. If the worlds largest retailer had taken the time o analyze the German mindset, it could have avoided a very painful lesson when Germans rejected Wal-Marts American-style which was highly successful in home country.

Gender Roles in The Yellow Wallpaper -- Charlotte Perkins Gillman, shor

The Yellow Paper is a short story published in 1892, and written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Charlotte tells of a disheartening tale of a woman who struggles to free herself from postpartum depression. The Yellow Paper gives an account of an emotionally and intellectual deteriorated woman struggles to break free from a mental prison her husband had put her into, in order to find peace. The woman lived in a male dominated society and wanted indictment from it as she had been driven crazy, because of the Victorian â€Å"rest-cure† (Gilman 45). Her husband decided to force her to have a strict bed rest by separating her from her only child. He took her to recuperate in an isolated country estate all alone. The bed rest her husband forced into made her mental state develop from bad to worst. The Yellow Paper is a story that warns the readers about the consequences of fixed gender roles in a male-dominated world. In The Yellow Paper, a woman’s role was to be a dutiful wife and she should not question her husband’s authority and even whereabouts. Whereas, a man’s role was to be a husband, main decision maker, rational thinker and his authority was not to be questioned by the wife. The narrator in The Yellow Paper was a mother and a wife who was trying to free herself from the prison her husband had put her into. She lived in a male-dominate world whereby she was to be a wife who never questioned her husband’s authority. She suffered from a severe postpartum depression case, yet her marriage depressed her too. The narrator was in a marriage whereby her husband dominated and treated her like a child. Her husband was the sole decision maker and since she lived in a society whereby women were never allowed to question their husband’s decisio... ...he stopped being the protector and the only rational thinker in the family. In this short story, the men had power over women and they undermined them. The narrator insisted to her husband that she was sick, but he never took her serious instead, he confined her in an isolated place away from home and her child. Eventually both husband and wife loose because, they are trapped in fixed gender roles and could not go against them. Works Cited Carnley, Peter. The Yellow Wallpaper and other sermons. New York: Harper Collins, 2001. Print. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. New York: Dover Publications, 1997. Print. Hume, Beverly A. "Gilman’s ‘Interminable Grotesque’: The Narrator of ‘The Yellow Wallpaper," Studies in Short Fiction 28 (Fall 1991): 477-484. Hedges, Elaine R. â€Å"Afterward† to â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.†Old Westbury, NY.Feminist Press 1973. Print. Gender Roles in The Yellow Wallpaper -- Charlotte Perkins Gillman, shor The Yellow Paper is a short story published in 1892, and written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Charlotte tells of a disheartening tale of a woman who struggles to free herself from postpartum depression. The Yellow Paper gives an account of an emotionally and intellectual deteriorated woman struggles to break free from a mental prison her husband had put her into, in order to find peace. The woman lived in a male dominated society and wanted indictment from it as she had been driven crazy, because of the Victorian â€Å"rest-cure† (Gilman 45). Her husband decided to force her to have a strict bed rest by separating her from her only child. He took her to recuperate in an isolated country estate all alone. The bed rest her husband forced into made her mental state develop from bad to worst. The Yellow Paper is a story that warns the readers about the consequences of fixed gender roles in a male-dominated world. In The Yellow Paper, a woman’s role was to be a dutiful wife and she should not question her husband’s authority and even whereabouts. Whereas, a man’s role was to be a husband, main decision maker, rational thinker and his authority was not to be questioned by the wife. The narrator in The Yellow Paper was a mother and a wife who was trying to free herself from the prison her husband had put her into. She lived in a male-dominate world whereby she was to be a wife who never questioned her husband’s authority. She suffered from a severe postpartum depression case, yet her marriage depressed her too. The narrator was in a marriage whereby her husband dominated and treated her like a child. Her husband was the sole decision maker and since she lived in a society whereby women were never allowed to question their husband’s decisio... ...he stopped being the protector and the only rational thinker in the family. In this short story, the men had power over women and they undermined them. The narrator insisted to her husband that she was sick, but he never took her serious instead, he confined her in an isolated place away from home and her child. Eventually both husband and wife loose because, they are trapped in fixed gender roles and could not go against them. Works Cited Carnley, Peter. The Yellow Wallpaper and other sermons. New York: Harper Collins, 2001. Print. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. New York: Dover Publications, 1997. Print. Hume, Beverly A. "Gilman’s ‘Interminable Grotesque’: The Narrator of ‘The Yellow Wallpaper," Studies in Short Fiction 28 (Fall 1991): 477-484. Hedges, Elaine R. â€Å"Afterward† to â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.†Old Westbury, NY.Feminist Press 1973. Print.

An Analysis of “The Klan’s Fight for Americanism” Essay

In 1926, Hiram Wesley Evans, then Imperial Wizard and Emperor of the Ku Klux Klan, published â€Å"The Klan’s Fight for Americanism†, a leaflet that set forth the principles and fundamentals of what many called the revival of the KKK in 1920’s America, a new version of the organization that was originally formed by Nathan Bedford Forrest after the Civil War in an effort to maintain the supremacy of the white man over the recently freed African-American slaves. The researcher will analyze and discuss Evans’ writing in this paper from the standpoint of his views and specific tenets to be found within â€Å"The Klan’s Fight for Americanism†. In addition, the researcher will present views as to whether or not Evans’ views agree with those of the researcher, and ultimately, a response to Evans’ view will be presented. Upon the conclusion of this paper, the reader will have a thorough understanding of Evans’ work as well as some possible alternative viewpoints on it. A Brief Overview of â€Å"The Klan’s Fight for Americanism† In order to fully understand the various elements of Evans’ writing, and to adequately interpret it, a brief overview of the work itself is in order. The previously mentioned revival of the KKK in the early 1920’s came in response to what the group called the â€Å"infestation by aliens† of America in the years immediately following World War I. As a result of the KKK’s revival, by 1926, the organization had over 3 million members. The KKK increased its list of those whom it hated to include Jews, Catholics, Communists, and those who were members of the labor unions that were gaining popularity in America during that time. Hiram W. Evans, upon assuming control of the KKK in 1926, wrote â€Å"The Klan’s Fight for Americanism† as a means to lay the groundwork for what would be a new expansion of the Ku Klux Klan in the 20th century. Americanism as Defined by Evans One of the key terms that Evans uses in his writing is the term Americanism, something that he claims is a hallmark of the KKK. The term Americanism in this context has its roots in patriotism, something that the KKK claims to have in abundance; however, the interpretation of patriotism that the KKK has varied greatly from what one would usually find in the belief systems of someone like Abraham Lincoln, for example. Patriotism, as the cornerstone of Americanism, in this case has some far reaching implications. First, consider the KKK’s definition of the American ideal within Americanism, which will first be presented by use of an actual quote from Evans’ work: â€Å"Americanism, to the Klansman, is a thing of the spirit, a purpose and a point of view, that can only come through instinctive racial understanding. It has, to be sure, certain defined principles, but he does not believe that many aliens understand those principles, even when they use our words in talking about them. . . .In short, the Klansman believes in the greatest possible diversity and individualism within the limits of the American spirit. But he believes also that few aliens can understand that spirit, that fewer try to, and that there must be resistance, intolerance even, toward anything that threatens it, or the fundamental national unity based upon It† (Evans, 1926) . What Americanism is, for the Klansman, is the concept of liberty and justice for all, as Americans recites in their Pledge of Allegiance, but â€Å"all† has its limits along racial, ethnic and religious boundaries. For the KKK, coming right from the pen of its leader at the time, the American Dream was available for those who qualified by being a certain race, nationality or religion, embodied in the KKK credo of â€Å"native, white, Protestant supremacy† (Evans, 1926). Using terms like â€Å"mongrelization† to describe the ethnic diversity that America was experiencing in large part due to the displacement of Europeans after World War I, Evans set up unlimited possibilities for a limited few, not much different from the slavery that America utilized prior to the Civil War. Another element of Evans philosophy was what he defined as â€Å"The American Race†. This race encompasses people who are white descendants from the ancient Nordic tribes of Europe, Protestant in religion. Evans makes a specific religious distinction, saying that â€Å"Rome shall not rule America†, meaning that the Roman Catholic Church, and more specifically the Pope, will not have any hold on what â€Å"The American Race† does in the United States (Evans, 1926). A Response to Evans’ View While Hiram W. Evans, as an American citizen, has the right to express his opinions and views, likewise it is appropriate for the researcher to respond to what Evans wrote and professed in â€Å"The Klan’s Fight for Americanism†. As a response, rather than embarking on a long tirade of random responses, his work will be discussed along the lines of carefully selected main points, which will give a better response to the overall work. Those key points are as follows: †¢ DIVERSITY IS THE BASIS OF AMERICAN GREATNESS- No one can debate that the many contributions made to America in terms of the arts, sciences, humanities, education and more would not have been very significant were it not for those of many different ethnic backgrounds who came to America seeking a better life and ultimately made America a better place for others. If America were only open to Evans’ â€Å"American Race†, the country likely would have been held back from its full potential. †¢ JUDGEMENT BY CONTENT OF CHARACTER- Decades after Evans’ ruled the KKK, Martin Luther King Jr. professed that he dreamed of an America where people would be judged not by the color of skin, but my content of character. By limiting his view of Americans to be only those of the white race, Evans excluded many fine individuals from inclusion in the American Dream. This exclusivity again would have compromised the ability of America to grow and thrive as it has. †¢ ONE NATION UNDER GOD HAS MANY MEANINGS- The belief in God cannot, and should not be available only to those of the Protestant faith that Evans advocates in his teachings and writings. A nation built on many faiths can provide a strong moral foundation and indeed has in the case of America. Aside from whether an individual’s belief in God comes from the Protestant, Catholic, Jewish or any of a number of other theologies, the teachings of respect for other people, peace, integrity and morality has helped to make America great. Agreement With Evans? The researcher has clearly shown that there is definite disagreement with Evans and the content of â€Å"The Klan’s Fight for Americanism†. Having the benefit of viewing the publication in hindsight, it is clearly seen that the American landscape would be vastly different in the 21st century if Evans ruled the 20th. Closing Thoughts It was once said that those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. In the case of Evans’ teachings and writings, this is definitely true. Luckily, the hatred that he professed has not totally dominated the American culture, but does exist today. Therefore, it is important for every American to pay attention to the past to avoid pitfalls in the future. References Evans, Hiram W. (1926). The Klan’s Fight for Americanism. North American Review, 223, 38-39.

The Birth of the American Nation

The American Revolution was not only a battle against the British; it was also a period of transition from a colony to a newly-formed country. Belonging to country that was just liberated from colonial rule, the Americans attempted to apply revolutionary ideology to the building of their nation and the making of their society.They managed to do so by first basing the Declaration of Independence on political freedom, social tolerance and economic opportunity. (http://www. megaessays. com, n. d.) Political freedom played a huge influence on the ideas and ambitions of the revolutionaries and also resulted in social tolerance and economic opportunity. (http://www. megaessays. com, n. d. )Hence, the Declaration of Independence was not a promise or an excuse to wage war with Britain – it was a challenge to the Americans to preserve their sovereignty and develop as a nation. (http://www. megaessays. com, n. d. ) Political freedom for the 13 colonies meant â€Å"breaking away from En gland and being able to develop a sense of identity and a sense of self-government.† (http://megaessays. com, n. d. ) â€Å"Sense of identity and a sense of self-government† referred to a central government that they themselves elected and in whose affairs they have a say. (http://megaessays. com, n. d. ) Indeed, the lack of political representation angered the Americans more than any other atrocity committed against them by the British. (http://megaessays. com, n. d. ) The absence of their opinion in government policy-making allowed the British to enact unjust laws, such as the Sugar Act (1764) and the Stamp Act (1765).The Sugar Act imposed a three-cent tax on imported refined sugar and increased taxes on coffee, indigo and certain types of wine. (http://www. socialstudiesforkids. com, n. d. ) Meanwhile, the Stamp Act required taxation for every printed paper that American colonists used. (http://www. socialstudiesforkids. com, n. d. ) With the 13 colonies free from th e grasp of the British government, the Americans then proceeded to create laws that promoted economic and social liberty. On March 1, 1784, Thomas Jefferson proposed a prohibition on slavery in the entire United States after 1800 (this was narrowly defeated).(http://www. historyplace. com, n. d. ) On May 8, 1785, the US Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785, which divided the northwest territories into â€Å"townships set at 6 square miles, subdivided into 36 lots of 640 acres each, with each lot selling for no less than $640. † (http://www. historyplace. com, n. d. ) Thomas Jefferson's Ordinance of Religious Freedom (1786) dictated that â€Å"no man may be forced to attend or support any church or be discriminated against because of his religious preference. † (http://www. historyplace. com, n. d.) The first amendment to the US Constitution was later patterned after this regulation. (http://www. historyplace. com, n. d. ) Despite their nation's independence, the Americans continued using some long-held conventions, laws and customs. For instance, the US Constitution espoused the national government's division into three branches: the legislative, the executive and the judiciary. The legislative branch creates the laws, the executive enforces the laws and the judicial branch interprets the laws. The colonial government has a similar structure. The governor headed the executive branch in each colony.He was â€Å"appointed by the king in the royal colonies, named by the proprietor in the proprietary colonies, and chosen by the voters in the charter colonies. † (www. grazian-archive. com, n. d. ) The governor was assisted by a council (appointed by the same agent that appointed the governor) in administering to the affairs of the colony. The governor (in the royal and proprietary colonies) can also exercise a suspensive (temporary) or full veto upon the colonial legislatures. The legislative branch in the colonial government was a bicame ral unit that was tasked to enact laws.It also had the authority to appoint several administrative officials, starting with the colonial treasurer. (www. grazian-archive. com, n. d) The judicial branch of the colonial government dealt with all cases in the colonies. Colonial judges were either appointed by the king or elected by the people, depending on the type of colony. They were tasked to provide colonists judicial rights that the British people enjoyed at home. (www. grazian-archive. com, n. d) Another long-held convention that the Americans used was the development of individual military institutions for each state.(http://www. americanrevolution. com, n. d. ) This ran parallel to Britain, which had separate military units for the colonies and the mother country. (http://www. americanrevolution. com, n. d. ) A civil war broke out in Britain in 1642, resulting in the abolition of the monarchy and the House of Lords and the relinquishment of power to General Oliver Cromwell and the army. (http://www. americanrevolution. com, n. d. ) Under Cromwell's dictatorship, the size of the military establishment under the British king was limited.This had a negative effect on the colonies, where Cromwell's absolutism fueled distrust of standing armies and the employment of professional soldiers. (http://www. americanrevolution. com, n. d. ) To compensate for the lack of soldiers, the colonies resorted to citizen-soldiers. (http://www. americanrevolution. com, n. d. ) A law passed in 1777 required able young men (except for slaves) to render military service to the colonies. They were trained in the basics of war and law enforcement and were also considered potential recruits for short military offensives in the frontier.Land grants were often provided in exchange for able soldiering, turning the military into an attractive prospect for laborers with no property of their own and their sons. (http://www. americanrevolution. com, n. d. ) But the American Revolution left some problems unresolved, if not created new ones. The Americans remained divided on the topic of slavery (Brinkley150). Slavery was abolished in states where either slavery was minimal or was non-existent at all, such as in New England and Pennsylvania, respectively (Brinkley 150).Even the South experienced pressure to rectify or even abolish the custom. All southern states except South Carolina and Georgia banned further importation of slaves from other countries, while South Carolina also prohibited slave trade during the war (Brinkley 150). Virginia created a law calling for manumission (the freeing of slaves) (Brinkley 150). However, slavery still survived in all southern and border states. The American Revolution also did little to promote the rights of women.Although the war made it easier for women in some states to obtain divorces and allowed women in New Jersey to vote, they still remained inferior and dependent on men (Brinkley 147). They had no access to education and h ad no legal protection from abusive and tyrannical men (Brinkley 146). Married women had no property rights of their own, making it difficult for widows of revolutionaries to regain their dowries from their husbands' estates (Brinkley 147). Aside from the issues of slaver and the emancipation of women, the Americans had to deal with post-war economic depression as well.(http://www. historyplace. com, n. d. ) The hostilities left Americans with a host of economic problems, such as shortage of currency, high taxes, nagging creditors, farm foreclosures and bankruptcies. (http://www. historyplace. com, n. d. ) Increasing poverty at this period led to rebellion and violence. On August 31, 1786, to avoid the trial and imprisonment of debtors, former war captain Daniel Shays led an armed throng and stopped the Northampton Court from observing a hearing (Shays was already an impoverished farmer at the time of the revolt).Shays and his followers later instigated several related uprisings. Th e American Revolution served as a model for later revolutions in Europe and Latin America. It served as the primary influence in the French Revolution (1798-1799), the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) and the South American wars of independence (Venezuela – 1811; Argentina – 1810 and Chile – 1810). But the most important lesson it taught was that while the oppressed can free themselves from a tyrant, they should ensure that they deserve the freedom that they won. Works Cited Brinkley, Alan.A Survey: American History. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2007. â€Å"Essay on Declaration of Independence and American History. † n. d. Megaessays. com. 16 January 2007 . â€Å"Sugar Act. † n. d. Social Studies for Kids. 15 January 2008 . â€Å"A Summary of the 1765 Stamp Act. † n. d. Colonial Williamsburg. 15 January 2008 . â€Å"A New Nation: 1784 to 1790. † n. d. The History Place. 15 January 2008. â€Å"Three Branches of Government. † n . d. Utah Education Network. 15 January 2008 . â€Å"Early American Governments and the Confederation. † n. d. Grazian-Archive. com. 15 January 2008 . â€Å"The US Army and the Founding of the Republic. † n. d. AmericanRevolution. com 16 January 2008 .

persuasive essay 2

persuasive essay 2 persuasive essay 2 Harinder Syan English 102 Drinking Age People 18 years and older are considered adults and should be treated as such by being allowed to legally purchase and consume alcohol. The United States is one of the few countries that maintains a relatively high minimum legal drinking age of 21. Young adults the age of 18 can join and be deployed by the army buy cannot come home from war and purchase themselves an alcoholic beverage. At the age of 18, a U.S. citizen can vote in an election, defend and possibly die for their country and make all kinds of decisions regarding their life and body. If I want to vote democrat, I can. If I want ink up my body, I can. If I want to fill my lungs with smoke, I can do that too. Going wine tasting with some friends, however, is somehow too far. There is no reason 18-year-old adults should be denied the right to partake in alcohol. At the age of 18, I believe young adults are old enough to make their own decisions regarding alcohol. Even though the minimum legal drinking age is 21, many unde r 21 still consume alcohol illegally. Underage drinking is unsurprisingly common among college students. If anything, the high drinking age only drives young people to drink more alcohol and break more laws. Although lowering the age to drink won't stop the reckless drinking but might actually increase the binge drinking in young adults. But it will also help 18 year olds to regulate their drinking habits and learn at a young age to slow down.

Experiment Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Experiment Proposal - Essay Example According to Barnes, V (2004 P. 23), many times AD begins towards the age of 60 and the risk goes up as you get older. No treatment can stop the disease. However, Richmond (2006) says that, some drugs may help keep symptoms from getting worse for a limited time. This experiment will be a well-controlled study of Alzheimer patients and will take 18 months. Basically, the experiment will be aimed at studying the efficacy, effectiveness and efficiency of an experimental drug called Physostigmine in treating Alzheimers disease. The drug appears to enhance acetylcholine levels in the brain by cutting back on the effects of an enzyme known as destroy ACh. It is expected that use of Physostigmine will, in the long run, help slow the progress of the disease. The age and the ability to speak fluent English will be the independent variables while the cognitive and behavioral change will be the dependent variables. A sample of 100 will be selected from a population of Alzheimers patients who have been diagnosed and found to be having it. Care will be taken to make sure that all those that are selected to take part in this study well represent the whole population. Further, the gender of the participant will be of importance as males may be preferred as it has been happening in most cases. Probably, a sample of 50 males and 50 females will be used. All the participants will have their cognitive and behavioral characteristics tested to be aware of their level before the study after which they will undergo three steps each approximated to take six months. The drug, Physostigmine, will be administered to each patient as per prescriptions. After this, the level recogtion and behaviour change will be recorded. This will be compared to the initial results to see whether there is any tangible change. This procedure will be repeated for the second time using a different prescription and the same tests as well as comparisons carried out. The last stage will follow.

Zero Tolerance Policy in the K-12 United States Education System Research Paper

Zero Tolerance Policy in the K-12 United States Education System - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that the Gun Free Schools Act (GFSA) enacted in 1994, inter alia, empowers the educational institutions â€Å"to expel from school for a period of not less than one year a student who is determined to have brought a weapon to a school†.   In view of the changing environment in the social spectrum and the unprecedented technological developments not even predicted by sociologist and futurist, Alvin Toffler in his Future Shock, it is attempted to seek an answer to the question: Is there is a need to revisit such provisions of this act and the other related acts such as Goals 2000: Educate America Act on account of the inhibiting factors and ominous consequences to the students and their families involved in enforcement of these laws in relation to zero tolerance policy.   At the instance of Pennsylvania Parent Teachers Association (PTA), a proposal in relation to zero tolerance policy is being submitted to the Senator Arlen Specter .   We expect that his compassion for the students makes him as an advocate in addressing the needs of students.   His clout as a senior Senator with wide experience and respectability would be helpful in carrying out the necessary amendments to the act(s). This paper has been prepared after careful study and analysis of the various alternatives, factors involved and the existing policy environment with the recommendations in this respect.

Discuss the use of directed evolution in enzyme technology Essay

Discuss the use of directed evolution in enzyme technology - Essay Example Moreover, the synthesis of molecules in the laboratory requires the aid of enzymes. However, scientists have had challenges in designing highly specific enzymes that exhibit remarkable stability for use in the different processes that require enzymes. Initially, they relied on rational design, but the products of this process did not prove desirable. The emergence of the directed evolution enzyme technology in the 1990s has served to alter the production of enzymes. This process relies on selected parent gene, subjection to a mutagen until they yield variants of the parent gene selected. This paper will discuss the process of directed evolution enzyme technology (Simpson 2012, p. 54). Prior to the development of the directed evolution concept, the application of enzymes in a diverse range of processes presented salient challenges. As many enzymologists have described, enzyme specificity is the most critical aspect in the functioning of any enzyme. The enzyme must exhibit exemplary specificity for its substrates. This serves to increase its efficiency in the catalysis process. However, many of the enzymes developed for use in many processes exhibited limited specificity (Soetaert & Vandamme 2007, p. 146). Moreover, whereas many processes were designed to occur at remarkably high temperatures, many enzymes proved unstable. Evidently, many of the enzymes exhibited low and undesirable reaction rates, and the rates of substrate conversion proved slow. In other cases, product inhibition occurred, retarding the process. These challenges necessitated the development of a procedure that could serve as a reliable method for the production of enzymes with desirable qualitie s. As highlighted above, the process of rational design that comprised of screening produced DNA libraries and subsequently engineering them did not address most of these setbacks (Arnold & Georgiou 2003, p. 54). The minimal success in rational design is

HIV AIDS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN 40-70 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HIV AIDS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN 40-70 - Essay Example y is designed to illustrate statistics on this often-underlooked population demographic to determine whether the 40-70 female maintains high prevalence of HIV and AIDS. It further looks to identify whether any social programs exist which impact this particular group and discusses the potential toll HIV and AIDS can take on their lives. AIDS is cited as the third largest cause of death in African American women between the ages of 35 and 44, with the disease being the fourth leading cause of death in the 45-54 year old African American female group (CDC, 2008). Combined, this is a significant cause for alarm. In the pursuit of identifying appropriate research for older African American women ages 55 and beyond, no statistical diagrams or charts which highlighted studies could be located. The aforementioned clearly illustrates that more research into the 40-70 African American population should be identified. For instance, contemporary research studies tend to show a pattern of behaviors which, when charted, can be predicted which give insight into what drives the behaviors socially. Once you have painted a construct of how people interact in these different, segregated social groups, it makes the process of identifying methods to assist these women more difficult as it provides no personality, socio-cultural template by which to relate to the struggling women. As 64 percent of all people in the United States who have HIV and AIDS are African Americans, understanding how infection rates occur and the overall sexual practices of the 40-70 group could provide the necessary tools to break down social barriers in terms of treatment options. Sadly, however, it does not appear that there are adequate social programs in place to assist women of this age group who might be battling with HIV and/or AIDS. However, there are several which are designed to offer clinical research information and a sense of community. One of which is the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF)

Regulation of Human Skin Pigmentation

Regulation of Human Skin Pigmentation Introduction In the human body, the skin is the largest organ, with it being a complicated epithelial and mesenchymal tissue. It consists of an epidermis which is multilayered as well as structures such as sebaceous and sweat glands, hair follicles, a dermis consisting of elastic and collagen fibres. There is also a layer of subcutaneous fat. There has been a discovery of over 1000 disease entities involved with the skin such as eczema, psoriasis, melanoma and urticaria. Around 15% of a human adults total body weight is accounted for by the skin with a surface area of approximately 2m2. The skin consists of three layers; the epidermis, the dermis and the hypodermis. The outer layer of the skin is known as the epidermis, which is a stratified squamous epithelium , where 95% of its cells are keratinocytes. The remaining cells in the epidermis are the melanocytes, merkel and langerhans cells. The role of the epidermis is to provide a defence barrier against environments of an inhospitable nature. The epidermis can be divided into four layers, in order from outer layer to deepest layer; stratum corneum (the cornified layer), stratum lucidum (the clear/translucent layer), stratum granulosum (the granular layer), stratum spinosum (the spinous layer) and the stratum basale (the basal layer) . There is a single layer of keratinocytes in the basal layer, where daughter cells can be produced by them to terminal differentiation via proliferation, resulting in the forming of the cornified layer , which can take around 40 days, however this can be shorter in various diseases, such psoriasis. About ten layers of corneocytes that are flattened make up the cornified layer . From the neural crest, dendritic cells can be derived which are known as melanocytes, which are also found in the basal layer. Melanosomes, which are subcellular organelles, transport melanin, which are synthesised by melanocytes, to the neighbouring basal keratinocytes. In order to prevent harm to the nuclei of the basal keratinocytes from ultraviolet radiation, a melanin cap is formed by the melanosomes. Melanosome size and number, as well as melanins nature determine skin colour or pigmentation. Langerhans cells are derived from the bone marrow and are antigen presenting dendritic cells founds in the epidermis. Sensory information is transmitted from the skin to the sensory nerves by merkel cells found in the epidermis . The dermis is the layer beneath the epidermis, and its thickness depends on the area of the body. For example, on the eyelid, the dermis is thin, whilst the dermis is thick on a persons back. The dermis consists of two layers; the papillary dermis and the reticular dermis. The papillary dermis is in contact with the basement membrane zone, which provides adhesion between the epidermis and dermis, where skin blistering can occur due to defects. Blood vessels as well as sensory nerve endings are richly supplied to the papillary dermis. The reticular dermis is in contact with the hypodermis and is the main component of the dermis. Interstitial components, such as elastic and collagen fibres, and cellular components, such as fibroblasts and plasma and mast cells, are what make up the composition of the dermis. Collagen accounts for around 70% of the dermis dry weight , where types I and III are predominant. The predominant cell type, however, is fibroblasts in the dermis, which are derived from the mesenchyme. The hypodermis is the deepest layer of the skin consisting of lipocytes. The function of the hypodermis is to connect the skin to the bone and muscle, thus supplying the bone with nerves and blood vessels. The arrangement of these is in fat lobules, where the fibrous septae separates one from another. The connection between the dermis and the hypodermis is strengthened by fibre bundles originally from the dermis. Around 80% of the entire body fat is found within the hypodermis in those individuals who are not obese . As very briefly mentioned previously, melanocytes function is dependent upon for pigmentation. These cells from melanoblasts during embryological development. Each basal melanocyte is connected functionally to the dermal fibroblasts as well as to the basal keratinocytes. These three cell types interact and communicate with each other in order to regulate the skins phenotype and function through the secreted factors and receptors in addition to cell to cell contact . Stem cell keratinocytes and basal melanocytes has a slow proliferation rate in normal circumstances, however the upper basal keratinocytes have a much rapid proliferation rate, which carries them towards the skins surface alongside the ingested melanin thus forming a barrier. Therefore the skins colour is not personified by only the melanin found in melanocytes, but also in a conjunction with pigment found in the superficial layers of the skin . Currently, pigmentation is known to be regulated in a direct or indirect fashion by over 125 different genes, with this number potentially rising 150-200 in less than another 100 years. Out of them genes, the ones whose function is understood, a lot of them affect processes that are involved in development which are critical for melanoblasts. Some genes regulate melanocytes differentiation and survival whilst others control processes affecting pigmentation. Melanosomes functions or biogenesis is affected by more than 25 of the genes. Some critical enzymes involved in the control of pigmentation include tyrosinase, tyrosinase related protein 1 (TRP-1) and DCT (DOPAchrometautomerase). If these enzymes are mutated, melanins which are synthesis could be affected in terms of their quantity and quality. Some critical structural proteins required for the melanosomes to mature structurally include Pmel17 and MART1. Mutations in proteins that are involved in the sorting of melanosome proteins can result inherited disorders of hypopigmentary nature . This critical appraisal will look at in further detail the different types of pigmentation, constitutive and facultative, and how they are regulated, including the roles of MC-1R, cyclic AMP (cAMP) pathway Agouti Signalling Protein, MITF and ultraviolet radiation. Also covered in this piece of work is CRHs and ÃŽÂ ²-endorphins roles in regulation of human skin pigmentation. Melanin Within the melanosomes, melanins are synthesises via the previously mentioned enzymes. The reaction which limits the melanogenesis rate becomes catalysed by tyrosinase, as is tyrosinases hydroxylation resulting in 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), along with DOPA oxidising into DOPAquinone. The oxidation of 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA) take place in mice due to TRP-1, however this same activity doesnt take place in humans. DOPAchrome is isomerised into DHICA by DCT. In human, there is productions of two types of melanin, eumelanin which is black or brown and pheomelanin which is yellow or red. Tyrosinase is essential for the synthesis of both types of melanin, whilst TRP1 and DCT more for the synthesis of eumelanin . With regards to skin pigmentation, there are two types; Constitutive pigmentation and Facultative pigmentation. Regulation of Constitutive Pigmentation Depending upon the racial and ethnic background of the person, the colour of human skin varies from extremely light to extremely dark. Several major chaperones, melanin, oxyhaemoglobin and deoxyhaemoglobin and carotenoids determine the colour of human skin. In 1954, the first observation was made with regards to the pigmentary system of the skin by Szabo when an immunohistochemical technique was used to test tyrosinases enzymatic activity via staining of tissues , where Caucasian skin was examined at first followed by other colours of skin. Along with various other studies as well as Szabos it was shown that in different human skin types had similar melanocytes densities as well as distribution in similar body areas. They also found that there is less melanin content in lighter skin, with melanosomes which are pigmented poorly being clustered above the nuclei within keratinocytes. There is more melanin present in darker skin, with the distribution of melanosomes that are pigmented heavily being individual in keratinocytes rather than clustered, which increases light absorption. The density of melanocytes is different in distinct parts of the body. For example, the skin on an individuals palms or soles is lighter in comparison to others parts of the body. Environmental factors can affect the density of constitutive melanocytes in the skin, including ultraviolet radiation (UVR), where the density can be increase by 3 or 4 times of the norm. Another environmental factor that can increase the density are toxic compounds, for example hydroquinone, resulting in the destruction of melanocytes. In increase of decreased melanocyte densities, pigmentary disorders which are inherited can result, for example freckles or vitiligo respectively . Due to Bcl2s high expression, epidermal keratinocytes are resistant to apoptosis as they have a slow proliferation rate in normal circumstances. It has been shown that the palms and soles dermis have a high level of Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) secretion which causes the Wnt/ÃŽÂ ²-catenin signalling pathway to become inhibited via the suppression of the growth function of melanocytes, thus inhibiting the melanogenic pathway. This can have effects on some transcriptional regulators, for example microphthalmia transcription factor (MITF), to some downstream melanogenic proteins. Epidermal Keratinocytes also become affected by DKK1 as melanin uptake is diminished, resulting in a skin phenotype which is a lot thicker with less pigmentation . Melanocortin 1 Receptor (MC-1R), which is domain receptor of seven transmembranes which binds to pro-opiomelanocortin peptides due to it being coupled with ÃŽÂ ±s G-protein , is a major skin pigment phenotype determinant. It regulated the quality and quantity of melanin production. Two agonists regulate MC-1R function, which are ÃŽÂ ± melanocyte stimulating hormone (ÃŽÂ ±-MSH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). An antagonist called Agouti signalling protein (ASP) also regulates MC-1R function. When ÃŽÂ ±-MSH or ACTH activate MC-1R, melanogenic cascade expression is stimulated, resulting in stimulation of eumelanin synthesis. This can be reversed by ASP, resulting in stimulation of pheomelanin production. MC-1R gene expression can be upregulated by ÃŽÂ ±-MSH and ACTH, which act in a positive feedback loop . Melanogenesis Melanogenesis can be defined as the biosynthetic pathway of melanin in living cells, which is a complex process with multiple steps which involves substrates, specific enzymes already mentioned and various cofactors commencing with phenylalanine and/or tyrosinase resulting in melanin deposition on the melanosomes protein matrix. The understanding of melanogenesis was greatly increased in the 1950s onwards by Fitzpatrick et al . During the cycle of hair growth in Agouti mice, melanogensis regulation occurs quantitatively as well as qualitatively. Pheomelanins are produced instead of eumelanins in the anagen phase, a switch incurred by the melanocytes in the hair follicles, causing a yellow band on top of a brown background. The regulation of this switch involves extension and agouti loci products that encode MC-1R and ASP respectively. When a ligand binds to MC-1R it activates, resulting in activation of adenylyl cyclase by the ÃŽÂ ±s G-protein, causing an increase in the intracellular cAMP significantly. If the extension locus incurs any mutations, the MC-1R reception will become non functional, therefore adenylate cyclase will remain inactive in ÃŽÂ ±-MSH presence, meaning mice will have a yellow coat colour. The MC-1R receptor is bound by ASP, which results in the ÃŽÂ ±-MSH effects being antagonised, which includes the adenylate cyclase activation caused by the ÃŽÂ ±-MSH . There is lots of evidence which shows that ÃŽÂ ±-MSH, ACTH and cAMP have key roles in skin pigmentation regulation in humans. For example, ÃŽÂ ±-MSH hypersecretrion has been reported to cause skin hyperpigmentation. Patients with severe obesity and hair pigmentation which is red have been shown to have pro opiomelanocortin gene mutations . In human melanocytes that have been cultured, dendricity and melanogenesis are upregulated by the pro opiomelanocortin peptides. Pharmalogical cAMP can also mimic these effects. All of this clearly suggests that ÃŽÂ ±-MSH, ACTH and cAMP have a vital role in melanogenesis regulation. Role of cAMP It is suggested that cAMP has a pivotal role in melanogenic enzymes activity / expression regulation. This is because the enzyme activity of melanogenesis is diminished much more than TRP-1 and DCT. The melanogenic effects of the pro opiomelanocortin peptides seem to be mediated via the cAMP pathway upregulation through the activation of MC-1R as well as adenylate cyclase. Within the cell, cAMP binds to protein kinase A (PKA), enabling activation of the catalytic subunit. PKA phosphorylates its substrates, then translocating to the nucleus, phosphorylating cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) transcription factors family. Specific genes have their expression activated by this family of proteins, which contains consensus cAMP responsive element (CRE) sequences within their promoters. CREB-binding protein is also phosphorylated by PKA, where PKA dependent gene expression is required in order for the interaction with the family of CREB proteins . MITF, which is a helix loop helix transcription factor has been shown to be encoded by the mi locus. This is due to mice which have the mi mutation have a coat colour which is diluted, have white spots, or entire pigmentation loss. They can also have a microphthalmic phenotype caused by ocular development defects. Within melanocytes, mast cells, pigment cells in the retina and osteoclasts, MITF has been found to be expressed. Also, the lack of melanocytes seems to be the cause of the defective pigmentation in mi mice. It has been established that in the development and survival of melanocytes, MITF plays a key role, which is confirmed by the cloning of the MITF homologue within humans. Patients who have type II Waardenburg syndrome have been known to have mutations in MITF present, where there is defective pigmentation in the skin, hair and eyes, as well as hearing alterations . It was shown by Bertolotto et al that there is some sort of connection between the cAMP pathway with MITF. In normal melanocytes and B16 melanoma cells, MITF expression was shown to be increased by cAMP. Tyrosinase expression stimulation that is induced by cAMP requires MITF as shown by a MITF missing the transactivation domain by a dominant negative mutation . PKA becomes activated by cAMP. PKA then goes on to phosphorylate and activate CREB. CREB binds to CRE after it is activated. The CRE is in the microphthalmia promoter, which upregulates its transcription. Microphthalmia expression is therefore increased, which leads to amplified binding of microphthalmia to the M box motif found in the tyrosinase promoter. Tyrosinase expression is increased, as is the upregulation of the synthesis of melanin. Agouti Signalling Protein In cultured human melanocytes, eumelanin synthesis and the activity of tyrosinase is inhibited by ASP. TRP-1 and the expression of tyrosinase is also reduced by ASP. Because of tyrosinases slightest inhibition of activity as well as to the near loss of the expression of TRP-1 and DCT, ASP decreases eumelanin synthesis. It has been found that genes were downregulated by ASP founds in tyrosinase and DCT, as well as upregulated genes which have some association with a basic helix loop helix transcription factor (ITF2). This shows that ITF2 may have a role in melanogenesis regulation, particularly in the previously mentioned switch of eumelanin to pheomelanin. Regulation of Facultative Pigmentation Physiological regulation that causes an increase in skin colour can be defined as facultative skin pigmentation. There are lots of factors that regulated facultative skin colour, including ultraviolet (UV) which is also known as the tanning reaction which occurs in fish as well as humans. The skins response to UV radiation is kinetically complex causing tanning of the skin over a period of several weeks . The effects of UVR can be divided into acute and chronic effects. The acute effects include erythema (sunburn), tanning and immunosuppression. The skins visible pigmentation is added to by UV causing erythema of the skin itself. There are three different stages of tanning, two of which occur rapidly, immediate and persistent tanning, and one that takes time in order for it to develop, delayed tanning. Immunosuppression can result in a decreased number and function of antigen presenting langerhans cells, as well morphological changes. The chronic effects of UVR include photoaging and photocarcinogenesis. In photoaging, wrinkles and freckles start to appear on the skin, where there is a leather type appearance. Photocarcinogenesis can be caused due to the indirect damage of DNA by reactive oxygen species generation. There are three types of UVR: UVA which is 320 400nm long. Its the longest wave from all the types of UVR and can penetrate deeply into the dermis. UBV is 280 320nm long. It can penetrate the epidermis and is 100 fold more energetic and mutagenic. UVC is 200 280nm long but does not reach the surface of Earth. Immediate Persistent Tanning The reaction of immediate tanning can occur almost instantaneously, within a few minutes after being exposed to UV, where it still persists several hours later. Persistent tanning is a separate second stage of the tanning reaction whereupon it occurs within a few hours after being exposed to UV, with it still being persistent several days later. Melanin and/or melanogenic precursors oxidation and polymerisation is thought to be behind both immediate and persistent tanning. The responses of both these types of tanning are greater to UVA than to UVB. Immediate tanning has a colour of gray to black whilst persistent tanning appears brown.It has been shown that one week after being exposed to UV, there is very little production of more melanin . Reported in 1986 was that immediate tanning can be educed by UVA in epidermal sheets. Honigsmanns results suggested that existing melanin or melanin precursors chemical oxidation is reflected upon by immediate tanning rather than pigment granules physiological movement. Reactive oxygen species are able to cause the oxidation of tyrosine as well as DOPA to melanin which occurs in immediate tanning. Also, pigmentations UVA induction is dependent upon melanin which is soluble and there are two different types of melanin absorption which are involved in UVA photoxidation. Delayed Tanning The reaction of delayed tanning has a developmental time of more than several days. Skin tanning appears to peak one week after being exposed to UV, after which tanning appears to diminish for the next ten weeks, but doesnt return to the constitutive level after that time. Within the same time frame, Asian skin pigmentation increase is relatively small. Therefore there is a higher level of hyperplasia in skin that contains smaller levels of constitutive pigment, playing somewhat of a protective role in the response to UV than did the increased pigmentation the skin types that are lighter. Skin pigmentation increase over a long term caused by UV are due to lots of physiological facts being regulated by UV, affecting the growth and / or differentiation of melanocytes. Pigmentation is also stimulated by DNA damage caused by UV exposure . The levels of eumelanin and pheomelanin slowly increase together after being exposed to UV on human skin. This shows that by UV, they are not regulated separately. In various ethnic origins skin pigmentation, there are around two fold differences in melanins chemical content and the melanosomes distribution and size of the particle are important to the visible colour of skin. In comparison with skin which is protected to skin which is constantly radiated with UV, there is only less than a two-fold increase again. All of this shows that aside from the quantity of melanin, other factors are necessary for skin pigmentation. An increase in their expression of ÃŽÂ ±-MSH and ACTH is a response by epidermal keratinocytes and melanocytes to UV exposure. This MC-1Rs function and expression to become upregulated, increasing the response of melanocytes to melanocortins. The weakly functioning MC-1R variants can be located in people with fair skin with red hair who have more pheomelanin with an inability to get a tan. The expression of Endothelin-1 by keratinocytes is enhanced by UV, thus enhancing MC-1Rs expression also, but endothelin-1 works via its own receptor on the melanocytes. The secretion of interleukin-1 by keratinocytes is also caused by UV, stimulating endothelin-1, ÃŽÂ ±-MSH and ACTH secretion by keratinocytes. In keratinocytes, p53s stimulation by the exposure to UV causes increased POMC gene expression resulting in an increase in ÃŽÂ ±-MSH secretion as well as MC-1R function stimulation in the neighbouring melanocytes . ÃŽÂ ²-endorphin/ÂÂ µ-opiate receptor It was reported for the first time by Kauser et al that ÃŽÂ ²-endorphin and the ÂÂ µ-opiate receptor system is expressed in epidermal melanocytes, theyre associated closely with melanosomes, and that in melanocyte biology regulation, this system is active due to its pigmentation, dendricity and proliferation upregulating ability. In the epidermal melanocytes and keratinocytes, the presence of both aforementioned ligand and receptor gives a platform for both autocrine and paracrine mechanisms for the regulation of melanocyte behaviour. ÃŽÂ ²-endorphin and ÃŽÂ ²-lipotropic levels are raised being exposed to UVR , further suggesting that ÃŽÂ ²-endorphin has a role in epidermal melanocytes. Kauser et al also showed that ÃŽÂ ²-endorphin that has been supplied exogenously can cause an increase in melanogenesis and proliferation in epidermal melanocyte cultures. ÃŽÂ ²-endorphin also has an association with melanosomes suggesting that melanogenesis might be regulated l ocally in the secretory granule. Corticotropin Releasing Hormone It has been established that Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH) does have some sort of role in pigmentation. MC-1R action as well as the ÂÂ µ-opiate receptor moderates melanocytes behaviour in hair follicles where there is complete expression of the pro opiomelanocortin system within the pigmentary unit. The expression of CRH is low is different melanogenic zones, whilst there is differentiated distribution of melanocytes in the same area. CRH Receptor 1 seems to be more important in follicular melanocytes for the stimulation of melanogenesis, proliferation and dendricity. However, the role of CRH is in skin pigmentation is not 100% full established, and is an area that definitely required further research in order to gain some clarification. Aging As people get older, pigmentation continues to increase until adolescence or adulthood. Once theyve reached this point, pigmented lesions often begin to appear, and the hair starts to turn gray. It was found in 1979 that the quantity of melanocytes was decreased by about 10% with each decade the age went up by. This was confirmed by two other researches , where one was carried out on darker skin also. Another study compared very fair skin with Caucasian skin, finding that melanocyte density was greatly enhanced following continuous exposure to sunlight in the darker skin, however langerhans cell densities were decreased in the same time frame in both skin types after being exposed to UV.. It was proposed by Stierner et al that being exposed to UV might have some role in the development of melanoma in both exposed and protected skin, as well as being exposed to aberrant UV profoundly can be a lot more harmful than normal exposure , which has since been confirmed by various other studi es . Disruption of Regulation From time to time, different types of pigmentary disorders can occur due to disturbance of the normal regulation of skin pigmentation. Tyrosine function regulation lays importance on intracellular pH as catalytic functions are affected by the intramelanosomal pH as well as melanosomal protein delivery requiring the sorting pathway to have the right pH gradient. It is also considered that pigment production is regulating in some part by intracellular pH in different types of skin depending upon the racial or ethnic origin . Every single form of albinism is caused by tyrosine dysfunction or other types of melanogenic proteins, which can cause skin pigmentation to be blemished. Another pigmentary disorder is Hermansky Pudlak syndrome. This disorder have pleiotropic clinical effects . Pigmentary disorders which are caused by the acquiring of melanin involve the skin becoming lighter or darker. Skin colour which reduced is normally caused from epidermal melanin content declining. The skin may become darker due to an extremely large number of melanin being produced due to there being a an enhanced quantity of melanocytes, however it can also be due to melanin distribution becoming abnormal. Conclusion To summarise, in different skin colours and racial backgrounds, the density of melanocytes is near identical. The quantity and distribution of melanin is largely dependent upon for constitutive skin pigmentation. Less DNA damage occurs to melanocytes present in darker skin than those present in lighter skin. The activity of melanogenesis increases in darker skin in a more efficient manner than in lighter skin. The determination of constitutive skin pigmentation is achieved by: Melanoblasts migration during development Melanoblasts differentiation and survival to melanocytes Melanocyte density Melanosomal enzymes and their structural components expression and function Eumelanin and pheomelanin synthesis Melanosome transport to the dendrites Melanosomes being transferred into keratinocytes Melanin distribution in the skins suprabasal layers. MITF seems to respond to UV pretty quickly, with a response after 1 to 2 days. Some melanosomal proteins respond slower, such as tyrosinase, TRP-1 and DCT, with a response being elicited after about 1 week, where 3 weeks later an increase in the synthesis in melanin can be observed, whereas melanocyte density is increased around 4 to 5 weeks. Cyclic AMP causes the complex induction of intracellular processes which seem to be interconnected. The sub-pathway where PKA is activated, MITF is upregulated as is some of the enzymes involved in melanogenesis, causes melanogenesis stimulation. A cAMP activated pathway, through ERK activation inducing the degradation and phosphorylation of MITF, regulated melanogenesis negatively, where PKA is independent upon. The skins melanin distribution plays a key role in pigmentation that is visible. After around 1 week, the existing pigments migration towards the epidermal surface is increased, after which newly synthesis melanin restores the balance in the distribution of pigment around 4 to 5 weeks later. It is also apparent that when the distribution in the content of melanin undergoes minor changes, it can result in major changes in visible pigmentation, affecting constitutive pigmentation as well as facultative pigmentation or the responses to being exposed to UV. After reading through the literature to carry out this critical appraisal, it is evident that lots of studies have opposing and conflicting results as well as conclusions which may be incoherent, where the same group of authors may diverge from something which they have previously stated. This is most probably due to lots of variants when conducting these types of in vivo and in situ physiological studies. These variants most definitely include: UV source types How much dose amount and frequency that has been applied The sites which have been exposed and their locations The point in time which is assessed after being exposed to UV The history of the subjects, and whether they have been exposed to the same / higher levels of UV conducted in the experiments previously The capacity of an individual DNA repairing Very importantly, the racial and / or ethnic origin of the subjects. There are many areas which require clarification in field, which are definite area of potential future research. For example; Is melanocyte function affected eumelanin against pheomelanin production? As facultative pigmentation is increased, is there further protection against damage caused by UV? Does DNA repair have a role in reducing the skins long term damage? Also, photocarcinogenesis understanding needs to be enhanced, some of the parameters that are critical to it, and some strategies on how to reduce its risks. Research into which pathways participate in melanogenesis induced by UV and MSH still seems to be under way. Any advances could help in discovery of new potential ways of treating certain pigmentary disorders. The regulating mechanisms in the synthesis on melanin arent understood as clearly as required, where its been speculate that research into this may lead to topical melanogens discovery that can cause the production of melanin when UV irradiation is absent, which causes photo aging as well as some skin cancers. Further studies are necessary regarding the pigmentary role of ÃŽÂ ²-endorphin, which seems to be the forgotten melanocortin with regards to pigmentation. Similarly, the role of CRH in pigmentation also needs to be enhanced further. It is also shown that some hormones play a role in regulation of pigmentation including some oestrogens and androgens, which are areas that could used for further research to increase our understanding.