Ethics and Corruption at News International Essay - 3

Ethics and Corruption at News International - Essay Example d in 2005 when Clive Goodman wrote an article at News of the World stating that a member of the Royal Family, Prince William borrowed a portable editing suite from Tom Bradby, a correspondent from ITV. There were no other people who were aware of it except for Prince William and Tom Bradby and figured it was likely that their voicemails must have been illegally tapped. An investigation followed headed by Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police that led to search of News of the World London office where they found voice mail accounts belonging to Prince William’s aides that included Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton. Clive Goodman and his associate Glenn Mulcaire were later arrested by the Metropolitan Police and were charged with tapping the telephones of the royal family which is a criminal offence under section 79 of the  Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (The National Archives). Both plead guilty of the charge and were sentenced to four and six months in jail. During a July 2011 investigation, it was revealed that the phone tapping were not only limited to the Royal Family and other public figures but also included the relatives of the murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler and the victims of the July 7 London bombings. The Metropolitan Police also estimated that there may be 4,000 possible targets from the documents they seized from News of the World Today (BBC News 2011a) Further investigation revealed that moneys were paid to police between  £20,000 to  £30,000 in exchange for information that News International would published as confirmed by a former Scotland Yard chief (Chapman 2011). These incidents of phone tapping and police bribery revealed the extent of unethical practice in the journalism industry in the UK that resulted in a public outcry against New International’s insensitivity for the already aggrieved victims of crimes and its total disregard of ethical propriety in obtaining information. The News International case also

The Relation of Narratives and Video Games Essay Example for Free

The Relation of Narratives and Video Games Essay Video games are a relatively new form of entertainment; the first video game is considered to be Tennis for Two (1958), around fifty years ago, while film has been around for over one-hundred years, the printing press for over five-hundred, and storytelling for thousands of years before that. Because of its newness, video games are a developing medium, their conventions and potential have not been explored as fully in comparison with film and literature. Computers as a technology allow us to overcome more complex tasks and obtain and utilize information more quickly than previous technologies. Often there can be the tendency to describe the new medium as radically different from the old, solely based on its technology. However, it is not necessarily the case. Video games do have new capabilities that separate them from previous storytelling media and it is these new characteristics of video games that separate them from film and literature, creating an environment of storytelling where the traditional narrative structure does not directly apply. Using narrative media as examples a lot can be discovered about video games, however, one must remember what makes them games. See more: how to start a narrative essay Looking at video games as a continuation of games in general rather than an extension of film, they hold a history dating as far back as the ancient Egyptian game of Senet (discovered in the 2686 BC tomb of Hesy-re) (Juul, Half-Real 3-4). It is these game components that must be understood before looking at games from different perspectives. Jesper Juul drew from theorists before him to present what he denotes the classic game model. Juul defines that a game is: 1. a rule-based formal system; 2. with variable and quantifiable outcomes; 3. where different outcomes are assigned different values; 4. where the player exerts effort in order to influence the outcome; 5. the player feels emotionally attached to the outcome; 6. and the consequences of the activity are optional and negotiable (Half-Real 6-7). This model is only a barebones description of what games are and does not outline the variety of games, or what makes games enjoyable. This model is also transmedial, meaning that games are not tied to any medium, just as storytelling is not tied to any medium—there is no ideal game medium and there is no physical component common to all games, but there exists the â€Å"immaterial† component of rules that is common to all games. Rules are the base component of games. They govern how the game is played and they should be designed in a way to make it clear what is and is not allowed in playing the game. Games therefore resemble a state machine, a term used in computer science to describe a machine that consists of an initial state, accepts a number of input events, that changes the state responding to the inputs using a state transition function (in the case of this example, the game rules) and then produces outputs using an output function. Visualizing a game as such, the activity of playing a game produces a game tree that can be seen as branching off at each decision and input. Playing a game is interacting with this state machine and exploring this game tree (Juul, Half-Real 55-56). Rules, however, are seen everywhere in the world, and it is not solely the existence of rules that makes a game. The second item of the classic game model—that games must have variable and quantifiable outcomes—is a salient feature of the game. If a game exists in such a way that no matter how the player interacts with it, it always produces the exact same result, it is not a game. The variable outcomes must also have different values, with some being more desirable to attain than others. In the video game Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo 1985) the outcome of losing all of the game lives is less desirable than defeating the last stage. A player must also exert effort to influence the outcome, generally in a manner that requires more effort to realize a more desirable outcome. It is not merely enough that the player interacts with the game, they must also have a sense of agency. Agency is not simply interaction, but interaction where the player has influence (Murray 126). This separates games of pure chance and gambling as borderline cases. In a game where the player rolls a die and the result of rolling a six is considered victory, the player only exerts trivial effort to roll the die, and exhibits no agency. The player of a game must also feel emotionally attached to the outcome—if the player loses all of their lives in Super Mario Bros. , the player has achieved a negative outcome, and agrees to feel sad, while if they defeat the last stage, they have achieved a positive outcome and agree to feel happy. If the player is not emotionally attached to the outcome, they would not exert the effort to play. The sixth item of the classic game model separates games from the real world—game theorists Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman call this subset of the real world a magic circle (95). Games are a part of the world that they exist in, but the rules carve out a world separated from the real world. It is here where the consequences of outcomes are optional and negotiable—games are a voluntary activity where players can decide the consequences of the game. Soccer, as an example, is a game where in some cases players decide the consequences are simply the glory of victory, but other players, decide that the consequences are career-changing (in the case of professional soccer players). On the other hand, the rules for a political election are game-like and could be played as a game, but an actual election has decided, non-negotiable consequences and therefore is not a game. In the same manner, it could be argued that professional soccer is not a game, but soccer itself is still considered a game as it is known that soccer is played recreationally and its consequences are negotiable. The classic game model outlines games as a voluntary activity that evaluates a players performance—based on a players effort and skill in interacting with the game rules, a variable outcome with an attached value is reached, to which the player is emotionally attached. However, with the advent of the video game (as well as the pen-and-paper role-playing game), the classic game model is not all there is to games anymore. It is still a valuable definition, but the addition of the computer to games modifies the standard game definition. When it comes to rules, the computer is able to handle far more complex processes than a human, allowing for games where the player is free from enforcing the rules of the game, instead having the computer run as a referee of sort. This referee capability can operate anywhere from playing tic-tac-toe to simulating entire fictional worlds. The ability of the computer to run as a referee also allows for rules and calculations to be kept secret from the player. This ability to manage a large amount of information, as well as the ability to run it in secret allows for the computer to manage whole fictional worlds spawning a new type of game, the progression game. This now means there exists two types of games (elements of which can be combined): emergence games and progression games. Most games that have existed before video games are emergence games—games where a large variety of game variations and outcomes come from a small set of rules. Chess, soccer and Pong (Atari 1972) are examples of the emergence game. Progression games require the player to actualize a predefined sequence of events in order to beat the game. The progression game came about with the adventure game and early examples include The Legend of Zelda (Nintendo 1986) and Final Fantasy (Square 1987). Now that video games can have this progression capability and the ability to easily run fictional environments, they have expanded to include storytelling components. The study of video games, therefore, delves into not just the study of rules and interaction, but also the study of narrative as well. Narratives operate fundamentally differently than games and one cannot use the same methods of study for both. Therefore, when comparing games and narratives, just as one must understand games, the basics of narrative in comparison to games must be understood as well. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a narrative as a spoken or written account of connected events; a story. There are three traditional components of the narrative: setting, character and events (plot)—a narrative consists of a world situated in time, populated by characters that participate in action. The world is independent of the question of fictionality, as narratives can be of real as well as fictional events. They can also be split into two levels, the discourse (the telling of the story) and the story itself. Each of these levels has its own time, discourse time and story time, respectively. The story time is the time it took for the actual events to occur, and the discourse time is the time it takes for the retelling (Juul, â€Å"Games Telling Stories†). A week may pass in a story with no event, and thus the narrative could write it off in one sentence, while an action scene that lasted merely a few seconds could take much longer to explain. This means that even though the narrative may be observing events at a time, there exists an understanding that the events are not actually occurring at the moment of reading (Juul, â€Å"Games Telling Stories†). Narratives are not limited to the novel or storytelling, and can recognizably be translated between different narrative media—The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R Tolkien is recognizable as the movie of the same name. However, not everything can be transferred equally as well. For example, film is better at conveying action and movement, while the novel is better suited to producing inner thoughts. With games and narratives understood, examining the two side-by-side displays several differences. The most apparent of these is the difference in timing. The narrative has two levels, discourse and story, but when examining games in the same manner it is near impossible to distinguish between the two. In playing Super Mario Bros., when the player presses the A button on their controller, the in-game character jumps, thus synchronizing story and discourse time. It is imperative of the narrative that this separation in time exists. Not only does jumping in Super Mario Bros. place discourse and story time together, it also influences the game world. The understanding, in experiencing a narrative, that the time of the discourse is separate from the time of the events means that in some manner the events have already occurred (even if the setting is in some supposed future)—the events are unable to be influenced. The very agency that the player exercises in playing a game contradicts the idea of narrativity; it is impossible to influence an event that has already occurred (Juul, â€Å"Games Telling Stories†). Because of this contradiction, games themselves cannot be narratives, but this does not limit them from employing and producing them. The very activity of playing a game can produce a narrative, the player can tell a story of their experience in the game. Just as well, games can have stories told through them (especially progression games) as many games contain back-stories and quests that offer the player narratives alongside their play. Video games have two parts: rules (discussed earlier) and fiction. For a number of years, the arcade game was all that existed and they contained both rules and fiction, but the two were loosely connected. This led some to conclude that a games fiction is easily removable and replaceable, thus making it unimportant in relation to the rules. Juul had previously taken the stance that rules are what make a game a game, fiction is unnecessary for a game, a game with an excellent fiction can still be a terrible game, therefore fiction is unimportant in games (Half-Real 13). When looking at simple games such as Space Invaders (Taito 1978), one could remove the theme of an alien invasion and portray an advancing German front; the players spaceship could become a Russian tank. If the rules were kept the same, the player would experience no real difference between playing either, but the same sort of procedure would not perform the same if it were attempted on a progression game such as Myst (Broderbund 1993) because the game experience relies more heavily on the fiction. Juul stated that, There are, of course, many relationships between theme and structure in a game. Whether or not any of those relationships are essential, they are complex and vital enough to resist my attempt to lightly shuffle them around (Half-Real 15). If the fiction of a game is tied to its experience, what role does it play in the game and its rules? In some cases the fiction may point to the rules, as well as the other way around; in other cases the fiction serves the rules in an incoherent manner, subservient to gameplay. When it comes to the fiction component of games, one main difference from narrative media is that they do not require anthropomorphic actors/characters in order to be entertaining (Juul, Half-Real 160-161). While films and other stories are largely about humans or anthropomorphic characters that a viewer/reader identifies with on a cognitive level, games such as Tetris (Pazhitnov 1985), Pong and Missile Command (Atari 1980) exist without such. This lack of a visible actor does not make Tetris any less of a game, and makes the idea of a movie based on Tetris an unlikelihood, but it shows how games can accomplish something different, and almost completely separate, than traditional narrative media. Another main difference is the progression of time in games. Previously the difference with discourse and story time was explored, but the chronological appearance of time also varies between games and narratives. Due to the fixed, predetermined nature of a narrative the telling can jump around to various points in the story time either in flash-forwards or flash-backs. To do the same in a game becomes problematic, for predetermination precludes agency. If the player is put back in time (in the past), they are put in a situation where they must actualize a series of events that allows the game in the present to exist, thus limiting the player. The same goes for flash-forwards where the player is put in a position of what is to happen, limiting their play upon return to the present. However, even though games are not narratives, games are no longer strictly abstract. They often contain fictional components as well, leading to new types of games. Besides just viewing games as emergent and progressive, there exists five categories of games: abstract, iconic, incoherent world, coherent world and staged. Abstract games are games that does not, nor do its pieces, represent something else. The game of Go is a game that is merely rules and although there exist conventions for the size and appearance of the various game pieces, they do not mean anything. Tetris is a well known abstract video game. Iconic games are quite similar abstract games, but their individual pieces simply have iconic meaning. In a standard deck of cards there is a king, queen and jack of each of the four suits, but there is no clear explanation of their relation to the other kings, queens and jacks of the other suits. Incoherent world games are games that have a fictional world, but it either contains contradictions or events in the gameplay that cannot be explained by the fictional world. In Super Mario Bros. , Mario has multiple lives, but there exists nothing in the fiction that explains it, it only serves the rules. Chess represents two parties at war, but to explain the movement of the units one must refer to the rules as it is not apparent in the fiction. Coherent world games are games that have a fictional world that contain nothing that prevents the player from imagining them in full. Most adventure games such as the recent The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Softworks 2012) are coherent world games. Staged games are a special type of abstract or representational game that are played inside of a larger, more elaborate world. Mario Party (Nintendo 1998) contains an overarching fictional world and game, but is largely made up of individual staged games. Another instance of the staged game is in Shenmue (Sega 1999) where the protagonist can play on in-game arcade machines. Each of these categories of games has its own place in the world of video games and it is important to be aware of the varieties that exist. Of these varieties though, there is the coherent world—the progression game. In this type of game the player must perform a predefined set of actions in a coherent world setting. This kind of game sounds very similar to the narrative, but still has variable outcomes, player effort and other game components. One example of this kind of game is The Walking Dead (Telltale Games 2012). The Walking Dead is set in Georgia during a fictional zombie apocalypse. The player plays as Lee Everett, a professor convicted of killing a man he found sleeping with his wife. Due to the zombie uprising he does not end up in prison, instead ends up caring for a little girl by the name of Clementine. The gameplay mainly revolves around conversations that the player has with other characters and occasionally the player is put in a position where they must make a critical decision. At the end of each â€Å"chapter,† the game reports out on the player’s decisions as well as the percentage of other players that either disagreed or agreed with them. It is through this method that the player is able to reflect on the cause and effect of their decisions. This sort of environment demonstrates that games are a playground where the player may experiment with things they would or could not do in a real-life setting (Juul, Half-Real 193). It is this phenomenon of player-made decisions and the reflection of them that traditional narratives cannot accomplish. In conclusion, games are made up of six components that make up the classic game model: they are rule-based systems with variable outcomes that have different assigned values, the player exerts effort in order to influence the outcome, the player feels emotionally attached to the outcome, and the consequences of the game are optional and negotiable. With the advent of the computer, there are new capabilities available to games. There are now two main types of games, emergent and progression games, with a spectrum of combinations between them. Emergent games are made up of a set of rules that combine to produce a large set of outcomes. Progression games require the player to perform a specific set of actions in order to complete the game. With this progression capability, it is important to compare video games and narratives. A narrative is a spoken or written account of connected events. Narratives have two levels, story and discourse, each of these with their own time. Games often do not have distinction between their story and discourse time (as the events are occurring in real time), and thus are not narratives. Games, although not narratives themselves, allow for players to produce narratives through playing them; players may recount their experiences in a game. Games may not themselves be stories, but that does not mean that they do not employ them or that player’s cannot tell stories about their experiences in a game. Games offer a different experience than the narrative media before it; the player gets to experience something rather than view it and has an influence in the environment. The player of a game also gets to experiment with ideas in a sort of playground and reflect on their decisions and the effects they have. That does not, however, imply that the medium is necessarily a superior or inferior one. Films, novels and other narrative media can provide experience that games cannot, just as games provide experiences that traditional narrative media cannot. Looking forward, one can only imagine what games can accomplish in the field of entertainment that was not possible before. Works Cited Aarseth, Espen J. Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, 1997. Print. Ebert, Roger. Video Games Can Never Be Art. RogerEbert. com. Ebert Digital LLC, 16 Apr. 2010. Web. 16 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Game Studies. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. Game The News: The Project That Birthed a Syrian Civil War Game That’s Been Pulled from the App Store. Edge Online. Future Publishing Limited, 8 Jan. 2013. Web. 16 Apr. 2013. Juul, Jesper. â€Å"A Clash between Game and Narrative. † Thesis. University of Copenhagen, 1999. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. . â€Å"Games Telling Stories? A Brief Note on Games and Narratives. † Game Studies1. 1 (2001): n. pag. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. . Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds. Cambridge: MIT, 2011. Print. Jenkins, Henry. Game Design as Narrative Architecture. Henry Jenkins. MIT, n. d. Web. 16 Apr. 2013. Murray, Janet H. Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace. Cambridge: MIT, 1997. Print. Narrative. Def. 1. Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford University, n. d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. Ryan, Marie-Laure. â€Å"Beyond Myth and Metaphor: The Case of Narrative in Digital Media. † Game Studies 1. 1 (2001): n. pag. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. Salen, Katie, and Eric Zimmerman. Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2003. Print.

Structure and Characterization in Sense and Sensibility Essays -- Aust

Structure and Characterization in Sense and Sensibility Fiction was not considered an important part of literature in the early nineteenth century when Jane Austen published her novels. Fiction was presumed to be immoral and even dangerous since it "over-excited the imagination" (Halperin 5). Many religious denominations instituted anti- fiction campaigns to protect young people from the corrupting influence of the novels. It was not until the middle of the nineteenth century that this attitude regarding fiction began to change. Due to this bias as well as the anonymity that Jane Austen sought by not putting her own name on her novels, there were very few critical reviews made of her work until the mid-1800's. Many early reviewers of Austen's work were uncomplimentary. Among them were writers considered to be literary greats, such as Wordsworth and Mark Twain. Though Wordsworth conceded that Austen's novels were an admirable copy of life, he remained adamant in his dislike for that type of literature. Mark Twain compared Austen to a Puritan as her novels made him feel like a "bar-keeper entering the Kingdom of Heaven!" (Halperin). Gradually critics have come to recognize Austen's literary talents. Austen's ability to make her characters "speak and act as . . . in every day life" has caused some critics to refer to her as the "greatest artist that has ever written" (Halperin 18). Her "attention to detail" can be compared to a conscientious seamstress who stitches her seams neat and leaves no ragged edges (Hardy 21). In her novels, she shows her ability to overcome the gap between the author and her reader which enables the reader to better understand the characters and their conduct. "Sense and Sensibility" was Austen'... ...Austen's Fiction." Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1980. Mudrick, Marvin. "Jane Austen: Irony as Defense and Discovery." Berkeley: U of California P. 1968. Nardin, Jane. "Those Elegant Decorums: The Concept of Propriety in Jane Austen's Novels." Albany: State U of New York P, 1973. Odmark, John. "An Understanding of Jane Austen's Novels" Character, Value and Ironic Perspective." Totowa: Barnes and Noble, 1981. Scott, P.J.M. "Jane Austen" A Reassessment." London" Vision" Totowa" Barnes and Noble, 1982. Wiesenforth, Joseph. "The Errand of Form: An Essay of Jane Austen's Art." New York: Fordham UP, 1967. Wright, Andrew H. "Jane Austen's Novels: A Study in Structure." 2nd ed. London: Chatto, 1964. Zimmerman, Everett. "Admiring Pope No More Than is Proper." "Jane Austen: Bicentenary Essays." Ed. John Halperin. Cambridge" Cambridge UP, 1975. 112-123.

Palm Beach Community College Environmental Sustainability Essay

One of the biggest issues nowadays is environmental sustainability. Sustainability came from the root word ‘sustain’. â€Å"To sustain means to support, bear the weight of, to keep going and to keep alive† (Petry 2). In College Reading 4, Cheryl Benz and Cynthia Shuemann defined environmental sustainability as: â€Å"the ability of the environment to function indefinitely without going into a decline from the stresses imposed by human society on natural systems (such as soil, water, and air) that maintain life† (129). Here is another definition of environmental sustainability by Kelsey and Becker: â€Å"The general concept of ‘environmental sustainability’ refers to the necessary balance between human wants and needs and the capacity of the natural systems of the earth† (31). As stated in the website of Environmental Protection Agency, the term â€Å"sustainability† was first used in 1987 when World Commission on Environment and Development report: Our Common Future was published. The concept of sustainability is still in used nowadays and it is of great help for the human race. The whole world is currently experiencing one of the most serious problems regarding the environment which is global warming. We, the human beings are taking for granted the world we are living in. Instead of protecting the world from degradation, we serve as the agents of world’s deterioration through our selfish activities and behaviors. Pollution, fast population growth, non-conservation of energy and exploitation of natural sources are some of the human activities that cause environmental problems. Here now comes the issue on environmental sustainability. Can we still say that the environment is capable of sustaining or giving the needs of the present generation as well as the needs of the future generation? Environmental science and the concept of environmental sustainability can be used to help the nations, organizations or even the single individuals in resolving the problems we are facing right now. In opening the minds of individuals about the environmental issues and sustainability, higher education can be used as medium or means. Higher education specifically college level can be used in making the individuals, especially the youth, aware of the environmental degradation the earth is experiencing right now. The universities are one of the best channels in providing the individuals with knowledge and awareness about sustainable development. What is sustainable development? According to Environmental Protection Agency, sustainable development is defined as â€Å"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. † Sustainable development is very beneficial not only to the environment but also to economic growth, technological advancement and improvement of quality of life. According to Roger Petry, the university plays as a key contributor to sustainable development. The following are the reasons why Petry considers the university as mediator for sustainable development: a) The university can contribute breadth of knowledge, particularly of human and ecological systems; (b) it has the capacity to integrate knowledge regarding ecological, economic, and social issues, including local knowledge; (c) it has the capacity for global and local sharing of knowledge; (d) it provides knowledge to the poor and marginalized groups; (e) it has the capacity for long-term research; (f) it has academic freedom and institutional autonomy and (g) it is subjected to public accountabilities. 11) In order for higher education to become more sustainable, national and international sustainability declarations were developed. The sustainability declarations for higher education, which are stated according to chronological orders, are as follow: The Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment (1972), Tbilisi Declaration (1977), University Presidents for a Sustainable Future: The Talloires Declaration (1990), The Halifax Declaration (1991), Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development – Chapter 36: Promoting Education, Public Awareness and Training (1992), Ninth International Association of Universities Round Table: The Kyoto Declaration (1993), Association of Commonwealth Universities’ Fifteenth Quinquennial Conference: Swansea Declaration (1993), CRE Copernicus Charter (1994) and International Conference on Environment and Society – Education and Public Awareness for Sustainability: Declaration of Thessaloniki (1997) (Wright 1). The Stockholm Declaration of 1972 was the first declaration ever made for the sustainability of higher education. Its focus is on the relationship of humanity and environment. The declaration failed to protect the right of natures and it is clearly centered on human (Wright 2). The Tibilisi Declaration was created during the conference by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) on 1977. The Tbilisi Conference echoed the sentiments of the Stockholm Declaration by stating that environmental education should be provided to people of all ages, all levels of academic aptitude and must be delivered in both formal and non formal environments. † (Wright 2) â€Å"The Talloires Declaration was the first statement made by university administrators of a commitment to sustainability in higher education. It stated that university heads must provide leadership and support to mobilize internal and external resources so that their institutions respond to this urgent challenge. † (Wright 2-3) The Kyoto Declaration of 1990 was created during the Ninth International Association of Universities Round Table with the attendance of 90 international university leaders. Agenda 21 and the United Nations Commission on Environment and Development Conference in Rio de Janeiro are two important conferences in environmental sustainability and biodiversity. The Kyoto Declaration is closely related to these two significant conferences (Wright 5). Almost 400 universities from 47 countries attended the ratification of the Swansea Declaration. One of its important contributions is the prioritization of the third world or the less developed countries. The wealthy countries must support those less developed countries regarding sustainable development among universities (Wright 5-6). The Thessaloniki Declaration of 1997 was ratified during the UNESCO Conference on Environment and Society: Education and Public Awareness For Sustainability that was held in Thessaloniki, Greece. The declaration argued that the concept of environmental sustainability must be clearly linked with poverty, population, food security, democracy, human rights, peace and health and a respect for traditional cultural and ecological knowledge. † (Wright 7) Palm Beach Community College is one of those universities that includes sustainability in their curriculum. â€Å"Palm Beach Community College is committed to providing the best educational opportunity for our current students while ensuring that the same opportunity for success is available to our future students as well. Therefore our entire educational organization has dedicated itself to focusing on improving the three areas of sustainability on our campuses and in our community: environmental protection, economic growth and social responsibility. (Palm Beach Community College Sustainability) The above passage is the mission statement of Palm Beach Community College as stated in their website. Palm Beach Community College promotes environmental sustainability by teaching their students about it. They also enhance the awareness of their students regarding sustainability. Palm Beach Community College is a very good example on how higher education can promote sustainability. Palm Beach Community College has many activities that practice sustainable development not only for their students but also for the whole community. Palm Beach Community College is indeed a very great model for promoting sustainability. A good example for this is the use of green buildings in their university. Green buildings are buildings made of materials that are environment friendly. They also made renovations of existing buildings in order to attain greater sustainability (Building and Renovation). Also through energy conservation, sustainability is attained. In order to conserve energy, the lighting in the campus is composed of bulbs that consume less energy. Air conditioning consumes large amount of energy. In order to lessen energy consumption, the university introduced technological innovations to their air conditioners and also the university implemented the greater temperature in their classrooms (Energy Management). Palm Beach Community College also improves their landscaping and grounds. Improvement on landscape and grounds that were mentioned in the website are reducing pesticide use, planting native vegetation, minimizing lawn space, removing pavement, or designing wildlife habitat areas. These activities not only promote environmental sustainability but also display aesthetic value of the campus (Grounds / Landscaping). Palm Beach Community College believes that wildlife must be saved so that the next generation will be able to see those endangered species. One good example of wildlife conservation is the protection of owls inside the campus. The owls give the campus with lesser rodent population in return (Wildlife). Services in Palm Beach Community also prop up environmental sustainability. They encourage their students to eat foods from plants like vegetables and fruits. They also discourage students to use non-environment friendly packaging of food like Styrofoam and plastics (Food Service). â€Å"Green Cleaning is an approach to janitorial services that offers better environmental performance and improved worker health and safety, while retaining the same sanitation quality as traditional, more chemical-intensive methods. † (Housekeeping) The university also pushes the use of environment-friendly cleaning products. Recycling is the best way for waste management. All wastes that can be still used must be reused or recycled in order to lessen the wastes that are being thrown away. By this, pollution can be avoided (Waste Management). Sustainable procurement involves making conscious purchasing choices to conserve resources, mitigate pollution and waste, and promote a healthy economy. † (Procurement) Toxic chemicals and substances are used in printing but Palm Beach Community College promotes another way of printing which is ‘green printing’. The university encourages their students to use recycled papers, double-sided printing, and soy-based inks that are not toxic and less harmful in the environment (Printing). â€Å"PBCC defines service-learning as a teaching method that increases student engagement and success through community involvement to apply theories or skills being taught in a course. (Service Learning) Through service learning, the students are exposed to real life social issues and by that the students can learn how to apply sustainability in order to improve the environment, economy and quality of life. PBCC encourages students to join Ecology clubs in order for them to join co-curricular activities regarding the environment. â€Å"Palm Beach Community College offers students the opportunity to become actively involved with award winning clubs and organizations, by promoting the development of leadership skills, challenging special interests and encouraging interaction with other students. † (Mission Statement & Student Clubs & Organizations at the Boca Raton Campus) Some of the events sponsored by Palm Beach Community College are Earth Day, Coastal Cleanup, Transportation transformation and Green Expo. These events are very important to the environment since it is when environmental sustainability is practiced. It is also a very good time for PBCC to educate other people about sustainable development of the environment. As an individual, what can we do to our environment? Palm Beach Community College suggests some ways that we can do for the welfare of the environment. Some of these ways are conservation of energy and water, waste management at home and at work and living a ‘green’ lifestyle (What Can I Do). Not only the youth and the adults can serve as stewards of environmental rehabilitation, the kids can also help. Palm Beach Community College offers activities for kids that can enhance their awareness on environmental sustainability and at the same time they are enjoying and learning. Some of these activities are Gorilla in the green house, Fish in the lake and National geographic kids (Green for Kids). Smoke emission and the use of non-renewable resources like fossil fuels are some of the problems that are being encountered in transportation. Since transportation is a necessity inside the campus, Palm Beach Community College implements ways and means in minimizing environmental degradation due to waste by-products of transport vehicles. Alternative fuels, such as ethanol and electricity, carpooling incentives, increased bike accessibility, and other solutions are being explored on campuses across the country†¦ and as a result, these campuses are saving money, reducing carbon dioxide emissions, decreasing water runoff, and realizing myriad other benefits. † (Transportation) In the world we are living right now, we can say that the environment is not that sustainable and it has now less capacity to support life. The people nowadays are destroying the nature that God had given us. It is not only the environment that we are not taking care of but also the lives of the future generations. We are leaving then but problems on environment and low quality of life. What we need right now are stewards of environments who will restore its beauty and sustainability. Through higher education, agents of environmental sustainability were being created. One example of the universities that produces individuals that are concerned to the environment is the Palm Beach Community College. It not only opens the eyes of students on current issues regarding the environment but it also brings-up the awareness and sense of responsibilities of students. By that, environmental sustainability is attained. Also, in our own little ways we can bring back what we have lost. If only each and every individual will help on the restoration of the environment, attaining sustainability will be faster.

Afternoon Tea Report

Sam Blandford Student number: 21184301 Tutor: Peter Cross Professional Pastry Techniques 1 Title: Afternoon Tea Report Contents Page Page Number Introduction3 Methodology4 Current trends5 The Science of Gluten6 Gluten free afternoon tea7 Conclusion10 Bibliography11 Introduction In this report investigations will be carried out to determine what the current trends in items served in afternoon teas are as well as the way in which afternoon tea is served. Other factors that will be looked at include the changing clientele of establishments that serve afternoon tea.The range in price and quality of afternoon teas around the country and the type of places that choose to offer afternoon tea will also be investigated. Now, afternoon tea has been around since the early nineteenth century when tea first started to become popular in the UK. It ‘s invention is often credited to the 7th Duchess of Bedford (http://www. teamuse. com/article_001203. html) who it is thought used it to stave of f a â€Å"mid afternoon sinking feeling†.This was most likely as a result of it being commonplace in these times to only eat 2 meals a day, Breakfast and dinner with dinner being commonly served as late as 9 in the evening. The solution to this was to have a small pot of tea, with a light snack, usually a sandwich or cake of some sort at around 4pm. This is still the traditional time for afternoon tea to be had and many afternoon teas are very careful to keep to traditional items when serving afternoon tea as it is seen as an important part of British history and culture.Some more modern places are keener to adapt and branch out as will be explained later on in the report. Methodology To carry out this investigation research would need to be carried out into what afternoon teas are available and how they vary depending on factors like location, type and price. To this it was concluded a number of establishments would be chosen in cities across the UK and investigate what they had to offer. To do this their websites would be looked at in the hope that they would give me some useful information regarding their afternoon tea menu without me having to visit them in person.This quickly became a problem as it became apparent that the main players in the afternoon tea market, such as the Ritz-Carlton and the Savoy, both of which at the most expensive range of the market had very vague menus for their sweet items on their afternoon tea menus. This could be to so that competitors do not know what they are selling but could also be that because from a business point of view, afternoon teas are a great way to use up anything that is left over.This could have been quite limiting however, after looking at cheaper places it was discovered that they offered far more detailed menu descriptions such as The Milestone and The Goring. Another thing that was looked at over the course of this investigation was the clientele that visit establishments that are serving afternoo n tea. It was discovered that an increasingly large amount of Japanese tourists are visiting afternoon tea establishments. This is because Japanese people are very keen on a sense of history according to the Japan times something that many British establishments excel at providing.This is according to the Japan Times which says: â€Å"What Japanese people tend to appreciate most about Britain is its sense of tradition. The idea of setting aside time in the afternoon for tea is attractive, since it appeals to the Japanese love of continuity† this clearly demonstrates why more and more Japanese people choose to eat afternoon tea, though this could also be down to their superior economy enabling them to have more disposable income to spend on things like afternoon tea. Other clientele areas that are increasingly choosing to eat afternoon tea are the so-called ladies who lunch.These are the kind of women who are wealthy enough to be able to afford afternoon tea on a regular basis and often do so in a large grop of similar women. However this can have a bad effect on their health as a recent study by Dr Anne McTiernan found that those who regularly eat lunch away from home are more likely to gain weight than those who eat at home as reported in a national newspaper (http://www. dailymail. co. uk/health/article-2172900/A-weighty-warning-ladies-lunch-Those-eat-regularly-lose-fewer-pounds. tml) this shows how the rise in afternoon teas popularity can have detrimental effects on peoples health. Current trends In recent times afternoon tea has had a resurgence in popularity in the UK after a period where it was seen as somewhat old fashioned and out of touch with modern times where fast food establishments are plentiful. It may be difficult to attain the reason for this but retailer Debenhams, who has reported a 119% profit increase over the last 2 years in the sales of china cups and saucers.This shows a massive increase in afternoon tea popularity fuelled large ly by the money of many wealthy Asian businessmen and women enjoying afternoon tea either in the UK or in Asia where many things from British culture are becoming very popular, such as private schooling. For example recently Wellington College in Berkshire was paid to build an exact replica of itself in the Chinese city of Tianjin. This shows how Asian economic growth has helped to popularise afternoon tea again in Britain as many Asian people see Britain as the ideal template for their own country.Other factors that have helped to encourage the boom in afternoon tea popularity are the increasing number of establishments that offer it now and at varying prices making it affordable for people with less disposable income. For example an afternoon tea at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh is only ? 37 compared to ? 85. This shows how the more reasonable pricing of some afternoon teas can be a contributing factor in its booming popularity among both British and Foreign clientele. Something else that was noticed when looking at afternoon teas is the vast array of teas that are now available.One teashop that was looked researched in Cardiff had 300 teas on offer for service with an afternoon tea. This is different from when the first mention of afternoon tea came about where you were lucky if a handful of teas were on offer. The Science of Gluten. Gluten is a mixture of proteins that is found in many wheat-based products and other grains such as rye or oats. Gluten consists of two proteins gliadin and glutenin, which is mixed with starch in the endosperm of a wheat kernel.Together they make up 80% of the protein in wheat or other cereals gluten is useful in baking both breads and cakes as it gives the products elasticity and also allows them to keep their shape better. Gluten forms when glutenin molecules cross over creating a web like structure, which contributes to thickness and stretchiness of the dough. If yeast is added to the mixture it produces carbon dioxide bu bbles, which become trapped in the structure causing the dough to rise. Baking the dough solidifies the gluten, which along with starch helps to stabilise the shape of the product.Usually different flours are used in the production of breads to those of cakes and pastries as bread flour has a higher gluten content. This provides the stretchiness needed for good bread and pastry products, it is important to develop the gluten to just the right level or else the bread or pastry will either be too rubbery or too tough or to short, for example when making tartlets or other pastry products it is important not to work the dough too much as this risks developing the gluten too much resulting in a tough and chewy product rather than the more crispy product that is desired.Gluten is also used in the production of many imitation meat products such as Quorn and tofu as when gluten is cooked in a broth it produces a rubbery meat like texture. Gluten free afternoon tea. In doing this research gl uten free afternoon tea options available for those who suffer from coeliac disease were looked at. Many reviewers on online consumer sites found the food to be bland at tasteless particularly at the Ritz where many suggested that the ratio of topping to gluten free bread was far too excessive, many also found the pastry options to be far below the usual high standard that they expect.Others also commented on the poor quality of the Gluten free options and the snooty vibe of the waiting staff who they felt looked down on them because of their intolerance. However at other places such as Browns the gluten free options has been found to be almost identical to those that contained gluten, particularly the gluten free pastries. This lacking of taste from gluten free products is not uncommon as many products contain alternative flours and other ingredients that do not contain gluten such as potato flour and rice flour.These have a different taste to conventional flours and also have diff erent properties causing to both look and taste differently and usually inferior to products made with conventional flour. Currently few gluten free products exist that consistently come close to matching the flavour and texture of normal products such as Genius bread and Warburton’s who produce a variety of gluten free cakes. During the course of this investigation a number of products were thought up that were suitable for gluten free afternoon teas. One of these was a champagne jelly with a brandy syllabub cream and a frosted grape topping.This product was suitable for consumption by coeliac as it contained no wheat based products at all as its ingriedients consisted of   1 pint (570 ml) champagne or medium-dry sparkling white wine|   1 pint (570 ml) champagne or medium-dry sparkling white wine| 2 large lemons| 6 oz (175 g) caster sugar| 4 x 0. 4 oz (11 g) packs powdered gelatine| For the syllabub:| 2 tablespoons of the same wine as above| 1 tablespoon brandy| juice ? lemon| 1 oz (25 g) caster sugar| 5 fl oz (150 ml) double cream| For the frosted grape decoration:| 4-5 oz (110-150 g) seedless grapes| egg white| caster sugar| All these ingridients came to ? 13 for each quantity of ingridient. A rough diagram of this gluten free desert is shown below Champagne Jelly Syllabub Cream Bubbles Conclusion To conclude my report into afternoon teas it has been discovered that afternoon teas are coming back in a big way with celebrities helping to fuel the growth in demand for them. Also they have caught on abroad with Asia showing particular interest in them as they look to grow into a more developed country, perhaps basing that growth on culture much like the British did.Also it has been looked at the different options available for afternoon teas and how different the pricing strategies are for different levels of establishments. Another thing that has been noticed was the sheer variety of teas offered in some places and also a multitude of different cak e and bread mixes as well as sandwich fillings that are available for someone to have with afternoon tea today. Bibliography Tea  and tourism: tourists, traditions and transformations (L, Jolliffe, 2007 | | Teas  of the world (N,H Woodward, 1980) The  rough  guide  to London (R, Humphreys, B, Chaplin, 2008 7th edition) |

Free Essays on Latin American History

Latin American History A brief description of the political structures of the Aztecs and Incas. Also describe the local and national level of politics. The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan had a population estimated to be between 150, 000 and 200,000. The majority of the population consisted of artisans, priests, civil servants, soldiers and entertainers. Other members of the population where the calpulli leaders, merchants and nobles. Their whole education system was based on the foundations that male children would follow in their fathers’ footsteps and have the best education depending on what their position in society is. In a society with such a complex economic, political and social life, a hierarchy of courts was compromised with two high tribunals. The Aztec priesthood was the main integrating force in the whole society. The priesthood was called on to intervene in every private political crisis of the Aztec community. The priesthood shared power with the nobility a class that had gained power through war and political centralization. The Aztec political system was a mixture of royal disposition and theocracy. Political power was centralized in a ruling class of priests and nobles, over which presided an absolute ruler resembling an oriental despot. The Inca state also promoted self-sufficiency by allowing members of a given community to exploit the resources of different levels of the Andian â€Å"vertical† economy. The Incas had a strong strategic situation in the valley of cuzco and some cultural superiority over their neighbors. This provided the Incas with instructive precedents for conquest and consolidation of conquest through a variety of political and socioeconomic techniques. The Incas maintained their authority with an arsenal of devices that included the spread of their quechua language as the official language of the empire. The Aztec and Incas first contact with the Span... Free Essays on Latin American History Free Essays on Latin American History Latin American History A brief description of the political structures of the Aztecs and Incas. Also describe the local and national level of politics. The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan had a population estimated to be between 150, 000 and 200,000. The majority of the population consisted of artisans, priests, civil servants, soldiers and entertainers. Other members of the population where the calpulli leaders, merchants and nobles. Their whole education system was based on the foundations that male children would follow in their fathers’ footsteps and have the best education depending on what their position in society is. In a society with such a complex economic, political and social life, a hierarchy of courts was compromised with two high tribunals. The Aztec priesthood was the main integrating force in the whole society. The priesthood was called on to intervene in every private political crisis of the Aztec community. The priesthood shared power with the nobility a class that had gained power through war and political centralization. The Aztec political system was a mixture of royal disposition and theocracy. Political power was centralized in a ruling class of priests and nobles, over which presided an absolute ruler resembling an oriental despot. The Inca state also promoted self-sufficiency by allowing members of a given community to exploit the resources of different levels of the Andian â€Å"vertical† economy. The Incas had a strong strategic situation in the valley of cuzco and some cultural superiority over their neighbors. This provided the Incas with instructive precedents for conquest and consolidation of conquest through a variety of political and socioeconomic techniques. The Incas maintained their authority with an arsenal of devices that included the spread of their quechua language as the official language of the empire. The Aztec and Incas first contact with the Span...

The Influence of the Global Moment Essay Example

The Influence of the Global Moment Essay Example The Influence of the Global Moment Essay The Influence of the Global Moment Essay Western Area History Professor Klaus Dietrich July 15, 2014 The year 1919 has very significant meanings throughout the world history. It is because the World War One which took four years finally ended in November 1918. Germany surrendered to the Allies and a new world order was established under the Treaty of Versailles In 1919. Before the Great War, the almost whole Europe especially the Brittle Empire and France and also the united States and Japan which Is the first Asian nation were obsessed with the imperialism and the colonialism. It is because these countries needed a new land. After the Industrial Revolution, these countries experienced the excessive capital accumulation and the rapid population growth. Therefore, they needed a new market to export their capital surplus and a new territory for their overpopulation. Also, the Social Darwinism and the strengthened nationalism after Italian and German unification In 1861 and 1871 respectively justified their imperialism. Therefore, many Asia and Africa countries were their typical sacrifices. Korea and Poland were also the sacrifices. Both countries were under the control of other countries and Poland was colonized faster than Korea. Poland experienced three partitions in 1772, 1793 and 1795 by the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia and Hapsburg Austria. The occupied Polish society looked different depended on the occupying nation. The area occupied by Russia was the 1830 and the January Uprising in 1863, brutal revenge followed by the Russian government. It tried to erase all traces of former Polish autonomy. For example, it changed the name of the Congress Pollards land into Fistula Land (Kara Individuals) and divided the kingdom into ten provinces. Also it banned the Polish language and Russian became the official language of the country. Only the area controlled by Austria was better than the others. The Austrian government allowed a certain local autonomy so the Poles in this area could have their own local government called Governor Commission (Osmosis Gubernatorial) which had a considerable power and Polish language was also accepted. However, all Poles have the same, single desire to achieve independence and unify the divided countries although they were controlled by different countries. On the other hand, in the late 19th century, the Korean Peninsula was ruled by the Jones dynasty. From 1800 the little children aged around 10 became the king continually and they could not manage the country very well. So internally there were many peasant uprisings continuously. The rebellion of Hong Geeing-Ana in 1811 and the peasant rebellion in Jinni in 1862 were typical examples. Many western countries coerced the Jones Dynasty to open the ports for trade but the Jones government was afraid that their ideology and social order which they had preserved with great effort by their ancestors would be destroyed by strange Westerners. It already had a conflict with the Roman Catholicism. It was introduced in Korea under the name of Western Learning (8%) after the late 18th century and brought shocking ideas such as the human equality and the refusal to carry out ancestral worship to the society. Nobles and the government who were deeply influenced by the Confucianism were hard to accept these ideas so they stuck to isolationism as their only measure to protect the country. In addition, the two Opium Wars between the Great Britain and the King Dynasty made the Someones door closed more tightly. However, this isolationism could not protect them unlike their expectation. It was Just a temporary expedient which made Jones fall behind international developments. As a result, the hermit Jones was unveiled forcibly by Japan and other imperialist countries. Jones was exposed to the world capitalistic market defenseless and eventually it was annexed by Japan in 1910. Toward the end of the World War One in 1918, people were totally exhausted with imperialism and disgusting wars. They wanted peace earnestly and Woodrow Willows Fourteen Points was good enough to satisfy the peoples desire. Wilson was the president of the United States and he presented the fourteen points in the Congress on the 8th of January, 1918 in order to make the fundamental principles for finishing the war and establishing a Justice and lasting peace. There are several reasons to say that Willows fourteen points succeeded in some degree. Firstly, the Fourteen Points helped the Allied Forces to win the World War One. Actually, the fact itself that the United States participated in the World War One was a tremendous assistance to the Allied Forces for sure. In addition, the points Justified and motivated he Allied Forces by censuring the German imperialism and the provocation. I think this Justification might be a mental supporter to help the Allied troops reassured and win. Also, Willows statement might succeed a little bit to persuade the German and the Austrian to cooperate to make the world peace together. Secondly, Willows foundation of the League of Nations. However, frankly speaking, the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations nominally spoke about the peace which was similar to Willows ideology, but both had a lot of weaknesses. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties. It was very important because it would decide the future of Germany after the war. However, the victorious countries were not interested in her future at all. It was not the promise for the peace based on reconciliation but revenge. It was a very harsh and humiliating treaty for Germany. Germany lost all the foreign investment, colonies and vessels but the most brutal article was about reparations. It cost 132 billion Marks which was an exorbitant amount of money. The Germans thought that it was too severe and unfair even though they prepared for humiliation and loss as the people of the defeated country. The peace treaty ironically became a seed of another revenge. Another problem is the League of Nations could not impose tough sanctions because it did not have its own army. So it could only imposed economic sanctions which were not enough to solve international disputes. As a result, the onset of the Second World War proved that the League did not do its role well. Even though both had a lot of weaknesses, at least the Treaty of Versailles contributed to the postwar stability and also the League of Nations had some meanings as the first international peace organization. Lastly, Willows Fourteen Points helped many countries achieve their independence or affected their independence movements a lot. We cannot talk about the Fourteen Points without the self-determination. I think self-determination is the most important vocabulary in his speech because it affected the world the most among the other principles such as open diplomacy and agreements, free trade with the equal terms of trade, reduced armaments and democracy. It had a special meaning because the self-determination in the points was not simply for finishing the war but for eliminating the original reasons of the war. Wilson tried not to simply focus on the balance of the power but to focus on the self-determination which means all countries should have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or interferences regardless of their power. He said, It is the principle of Justice to all peoples and nationalities and their right to live on equal terms of liberty and safety with one another, whether they be strong or weak. 2 It gave a huge hope not only to European countries but also to the colonial countries in Asia. In reality, many ethnic minorities dominated by Germany ND Austria established independent nations. To be specific, Poland, Finland, Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia), Hungary, Czechoslovakia and many other countries achieved independence. These are the three reasons why Willows Fourteen Points are important and a series of worldwide situations resulted from the points so that is why some people call the global moment of 1919 as the Wilson Moment. Now, let us look more deeply about Poland and Korea situation after the global moment. As I said before, Poland enjoyed the pleasure of independence after 123 years of partitions but it was not all pleasure. Most regions in Poland were destroyed because of the war and they were poor. Also it had a serious regional imbalance problem because three regions were under the control of different countries before unification. They had used different currencies and had different combine all together. The Second Polish Republic was created after the independence and JÂ ¶kef Pulaski became the chief of State. It was a parliamentary democracy with the president who had limited powers. The global moment brought independence and democracy to Poland but could not maintain the peace and democracy for a long time because of Pulaski. He wanted to recover the former territory of the kingdom of Poland so he started the Polish-Soviet War in 1919. In addition, other wars with neighboring countries were continued even after independence to decide the borderline. At the end, he seized the power by a military coup in 1926 so democracy ended in short. On the other hand, Korea could not achieve the independence because Korea was the colony of the victorious country, Japan. The Fourteen Points was only for colonies of defeated countries. That is why some people say that Koreans who believed that the Willows speech would bring hem independence were too naive or they did not understand the situation well. However, I think this is not true. Koreans already knew that they could not achieve the independence according to the Willows Fourteen Points, especially the Korean students studying in Tokyo who did 2. 8 Independence Declaration in 1919. However they attempted to extend the range of application to establish a foothold for independence. Willows Fourteen Points failed to give Korea independence directly but it is certain that it gave Korea a huge hope and possibility of independence. This name out as the most famous Korean independence movement, March 1st Movement in 1919 and after this movement, many things changed. Firstly, there was a huge transition of independence method. The independence movement was done by secret associations in sass, so participants were limited. However, after this movement, they began to accept diverse ideologies like democracy and socialism. So many people could participate in the movement and the activities became more various. Secondly, March 1st Movement changed the Japanese governance. Japanese government realized that the Forced Rule in sass was not proper to control the Koreans, so the government changed the rule to Cultural Rule which allowed Koreans to have limited freedom. Lastly, March 1st Movement influenced other countries such as Sandhogs campaigns for independence from the British Empire which is famous for nonviolent disobedience in India and also had effect on the May Fourth Movement in China. I think the global moment still have important meanings in Korean history because of the reasons above. It proved Koreans strength. They continued independence movements rather than giving up, even though their hope was disregarded by Western countries. In conclusion, the global moment influenced lot not only Poland and Korea but also the whole world after the World War One. Peoples fatigue and desire for the peace led to Willows Fourteen Points and his speech opened the global moment.

An Interpretation of Langston Hughes Early Autumn

An Interpretation of Langston Hughes Early Autumn Langston Hughes (1902-1967) is best known for writing poems like The Negro Speaks of Rivers or Harlem. Hughes has also written plays, nonfiction, and short stories such as Early Autumn.  The latter originally appeared in the Chicago Defender on September  30, 1950, and was later included in his 1963 collection, Something in Common and Other Stories. It has also been featured  in a collection called The Short Stories of Langston Hughes, edited by Akiba Sullivan Harper. What Flash Fiction Is At fewer than 500 words, Early Autumn is yet another example of flash fiction written before anyone was using the term flash fiction.  Flash fiction is a very short and brief version of fiction that is generally a few hundred words or less as a whole. These types of stories are also known as sudden, micro, or quick fiction and can include elements of poetry or narrative.  Writing flash fiction can be done by using just a few characters, shortening a story, or starting in the middle of a plot.   With this analysis of the plot, a point of view, and other aspects of the story, the following will lead to a better understanding of Early Autumn.   A Plot Involving  Exes Two former lovers, Bill and Mary, cross paths in Washington Square in New York. Years have passed since they last saw each other. They exchange pleasantries about their jobs and their children, each of them perfunctorily inviting the others family to visit. When Marys bus arrives, she boards and is overwhelmed by all the things she has failed to say to Bill, both in the present moment (her address, for instance), and presumably, in life. The Story Begins With a Point of View of the Characters The narrative starts with a brief, neutral history of Bill and Marys relationship. Then, it moves to their current reunion, and the omniscient narrator gives us some details from each characters point of view. Almost the only thing Bill can think about is how old Mary looks. The audience is told, At first he did not recognize her, to him she looked so old. Later, Bill struggles to find something complimentary to say about Mary with, Youre looking very ... (he wanted to say old) well. Bill seems uncomfortable (a little frown came quickly between his eyes) to learn that Mary is living in New York now. Readers get the impression that he hasnt thought much about her in recent years and is not enthusiastic about having her back in his life in any way. Mary, on the other hand, seems to harbor affection for Bill, even though she was the one who left him and married a man she thought she loved. When she greets him, she lifts her face, as if wanting a kiss, but he just extends his hand. She seems disappointed to learn that Bill is married. Finally, in the last line of the story, readers learn that her youngest child is also named Bill, which indicates the extent of her regret for ever having left him. The Symbolism of the Early Autumn Title in the Story At first, it seems obvious that Mary is the one who is in her autumn. She looks noticeably old, and in fact, she is older than Bill. Autumn represents a time of loss, and Mary clearly feels a sense of loss as she desperately reach[es] back into the past. Her emotional loss is emphasized by the setting of the story. The day is almost over and its getting cold. Leaves fall inevitably from the trees, and throngs of strangers pass Bill and Mary as they talk. Hughes writes, A great many people went past them through the park. People they didnt know. Later, as Mary boards the bus, Hughes re-emphasizes the idea that Bill is irrevocably lost to Mary, just as the falling leaves are irrevocably lost to the trees from which they have fallen. People came between them outside, people crossing the street, people they didnt know. Space and people. She lost sight of Bill. The word early in the title is tricky. Bill too will be old one day, even if he cant see it at this moment. If Mary is undeniably in her autumn, Bill might not even recognize that he is in his early autumn. and he is the one most shocked by Marys aging. She takes him by surprise at a time in his life when he might have imagined himself immune to winter. A Spark of Hope and Meaning in a Turning Point of the Story Overall, Early Autumn feels sparse, like a tree nearly bare of leaves. The characters are at a loss for words, and readers can feel it. There is one moment in the story that feels noticeably different from the rest: Suddenly the lights came on up the whole length of Fifth Avenue, chains of misty brilliance in the blue air. This sentence marks a turning point in many ways: First, it signals the end of Bill and Marys attempt at conversation, startling Mary into the present.If the lights symbolize truth or revelation, then their sudden brightness represents the irrefutable passage of time and the impossibility of ever recovering or re-doing the past. That the lights run the whole length of Fifth Avenue further emphasizes the completeness of this truth; there is no way to escape the passage of time.Its worth noting that the lights turn on right after Bill says, You ought to see my kids and grins. Its a surprisingly unguarded moment, and its the only expression of genuine warmth in the story. Its possible that his and Marys children might represent those lights, being the brilliant chains that link the past with an ever-hopeful future.

Jerusalem History Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jerusalem History - Movie Review Example Jerusalem has got a start some 6000 years ago and proclaimed that the Mount Moriah will connect them to their God. Villages and then a city slowly developed around the mountain. In about 1000BC, King David conquered and made up Jerusalem as the capital for the tribes of Israel. He also brought a belief in new god and then his son, King Solomon built a great temple on the Holy Mountain. 3000 years later, the mountain is hidden under a platform made of stone 'The Temple Mount'. However the Temple was destroyed long years ago, the Jews from all over the world still gather near reminisce of the wall. The wall has got the name 'The Western Wall'. It's said that the God's presence is particularly strong there in the walls. Papers of messages to the god were packed between the stones by the believers. Jews tells that they can hear the voice of God on touching that stones. They strongly believe that the stones are standing there hearing prayers of mankind for thousands of years. Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem is considered the third-holiest city in Islam. Directly above the western walls, stands a magnificent Islamic triumph, 'The Dome of rock' which was completed when the Muslims were vowed to reform it. Islam proclaims that this was the place where Prophet Mohammed was send to heaven to speak with Allah. Muslims comes to this Dome of Rock can be seen crying because of their strong belief and prayers. About 400 yards away is the 'Church of the Holy Sepulchre', which is very important to Christians. The church was built in 1149 and some say that it's the location of Jesus. Inside the church lies the holy rock of Golgotha. Christians believe that this rock is from the hill where Jesus was crucified. Christians are saying that by seeing and touching that place they can strengthen their faith. With all these religious, cultural and historical claims of the city, Jerusalem is crowded with believers of all these religions even though they are fighting for it. I am concluding the documentation with a verse from the Bible "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people from this time forth and forever." ( Ps 125:2 -The Bible) for the peaceful life of Everyone.Documentary Feedback This video should be able to provide information regarding significance of Jerusalem to Jews, Christians and Muslims from the depth of its history. Each of them has their own religious evidences and pilgrim homes and historical bases as stated in the above paragraphs. The selected documentary video has provided almost same religious and historical outlook to the three religions stating a reign that has given birth to the construction of pilgrim homes as well as belief in the respective religion. I recommend this video for getting the viewer an overall brief view on the history of the Jerusalem as well as its equally alienated significance to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. I am happy to bring before you some quotes I just referred. 1. "Without Jerusalem, the land of Israel is as a body without a soul."(Elhanan Leib Lewinsky; Hebrew writer and Zionist leader) 2. "Every

Gutai as critique of the traditional concept of Modernism Research Paper

Gutai as critique of the traditional concept of Modernism - Research Paper Example This damage and destruction took place in the course of centuries and it was described as the beauty of decay. I believe this concept is valid in many people’s imaginations today and by looking into the artworks of the Gutai movements it becomes evident this technique expressed the true art. In the modern art world, it seems to be very difficult to understand the relationship between society and art. Gutai was one of the movements that took place in Japan after the post-war chaotic situation. This movement had specific intentions and purposes which is why it is the most important art movement of this time. This art movement has many characteristics which make it relevant in the media art today. ‘Electric Dress’ was a work by Tanaka which helps in examining and understanding the current media art in Japan (Berghuis 21). The work of Tanaka was remarkable and revolutionary which still holds importance. It was in 1945 after the World War II that the Japanese society h ad come under desperation and chaos. It was then when the artists tried to bring a revolutionary movement which would promote different art works and activities to make a new world. Yoshihara declared that the liberal position of the people was the most important thing which was conveyed through the medium of art. The liberal position of the people who were currently living in the desperation and chaotic time was focused because they believed that the freedom is the main source for human development. The art movement described the position of the people as free. Thus, the main idea behind this movement was to bring out the reality of the society and overcome the situation (Tiampo 84). Tanaka was an artist involved in the Gutai movement and she produced the ‘Electric Dress’ which was stage clothes. The concept was that she changed her clothes frequently during the performance and the colours of the dress were bright and blinking from the electric light bulbs. This showed the attractive beauty from the light bulbs which the human hand could not create. This was the time after which the stage performances became more attractive and pleasing to the audience’s view. Tanaka worked with bringing the newest technology to application by experimenting and using the electric media to promote her artistic work. Her work and skill leaves a huge impression on the Western arts and to the modern arts. However, despite such efforts, Tanaka did not receive appreciation by the Japanese art scene because of her highly skilful work for the newly started art movement. I believe that Tanaka’s efforts left a mark on the art world and even though it was later recognized and encouraged, initially it was seen as a threat to the traditional modernization. The Gutai movement had new and different ideas because all the members of the movement were young artists, who were raised under traditional values of religion and spiritual importance. These artists knew the artistic traditions of Japan but through this movement they decided to completely overrule the past attempts and approaches. Their vision towards this movement was rather different. They aimed to create a relationship between art, body, space and time. The Gutai movement was a revolutionary movement and it started in Japan almost ten years after the World War II had ended. The roots of the Gutai movement

Project management---management of project organization Essay - 1

Project management---management of project organization - Essay Example The United Nations; Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); The World Bank Group; International Committee of the Red Cross; CARE; Mercy Corps; President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR); Oxfam; World Vision International; Plan International; ActionAid; Doctors Without Borders; Greenpeace; World Wide Fund for Nature; ADRA; CAFOD; Save the Children International; SOS Children’s Villages. In project-oriented organizations personnel and departments are organized around individual projects. For instance, many project-oriented organizations have project managers that manage teams of personnel. These personnel are usually from different departments and have different responsibilities, but all are required to successfully implement the project. Typically, many teams operate simultaneously, but they do not have to interact with each other because each is focused on completing its own project (Cordes 2013, pg. 37). Project-oriented organizations employ structures borrowed from organizations based on functions, hierarchies, and operations. They use a matrix structure in which important organizational functions are housed in a management structure, while the work is conducted in project-based teams that have a hierarchical structure. Unlike the construction contractor, the management consulting company would have an organizational structure that is umbrella-based. This means that it includes all organizational structures that are not based around projects. It would, in summary, employ a functional model as its organizational structure, unlike the construction contractor’s matrix model. In the functional model, a manager supervises several different department heads, each of who manages one department in which specific tasks are carried out (Gibbons 2013, pg. 12). For instance, the management consulting company may have several departments for accounting, human resources,

Gender differences in entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gender differences in entrepreneurship - Essay Example Men expect women to put family handling as their top priority and preference. However, gradually women are combating this prevalence of bigotry in the society created by their counterparts. Many studies show that level of women entrepreneurship is less than men’s in many countries, however, there is a high rate of women entrepreneurship where women have no alternatives to earn for a living. Many researches and studies conducted portray that women enter into entrepreneurship as a necessity and not responding to opportunities. Entrepreneurship is a mean to culminate the skills and potential which women possess, and also it can bring forward to the world’s attention that women do not harbor less potential or competition, instead they may create healthy competition for the men too and result in economic prosperity. Entrepreneurship was once a kingdom ruled by men, but it seems that women are pacing into this kingdom too. Ayala Malach Pines, Miri Lerner, Dafna Schwartz, (2010) "Gender differences in entrepreneurship: Equality, diversity and inclusion in times of global crisis", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, Vol. 29 Iss: 2, pp.186 -

ScapeGoat MJ Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ScapeGoat MJ - Assignment Example Let me begin with the points in the book which are universal and to some extent we could agree such as collective persecution. So as not to be misquoted, I will lift directly from the book about collective persecution which â€Å"acts of violence committed directly by a mob of murderers such as the persecution of the Jews during the Black Death. By collective resonances of persecutions I mean acts of violence, such as witch-hunts, that are legal in form but stimulated by the extremes of public opinion†. There is no question that persecution is an act of violence committed by a mob murderers and even if the examples of the Jews are used during the Black Death, I still totally agree with it. Indeed the Jews were persecuted during the Black Death and even during Second World War in Hitler’s concentration. While I agree to this example in persecution, this examples reveals the bias of the book in the narrative of a certain people – the Jews. It is important to note h owever that in citing the prejudice of the example, I am not belittling the suffering of the Jews during the Black Death and I even added during the Second World War. It is just that my experience as a male Arab Muslim, the example of Jews who were oppressed run counter to my experience. In my eyes and in the eyes of Muslims, the Jews had morphed into tormentors from being the victims. In the eyes of the Muslim world, they have transformed into a modern Hitler that persecuted another group of people which are the Palestinians. It was not so long ago that we saw Gaza turned into a modern day Auschwitz where civilians, including children were killed during the bombing of Israel under the pretext of self-defense. This pretext of self-defense is consistent with the books assertion about persecution which are acts of violence which are â€Å"legal in form but stimulated by

Gender differences in entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gender differences in entrepreneurship - Essay Example Men expect women to put family handling as their top priority and preference. However, gradually women are combating this prevalence of bigotry in the society created by their counterparts. Many studies show that level of women entrepreneurship is less than men’s in many countries, however, there is a high rate of women entrepreneurship where women have no alternatives to earn for a living. Many researches and studies conducted portray that women enter into entrepreneurship as a necessity and not responding to opportunities. Entrepreneurship is a mean to culminate the skills and potential which women possess, and also it can bring forward to the world’s attention that women do not harbor less potential or competition, instead they may create healthy competition for the men too and result in economic prosperity. Entrepreneurship was once a kingdom ruled by men, but it seems that women are pacing into this kingdom too. Ayala Malach Pines, Miri Lerner, Dafna Schwartz, (2010) "Gender differences in entrepreneurship: Equality, diversity and inclusion in times of global crisis", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, Vol. 29 Iss: 2, pp.186 -

Discuss using named examples, the use of and applicability of Essay

Discuss using named examples, the use of and applicability of bio-indicator organisms in the environmental assessment of fres - Essay Example According to Durranti, a bio- indicator is defined as a plant or animal species whose presence or absence gives information on the state of a given environment (Chu, Chanb and Chow 2005). The Use and Applicability of Various Bio-Indicator Organisms in the Environmental Assessment of Freshwater and Marine Systems There exist several bio-indicators that have been applied to measure the health status of freshwater and marine environments. To begin with, Chin argues that by identifying the kind of animal species present in a given water body, biologists are able to analyze the quality of water in that water body (Chin 2006). For instance, the presence of many carnivore fish species might suggest a higher quality of water compared to a water body dominated primarily by omnivores. A healthy water body supports life for many micro-organisms that are predated upon by the carnivore fish. For many years, fish have been used to indicate the quality of water bodies. This has been accomplished th rough determining the kind of fish that live in a given water body, measuring alterations in fish species composition and species proportion (Jackson 2001). Changes in fish length and tropic level can as well be used in determining the health of aquatic environment. ... From the experiment, it was established that samples from the lake had a high number of comets and mainly in second and third classes. Thus the results suggested that Lake Igapo is an aquatic environment that was characterized by a high level of genotoxicity and other pollutants. In Izmir Bay of Mediterranean (in Western Turkey), fish are used to determine the level of water pollution in the sea (Gonenc 1999). Izmir is an industrial and commercial centre. The presence of metals such as lead and zinc in freshwater and marine environments can be indirectly measured using inorganic acids, such as sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid (Turner and Tessier1995). These acids are applied on intestinal specimens of different fish species. If the above metals are present, the acids react with the specimens to form oxides. Bonnan notes that some aquatic pollutants might remain active for many years and through several generations. Examples include mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds (Farris, J. et al 1993). Genotoxicity biomarkers can be applied in sentry organisms to enhance the identification and assessment of mutagenic hazards and their sources. One of the most suitable methods of identifying the response of organisms to such contaminants is by use of micronucleus (MN) test. This can be used as an index of the total genetic damage of cells during the lifespan of an organism. Fish and bivalves have been the main target for such experiments. Gill and haemocyte cells are the commonly used tissues. Due to rising carbon dioxide concentration s in the 21 century, the acidity of sea water has increased as well. Consequently, global temperatures have been driven up, including

World History Essay Example for Free

World History Essay Two civilizations have been hailed as being important to the history of the world and are usually referred to as the cradle of mankind. These are the Mesopotamia and the Ancient Egypt. The development of the city states of Mesopotamia and the stability of the ancient Egypt has been seen driven by geographic factors. Indeed the origin of these civilizations is almost similar; however due to geography, they differ in a number of factors both in the development and in their stability. It is this geographic aspect of their differences that will be the focus of this paper.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both these civilizations owe their origin to the presence of important water mass, their people survived on the abundant resources that the rivers provided.   Egyptian civilization would have been non existent had there not been a river Nile. It is this river that owes the survival of the livelihood of the Egyptians and a culture that was carried forth from one generation to another. Mesopotamia city states on the other hand were supported by two rivers. Indeed Mesopotamia is a Greek word that means ‘the land between two rivers’, these are Tigris and Euphrates lying in what is currently referred to as Iraq. Inadvertently, it is important to mention that similarities can be drawn on how these two civilizations were able to survive. Parallels can be drawn on the flooding patterns of the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates. River Nile used to flood once in a year bringing with it huge deposits of rich silt, leaving the surrounding areas well irrigated, â€Å"when the waters receded, they left behind deposits of black silt that were rich with vitamins and minerals.† (M. Solodky , 2006, 5) Euphrates and Tigris had similar behaviors only that they were largely unpredictable leaving dead trails and destroyed crops in their wake. The rich soil and well irrigated banks were viable for farming and agriculture. This attracted huge number of settlements and villages and small towns began cropping up along the banks (Waddel,l 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     One difference that can be discerned in the nature of these two civilizations between Egypt and the city states of Mesopotamia lie in the population dispersion. In Mesopotamia, settlement was around the two rivers meaning that it was highly clustered compared to the highly dispersed settlement along the Nile stretch. The growth of the Egyptian civilization was facilitated by the ease of transportation along the river Nile thus expanding the civilization’s influence (David, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The development of the Mesopotamia civilization was greatly inhibited by one geographic factor, lacking in the advantage that the Egyptian civilization had.   Egypt had natural geographic barriers that acted as a natural line of defense allowing the civilization to thrive in isolation. The Mesopotamia city states lacked in this and they lived in constant collision with others, â€Å"the geographical features of Mesopotamia contributed to lack of stability, as there was no natural barrier to protect the city states from outside invaders.† (Deborah Preston, 2006, 11). The Mesopotamia city states could hence not stand for long and they fell under constant attack from the neighbors. On the other hand, the ancient Egyptian civilization was able to thrive well as there was no competition and the population was dispersed evenly, the existing villages and the small towns â€Å"had approximately equal access to the river and did not have to compete among themselves for water as their contemporaries in Mesopotamia were forced to do.† (Douglas Emily, 2004, 65). Trade was well coordinated and facilitated by the immense harbors along the Nile, a stark contrast to Mesopotamia.   These two civilizations though similar in their economic activities and their reliance on the rivers had different geographic characteristics that would either ensure or derail their survival (á ¸ ¤agai Gershoni, 2000). References Douglas J Brewer, Emily Teeter (2004) Egypt and the Egyptians. Cambridge   Ã‚   University Press, 2004 Solodky (2006). The Technology of Ancient Egypt. The Rosen Publishing Group, Deborah Vess, Preston Jones (2006). AP World History (REA) The Best Test Prep for the AP World History: The Best Preparation for the AP World History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Exam. Research Education Assoc. David Christian (2004). Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History. University of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   California Press. a. Waddell (2003) Egyptian Civilization Its Sumerian Origin and Real Chronology. Kessinger Publishing. á ¸ ¤agai Erlikh, I. Gershoni (2000). The Nile: Histories, Cultures, Myths. Lynne Rienner   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Publishers.

Overrepresentation Of Ethnic Minorities Essay

Overrepresentation Of Ethnic Minorities Essay The overrepresentation of ethnic minorities in the Criminal Justice System looks like this: in 79.6 of arrests in 2009-10 those who were involved classified their ethnicity as white (Race and the CJS, 2010). In 2010 the rates for indictable offences were higher for white persons at 81% than for ethnic minorities, 74% for black and 77% for Asians (Race and the CJS, 2010). However, statistics show that ethnic minorities are overrepresented at all stages of the Criminal Justice System. In 2009 Black people made up 2.7% of the population aged 10 and above but represented 8.0% of those arrested in England and wales, while Asians made up of 5.6% of the population aged 10 and above and represented 5.6% of those arrested in England and wales (Race and the CJS, 2010). As ethnic minorities they are more likely to be stopped and searched by police, this leads to a greater probability of arrests and in turn may influence the way their cases are dealt with as they progress through the subsequent stages of the criminal justice process. They are less likely to be given unconditional bail, and more likely to be remanded in custody than white offenders. In 2010 a higher percentage of ethnic minorities (Black 27%, Asian 29%, other 42%) were sentenced to immediate custody for indictable offences than whites (23%) (Race and the CJS, 2010). Ethnic minorities are also more likely to receive punitive sentences than white people and are overrepresented in aspects of certain crimes such as robbery, drug offences and -in some areas- firearms offences. Ethnic minorities are also more likely to be the victims of crimes. It was seen in the British crime survey 2010-11 that the risk of being a victim of crime was higher for all ethnic minorities than white groups (Race and the CJS, 2010). Over a period of 5 years the risk of being a victim of crime from the white group had significantly fallen by 8.0% while the decrease in the risk of being a victim of crime from ethnic groups was not stati stically significant. It is apparent that there are also variations in the overrepresentation of different groups within the ethnic minority category and also between gender, patterns and levels of offending also vary significantly (Race and the CJS, 2010). To narrow this down this research, the essay will focus mainly on the overrepresentation of ethnic minorities in the sentencing stages of the Criminal Justice System, even though it is recognised that those of Asian background are only slightly overrepresented in the prison population in comparison to those of black background. It does not mean there is no need to inquire on whether they too suffer discrimination in the Criminal Justice System or not (Gabbidon, 2010). According to the Race Relations Act 1976, segregating against a person based on racial grounds means treating them less favourably than they should be treated; it is therefore illegal to discriminate through delivery of goods, facilities or services to the public based on racial grounds (John, 1987). This, however, does not apply to officials representing the Crown as they are exercising powers to exclude or punish. Judges are therefore immune when acting in judicial capacity; this means the act does not apply to the se ntencing of offenders in the courts (Gabbidon, 2010). There have been disputes to have this taken out of legislation for it is argued that those in law enforcement who have the power to strip an individual of their freedom and liberty should act in respect of racial origins of the defendant (Michael, 1989). This helps to ensure justice as well as confidence of ethnic minorities in the legal system. Ethnic minorities are also seen to be discriminated against by courts; they are much more severely dealt with when it comes to sentences received in courts, more likely to be sent to prison than whites who have committed the same offence (Hood, 1992). To be able to find out whether sentencing is affected by race and if discrimination does exist it would have to be evident that when all relevant legal variables are taken into account, a higher number of ethnic minorities are given a custodial sentence and/or a longer sentence (Marian, 1991). A strategy to address this overrepresentation of ethnic minorities in sentencing is needed to bring together departments and find ways to reduce it. The aim of this research essay is to look at literature and establish whether patterns of sentencing among ethnic minorities differ in a significant way from patterns of sentencing among whites. It will also look at the nature and extent of the variation in sentencing -if any at all- what might cause the variation and any available solution strategies. The research question that will be investigated will then be: Does racial discrimination exist in the sentencing stages of the Criminal Justice System? It seems almost unjust to answer such a research question without assessing public opinion on the sentencing process and its relation to race as it can be assumed that their opinions are important even though not directly (Hough, 1998). The significance of public opinion can be seen for example in the observation that was made by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Bingham. He observed that it would not seem right for a judge to ignore any public opinion when in court. Similarly the late and former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher noted the importance of the incorporation of public opinions in the sentencing debate (Hough, 1998). To explore the public opinions on the role of race in the sentencing processes of the Criminal Justice System a questionnaire was distributed to a small sample. The questionnaire helped to explore such a potentially sensitive topic about race and sentencing, especially because the questionnaires were anonymous and completed in private. Key points were identified th at were used in the construction of the questions (see appendix 1 for questionnaire guide) these included available sentencing options for ethnic minorities, imprisonment for different types of offences, sentence leniency and sentencing length. This would shine light on the public opinions and whether or not pressure from these opinions affects the decision making in the sentencing process of the Criminal Justice System and how this decision is influenced by the race of the defendant. LITERATURE REVIEW Since the growth of ethnic minorities in Britain with its peak in the 1990s the interest in their progress has increased. The largest share of ethnic minorities was those who classified themselves as black or Indian (Gabbidon, 2010). The growth of ethnic minorities was not widely accepted and the resistance towards them was shown through racism and violence. Not only were ethnic minorities the victims of these attacks but they were also first to be arrested and sentenced for the same attacks (Gabbidon, 2010). The overrepresentation of ethnic minorities in crime and justice can be seen in early history, for example through the work of Frederick McClintocks crimes of violence (1963), which studies violent crimes and finds that the conviction rate of black people increases by 13% in a span of 10 years (McClintock,1963). This helps to inform the research question as it talks about the history of race and discrimination. It is important to investigate the procedure that occurs when an individual is to be sentenced, when researching the effects of race on the differences in sentencing. This is made clear by Bowling and Phillips (2002), when they note that once a suspect has been charged with an offence at the police station, their case file is sent to the crown prosecution service (CPS) in order that they can make the decision about whether to proceed to court with the case or to terminate the case in which case the defendant does not have to attend court or face criminal charges. Shaun L. Gabbidon draws from this further and claims it is from this that the factors that play a role in such a decision can be determined. According to Gabbidon it is hard to determine that race affects or plays a role in this decision as the race of the defendants is not disclosed (Gabbidon 2010). Showing that race might not be central in this decision. However, even though race might not have an influence at this stage, it is clear to others such as Hood (1992), Mhlanga (1997) and Banks (1999) that race does affect prosecution, sentencing and legal representation. The sentencing process is one of the important stages of the Criminal Justice System, not only is an important decision to be made but this is also how justice is seen as being done (Ashworth, 1983). It is, therefore, important to consider the races of the judges themselves, which in England and Wales are predominantly white. This leads to immediate assumptions that ethnic minorities are then automatically at a disadvantage (Mathews, 2009). Research into this issue may show little bias in race and sentencing, but it is argued that if previous offences and the seriousness of the case are considered, ethnic minorities are most likely to get a harsher sentence (Blumstein, 1982). Ethnic minorities are seen to be very similar, for example when it comes to social economic characteristics and this may be seen as affecting and/or influencing the sentencing decision. This can be seen in a study conducted by Imogen Brown and Roy Hullin (1992). They looked at the decision-making process of over 3,000 defendants, from this they discovered that over 50% of the black defendants were unemployed, this being more than double that of white or Asian defendants was seen as influencing the decision (Brown and Hullin, 1992). The inquiry on the role race has on sentencing is enlarged in the study by Roger Hood (1992). Hood wanted to find out the race effect of sentencing and to do so he looked at 2,884 defendants who appeared in different Crown Courts in the West Midlands. The study was set to identify the variation in sentencing for each ethnic group through multivariate analysis on the basis of 15 variables that were selected. Hoods findings were unsurprising in relation to previous research; he found that the racial difference in sentencing was less than what might have been assumed. He found that only 5% of blacks were more likely to be given a custodial sentence than whites and that 80% of the overrepresentation of black offenders who were in prison were there due to the severity of their offences and not their race. He also found that most ethnic minorities opted the crown court and pleaded not guilty, this however, meant that when found guilty they were more likely to get a harsher sentence (Hood, 1992). It is important however, not to take these findings at face value as hoods study faced a lot of issues both methodologically and theoretically. Representation of this research was also a problem due to the sentencing differences between the courts that were investigated (Hood, 1992). For example Birmingham Crown Court, which had the largest percentage of the whole sample, the chance of a black offender to be given a custodial sentence was one in three; while in Dudley Crown Court the chance was one in two. This means if most of the distribution of cases had been from Dudley Crown Court and not Birmingham Crown Court the results would have been more racially biased (Hood, 1992). The methodological issues resulted mainly from the prediction scale used and its accuracy of only 75 per cent and their risk of custody score which could only include relevant factors and in so doing leaving out important factors such as unemployment (Hood, 1992). Hood himself admitted that he did not aim to provide a general or casual explanation but wants to make sure that the reasons for these differences in treatment between ethnic minorities and whites should remain open to speculation (Spalek, 2008). Although the numbers might be small, Hood did manage to show that discrimination in the crown court exists, both direct (for example through bail decisions, the rate of sentencing and sentence imposed) and indirect (for example through the decision to plead not guilty and social inquiry reports) (Spalek, 2008). It is clear that previous research on race and sentencing tends to focus on the role of the courts and the judges and how they make their decisions. Referencing the work of Hood brings the purpose of this research into context. The research explored public opinions on the role that race plays in the sentencing stages of the Criminal Justice System. Those being researched were approached and informed about the topic of the questionnaire and were prompted to participate (volunteer sampling) this potentially included participants with a variation in gender and age who were interested in and had an opinion about the role of race in the sentencing process of the Criminal Justice System. Research into race and sentencing like those referenced above and others alike bring up concerns about some of the questions left unanswered about the topic. Many of the research findings on race and sentencing have issues -for example methodological and theoretical issues and concerns this results in the difficulty to prove that a relationship between race and the sentencing decision exists (Spalek, 2008). This research will try to contribute to the closure of this gap, by focusing on the attitudes and opinions of the public about their views on the topic. To have a better and deeper understanding of the research findings, the research will be drawing on some theoretical concepts. If discrimination against ethnic minorities does exist, in the sentencing stages of the Criminal Justice System, this could be due to prejudices that are difficult to remove (Anderson and Taylor, 2007). A prejudice is seen as an attitude that serves cognitive and emotional functions. Experience and knowledge is one of these functions, it is important for an individual to feel they know what they are doing and understand the world in which they do it in (Anderson and Taylor, 2007), in this case judges will most likely feel that convicting and sentencing ethnic minorities just because they have been treated so in past cases shows their understanding of the world and how things work. Second is the instrumental function which is associated with rewards and punishments (Anderson and Taylor, 2007). An individual is then most likely to follow the attitudes of their preferred groups just so they could be rewarded in the case of judges for example for promotions and higher pay rolls. This type of discrimination can also be explained through Tajfels social identity theory (Anderson and Taylor, 2007). It talks about the importance of a positive self-image to the individual, and how they feel their social identity is enhanced by categorising people into groups, in and out cast groups. On the other hand, the discrimination against ethnic minorities in the sentencing stages of the Criminal Justice System could be an exaggeration or a myth and this could be explained by the simple fact that ethnic minorities commit more serious crimes that are more likely to get convicted and sentenced compared to white offenders (Spalek, 2008). These factors could all play a part: areas and environment in which they grew up in, social and material deprivation, boundaries up the employment ladder and inadequate socialisation, just to name a few (Mathews, 2009). It is, therefore, evident that it is difficult to draw conclusions that race is the main explanation for the higher and harsher sentence rates of ethnic minorities as there are too many variables affecting the same decision. As race and sentencing are widely researched topics, it is important that their definitions are not assumed. In the questionnaires conducted, race was used in terms of being a system in which categories are created for humans based on their ethnic background (spalek, 2008). Ethnic minority will be used in relation to the different national or cultural traditions that a group has in comparison to the other population (spalek, 2008) in this case being whites, and the ethnic minorities will include blacks and Asians and those who classify themselves as other. Sentencing will include all types of convictions, ranging from custodial/prison sentences to community service. These words were used in this way in the analysis to narrow down and avoid any confusion. This made the topic easier to investigate. METHODS PARTCIPIANTS 15 questionnaires where completed for the purpose of this research; the questionnaires were obtained from individuals whose participation was entirely voluntary and they were not offered any compensation. The participants were approached in Coventry town centre and were asked to complete a questionnaire. Due to the nature of the topic the respondents were given the option to take the questionnaire home and complete it in private. They all varied in gender and age; however, no specifics were noted about their age or gender due to limited time and the low significance of the issue. Volunteer sampling was used, a type of non-probability sampling, through this the volunteers self-selected themselves into the questionnaire (Bryman, 2008). This ensured that those who volunteered to complete the questionnaire had a strong interest in the topic. This sampling method was also beneficial as it reveals important aspects and opinions of the population being sampled. Although this sampling method has questionable issues, especially with representation (Bryman, 2008), this was not much of a problem to the research as it was mainly for exploratory purposes. MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES The method used closed-ended questionnaires. This was seen as the better choice at the time of research as these questionnaires would help to get responses from large quantities at a time with no interviewer effects (Seale, 2004). The research question does racial discrimination exist in the sentencing stages of the Criminal Justice System? Meant that topics to be addressed in the questionnaires would be sensitive and/or embarrassing to some, it was, therefore, easier to be addressed through an anonymous questionnaire (Babbie, 2010). In using questionnaires interviewer variability was avoided and the questionnaires also proved to be more convenient for respondents. The questions were constructed from guided topics (Blaxter, 2010). What was being explored was clear and this resulted in a better understanding of the questions and the questionnaires were then completed at a faster rate (see appendix 2 for questionnaire). After volunteers had shown interest on approach, they were brief ed on the purpose of the research, each volunteer was then informed that they could stop doing the questionnaire at any time and that the questionnaire would remain anonymous and they were reassured that their data would not be used against them, that their information would not be handed to third parties and would only be seen by an examiner. Some of the volunteers completed their questionnaires on the spot and some took them away and posted their responses. A one-week time frame was left for the questionnaires that were taken away; at the end of that week 15 questionnaires were gathered in total. Univariate analysis was used to analyse the questionnaires, this was used because it allowed the analysis of one variable at a time, frequency tables were then used to showcase the data and they were used in relation to all of the different types of variables by providing the number of people and the percentage belonging to each category for the variable being analysed (Bryman, 2008). For research such as this it is important to address some ethical considerations in order to collect good data (OLeary, 2004). In light of this the participants were reassured about the confidentiality of their responses. Participation was voluntary, this meant that informed consent was obtained and so participants understood the research and its i ntentions, and they were not being deceived in any way. FINDINGS AND EXPLANATIONS Results from the analysis of the questionnaires indicated that the public are not satisfied with court systems. The first question on the questionnaire asks respondents about their opinion on the type of job that some criminal justice professional do. Only 23 percent of respondents thought that judges were doing a good job; 48 percent thought that they were doing a fair job and 29 percent thought they were doing a poor job (see appendix 3). Judges received the worst evaluation in comparison to police officers, magistrates and prison officers. Police had the highest percentage of doing a good job at 70 per cent (see appendix 4) and magistrates and prison officers were in the middle with 50 per cent each (see appendix 5 and 6). These findings are supported by the theory of prejudices. According to the theory of prejudice, experience and knowledge are its main functions, it is important for an individual to know what they are doing and understand the world in which they do it in (Anders on and Taylor, 2007). By doubting the work that the judiciary does the public also doubts that the judges know what they are doing and whether or not they understand the world in which they work. Prejudice is hard to remove showing the difficulty in combating the negative opinions of the public. The respondents were then asked about their opinions about the leniency of the sentences that ethnic minorities received for certain crimes (robbery, drug offences and crime offences). Just over half thought that the sentences were too lenient (59 per cent) to some extent and just below half of the respondents (41 per cent) thought that the sentences were lenient enough. In comparison to the previous question it was discovered that about 90 per cent of those who thought judges were doing a poor job also thought that the sentences were too lenient (see appendix 7). This shows that the more judges were seen as being out of touch with society, the more they were seen as doing a poor job, therefore, giving lenient sentences to ethnic minorities. It was then important to establish whether or not the respondents knew about the types of sentences that were available. Respondents were asked to list as many sentencing options as they knew. It was evident that prison was the most widely known, this lack of knowledge of alternative sentences could explain why the public root for harsher sentences or imprisonment. There was limited knowledge of non-custodial sentences. Following prison were community service (70 per cent), fine (65 per cent) and probation (58 per cent). The least popular options included compensation (18 per cent), conditional charge (15 per cent) and electronic tagging (20 per cent) (see appendix 8). It is then clear that although the public are aware of some sentencing penalties, not all of them are known as a result not thought of when the public talk about sentencing. This lack of awareness of the different types of sentencing has significant consequences when trying to determine the role of race in the sentenci ng stages of the Criminal Justice System. The respondents were then questioned about 3 types of crime (robbery, drug and firearm offences). Respondents were asked to estimate that out of every 50 ethnic minorities that were convicted of any of these crimes, how many ended up in prison. Robbery had the highest estimates of individuals ending up in prison (45 out every 50), drug offences were not far off with estimates of 43 of every 50 and drug offences falling behind but not far off with estimates of 40 out of every 50 (see appendix 9). These results were inter-linked, those who estimated high numbers robbery did so too for the remaining categories and those who put slightly lower numbers for robbery also did so for the remaining two categories. The estimates about imprisonment also seemed to be related to the leniency of the sentences the offenders received. For example, the respondents who stated that the sentences were too lenient also put down lower estimates of imprisonment. This shows how unawareness about the sentenci ng practice can be a major source of the disappointment that the public experience about the judiciary. This could be explained by the theory of instrumental function which involves individuals following the attitudes of the groups in which they prefer for rewards rather than punishment (Anderson and Taylor, 2007). So the public, though being ignorant and having no idea about sentencing might still have negative opinions due to the simple fact that this is the view of their preferred group. Through this an individuals self-mage and social identity are seen as being more important (Tajfels social identity theory). REFLEXIVE ACCOUNT OF METHODS The purpose of the methods used was to collect information on public opinions about the process of sentencing and how this is affected by race. The questionnaire was used to collect direct information relating to the opinions of the public about the behaviour of certain people; it also looked at the basic opinions of a group of individuals in relation to the issue in question. The questionnaires were also used to collect information which can then be tracked over time to investigate any new changes (Bryman, 2008). Questionnaires were the choice of method mainly due to the sensitivity of the topic; it made it easy for participants to respond freely to the questions even though they might have felt uncomfortable about the topic (Bryman, 2008). This was because there was no interviewer available and the questions could remain anonymous and could also be completed in private if the respondents wished to do so. During the research the researcher was expected to perform certain duties in order to fulfil their role. Some of these included; taking the responsibility of finding out about what was expected of the research, taking the initiative in identifying any issues and problems, undertaking the recommended reading, producing the written work needed, consulting with tutors about any difficulties that are encountered when undertaking the work, generating ideas, setting realistic deadlines and ensure that the research meets with the required regulations (Babbie, 2010). To ensure credibility of this research, standardised instruments were used because they can be assessed in a direct way. These included objectivity and reliability which are positivist and quantitative constructs (Seale, 2004). Credibility is then achieved through objectivity because with the use of questionnaires the beliefs and values of the researcher could not have affected the results, meaning the findings could not depend on who did the research (Seale, 2004). It is important for researchers to maintain their distance from what they study. Credibility was also achieved through reliability because the questionnaire was close ended and standardised, this means the questionnaire can easily be repeated by different researchers and the chances of measurements being consistent are high. The need for credible research had an effect on the way the research was conducted because to ensure credibility certain guidelines needed to be followed and deviation from these was not permitted. As well as advantages, the method used had limitations and this may have affected the validity of the findings. For example the response rate was low (raising generalizability and representative issues), there was little to no control of who volunteered and completed the questionnaire (can lead to bias). The topic being researched is a complex one, the questionnaire failed to touch upon these complexities of the topic. The responses to the questions were limited and this meant that rich, in-depth and detailed information could not be gathered (Seale, 2004). To avoid these issues in future triangulation can be used, therefore the strengths of one method could make up for the short comings of the other and vice-versa. CONCLUSIONS It is clear that the role of race in certain stages of the Criminal Justice System such as sentencing is very important. From early history its evident that race plays some sort of role in the sentencing of ethnic minorities. The main focus has been on how the race of an individual can increase or decrease their sentence. Through the literature reviewed it is clear that race does influence the role of the sentencing decision making in the Criminal Justice System though not as large as anticipated. It shows that there are far too many variables to accurately study this process and come out with valid and representative results, either way some important variables are left out or irrelevant ones included. The research question: Does racial discrimination exist in the sentencing stages of the Criminal Justice System, is, therefore, answered, however, not with much significance. To take the research question further questionnaires were conducted to assess public opinion on the role of race in the sentencing possesses of the Criminal Justice System. The questionnaires were conducted on a voluntary basis and respondents self-selected themselves to participate. One of the main key findings was the publics dissatisfaction with the court system, it was also significant that those who stressed the poor quality of the execution of work with Criminal Justice professionals also stressed that sentences were too lenient and they were not severe enough, also high estimates of ethnic minority imprisonment were made in relation to specific crimes. Through this, it was concluded after the analysis of 15 questionnaires that most of the respondents had little or no knowledge of alternative types of sentencing and that this had major consequences when it came to the accuracy of their opinions about the role of race on sentencing decisions. The research question was then furth er informed, from the analysis of public opinions it can be argued that racial discrimination does exist in the sentencing stages of the Criminal Justice System, but to some extent. However, the sample was too small to draw any significant conclusions from the findings due to the issues associated with methodology and theory. If the opportunity was to arise, this study would be taken a step further; it would be expanded to include a larger and more representative sample. More respondents would give the opportunity to include a more generalizable sample and therefore result in more reliable and valid results about how race influences the sentencing decisions in the Criminal Justice System.