1. Collaboration Fascination or necessity for small nonprofits to Research Paper

1. Collaboration Fascination or necessity for small nonprofits to survive effective community relations that include collaborative partnerships with other providers and organizations - Research Paper Example Collaboration brings joy to the communities and new revenues to the small non-profit organization that is involved; it also makes every person’s life more interesting and the nonprofit’s mission within reach (Peterson & Basinger, 2008). There is an always an expectation for small non-profit organizations to give back to the community, and most are of them are finding that the best way to do this is by working together. The solution to a successful collaboration is by leveraging the competencies of both partners to create a win-win situation. Before getting into collaboration, small non-profits should make sure that a common objective similar and bond exists between. Collaborations between communities and non-profits support and influence the growth of patronage in two ways: By encouraging the involvement of the community, small non-profit organizations can help to support sustainability through significant collaborations. These community collaborations may lead to enhanced non profits performance in technical and training assistance areas. Small non-profits can observe how other organizations execute collaborations to help them develop strategies and ideas (Newell & Durst, 2001). However, when working in a shorter time period such as one year collaboration, it is often hard to assess whether the small nonprofits will be capable of sustaining continued growth and improvements in their organizational capacity. Increased involvement through ties, local interagency groups and membership organizations within the community to a community-wide tactical plan can support the small non-profit organizations through the transitioning from the project and promoting continuous collaboration and growth in the communities in which they operate. There are numerous examples of the valuable principles of collaboration with communities and the effectiveness achieved through collaboration (Peterson & Basinger,

The Promotional Strategies of Smart and Globe Essay Example for Free

The Promotional Strategies of Smart and Globe Essay Starting from telegraphic and telephonic systems in the19th Century, the field of telephonic communication has now Expanded to make use of advanced technologies like GSM, CDMA and WLL to the great 3G Technology in mobile phones. Day by day, both the Public Players and the Private Players are Putting in their resources and efforts to improve the Telecommunication technology so as to give the maximum to Their customers. In business, it is important to use various and innovative promotional strategies to expand the demand of your product and to earn more consumers. It is one of the main things a business or a company must do to keep on working. There are 3 different ways to promote a product: to show information to consumers as well as others; to increase the demand; and change the product. Any use of those three is called the promotional strategy. Considering that competition in the business field is continuously growing, implementing efficient strategies through promoting products are indeed significant for all operators in any industry. Background of the Study Over the years since cellphones were widely used, various networking companies have succeeded in promoting their products to their subscribers. But up to this moment, only two networking companies have truly taken the top-spot of the networks – Smart and Globe Telecom – two of the most widely used networks today. The two networking companies have been using different strategies to promote their products, such as SIM cards for cellphones and Wireless Internet connectors for computers or laptops. SMART Telecommunications, being the largest mobile operator in the Philippines, is also the Internet service subsidiary of the  Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company  (PLDT) for over 45 million cellular subscribers (Smart Comm. 2010). Smart Communications, Inc. is the Philippines’ leading wireless services provider with 34. 2 million subscribers on its GSM network (Smart Comm. , 2008). Of its total subscriber base, 20. 9 million subscribers are served under the brands Smart Buddy, Smart Gold and Smart Infinity and another 13. 3 million subscribers are served through its subsidiary, Pilipino Telephone Corp. , under the brand Talk ‘N Text. SMART has built a reputation for innovation, having introduced world-first wireless data services, including mobile commerce services such as Smart Money, Smart Load and Smart Padala. SMART also offers a 3G service, Smart 3G. These actually help SMART attain a very versatile service for its subscribers. (www. smart. com. ph) On the other hand, Globe Telecom provides mobile, fixed line, and broadband Internet services. It is the second largest mobile operator in the Philippines, with 27 million customers second only to SMART and PLDT. It also provides various services like SIM networks and Wireless Internet connectors. The most effective way to attract and retain the value- conscious Philippine mobile customer was to spur action through time-limited marketing promotions† (Globe Telecom, 2009) Globe Telecom will start to offer 3G mobile services during Q2 2006. The operator will provide its next-generation services free of charge as part of a promotional campaign in select cities . As mobile growth continues at a steady pace in the Philippines there were 36mn subscribers at the end of 2005, representing penetration of about 43% we expect 3G services to be a key source of growth in the industry. With BMI forecasting mobile penetration rates to exceed 70% in 2009, there will be little room for further subscriber growth. Globe Telecom also recognized that the most effective way to attract and retain the value-conscious Philippine mobile customer was to spur action through time-limited marketing promotions. (www. telecomsinsight. com) They attained more production through time valuing and speed production, because they believe that being quick brings in more services! In such an environment, success comes to the fast, nimble and intelligent—de? ed by the ability to target market opportunities with tactical campaigns, monitor their effectiveness and ? ne tune them in short order. That’s exactly how Globe Telecom—the number two provider in the Philippines, with 27 million customers—is approaching the competitive challenge. Globe speci? cally recognized that the most effective way to attract and retain the value-conscious Philippine mobile customer was to spur action through time-limited marketing promotions—for example, reload HSDPA service with PHP30 and also get 24 hours unlimited SMS product. Call it opportunistic marketing in the extreme. (http://www-05. ibm. om/innovations) The main objective of this research is to assess the different promotional strategies of SMART and Globe Telecom Networks in the Philippines. The reasons that pushed the researchers to write about this topic is because one of the most widely used technologies today involve the use of networking, and the main providers of such networking use different promotional strategies to beat the competition. The researchers will provide adequate information about the processes and procedures of the networking companies and also the different perceptions of the respondents the researchers are going to interview. Objectives of the Study The research entitled â€Å"The Promotional Strategies of Smart and Globe as Perceived by the Selected Mass Comm Students of New Era University† has the following objectives: 1. What are the promotional strategies of Smart and Globe? 2. What benefits do respondents enjoy out of these promotional strategies? 3. How does Smart and Globe execute these promotional strategies? 4. What problems are experienced by the respondents on these promotional strategies? 5. What solutions are rewarded to help respondents when it comes to the problems on promotional strategies? Scope and Limitations The research titled â€Å"The Promotional Strategies of Smart and Globe as Perceived by the Selected Mass Comm Students of New Era University† includes the information of the respondents’ perceptions according to the survey that will be given, and also the information from the references used. The research will only limit its survey to 50 selected First Year Mass Comm Students of New Era University. Also, The Researchers did not include any other network companies besides Smart Comm. and Globe Telecomm. Significance of the Study The research entitled â€Å"The Promotional Strategies of Smart and Globe As Perceived by the Selected Mass Comm Students of New Era University† will be beneficial to the following: The students, or the teenagers, who are usually the most extensive users or subscribers of the said networks. Based on how they are the one that is easy to convince on the promos of Text or Call promos of the network companies. The general readers, who will get to know the promotional techniques of Globe and Smart. Especially on the marketing management of the telecom company to find out how they can improve more their innovative strategy on promoting or making promos on telecommunication industry. The network company of Smart and Globe Telecom, who will understand and observe in this study the convenience of the text/call promos they promote to their subscribers and on their preparedness on how they approach to the competition. Definition of Terms The definition of these terms will help the readers to better understand this research paper. a. Promotion is one of the four elements of  marketing mix  (product, price, promotion, and place). . Cellphones   is a device that can make and receive  telephone calls  over a  radio link  whilst moving around a wide geographic area. c. Strategy a word of  military  origin that refers to a  plan  of action designed to achieve a particular  goal. d. Innovative is the creation of better or more effective  products,  processes,à ‚  services,  technologies, or  ideas  that are accepted by  markets,governments, and  society. e. Network A  directory  of people maintained for their advancement f. Consumers someone who trades  money  for  goods  as an individual. g. Subscriber a person who  subscribes  to a  publication  or a  service h. SIM card a small,  removable  card  smaller than a  credit card  which stores  mobile phone  data  such as  contact  names  and  numbers,  SMSs  and  security  information i. Company An  entity  that  manufactures  or  sells  products  (also known as  goods), or provides  services  as a  commercial  venture; a corporation j. Fixed Line A  fixed  telephone  communications  cable. k. Operator A  telecommunications  facilitator  whose job is to establish temporary network connections. l. Subsidiary A  company  owned by the  parent company  or  holding company.

Role of Graphic Communication in Avant-Guard Architecture Essay

Introduction’ As the medium of architecture design must be â€Å"informed by the world around it† .Architecture is a language close to graphic design . Aim of this essay is to differentiate and distinguish between the architectural academic realm and architectural real applications, what roles do avant-garde ideas play in creating this realm . In order to discuss this matter it is inevitable not to discuss 60’s architecture as some of the most avant-garde designs of contemporary times stems from that area and in specific by the people behind magazines which later on went to be just more than a magazine and became and ideology hence it is not a surprise to come across terms such as Archigramism .The pivotal role that Graphic design played in facilitating one of the means of expression for this realm was intensified by the Works of pioneers such as late Ron Herron as early as 1964 and later on his corporation with architects such as Peter Cook , David Greene and others. Briefly the effects of pop culture in architecture is discussed and also how graphic design would be the best means of communication to masses of people who tec hnically are the main artist of popular art by their choice and the most sporadic selected ones will eventually become the pop art. Archigram as the flag bearer flaunted the sporadic nature of it’s publications . This irregularity not only deemed negative but was even praised . Architects such as Geoff Manaugh prove this fact , by publishing BldgBlog in the same way. Avant-garde architects are not exclusive to certain geographical boundaries as it will be discussed within this essay many Russian architects showed their avant-garde tendencies within constructivism and this can be explained with regard to soc... ...ure/bldgblog/. Last accessed 20th Feb 2014. Tschumi, B. (1976). Advertisements for Architecture. Available: http://www.tschumi.com/projects/19/#. Last accessed 20th Feb 2014. Labeca, A. (2009). Architecture and Graphic Design. Available: http://urbanlabglobalcities.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/architecture-and-graphic-design.html. Last accessed 20th Feb 2014. Unknown . (2010). Avant-gaurd . Available: http://www.citrinitas.com/history_of_viscom/avantgarde.html. Last accessed 20th Feb 2014. wikipedia. (). Constructivism. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism/. Last accessed 20th Feb 2014. Zak Kyes. (2014). Zak Kyes. Available: http://zakgroup.co.uk. Last accessed 20th Feb 2014. arttattler. (1978). The Radical Little Magazines of Architecture — 1960s-1970s. Available: http://arttattler.com/architecturelittlemagazines.html. Last accessed 20th Feb 2014.

Comment closely on the poem Rising Five, looking in particular at Essay

Comment closely on the poem Rising Five, looking in particular at how Nicholson uses imagery. â€Å"Rising Five† is about how people want to grow up quickly, and therefore how we want to rush through our lives and our youth. It is also about how we do not appreciate our precious and present moments in our lives, the fact that we are always looking forward into the future and not focusing on what we have now. The imagery used in this poem complements and emphasizes these messages to the reader, creating a ‘rushed’ tone and effect. For example, we immediately get the feeling of someone who is rushing in the first line of the poem â€Å"I’m rising five†. Stanza one is about a boy who is 4 years and 8 months – â€Å"He’d been alive/Fifty-six months or perhaps a week more†. â€Å"Fifty-six months† sounds like a much longer time than 4 years and 8 months. We also know that he is counting the time as it passes â€Å" perhaps a week more†, this suggests that the boy wants to rush through life and grow up more quickly, even being one week older counts. The imagery of the â€Å"little coils of hair/ Un...

Notes on Different types of customers

Dealing with customer complaints why do customers complain? Customers complain mainly because of bad customer service The product they received is of bad quality not happy because of the staff Delayed flights not good service untidy accommodation product they received was not as it was descriptive. Not a not seats on the plane not getting what they want queues why do organizations need to know about customer complaints? To keep their reputation keep one customer happy expand business keep customers keep business to improve o fix one problem How to deal with customers?Offer a discount or a complimentary Item such as a drink. Food item etc. ) or a refund If they take It further ask If want to speak to the manager Reply a. s. A. P start by apologizing Don't interrupt whilst they are complaining Ask what's wrong face to face offer something else e-mail written communication make it formal be sympathetic make eye contact Listen suggest the course of action check the customer is happy with the solution and ask them if there is anything else you can do for them. Keep calm keep customer informed at all times Why is It Important to resolve a complaint? O keep the customers happy so you will get customer loyalty so you don't get a bad image/reputation of you or the organization To prevent it from happening again so I OFF quality of service they give how good their products are minimum standard of quality procedures they follow Equally With respect Fairly Friendly Welcomed well With a helpful manner NIce Politely Regardless of the customer type all customers have different needs. A hen party traveling to London for the weekend. Transfers Accommodation Group accommodation rah receptionInformation on local nightlife Different types of customers Mobility Pre-boarding Disable Access Guides Wider corridors Handrails Ramps Treated with respect and equally Special seating Bigger facilities Information about excursions suitable for their needs Special cabins/accommodation specifi cally for the disabled Lifts Visually impaired Braille White stick Career Guide dogs Assistance Be sensitive Hearing impaired Hearing aid Hearing loop Lip reader Sign language translator Speak loud and clearly Signs Devices to help them in case of an emergency el calling people, phone ringing, fire alarm going off Cultures/Countries Health documents Leaflets in their language Maps in their language Treat them equally and with respect Helpful staff Injection Visas/Passports Currency exchange Insurance Translator Elderly/Confused Treated with respect Show empathy Speak slowly and clearly Make sure they understand the information they were confused about Communication methods best suited to the customers needs. Hearing – Written, Face to face (For lip readers) Visual – Telephone, Verbally Elderly – Face to face, verbally Different language – Written – diagrams

Make Your Essay Flow Using Transitions

Make Your Essay Flow Using Transitions Your written report, whether it is a creative, three-paragraph essay, or an extensive research paper, must be organized in a way that presents a satisfying experience for the reader. Sometimes it just seems impossible to make a paper flow- but that generally happens because your paragraphs aren’t arranged in the best possible order. Two essential ingredients for a great-reading paper are logical order and smart transitions. Create Flow With Better Paragraph Order The first step toward creating flow is making sure your paragraphs are put together in a logical order. Many times, the first draft of a report or essay is a little choppy and out of sequence. The good news about writing an essay of any length is that you can use cut and paste to rearrange your paragraphs. At first, this might sound terrifying: when you finish a draft of an essay it feels much like you have given birth- and cutting and pasting sounds scary. Don’t worry. You can simply  use a practice version of your paper to experiment with. Once you have finished a draft of your paper, save it and name it. Then make a second version by copying the entire first draft and pasting it into a new document. Now that you have a draft to experiment with, print it out and read it over. Do the paragraphs and topics flow in a logical order? If not, assign each paragraph a number and write the number in the margin. Don’t be at all surprised if you find that a paragraph on page three looks like it could work better on page one.Once you’ve numbered all the paragraphs, start cutting and pasting them in your document until they match your numbering system.Now, re-read your essay. If the order works better, you can go back and insert transition sentences between paragraphs.Finally, re-read both versions of your paper and confirm that your new version sounds better than the original. Create Flow With Transition Words Transition sentences (and words) are necessary for making connections between the claims, views, and statements you make in your writing. Transitions can involve a few words or a few sentences. If you can imagine your report as a quilt made up of many squares, you could think of your transition statements as the stitches that connect the squares. Red stitches might make your quilt ugly, while white stitching would give it flow. For some types of writing, transitions can contain just a few simple words. Words like also, furthermore, and yet, can be used to connect one idea to another. I had to walk two miles each morning to get to school. Yet, the distance was not something I considered a burden.I enjoyed walking to school when my friend Rhonda walked with me and talked about her travels.   For more sophisticated essays, you’ll need a few sentences to make your paragraphs flow. While the research was conducted at a university in Colorado, there is no evidence that altitude was considered to be a factor  ...A similar exercise was carried out in the mountain state of West Virginia, where similar extremes of altitude exist. You will find that its easy to come up with effective transitions once your paragraphs are arranged in the most logical order.

The Sting - Comparison to Huck Finn essays

The Sting - Comparison to Huck Finn essays There is one thing that the King, the Duke, and the characters in The Sting have in common, and that is the ability to lie and cheat so well to make a living off doing it to others. The King and the Duke travel around and find vulnerable locations where they feel it will be easy to con the people that occupy the land. Robert Redford and Paul Newmans characters look for high rollers that believe that no one can touch them, and steal thousands of dollars from them using all the possible skill and help they can get. These two pairs of cons have the ability to deceive almost anyone they meet. The King and the Duke took advantage of people by traveling around and using their joint skills of printing and performing, they did a very good job taking money away from the townspeople. What they would do is create hype and persuade people to go see their performances with advertisements posted around the town. Then, when performance time came they would do a poor performance of whatever it was they promised to do, take the money, and not think twice about giving it back. Gandorff and Hooker take advantage of people, but the difference between these men and the King and Duke is that they do not cheat the innocent, but only cheat the cheaters. By spending long hours planning their moves to bring the other man down, they carry out the plan almost flawlessly and achieve their goal by misleading their victims and deception. Although stealing is not the best way to earn a living, these two men cheated without including innocent civilians as the ones to be cheated. ...

Acquisition of a language

Acquisition of a language Acquisition of a language is a situation whereby a person, specifically one who is exposed to the language to be acquired is exposed to that language.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Acquisition of a language specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It can either happen in a natural set up where the target language is used and that the learner of this language acquires it by mere exposure to that language (Ellis, 1994), or in a formal set up where the language is to be taught to the learner and he or she is introduced to the rules and ‘tools of trade’ of the language, for instance, when a learner is born in a certain environment, for example an English family, and the language of communication is English, then the learner’s first language is English (Ellis 1985), but when another language comes up such as French, and the child is under circumstance that he or she has to learn French, then French will come in as a second language. The environments of acquiring both languages will be different and therefore after acquiring the first language, acquisition of the second language can either be simplified or made harder. The second language can either borrow from the first language or not borrow at all; therefore the first language will have played a role either positively or negatively in the second language acquisition process (Gass Selinker, 2001). Second language acquisition entails the acquisition of a language after the first language also known as the native language. The first language is considered the language that one acquires first as the mode of communication. This language is always thought to be an individual’s mother tongue. Any language that comes after the first language is then referred to as the second language, which is essentially the language that opens an individual to the outside world or rather to communicate with people outside his or her native backgrou nd. Most often than not, an individual’s background can be traced using the (Gass Selinker, 2001) accent that he or she has in her foreign language as his or her second language accent can easily contain traces of his or her first language. It is therefore the case that first language can have both positive and negative effects on an individual (Ellis, 1985). The second language can be easy to learn if there are some similarities between it and the first language. It is always the case that a French speaker can easily learn English as his or her second language because of the few similarities between the two languages, but a speaker of Chinese can find it a bit hard to learn English because there is a wide gap in terms of differences between the two languages (Gass Selinker, 1992).Advertising Looking for essay on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There will be more interference experienced (Ellis, 1994) from the Chinese language because of the difference in pronunciation than it will be the case with French. It is therefore believed that similarities and differences in various languages play a significant role in the acquisition of the second language, the more the differences, the difficult it is to acquire the second language but the less the differences, the more easy it is to learn the second language (Gass Selinker 2001). Second language acquisition will be interrupted by the first language in a situation whereby the first language dominates much more in its usage than the second language. Whenever the first language gets more prevalence, then it is most probable that the use of the second language is minimal. Practice makes perfect and therefore if the language acquired as a second language will find it as a challenge when the learner uses the first language more often because the learner finds it more comfortable to use the first language, then it will be hard reachin g the target language. Therefore the first language will have stood in the way of the learning of the second language and therefore its acquisition hindered. The first language will have stood on the way in the learning of the second language. Errors can come up in the acquisition of the second language because of the interference caused by the first language (Dulay Krashen, 1982). Most of these errors are caused by transfer of forms and meanings by a learner from their first language into the second language. This is evident in practical measures when a learner wants to make it easier to understand a notion that is found in the second language that is almost similar to that found in the native language (Dulay Krashen, 1982). Most errors are always linked to the first language caused by transfer.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Acquisition of a language specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the acquisition of the se cond language, the learner either consciously or unconsciously finds himself or herself transferring rules from his or her first language into the second language. These rules May affect the acquisition of the second language either positively or negatively (Dulay Krashen, 1982) As propagated by the behaviorist theory that language learning is a process of habit formation (Gass Selinker, 1992) whereby old habits from the first language are thought to stand in the way of the learning of the new habits found in the second language, this is referred to as negative transfer. This will in the wider picture lead into the formation of errors. According to behaviorists therefore old habits that will have been formed in the learning of the first language contribute greatly in the learning of the second language and in as much as in the behaviorist context this will lead to formation of errors and it is evident therefore that there is a significant role played by the first language in the l earning of the second language. At times, the habits from the first language help the learning of the second language and make it easier because the contribution of the first language could have been strengthened the values found in the second language, this is called positive transfer. It is therefore true that the first language has a significant role in the learning of the second language. Second language learners may in some circumstances exhibit habitual avoidance of some constructions in the second language due to the differences exhibited therein from their first language (Beebe, 1998). From their first language, second language learners will tend to concentrate largely on discourse or grammatical forms that do not pose problems with their first language. Those that show a wide margin of difference will therefore be avoided in order to make it easy for acquisition of the second language, which is as per the learners. But avoidance of these constructions is in the long run att ributed to the interferences of the first language. Avoidance of the constructions that deem hard can affect the acquisition of the second language by the mere fact that the constructions that are avoided can cause major grammatical errors in the acquired language. These errors caused by transfer can seriously harm the acquisition of the second language.Advertising Looking for essay on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In view of the cognitive approach to second language learning, the learners are thought to creatively use the knowledge that they already have from the first language so as to learn the second language on their own with minimal supervision. This is done by the learners coming up with patterns that are of their own making, making use of the underlying rules they borrow from the first language. After formulating the rules they then try to fit them in the second language, if they are not relevant they rectify them and if they are applicable then they will have achieved in the learning of the second language. The learners therefore will have learnt from their own mistakes because partly they hold an active role in the learning process. They will be in a position to learn on their own and acquire firsthand knowledge of the second language courtesy of the first language knowledge they will have had. Rules from their first language will have played a significant role in the general outcome of the second language learning. The learning processes of both the first language and the second language are always not the same, because the first language always comes first and in a natural setting, the second language comes later and in most cases in a more formal setting but if it occurs in a natural setting the mechanisms used in its learning are not always the same (Sharwood 1994). Whereas the acquisition of competence in the first language comes at relatively faster rate, those standards of the second language are relatively slow unless it happens in a relatively faster learner. More often than not, when a learner gets exposed to the second language at a relatively young age, and incase the first language is not in constant use, the first language stands a chance of being dropped along the way because new rules of the new language tend to overshadow those of the first language. But in case of comparison of both rules and applying them in the acquisition, then it is quite evident that both languages will have complemented each other (Sharwood, 1994). When looking at the linguistic word order in a language, more often than not the first language affects the second language (Gass Selinker, 1992). For instance in English, there is the ‘subject-verb-object’ agreement in word order in a grammatically correct sentence but for an English learner it may not be the case that his or her first language could be having this same word order. In acquiring English as the second language, the learner will find it convenient using the word order of the native language ignoring that of the second language (English). This is always the case when considering the theory of overgeneralization where the second language learner over generalizes, specifically the rules acquired from the first language. This can be considered as a type of simplification that aids the learner in understanding and acquiring the second language. The first language will have therefo re played a significant role in simplifying second language rules. Though this can be seen as interference from the first language, the end result is this will have aided in the understanding and acquisition of the second language by the learner. Learners of English as a second language, most significantly French learners will in a way change the rhythm in English because their first language, that is French allows. The distortion of the language is mainly caused by use of words that could not be having the meaning they intend to pass across, for instance the misplacement of the word ‘for’ with a word like ‘since’. An example in a sentence is, â€Å"I have been living here for the last four years and instead use â€Å"I have been living here since four years†. This is a case of syntactic borrowing from the first language into the acquisition of the second language (Gass Selinker, 1992) On the basis of the first language, it is easy to detect areas o f the study of the second language that will be of difficulty to the second language learner and those that will not be difficult (Ellis, 1994). The underlying factor is for the second language learner to understand the finer details of the language, so that a line is drawn between the first language and the second language (Gass Schachter, 1989). One needs to invent a mechanism that can help avoid the kind of confusion that can arise as a result of errors that arise through overgeneralization and transfer. It is evident that some errors realized in the acquisition of the second language are as a result of the first language influence. Therefore a line needs to be drawn between the rules of the second language and the native language. Accents are usually carried by the leaner from their fist language into the learning of the second language. In this case, a learner will always tend to pronounce sounds in the second language as if they were in their first language (Gass Selinker, 19 92). This can be seen in languages that share particular words even though the meaning and pronunciation could be different. This can be seen for example to be in existence among French and English languages. The learners of either of these two languages may find themselves carrying the accents of either of the languages into the other. This will happen if one language comes after the other as a second language. Therefore borrowing of accent from the first language can always be traced if the native speaker competence of the second language is not achieved (Gass Selinker, 1992). Thus, this leads to the passing judgment on the origins of an individual through this particular individual’s accents. In the field of second language acquisition, it is always the case that the learner of the second language achieves the status of being able to communicate with people outside his or her native boundaries of the native language. But at times the second language speaker may find it di fficult to get the right words with which to communicate with the speakers of the second language. This learner will find himself or herself using first language phrases in order to pass a point or rather to say what he or she intended to say (Gass Selinker, 1992). In most cases this is accompanied by signs and gestures which will aid the listener in understanding what the reader intends to say. This helps in the expression of oneself in the language that one is well equipped in but with accompaniment of body language, then he or she is well understood. For instance, when one finds it hard to use the word university in the acquired language and has got that word in his or her first language, then with aid of the first language together with facial and other extra linguistic devices, the whole meaning will have been arrived at. During encoding and decoding of messages, most second language learners find it easy encoding it and giving the messages their own interpretations in their f irst languages and thereafter find the suitable words to employ in the second language. This is so because before one gives a response, he or she needs to internalize the encoded message after which he or she needs to decode the message. Apparently before a response is given many processes do take place which in return contributes to the communication cycle to be complete (Gass Selinker, 1992). The second language in itself cannot be sufficient if the learner has not yet acquired all the vocabularies that aid good communication, before the learner acquires second language competence it is therefore always the case that the first language is helpful. In case the learner does not get the right vocabulary, then he or she can decode the message in the first language after which it can be given an interpretation that is required in the second language. The use of the first language, in as much as the initial studies posed as a hindrance to the acquisition of the second language serves a s a measure that bridges the gap left by lack of the right words in the second language, but it is this same first language that will serve as a ‘bank’ where borrowing of words takes place to aid encoding and decoding of information for easy communication. Some linguists view the first language as less important in the acquisition of the second language and that instead of being a positive factor in second language acquisition; the first language seems less important (Beebe, 1998). If just left aside, as a major factor that contributes positively to the acquisition of the second language, then an individual’s fist language will have been done harm, this will be seen as means of killing the first language after the acquisition of the second language (Gass Schachter, 1989). It is therefore wise to see the acquisition of these two languages as complex but equal processes that needs reinforcement in either way. The underlying factor in this case, at all levels and s tages of the acquisition of both first and second language acquisition, both of the two languages need each other. It should be noted that both the first and the second language complement and need each other (Beebe, 1998). Any language of the world plays the role of communication and expressing oneself so as to be understood and to understand other members of society. The acquisition of a second language in the natural environment of the first language can see the first language being used in making incorrect assumptions concerning the second language but that notwithstanding (Gass Schachter, 1989), it can be used in making the acquisition of the second language a lot easier. Both of these two languages need each other in a healthy way in order to strengthen each other, one way nit to make the first language distinct and secondly to make the second language helpful in aiding the first language speakers open up to the outside world of communication References Beebe, L.M. (1988). Is sues in Second Language Acquisition: Multiple Perspectives. New York. Newbury House Publishers. Ed. Dulay, H., Burt, M. Krashen, S. (1982). Errors. Language Two. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ellis, R. (1985). Learner Strategies. Understanding Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 164-189 Ellis, R. (1994).The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford. Oxford University. Gass, S. Schachter, J. (1989). Linguistic Perspectives on Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. Eds. Gass, S. Selinker, L. (1992). Language Transfer in Language Learning. New York, Routledge. Gass, S. Selinker, L. (2001). Second Language Acquisition: An introductory course. New York. Routledge. Sharwood S. (1994). A quick tour around, Second Language Learning: Theoretical Foundations. London: Longman. pp. 3-21.

Car is dangerous Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Car is dangerous - Essay Example Most of these cases occur once children are left alone in a hot car. Is happens sometimes when the attendant forgets that there were children in the car or when children get into cars without the knowledge of any adult. Within a few minutes the children can be in danger (Heat danger in cars: not just a summer problem, 2012). In some instances, parents do not like taking their children in and out of that cumbersome car seat. This is when they argue that they are making a quick belief stop. However, the stakes are very high. According to Christopher McStay, MD who is an emergency room doctor, it is never okay to leave children or pets in a car even when the windows are left down. He says that he has witnessed his share of casualties in the emergency room. According to him, a car is a greenhouse and the temperatures can become very hot in a very short time (Heat danger in cars: not just a summer problem, 2012). According to scientists, on a day that is only 72 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature in a car may rise by 30 or to 40 degrees within an hour, and more than 70 percent of this increase happens within the first 30 minutes (Grundstein, Dowd & Meentemeyer, 2012). They say that there may be heat stroke which may happen once the body temperature exceeds 104 degrees Fahrenheit. That results to the irresistible temperature of the brain causing dizziness, confusion, agitation, seizure, sluggishness and loss of consciousness or even death (Grundstein, Dowd & Meentemeyer, 2012). The National Highway traffic Safety Administration advises that when one happens to see a child left alone in hot car, the person should call 911 right away. And incase the child is in distress because of heat, they should be removed from the car as fast as possible (Musso, 2014). According to doctors, it is unfortunate that some child carriers make it difficult to know if there is a child in the seat because

Gallery review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Gallery review - Essay Example The lady by his side is, on the other hand, has the hair well attended to and everything on her appears organized. The second picture in the same row indicates both the lady and the gentleman holding on their cheeks as they focus keenly on the object before them. In the second row, there is the side view of the same lady, but now with very thick layer of side beards and the beards are also all over her chin. The second picture in the row shows the front view of the same lady’s face with the hair still around it. In the last picture, in the row, both are shown, the lady right in front of the gentleman, the man also with visible changes on his face. The hair on his head remains intact, but the hair around his face on the cheeks and the chin are all shaved, and these spots remain clear save for the moustache. In the last row, the first and the second pictures both show the two in front of the machine-like object, now standing side by side and starring at it. Both still have the changes introduced in their faces. In these two pictures, the two interchange their positions. The writing below the exhibition reads, â€Å"†¦is a unique work that examines the boundary of what is typical† What seems to be exhibited is the work of facial hair transplant from a man to a woman. I tend to believe that the exhibition would want to display to the judgment of the viewers, if the transfer of some of the external features like the facial hair, from a man to a lady would really make a man appear like a woman and a woman like a man. In my view and judgment, this does not really happen. This is because despite the hair being introduced on to face of the lady, as evidenced in the middle row pictures; the lady still looks feminine while the man whose facial hair has been shaved still appears masculine in all manner of appearance. I think this exhibition informs the viewers that the question of femininity or masculinity is not all about the physical appearance, and I would

Fatal Attraction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fatal Attraction - Essay Example This movie has gained importance for the psychological disorder reflected by Glenn close, where in she forces herself to get attached to the man involved with her. The abnormal mental disorder with Glenn Close is very clear in the movie as it was a psychological illness called Border line personality disorder. In this movie, this female character depicted symptoms like, impulsiveness, extreme anger ness, suicidal tendencies, instability with interpersonal relationship and fear of rejection. Borderline personality disorder is a mental illness in which the victim shows continue disturbance of personality instability, mood swings, identity crisis and self – image issues and prolonged thinking patterns. The person can remain disassociated from people and can bring about negative impact on oneself and to others to a great extend. This can bring over a disaster effect on the patient and can even turn fatal to people around them. The patient can have a distorted self image and can have uncontrollable mood swings and impulsive attitude which their loving ones can find strange and horrifying. The most of the symptoms of this disease appear in a person during adolescence or in the late adulthood. Clinical Features Reflected by Glenn Close The first symptom shown by Glenn close is her attempt to suicide, where in she tries to slit her wrist .This is a major clinical symptom of Border line personality disorder where the patient feel dejected and abandoned and tries to accomplish their goals by putting their lives on risk. The character is showing a sign of self harming which means that she is an advanced stage of border personality disorder. She is also getting obsessed with the man she had affair with, and is trying relentlessly to stalk him and his family. She is trying to harm his family members in order to take of her jealousy on them .This is a kind of mood swing which can get extreme in patients of border personality disorder. She is following the man she got involved everywhere, and this is a case of compulsion because of extreme mood swings. Moreover Glenn Close is sending a tape with abusive words to his family as part of her mental illness. She is also showing the splitting aspect where she idealizes Michael Douglas and demonizes his family. She attempts to kill his wife and kid which is indeed an atrocious act. â€Å" The phenomenon of â€Å"splitting† signifies an inability to reconcile alternative or opposing perceptions or feelings within the self or others, which is characteristic of borderline personality†(American Psychiatric,2001,pg.47). She has also identity crisis where she thinks she is being dejected and is forcefully tries to cling on to the Michael Douglas fro love and support. The female character also has extreme mood swings wherein she abuses the man and also tries to be nice at the same time. The Character and the Personality Disorder The character in the movie Glenn Close very clearly depicted the symptoms of Border personality disorder. She is not showing a normal behavior as she threatens the man she is involved with and is intimidating him to love her. She is also performing suicidal attempts which are a chronic symptom of border personality disorder. This could be mainly due to the aloneness experienced by the character in the movie. â€Å"Aloneness is experienced as a terrifying loss of self that the patient of BPD may defend against by action or by distorting reality†(Gunderson,2008pg.11). Glenn close her is showing fear of abandonment where the victim make desperate attempts to hold on to the failed relationship. She also loses control on her feelings and become impulsive very easily and attempts on self destruction and

W5 Discussion OM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

W5 Discussion OM - Essay Example Meanwhile when such time and resources are saved in the delivery of work, efficiency becomes guaranteed (Meredith and Shafer, 2014). With this noted, there was sufficient evidence from the case that even though decentralization can solve most of the organization’s issues with efficiency and efficiency, the efforts of companies did not have to end with the creation of divisions (Abdullah, 2004). For example, once there was poor prioritization of resources, it was noticed that the output of work was not as forthcoming as expected. In order words, the need to apply continuous processing improvement strategies is always important; regardless of the organizational system or structure being practiced (Martinez, 2011). For example, within a typical decentralized organization, using a lean tool will ensure that much saving is made with regards to the use of time and resources. This is because several jammed processes that cause and create waiting and other forms of waste will be identified and dealt with (Labovitz and Rosansky, 2007). As evidenced in the case, the lean tool could ensure that priority is given to m ost important processes that guaranteed the best of

Country of Origin Ethnocentrism & Hyrbrid Product Essay

Country of Origin Ethnocentrism & Hyrbrid Product - Essay Example Therefore, the country variable in country of origin studies should be treated as a multidimensional concept that can indicate the different dimensions of country of origin. This will better reflect the market environment as well as the ethnocentric consumers' evaluations. The customers attitudes towards the different dimensions should also be examined (Brodowsky, 1998; Acharaya and Elliot, 2003; Brodowsky, Tan and Meilich, 2004). Severalstudies have investigated and looked into ethnocentric consumers' attitudes. They have put their attitudes and evaluative beliefs to a multi-dimensional formulation of country of origin (COO), including country of design (COD), and country of assembly (COA) (Brodowsky, 1998; Acharaya and Elliot, 2003; Brodowsky, Tan and Meilich, 2004). Brodowsky (1998) also examined how the country where the product was assembled and the country where it was designed effects the evaluative beliefs and attitudes towards buying automotive products between people with high and low ethnocentric qualities. The results of the study proved that consumers with high ethnocentric ideals had more positive beliefs and attitudes towards buying domestically designed automobiles than foreign designed and domestically assembled automobiles than foreign assembled. ... On the other hand, not only did people with low ethnocentric ideals not have positive evaluative beliefs and attitudes towards domestically designed or assembled automobiles, but expressed more positive evaluative beliefs and attitudes towards buying foreign designed than domestically designed automobiles., and foreign assembled than domestically assembled automobiles. This is also not surprising given the other study about people with high ethnocentric qualities. Brodowsky (1998) also stated that the positive ideals of low ethnocentric consumers towards foreign assembled and foreign made automobiles may have been based on their evaluations of the foreign product, which often times can be superior to the home made product. In a seperate study, Acharya and Elliot (2003) also researched the patters of high and low ethnocentric consumers' evaluations and intentions to purchase domestically assembled than foreign assembled products, and domestically designed than foreign designed products. This was tested for three different product categories all differencing in their mixed levels of involvement. The results revealed that high ethnocentric consumers expressed positive evaluations and attitudes towards buying domestically assembled than foreign assembled products for the three product categories examined. Results also showed that high ethnocentric consumers expressed more positive attitudes towards buying domestically designed than foreign designed products. However, contrary to their hypothesis, high ethnocentric consumers expressed more positive evaluations for foreign designed than domestically designed products. This was the case for two of the three products examined. Further, Brodowsky (1998) highlig hted that high ethnocentric consumers ascribed put a bigger

W5 Discussion OM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

W5 Discussion OM - Essay Example Meanwhile when such time and resources are saved in the delivery of work, efficiency becomes guaranteed (Meredith and Shafer, 2014). With this noted, there was sufficient evidence from the case that even though decentralization can solve most of the organization’s issues with efficiency and efficiency, the efforts of companies did not have to end with the creation of divisions (Abdullah, 2004). For example, once there was poor prioritization of resources, it was noticed that the output of work was not as forthcoming as expected. In order words, the need to apply continuous processing improvement strategies is always important; regardless of the organizational system or structure being practiced (Martinez, 2011). For example, within a typical decentralized organization, using a lean tool will ensure that much saving is made with regards to the use of time and resources. This is because several jammed processes that cause and create waiting and other forms of waste will be identified and dealt with (Labovitz and Rosansky, 2007). As evidenced in the case, the lean tool could ensure that priority is given to m ost important processes that guaranteed the best of

Sociology of community Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit Essay

Sociology of community Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit - Essay Example This paper will examine how housing segregation, workplace discrimination and deindustrialization combined over a period of slightly more than twenty five years to fuel one of the most destructive acts of civil disturbance in the country's history and contribute to the city's slow, painful decline. Naturally, the origins of this "urban crisis" can be traced back before World War II. But race riots in 1943 and 1967 provide a convenient frame for the phenomena Sugrue attributes to Detroit's decline. The people of Detroit, black and white, who became the major players in this modern tragedy largely came to the city in the Great Migration between 1916 and 1929, with a later influx during and just after WWII. Oddly enough, the racial conflicts the author describes were not carried to the city by migrants from the South eager to install Jim Crow laws in the North; instead, as Sugrue argues, "The racial politics were thoroughly homegrown" (212). Attached as they were to the personal factors of job availability and home ownership, the city's destructive racial politics can also be laid at the door of the American Dream -- and to other American Dreamers who could not or would not be persuaded to share. However, Sugrue is careful to point out that federal, state and local policies and po litics, including measures meant to enforce equality, helped in no small measure to further divide black and white Detroiters by race, class and employment status. Signs of trouble in Detroit were visible long before the riots of the late '60s, or the election of Mayor Coleman Young, or the gas crisis and the resulting American automotive industry crisis of the 1970s. Even as Detroit boomed from the industrial mobilization of WWII and the auto-driven economic expansion afterward, pervasive discrimination in the workplace and the housing market along strict racial lines thwarted sustained economic prosperity for the thousands of African Americans. Detroit and other major Northern cities went, as Sugrue describes, "from magnets of opportunity to reservations for the poor" (4) for reasons largely misunderstood or ignored, even by historians and social observers, who often seem to blame the victims or the federal aid programs of the Great Society and the War on Poverty. Instead, Sugrue also argues, it was New Deal policies and how they were applied by state and local politicians that helped ignite not black militancy, but a pervasive and radical " whiteness" that resisted equality for blacks in the workplace and the housing market as their God- and state-given right. Detroit, though examined as a case study applicable to other cities as well, is atypical in many ways that may have served to make bad situations worse. It was heavily reliant on the automotive and related industries, and lacked a significant presence of other racial minorities (13). Its ethnic communities, largely different European groups, quickly merged into a cohesive, blue-collar, home-owning "white American" culture by the 1920s, one bolstered frequently through independent union shops and churches that bucked larger social trends toward equality and civil rights. Even during the Depression years, Detroit's industrial economy chugged on, immortally captured in the epic murals of painter Diego Rivera. When WWII demanded a quick industrial mobilization, Detroit was ready physically; despite the association with the automobile, more than 40

Communication Essay Example for Free

Communication Essay Companies often organize their departments into teams that support each other to complete tasks or projects. When working in groups, communication is vital to the success of the team. Teams must work well individually as well as a members of a team. Communication on an individual level differs from communication within a group. Individually, you must actively listen and insure accurate understanding, offer to help solve problems, and focus on not being distracted by your own emotions. You cannot allow your emotions to distract you or cause you to miss the key points or misinterpret information. As an individual you must attend all group meetings, provide feedback and input to the discussions, and be respectful to others input and views. It is important that everyone in the group understand their role and responsibilities to the group. Everyone must contribute to discussions and meetings, and there should not be any silent members. To promote group discussion, you can start by going around the group and allowing each person to speak. This will allow each person a chance to be involved in the discussion and will spark topics of discussion. When working in a group, conflicts usually arise and should be dealt with immediately and directly. Ignoring conflict or disagreements will cause the team to be lose focus, become less productive. Most conflicts result from poor communication and misinterpretations. To resolve conflicts, it is important to locate where the break-down in communication happened. By talking through the conflict with the members of the group, and redefining tasks and objectives, the team can resolve these types of issues. To foster good communication within a group every member must listen to each other, work collaboratively to make decisions, adapt to changes and communication styles, assign specific tasks, set clear deadlines and expectations, and conduct follow-up meetings to review.

Malayan union to establish system

Malayan union to establish system In the year of 1945, after the Japanese surrendered and ended the Second World War. Although the Japanese taken Malaya for only three and half years (from 15th February 1942 till 15th August 1945), they had left a great impact on the country. Later, the British returned to Malaya and gave the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) the opportunity to rule the government. According to the history, the MCP only controls Malaya for 14 days because during their supervision, MCP members created trouble and chaos. The British returned to Malaya in September 1945 and set up the British Military Administration (BMA) to bring back peace to Malaya. The BMA system did not last long and British come up with another new system of administration known as the Malayan Union. On April 1, 1946 the Malayan Union officially came into existence with Sir Edward Gent as its governor. The capital of the Union was Kuala Lumpur. The idea of the Union was first expressed by the British on October 1945 (plans had been presented to the War Cabinet as early as May 1944) in the aftermath of the Second World War by the British Military Administration. Sir Harold MacMichael was assigned the task of gathering the Malay state rulers approval for the Malayan Union in the same month. In a short period of time, he managed to obtain all the Malay rulers approval. The reasons for their agreement, despite the loss of political power that it entailed for the Malay rulers, has been much debated; the consensus appears to be that the main reasons were that as the Malay rulers were of course resident during the Japanese occupation, they were open to the accusation of collaboration, and that they were threatened with dethronement. Hence the approval was given, though it was with utmost reluctance. The Key Features of the Malayan Union :- 1)The Malayan Union gave equal rights to people who wished to apply for citizenship. It was automatically granted to people who were born in any state in British Malaya or Singapore and were living there before 15 February 1942, born outside British Malaya or the Straits Settlements only if their fathers were citizens of the Malayan Union and those who reached 18 years old and who had lived in British Malaya or Singapore 10 out of 15 years before 15 February 1942. The group of people eligible for application of citizenship had to live in Singapore or British Malaya for 5 out of 8 years preceding the application, had to be of good character, understand and speak the English or Malay language and had to take an oath of allegiance to the Malayan Union. 2)The Sultans, the traditional rulers of the Malay states, conceded all their powers to the British Crown except in religious matters. 3)The Malayan Union was placed under the jurisdiction of a British Governor, signalling the formal inauguration of British colonial rule in the Malay peninsula. 4)Moreover, even though State Councils were still kept functioning in the former Federated Malay States, it lost the limited autonomy that they enjoyed as they administered some local and less important aspects of government and the Federal government in Kuala Lumpur controlling vital aspects. State Councils became an extended hand of the Federal government that had to do its bidding. 5)Also, British Residents replacing the Sultans as the head of the State Councils meant that the political status of the Sultans were greatly reduced. 6)Equal rights for all citizens regardless of race origin.This includes the entry into government service and the right to vote in the general elections. 7)Made up of the nine Malay states,Penang Island and Malacca. The Failure of Malayan Union plan is due to :- The Malays generally opposed the creation of the Union. The opposition was due to the methods Sir Harold MacMichael used to acquire the Sultans approval, the reduction of the Sultans powers, and the granting of citizenship to non-Malay immigrants and their descendants-especially the ethnic Chinese, not only because of their racial and religious difference but also because their economic dominance was seen as a threat to the Malays. The United Malays National Organization or UMNO, a Malay political association formed by Dato Onn bin JaHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onn_JaafarHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onn_Jaafarafar on March 1, 1946, led the opposition against the Malayan Union. Malays also wore white bands around their heads, signifying their mourning for the loss of the Sultans political rights. However, ex-Malayan government officials criticised the way these constitutional reforms were brought about in Malaya, even saying that it went against the principles of the Atlantic Charter. They also encouraged Malay opposition to the Malayan Union. The fact that people were allowed to hold dual nationalities meant there was a possibility that the Chinese and Indians would be loyal to their home country, rather than Malaya. After the inauguration of the Malayan Union, the Malays, under UMNO, continued opposing the Malayan Union. They utilised civil disobedience as a means of protest by refusing to attend the installation ceremonies of the British governors. They had also refused to participate in the meetings of the Advisory Councils, hence Malay participation in the government bureaucracy and the political process had totally stopped. As a result of the opposition from the local people the Malayan Union was not implemented .Summarized below are the factors which lead to the failure of the Union. 1)Strong opposition from the Local Malays. The suggestion to set up the Malayan Union stirred up a strong sense of nationalism among the Malays. 2)No strong support from the non-Malays. The non-Malays were not interested in the Malayan Union because it excluded Singapore. 3)Wrong timing. Communal feelings and hostility still existed between the Malays and the Chinese as result of the Japanese Occupation. The conditions in Malaya then were still not really peaceful. Social and economic problems were obvious. The Malayan Union was accused of putting the Malays at a disadvantage and favouring the non-Malays. Malay loyalty to their ruler and state was still strong. 4)Wrong introduction. The Union was drawn up in London without taking into account the situation and wishes of the people in Malaya. There was also strong objection to the use of political blackmail to get the agreement signed. 5)Opposition from former British administrators in Malaya. They urged the British to protect the interests and special rights of the Malays. The British had recognised this problem and took measures to consider the opinions of the major races in Malaya before making amendments to the constitution. The Malayan Union ceased to exist in January, 1948. It was replaced by the Federation of Malaya. References Zakaria Haji Ahmad. Government and Politics (1940-2006). p.p 30-21 Marissa Champion. Odyssey: Perspectives on Southeast Asia Malaysia and Singapore 1870-1971. Sejarah Malaysia. Malaysian Studies-Nationhood and Citizenship. Question 2 Discuss the factors that led to the formation of Malaysia and elaborate on the strong opposition to the merger from Indonesia and the Philippines. (50 marks) Sometime in 1955, and later in 1959, Singapore had suggested that it be merged with Malaya. This proposal, however, was rejected by Malaya. At the time, Singapores population comprised mainly Chinese and Malaya feared that this would affect its racial composition, which was predominantly Malay. There was also the fear that the Communists, whose activities were still rampant in Singapore, might influence Malaya and impede its struggle to be rid of the threat of Communism. Four years after Malayas independence, however, Malayan Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman took the region by surprise on 27th May 1961, when he made a speech stating his proposal to merge Malaya, Singapore and the Borneo territories of Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei. His sudden change of mind was influenced by the state of politics and economy in Singapore and the other territories. The Factors Leading to the Proposal of a Merger One of the reasons Tunku Abdul Rahman was keen on a merger with Singapore was for economic purposes. Singapore had a large number of industrial firms and a large population, which complemented its position as one of the more important trading ports in this region. The Borneo territories, on the other hand, boasted of richness in natural resources such as oil, natural gas and timber, and fertile agricultural grounds that produced pepper, rubber and much more. Tunku Abdul Rahman believed that a merger with these colonies would be of much value to Malaya. Tunku Abdul Rahman was also seeking to liberate these colonies from colonization. Malaya had already achieved its independence four years earlier. While Singapore practiced to a large extent, a self-governing policy, Sabah and Sarawak were still very much under British control. In Brunei, the Sultan maintained his autocratic powers but was compelled to receive advise from a British Resident. Tunku Abdul Rahman felt that a merger of these colonies with Malaya would speed up independence from the British. Another factor was the stronghold of Communism over Singapore. As time passed, their activities did not cease. Singapore was then led by Lee Kuan Yew, who, frustrated with the constant disputes and strikes in the mid-1950s, decided to woo some of the Communists into his government, hoping to find favour with them and eventually soften their blows. However, the Communists were adamant about continuing their activities and eventually formed their own party, known as the Barisan Socialis, after they were forced to resign from the government. Fearing that Malaya would be in grave danger should the Communists decide to support their allies in Malaya from across the straits, Tunku Abdul Rahman felt that a merger with Singapore would make it easier to deal with the Communists. Apart from Singapore, Communism was also thriving in Sarawak, where the communists formed an underground association, which exerted its influence on workers associations, students and farmers. There also existed cultural similarities between these territories. Singapore comprised a large Chinese population, while Malaya had a mixed array of Malays, Chinese and Indians. The initial fears expressed by some UMNO members about the Malays being outnumbered by the Chinese, were dispelled when they were convinced that ethnic balance would be restored once the Borneo Territories, which comprised most Malays and indigenous groups, merged with Malaya. Response from Singapore, the Borneo Territories and Brunei Singapore still retained its initial interest in Malaya and was therefore, eager to merge with Malaya when Tunku Abdul Rahman made the proposal in 1961. The only opposition came from the Communist-dominated party, Barisan Socialis. Despite this, Lee Kuan Yew actively campaigned to support the merger. His efforts paid off and a referendum held on 1 September 1962 indicated that 71.1% of the population of Singapore supported the merger. Singapore was promised autonomy in education, revenue and labour while the central government would be operating in Kuala Lumpur. Its free entreport status would also be maintained. Like Singapore, Brunei was equally keen on the merger, since its ruler, Sultan Ali Saifuddin was hoping to gain protection from a larger country like Malaya. A.M. Azahari, the leader of the opposition party, Parti Rakyat, however, strongly opposed the merger and led a revolt against the government of Brunei, in which he was defeated. Azahari had an ulterior motive to merge all the North Borneo territories and place them under the reins of Brunei. Eventually, Brunei changed its mind after the Sultan realized that he wouldnt be given special rights above the other Sultans in Malaya and would have only limited oil reserves if Brunei merged with Malaya. The response from Sabah and Sarawak was not on par with that from Singapore and the initial response from Brunei, since both territories feared losing authority in the administration of their governments. Apart from this, the non-Malays feared that the Malays in Sabah and Sarawak would be even more dominant should the merger take place. To allay their fears, Tunku Abdul Rahman went to these territories in June 1961 and set up the Malaysia Solidarity Consultative Committee (MSCC) to inform the people of the benefits of the merger. The Cobbold Commission When Tunku Abdul Rahman flew to London to discuss the formation Malaysia with the British government in November 1961, the British were very much in favour of it, but stipulated that the Borneo territories should agree with the merger. Hence, the British formed the Cobbold Commission led by Lord Cobbold, to investigate the reaction of the people in Sabah and Sarawak towards the merger. Two months later, after receiving thousands of letters, conducting thousands of interviews with the people of Sabah and Sarawak and countless public meetings, a conclusion was reached. Only one third of the population rejected the merger, hoping to join Malaya only after they achieved their independence. The other two thirds either supported the merger wholeheartedly or supported it on the grounds that their rights be maintained. Since the merger won the favour of the majority, it was approved by the British. On 16th September 1963, Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak became one nation, known as Malaysia. Once again, an official proclamation was made by Tunku Abdul Rahman at the Merdeka Stadium. Two years later, however, on 9th August 1965, Singapore broke away from Malaysia and formed its own government. Protest from neighbouring countries When Malaysia was formed, Indonesia and the Philippines disapproved of the new establishment due to their own ulterior motives. The Philippines claimed ownership of Sabah, stating that Sabah came under the Sulu Sultanate which belonged to the Philippines. As such, the Philippines did not acknowledge Malaysia as an independent country or the official declaration that took place on16th September 1963. The president of the Philippines, Macapagal had severed diplomatic ties with Malaysia. It was only sometime in June 1966, that the Philippines gave due recognition to Malaysia and acknowledged it as an independent country. Indonesia, on the other hand, was hoping to merge with Malaya to form Indonesia Raya and at the same time, establish an independent North Borneo Federation comprising Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei. The Indonesian president at the time, Sukarno, was heavily influenced by the Communist party in Indonesia and subsequently declared a Confrontation policy of on Malaysia from January 1963 to August 1966 to voice his objection of the formations of Malaysia. During this period, Indonesia put a halt to all diplomatic relations with Malaysia and launched an attack. The first stops the Indonesians made were at Pontian, Labis, Muar and Kota Tinggi. Agents were sent to overthrow the Malaysian government and at the same time, create misunderstanding among Malays and Chinese. The confrontation came to an eventual end when Sukarno was replaced by Suharto as the president of Indonesia. Consequently, a peace treaty was signed between both countries in Jun 1966. Singapore decided to withdraw from Malaysia on 9th August 1965 to form her own Republic due to some disagreements, particularly about special rights of the natives. Hence, Malaysia today comprises Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. Malaysia has now been enjoying independence for 53 years and is known to the world as a sovereign country. We are able to achieve economic, political and social stability and move rapidly towards a developed country. Although Malaysia is a plural society that consists of various races, they are able to live, co-operate and co-exist in harmony to build a strong and developed country. The understanding among the races, which creates unity in the country, plays a very important role in moulding Malaysia to be a politically stable country.

Graduation Speech: We Are Giants :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Sept. 8, 2008: Colossal corridors and mammoth Seniors greeted our frightened Freshmen. Though we clung desperately to our remaining drops of confidence from the pinnacle of eighth grade, they evaporated under the sheer intensity of high school. We dared not poke our unprotected heads out to view this new realm, too terrified of who or what we might find. Some of us, it seemed, feared our strange surroundings would swallow us whole. Fortunately, curiosity overpowered even the most paralyzing insecurity, and slowly we prodded our boundaries, cautiously testing our skills and talents. We joined clubs and teams that matched our abilities, carving a circle of compassionate friends from the once-distant swarm. And backed by the support of these caring allies, we settled into the routine of adolescence. Until someone uttered those eight terrifying words: "What will you be when you grow up?" Of course, we had first been introduced to this ambiguous question while still in diapers, but always had brushed it aside with the thought, "I'll decide later." High school, we discovered, was later. So we embarked on the tedious process of inventing our dreams. We scoured the career center, hounded our counselors, pestered our parents and teachers. We pleaded with friends to answer in our stead. Certainly, we knew it was our decision, but we had to try to get out of it, right? Make someone else decide. But there is one instant in everyone's life when they explode from beneath that Xeroxed shroud of "General Public" and slip into the shimmering gown of "Individualism." Soon we understood that to find our passions we must step beyond the tight, comfortable confines or our abilities. We were forced to expose ourselves once more to the vulnerability of trial and error. But this time, as we delved into unfamiliar activities, we had the self-assurance to attempt the experiment. And so, amid the swirling waters of high school, backed by constant guidance from faculty, parents, and peers, we gradually formulated a future.

Evaluating Mintzs Sweetness and Power :: Sugar Sweet Tooth Foods Essays

Evaluating Mintz's Sweetness and Power Why would anyone feel the need to write an entire book on such a mundane topic such as sugar? Look around at some food products you might have and you will realize that many if not all of them contain sugar in some form or another. For example, a can of soda, which most people drink everyday, contains (depending on the brand) approximately 40 grams of sugars. Look further and you might find that even things such as cheese or chips or soup contain several grams of sugar in them. The wide diversification of products that contain sugar just goes to show you how widespread the use of sugar really is. This fact alone could be enough to convince someone to create a book solely about sugar. One passage that Mintz quotes on page 15 that really seems to capture our (Westerners) infatuation with sugar, and a strong reason the book at hand is as follows: Western peoples consume enormous per capita quantities of refined sugar because, to most people, very sweet foods taste very good. The existence of the human sweet tooth can be explained, ultimately, as an adaptation of ancestral populations to favor the ripest-and hence the sweetest-fruit. In other words, the selective pressures of times past are most strikingly revealed by the artificial, supernormal stimulus of refined sugar, despite the evidence that eating refined sugar is maladaptive. With such an obsession with sweet foods, there is an obvious desire for an explanation of how such a once unknown substance took center stage on everybody's snack, dessert, and candy list. That's where Sidney W. Mintz comes into play. He decided to write this book Sweetness and Power, and from the looks of all the sources he used to substantiate his ideas and data, it seems that he is not the first person to find the role that sugar plays in modern society important. By analyzing who Mintz's audience is meant to be, what goals he has in writing this book, what structure his book incorporates, what type, or types, of history he represents within the book, what kind of sources he uses, and what important information and conclusions he presents, we can come to better understand Mintz's views and research of the role of sugar in history, and how much it really affects our lives as we know them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To begin to understand and evaluate Mintz's Sweetness and Power, one must first understand who his book is aimed toward, in other words, his audience.

Free schools Essay

Are an interesting idea but the government needs to be very careful to make sure that educational standards improve for all children and that the whole community benefits. The idealogy behind â€Å"free Schools â€Å"are that they are non-profit making, independent, state-funded schools. They are able to choose what subjects they choose for their pupils to study and have many less restrictions imposed on them on how they choose to allocate their finances. For this very reason free schools would be varied in their nature as they would not be forced to follow for example the national curriculum. They are not defined by size or location: there is not a single type of free school or a single reason for setting them up. Free schools could be either primary or secondary schools. They could be located in traditional school buildings or appropriate community spaces such as office buildings or church halls. They could be set up by a wide range of proposers – including charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, visionary teachers or committed parents – who want to make a difference to the educational landscape. They might be needed because there simply are not enough school places in a local area and children have to travel too far to the nearest school. Free schools are not academically selective and open to children of all abilities. School is a defining factor in our lives and also promote a shared sense of community which is important as cohesive communities are generally more happy and safe than uncohesive ones – there is no discrimination or segregation and they nurture a shared set of beliefs and values and goals, living together in harmony and mutual respect. An example of a community that lacks this is Oldham – in which the races, Asians and whites were segregated and this triggered violent race riots. This happened due to the immense divide between Asian and White communities and their inability to mix and appreciate one another. This event made me think that this was very bad for the community and did nothing but encourage racial segregation. Looking at the footage of the riots of 2001 it is clear that situation could have been easily avoided had everyone learnt to appreciate one another. Community cohesion is about ensuring that all people from different backgrounds and communities feel they belong to the place in which they live. We cannot realise our ambitions by living in isolation to one another, it must be as a united city, where the differences of race, colour, and religion are embraced. A sense of community cohesion as we grow up makes us happier in general and encourages us to be unprejudiced and non-racist. Our distinctive character is developed early on in life and to be encouraged to mix with other people with different beliefs and religions helps promote a safer and on the whole a more happier and strong community. We start school within the first few years of our lives and being mixed with different people at this institution endorses a stronger community. We spend a good part of a decade at school so there is no doubt that school will be largely responsible for our values and beliefs, as well as our personality. Depending on what school we go to we are thrust into a shared community and we learn to get along and share beliefs. As stated in the Source material, â€Å"Being part of a community helps us develop an identity – a sense of who we are†. An uncohesive community has exactly the opposite effect, and children growing up in an uncohesive community can grow up to have negative views and not feel like they belong and the can feel like they do not have a stake in society and being able to join in and influence decisions that affect their lives. When David Cameron and Nick Clegg (leaders of the Conservative party and the Liberal Democrat party) were elected to form a coalition government in 2010, one of the Conservatives policies were â€Å"the Big Society† which was apparently based on a model of Balsall Heath – A town with low levels of community cohesion. The idea of the â€Å"Big Society† was that people take greater control of their communities and not rely on the government and local authorities to provide services like schools, community centres, youth clubs. This town has now been transformed and the town is now clean and tidy and people of all different cultural backgrounds mix. The most positive effects of this were that community cohesion increased in a drastic way. There is no doubt that there are some beneficial aspects of free schools such as people of all different ethnicities mixing together as a free school is not academically selective. This discourages discrimination and community cohesion. Some people may argue that the current government is trying to distance themselves from responsibility and segregate society but I believe that David Cameron is good to encourage people to take action if they are deprived of something that will be a credit to the community. Further argument counteracting this is that some people think that such people in deprived areas are not skilled or have enough knowledge to undertake a difficult project of opening a school, particularly a secondary school. A quote from a recent article of the Telegraph states â€Å"These kids will be left behind, because the second point is that, if you set up a market mechanism, then there are winners and losers, but, in this case the losers are children, left behind in a â€Å"sink† school. † The endorsement of free schools is debatable, but interesting. Nick Clegg declared on the 5th September in his speech â€Å"Free schools would not become the ‘preserve of the privileged few'† which outlines the fact that he thinks free schools would in effect privatize the education system and allow the new institutions to cream off the best pupils and resources. On the other hand the Education Secretary Michael Gove who wholeheartedly believes that free schools will end the â€Å"rationing† of good education. He believes that free schools to replace failing comprehensives will give ‘all children access to the kind of education only the rich can afford’. He outlines this in Source 1 as well as saying free schools will â€Å"cut the achievement gap between rich and poor†. However , free schools could lead to social segregation as middle class parents are likely to be very keen on them, leading to a situation where middle class and working class people do not mix. This could end up with middle class children going to good schools and working class children remaining in local authority schools where there is very little funding. Another group who are really keen on free schools are faith groups and this could lead to segregation on religious grounds. Standards for school would therefore not rise uniformly for everyone which would be a big disadvantage and there would also be low community cohesion which is explained above. I personally think it is unfair that some pupils don’t have the opportunity to go to a high achieving school as I went through this whole school â€Å"lottery† trying for three high achieving schools but I failed to get into any of them, simply because I was out of the catchment area. It is worth setting up free schools in deprived areas where children are forced to go to a low achieving school, so they have the same opportunities that wealthier children have. Michael Gove planned to branch out free schools here after apparent success in America with free schools, where 99 free schools have been established. Evidence suggests that 83% of free schools in the USA are doing no better than their conventional counterparts – which brings me to question whether the opening of free schools really are beneficial and whether the opening of them would cut the bridge between rich and poor. However in further research some students in these schools feel that they are in a better position in a free school where they apply rigorous discipline and are challenging. This again makes the idea of free schools questionable. In Source 3, a group of six hundred parents expressed their desire for their children to go to a school other than the local state school. This brings about the conclusion that if this many parents are unhappy with the type of provision of state schooling institutions, something must be done. This opinion is also met with Rachel Wolfs in Source 4 who argues that â€Å"hundreds of parents have suffered too long from a two tier education system – one in which the wealthy can get into the excellent local school by buying a house in the right catchment area or paying school fees, while less off parents are stuck. † I believe this is an extremely unfair system and one in which the wealthy seem to have it all and working class citizens are stuck in a never ending rut. In Source 5 another parents view is expressed, where she expresses her desire for a school in which most of its students could walk to and not sending their children 4 miles away. Source 6 promotes the fact that some people are planning to profit from the government’s initiative – â€Å"seeking to profit at the expense of the taxpayer† states Ed Balls in Source 8. He continues with â€Å"Since free schools introduced a free schools policy the country’s education standards in maths and scince have plummeted†. This Source brings about more negativity on the topic of free schools and questions the beneficial aspects of free schools. Source 7, an extract adapted from the website of the National Union of Teachers promotes an opinion of high negativity towards free schools, of which 24 have opened this September. A quote of this source is ‘†This government’s attack on state education has to be opposed. Laws to create many more academies and the new so called free schools are an attack on the very existence of free, state comprehensive education which is democratically accountable. It is privatisation on a grand scale and is unacceptable†. From my research many people agree with the condemning of free schools with NASUWT stating â€Å"†The free schools programme will be anything but free. Free schools are an unnecessary and costly gamble in educating the country’s children. The Government is simply not acting responsibly by not making clear where the money will come from to fund the free schools policy. Major education programmes have in the last few weeks been cut or frozen. The public would be right to be concerned that money saved from other education programmes will be used to fund the free schools policy. † There is yet more negativity on the introduction of free schools with ATL an education union saying â€Å"†Parents or teachers misguided enough to set up a free school will soon find out that running a school needs a lot more than knowing pupils’ names and an alternative vision of education. It needs knowledge of employment law, health and safety and the admissions code. And private companies are waiting in the wings to provide these services. ATL has produced a directory listing the major organisations which want to get involved in managing state schools – England’s schools: not open for business. † These all show there is much negativity on free schools. Also NASUWT outlines the fact that it is not clear where the money to fund free schools will come from which brings about the conclusion that the government are taking money from existing state schools which may not benefit the majority of children in the local area. In Source 9 a blogger wrote her opinion which depicts that instead of reducing segregation free schools would in fact increase it, by being â€Å"highly selective† especially for parents who are forcefully ambitious in their choice of school, leaving behind children, for whom there may not be a voice. In Source 10 we look at Sweden, which already has free schools implemented but a person called Per Thulberg who analysed this said schools had not led to better results and Michael Gove contradicted this stating that if parents had more choice then existing schools would be forced to improve, but Per Thurlberg said better results simply came from students with better backgrounds going into those schools. These statistics suggest that free schools may not bring about better results and will not determine that there are better quality schools for the public to choose from which was the point of free schools being created in the first place. Free schools may simply be taking money from the local comprehensive where students may inevitably end up. Another factor which questions the beneficial aspects of free schools are the growing popularity of faith schools – demands to build more faith schools in the form of free schools are reportedly growing – this is a feature which some say will segregate society further and not promote community cohesion. http://www. dailymail. co. uk/news/article-2046715/Richard-Dawkins-attacks-alien-rubbish-taught-Muslim-faith-schools. html http://www. guardian. co.uk/education/2011/oct/04/alarm-over-racial-segregation-london-schools. These articles – especially the second depict the racial segregation that faith schools may cause. I think personally that large numbers of faith schools in Britain will not benefit the society as a whole. In conclusion and to be fair and in all honesty it is just too soon to say whether free schools are going to be a good thing and create a more fair educational society for all of us. It is very clear that the present system is not working and puts immense pressure on both parents and children to fulfill the need to attend a good school. Once parents were allowed to see the published national league tables of which schools perform well as opposed to which schools did not, it was only a matter of time before wealthy parents were able to move to a â€Å"catchment† area to secure the best school places for their children leaving behind the poorer child to accept whatever was on offer. This has caused a very great divide in good and average performing schools and caused a lot of low morale for many parents in this country. If free schools can address this major issue it can only be a good thing. However, it can be argued that the odds are stacked against them. In our present times with our bleak economic outlook any system that is trying to get on its feet will gobble a lot of financial resources and one has to look at where this money is coming from and whether our already existing state schools who do not join in will suffer as a result. Competition is whole heartedly healthy generally in a society but not an unfair one where competition takes place in schools where clever kids are already creamed off and able to go to better schools. This can be a major disadvantage and in itself causes segregation of a different sort. I feel that if people are inspired to take on the opportunity of setting up a free school then they probably have a vision of a better , alternative system they are aspiring to which is a good thing as the government has set up a lot of stringent conditions which have to be passed to set up a free school. In all, apathy and not doing anything to address the issues in our schools is a worse misdemeanor than at least trying to see whether free schools hold the answer to our problems and so we can only hope for our future generations that free schools work. As in everything in life only time will tell.

Connections Essay

The overall connection that I chose to analyze in this report was the importance of marriage, as it is an idea that is present in almost everybody’s life, and it is something that heavily impacts the nature of a society. Marriage is seen in society in both positive and negative ways, involving emotions from true love to bitterness. In the texts A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini, The Ballad of Calvary Street by James K Baxter, The Silk by Joy Cowley and Atonement directed by Joe Wright, this idea of the importance of marriage is clearly present in all of them, yet they are all shown so differently (negatively and positively) as to give examples of the ways that it is interpreted in different societies, and allow me to deduce the importance that this idea holds on a global scale. Romantic love is recognized in most societies by the practice of marriage. This is a prominent symbol in all the texts I have covered except for Atonement, where the absence of marriage is used to show the couple’s true love. In this film, we see that Cecelia and Robbie are in love, however a misunderstanding on the part of Cecelia’s sister, Briony, means that Cecelia and Robbie are prevented from marriage or even being together. This is shown as a particularly tragic incident, which shows the importance that society places on the process of marriage. This is also a very prominent idea in the novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, which is set in Afghanistan. We see two women, Laila and Mariam, who are owned and controlled by their shared husband, and their lives literally rely on him, because as women, they are unable to attain independence due to their country’s beliefs. In Afghan society, marriage is a sacred business, and any sexual relations outside of marriage are greatly looked down upon, and the punishment for a female offender can be as severe as torture or death by the girl’s family or husband. This also shows the idea of the importance of marriage that is shown in Atonement, as marriage is seen as the pinnacle of happiness in both texts, However in A Thousand Splendid Suns it is shown in a more negative manner, with marriage being shown as an essential burden rather than a desire. Marriage is also shown as a necessity in the poem, The Ballad of Calvary Street, but for different reasons. In this poem, a poorly suited elderly couple stay together, to prevent the disruption of their family. This shows that even New Zealand society can view marriage as an important action, and a obligation in functional family life. This shows a similar idea to that in A Thousand Splendid Suns and Atonement, that marriage is a necessary action. In the short story The Silk, we see an elderly married couple, of which the husband is nearing death. The woman in the relationship is finding it hard to come to terms with her husbands impending demise, as she has a set routine which revolves around her and her husband’s relationship. This presents the idea that is shown in A Thousand Splendid Suns, Atonement and The Ballad of Calvary Street, that marriage is a prerequisite for a happy life, and it is a tragedy to be without it. In the Silk, we can tell that this married couple are truly in love from quotes such as, â€Å"she guarded him so possessively that she even resented the twice-weekly visits from the district nurse,† which shows the devoted way that they take care of each other, presenting the traditional idea of marriage. In Atonement, when childhood sweethearts Robbie and Cecelia are prevented from being together, we are struck by the tragedy of the fact that they will never be able to get married, and live out their lives together. This portrays the aspect of marriage that is shown in The Silk, that marriage is a symbol of the love between two people, and that it is a contract which binds the two people together for the rest of their lives, as we see Robbie and Cecelia denied of this entitlement. In today’s society, a happy couple who are in love are expected to get married. This relates to both The Silk and Atonement, as in both texts marriage is seen as a necessity for the happiness of the people involved, which further supports the idea that society regards marriage as particularly important. From these texts, society may be able to reassess its outlook on the controversial matter of gay marriage. The tragedy of Cecelia and Robbie’s separation that is shown in Atonement and the portrayal of the happiness involved in marriage that is shown in The Silk could be enough to convince the large portion of society that is against gay marriage that they are wrong, as in both texts marriage is shown as a component of happiness that should not be denied of anyone. The relationships and situations that are shown in the texts are not exclusive to heterosexual couples, and would translate just as well to homosexual relationships, meaning that the ideas attached to the texts can be applied to same-sex couples as well, and could have an influence on the opinion that people hold towards gay marriage. Unfortunately, marriage is not always a happy affair, as it is intended to be. This is plainly shown in the text The Ballad of Calvary Street, as we see an unfortunate couple who are forced to remain together due to the stigma attached to divorce. Quotes such as â€Å"Mum takes down the family files,† suggest that family is not an important thing to the couple, since they have fallen apart, but that they continue to treat it as such, as they consider it their duty as parents to remain married. This idea that marriage is a compulsory task is also shown in A Thousand Splendid Suns, as we see protagonist Laila is forced into marriage, for her own survival. Her husband knowingly takes advantage of her vulnerable situation, saying, â€Å"These days, times being what they are, a woman needs a husband,† showing that marriage can often take place for reasons other than love (as was shown in The Ballad of Calvary Street), and that this can easily be taken advantage of. This presents the idea that in many different societies, (New Zealand and Afghan), marriage is seen as an essential measure, even when one or both of the people involved in the relationship are unhappy. Although this is an unfortunate truth, it is one that must sometimes be accepted, as it is often present in today’s society. These texts could help people come to terms with the idea that marriage is not always a representation of love, as they show legitimate alternative reasons for marriage, (the stability of family life or the safety of a person in a certain community. ) This could benefit society as it would create an understanding and acceptance of the reality of marriage today. In conclusion, the idea of marriage is a common theme in many texts, including Atonement directed by Joe Wright, The Silk by Joy Cowley, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and The Ballad of Calvary Street by James K Baxter. Although marriage is not always the quintessential act of love and can sometimes tell a tragic story, it is important that it is expressed in forms such as these texts so that society can reflect on its faults and hopefully improve its approach on the subject.