One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Marquez’s work titled â€Å"One Hundred Years of Solitude† gives an account of Buendà ­as family, who found the isolated town of Macondo (McMurray 113). For days, the township did not get in touch with the outside world, apart from gypsies who passed by, at times, selling goodies like telescopes and ice.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The founder of the family unit, Josà © Arcadio Buendà ­a, was curious and inquisitive. He was, also, a head, who was extremely introverted, as he separated himself, from other people, in his obsessive inquiry into mystifying affairs (Mrquez 5). Buendà ­a’s character traits get passed on to his offspring throughout the novel. Aureliano, his younger child, inherit his extreme, mysterious focus. Josà © Arcadio, his oldest child, inherit his physical might and impetuousn ess. Ahead of establishing contacts with neighboring towns, Macondo loses its innocent state. Civil warfare begins, bringing bloodshed and fatality to calm Macondo, which, formerly, had experienced neither of them, and Aureliano becomes the head of the broadminded rebels, attaining distinction as Colonel Aureliano Buendà ­a. Also, Macondo changes to a township permanently linked to the outside humanity through the disgrace of Colonel Buendà ­a, during and after the warfare (Wood 7). At one point, Arcadio rules authoritatively and finally becomes shot by gun men. Later on, a mayor gets chosen, and his supremacy remains calm until another civil rebellion gets him killed. The civil warfare ends with the signing of a peaceful accord, subsequent to the demise of Arcadio. Marquez’s work, in the novel, is realistic in spite of its magical and fantasy aspects. The novel covers the happenings of a whole century. Hence, much of her work revolves around the actual events, such as, wor k, births, deaths and marriages of the Buendà ­a lineage. Marquez does not shy away from the portrayal of sex and brutality, although she is a woman. She portrays a number of the Buendà ­a men as sexually promiscuous, through explaining how they frequent brothels (Mrquez 198). Other men get portrayed as brutal and introverted. Such men apt to stay indoors, as they make minute golden fish (Mrquez 199). Besides, Marquez portrays the sexual promiscuity of ladies through Meme, who once takes home seventy-two of her friends from boarding school, and Fernanda Del Carpio, who get dressed in a unique nightdress with a hole at the crotch, when she consummates her matrimony with her spouse (Wood 34).Advertising Looking for book review on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Marquez, also, tackles social and political matters with confidence. She explains the exceptional realism of a Latin America that became trapped between industrialism and modernity, and, also, devastated by civil war and imperialism. In this setting, what might or else appear unbelievable begins to appear real both to the author and to the reader. Marquez explains how her homeland saw a mass execution much like the mass murder of the employees in Macondo. The mass murder of the employees occurred after capitalism penetrated Macondo. The Americans established a banana plantation, in Macondo, and constructed fenced settlements, inside the plantation. Americans possessed the land of the community and further, exploited workers, who provided labor in the plantation (Mrquez 79). As a result, the banana plantation workers decided to put their tools down (Mrquez 82). Many of them were mass executed by the army, which sided with the Americans, who owned the plantation. This incidence demonstrates that Mrquez does fear to expose the mistreatment of the Macondo people by the Americans. Besides, Mrquez portrays the image of a f amily through Ursula Iguarn. Ursula Iguarn works loyally to keep the family unit as one regardless of its differences. However, the the Buendà ­a family, as well as, the entire town of Macondo becomes influenced by modernity, which disregards some moral aspects, such as marriage. Also, Garcà ­a Mrquez’s reconstructs and confines horror and beauty of the country, using her encounters in Latin America, into the novel (McMurray 115). Hence, the novel blends indigenous Latin American fairy tale and real happening to create a novel with a sense of real life. Also, the novel is receptive to the fascination that religion and myths inculcate into the globe. Thus, Mrquez’s work is realistic because it stresses on unity between fantasies and the truth. For instance, she argues that magic is real and powerful, which is a common belief among most people. Hence, she tells people what rhymes with their existing knowledge. Thus, the general tendency of the narrative is factual, wit h events represented candidly, as if they occurred. The novel One Hundred Years of Solitude include both modernity and tradition. Modern expertise and culture, together with the capitalism linked with them, often weaken Macondo â€Å"the entry of the train reduces the town to mayhem† (McMurray 115). Thus, modernity drivers are shocking, to the Buendà ­a relatives and the entire Macondo society (Wood 78).Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Tradition, in Garcà ­a Mrquez’s work, becomes seen as a source of wisdom and comfort, and, also, a basis of the narrative’s formal inspiration. Marquez work has an immense impact to the native Latin American folkloric and legendary civilization. However, the partition amid modernity and tradition is not fairly easy. For example, the ethical policies assumed by the narr ative’s most esteemed characters are not traditional standards but are rather quite progressive. For example, Aureliano Segundo receives an incentive for having an affair with Petra Cotes, outside matrimony (Wood 78). Conservative Catholicism becomes regarded as oppressive, as the narrative’s own account of modern moral codes reigns. Lastly, certain elements of the novel’s plot become related to the Bible. The novel begins with two characters in an unsophisticated region of the globe, a globe so novel that several items do not have names for identification. These Characters can be compared to Eve and Adam, in the Bible, since they represent descendants who fill the earth and introduce pain and death, in the world (Mrquez 37). When the monstrous mass murder occurs, in which three thousand people lose their lives, the region experiences rain for almost half a decade. This demonstrates purification of the world using water, similar to the event of Noah, in the Bibl e, when God sent water to cleanse the earth. Also, the novel ends with massive destruction of the world. The community becomes introverted and secluded, again (Mrquez 412). The small number of existing Buendà ­a kin members turns in upon themselves incestuously, separated from the outside humanity and destined to an introverted ending. In addition to the aforementioned elements of the plot, stylistic traits of the work make the book act in a manner that can be compared to the Bible (McMurray 114). Buendà ­a, in the last part of the novel, interprets a set of prehistoric prophecies and discovers that all the happenings became prophesied. The prophecy said that life of the community and its residents became predetermined. Similarly, Melquà ­ades predicts the whole course of happenings, although the difference between Melquà ­ades’ prophesies and the real text, â€Å"One Hundred Years of Solitude† is unclear (McMurray 114). From this perspective, the narrative resembl es the Bible, which is a book of prophesies. However, prophesies of the novel do not essentially work for the inhabitants of Macondo as the Bible does for persons who read it. This is because the novel seems to be indistinguishable with Melquà ­ades’ prophesies, which became written in Sanskrit language. Hence, persons who live in Macondo cannot use Melquà ­ades’ prophesies to forecast events in the future, as Mrquez’s work is accessible only to Aureliano, who decodes the work. Hence, when weighed against Biblical prophesies, prophesies in the novel are unattainable to persons who require them most.Advertising Looking for book review on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In conclusion, Marquez’s work, in the novel, is realistic in spite of its magical and fantasy aspects. The general tendency of the narrative is factual, with events represented candidly, as if they occurred. Besides, the novel embraces both modernity and tradition. Tradition, in Garcà ­a Mrquez’s work, is a source of wisdom and comfort, as well as, a source of motivation for the work. Lastly, several elements in the novel can be related to the Bible. For instance, the two characters at the start of the novel, similar to Eve and Adam, represent descendants who fill the earth and introduce pain and death, in the world. Also, the novel contains some prophecies, thus, resembling the Bible, which is a book of prophesies. Mrquez’s novel, to suffice it all, can be argued from different perspectives. Mrquez, Garcà ­a. One Hundred Years of Solitude, London: HarperCollins, 1967.Print. McMurray, George. Critical Essays on Gabriel Garcà ­a Mrquez, Boston: Hall Company, 1987.Print. Wood, Michael. Gabriel Garcà ­a Mrquez: One Hundred Years of Solitude, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.Print.

Farther vs. Further

Farther vs. Further Farther vs. Further Farther vs. Further By Mark Nichol Is there any difference between farther and further? Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary notes in a usage discussion that as an adverb, farther and further are used indiscriminately when literal or figurative distance is involved: â€Å"How much farther do we have to go?† â€Å"It’s just a mile further.† â€Å"How much further do you want to take this argument?† â€Å"I’ve taken it farther than I want to already.† However, in adjectival form, a distinction has developed regarding use in these senses: â€Å"My house is the farther of the two.† â€Å"She needs no further introduction.† But dictionaries are descriptive; they describe not how people should use language, but how they do use it. However, language maven (and therefore prescriptive) Bryan A. Garner, in Garner’s Modern English Usage, advises, â€Å"In the best usage, farther refers to physical distances, further to figurative distances,† and I agree: Popular usage demonstrates just that popular usage and the careful writer maintains distinctions that enrich the language. (Write eager when you mean eager, for example, and anxious when you mean anxious.) Farthest and furthest, by extension, should maintain the same distinct meanings; use these forms in favor of the burdensome farthermost and furthermost. Furthering and furtherance are interchangeable noun forms that serve as synonyms for promotion or advocacy; there is no equivalent noun form for farther. Further is also employed as a modifier, as in â€Å"Further, I see no reason to delay the proceedings†; furthermore is a variant. Farther, however, does not fit this role. This Daily Writing Tips post from a former contributor has a somewhat different take; as always, consider what you read here (and there) a springboard (or two) for farther I mean further research to help you make up your mind about how you write. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Format a US Business LetterRunning Amok or Running Amuck?30 Nautical Expressions

Cover letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 29

Cover letter - Essay Example petencies comprise of Complaints Management Premises Security, Confidentiality Maintenance Quality Assurance, Data Protection Act Compliance, Difficult People Handling and Continued Professional Development Conflict Resolution .In addition, over the course of my career, I have recorded several achievements such as reorganizing the reception area and effectively increased overall efficiency by 30%.I also achieved Medical Records Management, Patient Share Governance, received Greeter Awards 2004 ,Customer Care Ordinance Counselor together with Adult Care Advisor-Ombudsmen of Forsyth County. I am a time conscious and keen individual who always executes her duties with unmatched precision and within the given time frame. I am a firm believer in team work and tries as much as possible to collaborate and partner with my colleagues through sharing and building workable relationships. I am always keen on learning the latest industry trends and normally seek to adopt and incorporate them in m y work whenever possible. Finally I have excellent oral and written communication skills in addition to being equipped with exceptional presentation skills. Above all, I am a God fearing person and my integrity is above par. It’s my hope that you will kindly consider my application and invite me for an interview. I am very sure that I can make a big difference in your valuable team. Looking forward to working with you. Thank you for your time and kind

Country Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Country Report - Assignment Example On the other hand, the discovery of oil in the 1940s transformed Qatar (O’Brien, 2010, p.412). At present, it has high standard of living with highest GDP per capita in the world as of 2010 of more than USD 88,000 (Greenfield, 2012). For the present paper a comparison of the fiscal policies and inflation rates of these two countries are considered. Furthermore, in the UK, during the regime of the labor governments, government’s size and spending grew significantly. Compounding the budget deficit Labor government bailout several British banks in 2008 and indulged in massive government’s borrowing (United Kingdom, 2013). In 2010, after formation of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government austerity measures were implanted rigorously. In early 2012, the economy returned to recession and growth averaged zero over the year as a whole. In its budget announcement of March 20, the UK govt. decided to stick to its def icit-reduction plan, which is broadly fiscally neutral (United Kingdom, 2013). UK Fiscal Policy and Inflation rate- UK Government’s fiscal plan is underpinned by a forward-looking fiscal mandate to achieve cyclically-adjusted current balance by the end of the rolling, five-year estimate period, as cited in the June Budget 2010. The fiscal mandate directs fiscal policy decisions over the medium term, ensuring that the Government sets plans steady with a reduction in the structural deficit. The fiscal mandate is based on: †¢ A cyclically-adjusted aggregate, to allow some fiscal elasticity at times of economic uncertainty; †¢ A rolling five-year forecast period, to ensure that fiscal consolidation is delivered over a realistic and probable timeframe; and †¢ The current balance, to protect the most productive public investment expenditure. The establishment of Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has significantly enhanced the credibility of the UK’s fisca l framework by ensuring that the Government’s fiscal policy decisions are based on independent forecasts for the economy and public finances (Copy of the Budget Report, 2013 p12). Figure-1  (Deficit, national debt and government borrowing - how has it changed since 1946? 2013) UK inflation has been above target since December 2009 and the central bank has quoted this as one reason for not resumption of its bond repurchase program. High inflation has had an erosive impact on the UK economy, reducing households’ disposable income Approximately a 40% rise in food prices and the impact of rising oil and commodity prices coupled with a weakening pound, plus hikes to VAT [sales tax] and tuition fees took a huge toll on the high street (Katrina, 2013). Figure-2  Source: United Kingdom Inflation Rate, 2013 Qatar’s Fiscal policy and inflation rate- While many advanced world economies were twirling under severe recession in the recent past, Qatar has taken head on, th e global financial crisis, reflecting timely and focused policy response by the authorities. The considerable advancement of liquefied natural gas capacity, large government support to the banking system, and increase in public spending helped Qatar in sustaining high growth rates. Heavy investment in liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity and increases in LNG production over the last couple of years have been the main drivers of Qatar’s robust growth (Qatar Economic Statistics at a Glance, 2012,p.4) Figure-3  (Qatar Economic

Emotional Intelligence Essay Example for Free

Emotional Intelligence Essay The article titled, The Emotional Intelligence of Leaders, written by Daniel Goleman, emphasizes on the emotional intelligence aspect of leadership and discusses various points regarding emotional intelligence in leaders and in people in general. There is a clear separation of raw intelligence technical expertise from that of emotional intelligence. It is explained that raw intelligence and technical expertise are the basic skills and capabilities required of a leader, but that emotional intelligence is the element that, combined with the basic skills, makes up a successful leader. It involves demonstrating qualities of the heart, in that leaders should be able to connect with people on a human level, in addition to possessing the basic leadership skills. Following the discussion of the anatomy of emotions, the article describes that there are five main elements of emotional intelligence that are explained in the article, including self-awareness, managing emotions, motivating others, showing empathy, and staying connected, which is then proceeded by a discussion of raising your EQ. In the discussion of the anatomy of emotions, the amygdala is said to be a structure in the limbic system that stores emotional memory and perceptions. Some of these memories can include being happy, sad, and angry. When a situation occurs, you go back to your emotional memory to process a response or reaction. The first main element of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. In terms of leadership, self-awareness is described as a capability that allows one to have and to practice self-confidence and self-assessment. Self-assessment allows you to pay attention and properly assess the natural feelings that occur when faced with situations or decisions as a leader. It is important for a leader to have these natural gut feelings and to appropriately process and incorporate these feelings into leadership decisions. In doing so, a leader will possess a sense of self-confidence in their actions and decision making. It is what gives a person the sense of gallantry in their leadership role. The second element of emotional intelligence is managing emotions, which is explained as the ability to deal with ones own stress and impulsivity,  especially in terms of anger, anxiety, and sadness. In doing so, one can pay more attention to situations and decisions that they are faced with as a leader, and less attention on the emotional disturbance that is faced with being rudderless in managing their emotions. By managing your emotions and practicing self-control, leaders can avoid poor decision making and will demonstrate improved leadership abilities. The next element described is motivating others, which involves management and leaders to be able to emotionally motivate and inspire others. Optimism is explained to be an important aspect of motivating others. It is said that the optimist can deal with setbacks better than the pessimist. In the event of a setback, an optimist leader would be able to overcome the issue and try again, learning from the setback and striving to push forward toward the goal or mission. Whereas the pessimist would give up, demonstrating a lack of ability to motivate their team. The ability to motivate others is a strong quality of emotional intelligence in leadership. Another element described in the article is showing empathy, which is the ability to read emotions of others, and again, connecting with people on a human level. Empathy shows your team a sense of connection and that you care about what they are feeling. Often, when empathy is not present, people can feel unappreciated and disconnected, leaving them overwhelmed and probably not at their best performance. It is crucial that leaders stay connected and in tune with their workforce. The last element is staying connected, which describes the ability to make and maintain a connection with your people. A leader should demonstrate a positive presence, and show their keenness and optimistic attitudes as this will reflect on their team and, most likely, will have a direct affect on how their workforce reacts. Expressing these kinds of emotions will surely have an influence on the team. Additionally, this will also contribute to the teams potential and performance, which is always a goal of a manager or leader. The final section of the article explains the ability to raise your EQ or  emotional intelligence. It is the qualities of the heart that make up ones emotional intelligence, and although much of it comes naturally, some can still be taught. It takes desire, dedication, and coaching to successfully increase your emotional intelligence. In summary, it is emotional intelligence and the ability to connect with people on a human level, including understanding peoples emotions as well as expressing your own in an appropriate leadership manner, that gives leaders the fully rounded skill set to effectively lead people. Leaders should certainly possess raw intelligence and technical expertise, but more importantly, they must know how to connect with their teams and stay in touch with their emotions, as well as demonstrate positive emotions themselves. Emotional intelligence is something that can be learned, but is also a human ability that can come naturally to many at a young age. Leaders, in any environment, should understand the importance of emotional intelligence and the effects that it has on themselves, their teams, and the overall performance within their groups. The article titled, Thought Leadership: a radical departure from traditional, positional leadership, written by Mitch McCrimmon, discusses the differences of shared or distributed leadership, leaderful organizations, and thought leadership, while focusing on thought leadership as a new and emerging leadership style that is shaped differently from the traditional positional leadership style. There are three main sections of the article, including new leadership, what is thought leadership, and the key characteristics of thought leadership. In discussing _the new leadership_ style of thought leadership, the article explains that, unlike leaderful organizations and shared leadership, thought leadership does not involve the traditional managerial roles that are identified as leaders. Rather, the thought leadership involves individual innovative employees that demonstrate an ability to challenge a current status or process and provide new ideas to better a project or an organization as a whole. The discussion of _what is thought leadership_ provides insight of the abilities of a thought leader, and describes some skills that thought leaders do not need to possess. A though leader has the abilities to advocate new ideas that merit attention, whether by corporate management, co-workers, customers, and even market industries. An individual possessing this type of leadership style can be thought of as innovative individual and a thinker. Thought leaders, however, do not need to possess the traditional positional managerial skills, and can even lack the typical leadership skills, such and motivational skills. In fact, thought leaders to not need to oversee projects, be decision-makers, or manage task execution. The new idea can be presented in discussion, argument, and by presentation. It is usually up to a hierarchical management team to actually execute the new idea. The final section consisted of the _key characteristics of thought leadership_, in which some key points are identified. Just to name a few, thought leadership does not always start with management and work downward. In fact, it can start with employees and move upward to a management level. It is not limited to internal sources, and can originate from external sources outside of an organization. Thought leadership is typically not tasked or identified as a position in an organization, but is a naturally organic ability. However, in most cases, it requires some ability to influence or convince people that the new idea will provide value. In summary, thought leadership differs from the traditional positional leadership, such as shared leadership and leaderful organizations, in that it does not require the typical managerial and leadership skills. It relies on individual innovativeness and the ability to convey your new ideas and convince that your ideas will provide value. Of the two articles summarized, I believe that the article on emotional intelligence was more convincing. I say this because the article on thought leadership was more informational and provided a different outlook on leadership styles and abilities, whereas the article on emotional intelligence pointed out a type of intelligence that is required to be a  good leader. Emotional intelligence allows us to connect with our emotions, and the emotions of our teams, which I believe is critical in almost any leadership role where a group of people report to one first-line leader. That one leader should be able to relate to the human senses that drive people, and motivate them as employees and people, as well as encourage them to excel. In my own personal experiences, I have seen an extreme lack of ability in leaders to connect with people and deal with emotions, whether their own emotions or their teams emotions. This has surely led to my perception of incompetence in these particular leaders. In one situation, I had a leader that I felt very fond of and very confident in their ability to lead, until one day they showed a moment of breaking down (actually crying in the office) and it left me feeling a poor sense of morale in the organization and the leadership at hand. I think the emotional display was unnecessary and should have been handled privately. In this case, the individual lacked the ability to manage their emotions. With respect to thought leadership, I have not had any prior introduction to the topic, but in reading and understanding the article, I believe that I possess some thought leadership abilities. I say this because I often offer new ideas to improve processes and operations. In my most recent job, I came on board and within two weeks, identified several areas that needed improvement and offered ideas to improve these processes. With approval from management, I began to execute these new processes. Understanding that it is not necessarily up the thought leader to actually execute, I was faced with a lack of resources and decided to take the initiative to fully execute. In comparison, I believe that emotional intelligence is required to be a good leader, and a thought leader is not required to be emotionally intelligent; however; emotional intelligence should be a quality of most leaders. As stated in the Thought Leadership article, emotional intelligence is not essential for thought leadership. () As both aspects of leadership are great abilities to possess, they are not both required to be any particular type of leader. Personally, I believe that as a thought leader can live in  anyone, it takes a special ability to be in touch with your emotions and the emotions of the team, an ability that I believe is especially crucial in leading people. REFERENCES: Goleman, D. (1998). The Emotional Intelligence of Leaders. _Leader to Leader_, (10), 20-26. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. McCrimmon, M. (2005). Thought leadership: a radical departure from traditional, positional leadership. _Management Decision_, 43(7/8), 1064-1070. Retrieved October 22, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global.

The US-Mexico Border :: American America History

The US-Mexico Border International borders have always been centers of conflict, and the U.S.-Mexican border is no exception. With the European colonizing the New World, it was a matter of time before the powers collided. The Spanish settled what is today Mexico, while the English settled what is to day the United States. When the two colonial powers did meet what is today the United States' Southwest, it was not England and Spain. Rather the two powers were the United States and Mexico. Both Counties had broken off from their mother countries. The conflict that erupted between the two countries where a direct result of different nation policies. The United States had a policy of westward expansion, while Mexico had a policy of self protection. The Americans never had a written policy of expansion. What they had was the idea of "Manifest Destiny." Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States had the right to expand westward to the Pacific ocean. On the other hand, Mexico was a new country wanti ng to protect itself from outside powers. Evidence of U.S. expansion is seen with the independence of Texas from Mexico. The strongest evidence of U.S. expansion goals is with the Mexican-American War. From the beginning, the war was conceived as an opportunity for land expansion. Mexico feared the United States expansion goals. During the 16th century, the Spanish began to settle the region. The Spanish had all ready conquered and settled Central Mexico. Now they wanted to expand their land holdings north. The first expedition into the region, that is today the United States Southwest, was with Corando. Corando reported a region rich in resources, soon after people started to settle the region. The driving force behind the settlement was silver in the region. The Spanish settled the region through three major corridors; central, western and eastern. The first settlements were mainly through the central corridor. The Spanish went thorough what is now the modern Mexican state of Chihuahua into the U.S. state of New Mexico. Eventually the Spanish established the city of Santa Fe in 1689. The eastern corridor was through modern day Texas and led to the establishment of San Antonio. The eastern expansion was caused by the French expansion into modern day Louisiana. The Spanish crown wanted a buffer between the French in Louisiana and central Mexico. The last corridor of expansion was in the west, through the sea, which led to the establishment of San Diego in 1769 and Los Angles in 1781.

African American Civil Rights – Short Essay

African American Civil rights The African American people were the real winners of the Civil Rights Movement. For nearly two centuries blacks had little to no civil liberties whatsoever. In a country that was founded and declared by our founding fathers as a nation â€Å"†¦for the people, by the people, and of the people† African Americans were not even considered as fellow citizens. A century of slavery and half a century of Jim Crows segregation laws, the African American people were finally victorious when the civil rights act of 1964 and the Voting Rights act of 1965 were passed.The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed major forms of discrimination against racial, ethnic, national and religious minorities and women. Congress finally asserted their authority to regulate interstate commerce under Article One (section 8). Their duty is to guarantee all citizens equal protection including African Americans under the laws of the Fourteenth Amendment. Also the fourteenth Amend ment protects voting rights under the Fifteenth Amendment, which prohibits the government from denying any citizen the ability, or right to vote based on race or color. For so long African Americans have been held back due to slavery and Jim Crow laws.After Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) racial segregation was necessary in all public facilities under the doctrine of â€Å"separate but equal†. The fact of the matter is that whites and blacks were never equal, just separate. Jim Crow laws were adopted throughout the south to alienate black citizens and physically separate African Americans and whites. These laws institutionalized segregation of African Americans and whites and did not allow access use of the same schools, hospitals, prisons, public parks, housing communities, and even restrooms. Lets remember these facilities were completely unequal.The white facilities were obviously more luxurious in every way, and throughout the whole country it was obvious that in no section bla cks were treated equal. The most important goal of these laws was to keep blacks from voting. Whites realized that once blacks were able to vote freely they truly were equal to every citizen. The best way they kept blacks from voting was through literacy tests. Through all the efforts whites were putting to keep blacks from voting they have been successful allowing less than 10% of blacks voting in the south in 1910. These segregation laws stayed until Brown v.Board of Education (1954), which overturned the ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson. The decision stated that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. It was realized after this that racial segregation was ruled a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision paved the way for integration in the south and throughout the United States and was a major win in the civil rights movement. Blacks were most successfully when they were organized. The organized bus boycott, sit-ins, freedom rides, and march on Washington brought national attention to the war on civil rights.Martin Luther King Jr. led these events; his â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech is world famous now due to the significance of the civil rights movement. These demonstrations were pivotal for the African American community in declaring their liberty. Finally when the Civil rights Act of 1964 passed along with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, discrimination because of race was outlawed and any color human being could vote. Blacks were finally free and were the true winners of the civil rights movement 1950s and 1960s. They were finally equal and there rights were fully instilled. (Sources: The Logic of American Politics)

The Silent Screams of the Veiled Women (A Research Paper on the Afghan Women of Then and Now)

Afghanistan, located in Central Asia, is a culturally-mixed nation that houses a diversity of ethnolinguistic groups, religions, races and traditions. However, vast majority of its population practices the religion Islam, which actually binds the people together. Being an Islamic country, Mohammed's teaching is incredibly strong that it has been, and still is, part of the Afghan's everyday living. But misconceptions arose from the teachings of Quran and among those who suffered from such are the Afghan women, who for years, had their undying efforts and struggle in pursuit of the goal they are longing for – freedom, rights and equality. Islam, for more than 1400 years, instilled that men and women be equal before Allah. It gave women a number of privileges same as those given to men, including the right to vote, right to work, right to inheritance, even as much as right to choose their life-long partners. But numerous misconceptions about the status of women in Islam emerged, particularly in the concept of â€Å"submission. † Many countries practice what they called â€Å"Islamic† or â€Å"Quranic† teachings in which women are traditionally subdued and oppressed, thus, these are very unforgiving acts. In the case of Afghanistan, such rights and privileges are denied of the Afghan women, making their life under a very Islamic country, rather miserable, if not devastating. One misconception in Islamic teachings that affected Afghan women (especially under Taliban rule which will be discussed later) is the strict instruction that they ought to wear veil, or hijab, wherever and whenever. They are forbidden to be seen in public unveiled but the truth is that the Quran does not oblige them or even mention of wearing such garment, as the wearing of hijab is traditional, rather than religious. What the Quran imposed is that women must (1) wear the best garment – the garment of righteousness; (2) cover their bosoms and; (3) lengthen their garments. Nothing more, nothing less. Years of government instability, in terms of economic and political aspects, have continuously affecting the status of women in Afghanistan as well. Before Afghanistan fall under Soviet power, women are revered equally, if not highly by the society, having significant rights and massive opportunities. But at the peak of Soviet occupation, women took a rather rougher road . Women at this period, began enjoying the bitter fruits of the teachings of Islam, and foreign invasion. Such denial of privileges may have been enforced by the government through special decrees, or by their own family (particularly their father, husband and brother). Afghan women were forbidden to have an occupation, to wander in their city unaccompanied by a male, to be seen unveiled, and even seek medical attention from a male medical practitioner. Much more discriminations and restrictions were experienced by Afghan women during the reign of the Taliban, or the â€Å"Students of Islamic Knowledge Movement – a Sunni Islamist and Pashtun nationalist movement who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, during the country's long civil war. A decade before the rule of the Taliban, 50% of government workers were professional Afghan women; 70% of teacher population were as well women; and 40% practiced medical careers. As early as the 1920s, women were acknowledged to vote, while in 1960s, equality for women was imposed by the Afghan Constitution. Moreover, they took important contributions to national development. During the rule of Taliban, women with professional careers, including medical doctors and those in the academe, were forced to put their careers to a sudden end and become beggar regardless of the opportunities they may have outside Afghanistan. Universities for women where forcibly closed which ended a brighter future for the young Afghan girls. They were restricted to migrate to other cities (moreover, other countries) in search for a better environment and were prohibited to enjoy life. There was an inadequate medical attention to women which contributed to their high mortality rates. At this span of time, 16% of pregnant Afghan women died annually due to unsuccessful child delivery caused by lack of obstetric facilities. It was recorded by the United Nations that during the 5-year reign of the Taliban, Afghanistan experienced one of the worst human rights violation in the world that even the most basic individual rights were denied of the people which include the flying of kites, singing jolly songs, and the like. They became objects of domestic violence including rape. To sum this up, women were deprived of all forms of public life – Taliban treat women worse than the way they treat animals. Having such miserable life, impoverished Afghan women seek escape by self-immolation which either kill or disfigure them. Reliable sources even accounted women bringing themselves to inferno in some secluded areas in Afghanistan. This happened because such women were either abandoned by their family or banished by their society caused by the â€Å"crime† that they had allegedly committed. Others do their own thing in secrecy. For instance, an Afghan woman operated her own school in her house – it was such a risk! When the authority came to know about this, all the kids were beaten and the lady was heavily punished and imprisoned, threatening her that her family will be penalized as well. Those who had reserved courage and strength went to police stations and court, despite social stigma, just to practice their rights. After seven years, the Afghan government states that although there were increasing equality to public life, women are continuously experiencing domestic violence. Some remain silent while others took the risk of getting the hinge of being empowered. The Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission documented 1,650 cases of violence against women in 2006, while the Ministry of Women's Affairs recorded 2,000 cases of violence in the previous year, not to mention 500 or so unreported cases. The provinces of Kabul and Herat were said have the highest accounted violence. Today, many social movements are organized for the uplifting of the Afghan women’s image and status. One of which is the RAWA or the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan which was established in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1977. It is an independent socio-political group that raises concerns regarding Afghan women, particularly the violence against them. It believes that freedom and democracy cannot be simply given or donated; it is acquired through combined efforts. The RAWA participates in many forums and conferences that discuss women’s rights and freedom all over the world. It, in one way, became the voice of the silent Afghan women, who in fear of being discriminated again, chose to remain speechless. At the fall of the Taliban, the position of Afghan women in the Islamic society they lived in has substantially improved. With the adoption of the new Afghan constitution, men and women are stated to be treated equal before the law. It may sound good and almost perfect but one must consider that this law, like any other law, may mean differently to different people depending on how they interpret it. In the Quranic teaching of the Taliban, being â€Å"equal† before the law may mean that women ought to submit to their husbands, fathers or brothers, for doing so, they abide by the law. Another milestone is the drafting of the Afghan Women’s Bill of Rights in 2003 through the initiatives of Afghan and Afghan American women, who for years had raised the issues of inequality and discrimination. The Bill demanded a mandatory education for girls, representation in the Congress (or loya jirga), penalizing and punishing people who perform sexual and domestic violence and obedience to the rules of Quran, particularly on women’s right to marry and divorce. Despite assurance from government officials, it was declined because as the Islamic saying goes, â€Å"God has not given women equal rights with men because two women are counted as equal to men. † Just recently, an Afghan parliamentarian by the name of Fatima Nazari, established the first political party in Afghanistan which is dedicated to women's rights and issues. On 19 February 2008, the National Need Party was launched in Kabul. It was welcomed by most officials but not everyone was so optimistic about this. Let's just wait and see. Women all over the world may have had similar experiences. Such inequality may have been attributed to religion, or tradition. It may have occurred maybe due to misconceptions or misinterpretation of available laws, rules and doctrines. Women were persecuted believing that they practiced witchcraft . They were burnt to death with their dead husbands as imposed by the Hindu principle of â€Å"Sati† or â€Å"Suttee. † Marrying women were obliged to pay dowry to their husband-to-be’s family. Women courting men is considered immoral. And women were regarded as temptations to men – as Eve tempted or teased Adam. Whatever the story is, women were really part of the miserable part of world history. There are many misgivings on the role that women played in the society. Looking back to the civilizations in the world, women are always those left in the house to tend to household chores and take care of their children. But can’t we see that these women were the very being responsible for bearing lives in their tummy for nine months, struggling to keep the tiny life inside them healthy and alive? That these women were our first tutors who taught us not just how to read and write but how to be a responsible citizen as well? Going through the melancholic and tragic episodes that Afghan women have had made me realize how lucky I am to have grown in a decent society. Now, I need not face social stigma, or be punished for enjoying my life. I need not ask for alms and beg for food since I can enter a university and have a profession ten years from now. Their infinite screams continue. If then, the sound was terrifying and agonizing, this time, these screams are screams of empowerment, of courage and of bravery. We never heard them in our historic past, and now, it is time to listen to their side of the story – HERstory. Works Cited Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (17 Novemeber 2001). Report on the Taliban's War Against Women. Retrieved on 22 April 2008 at http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/6185.htm Mehta, Sumita.   Women for Afghan Women:Shattering Myths and Claiming the Future. New York:Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. Najibullah, Farangis (20 February 2008). â€Å"New Party to Focus on Women's Rights.† Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty. Retrieved on 22 April 2008 at http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/02/b39afc45-c260-4a00-81da-04fbb584049f.html Rostami-Povey, Elaheh. Afghan Women: Identity and Invasion. London: Zed Books, 2007.

Global Pharmaceutical Industry

Global Pharmaceutical Industry Introduction The global spending on drugs has increased over the years and in the year 2006 it reached an all-time high of over $ 643 billion (Schoonveld 8). These revenues are mostly concentrated in the US, Europe and Japan with the US accounting for almost half of the pharmaceutical revenues in the world.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Global Pharmaceutical Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, emerging markets have also been identified to grow rapidly in the last few years with countries such as Russia, Mexico, Brazil, China and South Korea growing their consumption of prescription drugs by up to 81 percent. It has been identified that in the US stock exchange, the performance of pharmaceutical companies is ranked higher than the other fortune five hundred companies with returns of over 17 percent on revenues (Ajami 158). Largest pharmaceutical companies according to prescription sales Co mpany Prescription sales in millions Pfizer Inc. $58.5 Novartis 42.0 Sanofi-Aventis 40.3 Merck 39.8 Roche 39.1 GlaxoSmithKline 36.2 AstraZeneca PLC 33.3 Johnson Johnson Co. 22.4 Eli Lilly Co. 21.1 Abbott Laboratories 19.9 Pfizer Pfizer has been identified as one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world and is ranked first in terms of revenues (Lepore 1). It was initially established in 1849 and over the years it has grown to be listed in a couple of stock exchanges in the world. Over the years, the company has also acquired a huge market share through mergers with companies such as Warner–Lambert, Parke–Davis, Agouron, Pharmacia, Sugen, Wyeth and King Pharma. It has its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan in New York while its research headquarters are in Groton Connecticut. The company has divided its products into two different business segments. These are the bio-pharmaceutical and the diversified business segments.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The bio-pharmaceutical business segment includes products which prevent as well as treat cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, arthritis and pain, eye disease, infectious and respiratory diseases, cancer, central nervous system disorders, endocrine disorders and urogenital conditions (Lepore 2). The diversified business segment has Animal as well as Consumer products (Lepore 5). Their research and development departments are dedicated to identifying, and developing products that will alleviate the medical deficiencies that are inherent in the world. The company actively spent $9.4 billion in the 2010 financial year, $7.8 billion in the 2009 financial year and $7.9 billion in the 2008 financial year on their research and development programs (Lepore 6). The company’s revenues from their business outside the US accounted for about 57 percent of their total revenues in the year 2010 with Japan being their second largest market which contributed 7.5 percent of their total revenues (Lepore 7). Their international operations have not been without challenges as the company struggles with capital and exchange control regulations, expropriation, other restrictive government actions such as laws and regulations on pricing and currency fluctuations. Novartis Novartis was founded in 2003 and is based in Basel, Switzerland. It has been ranked the second largest pharmaceutical company in the world in terms of revenues. Over the years it has grown through the setting up of subsidiaries as well as acquisitions and mergers with other companies. It has also sold some of its subsidiaries in the past, such as Gerber Products Company to Nestlà ©, which used to produce their infant and baby products. The company has a range of products which include cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive vaccines and diagnostic tools, ey e care, over-the-counter medications, innovative medicines and animal health products, which are categorized into five business segments namely Pharmaceuticals, Alcon, Vaccines and Diagnostics, Sandoz and finally Consumer Health (Ehrat 20).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Global Pharmaceutical Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company spends a lot on their research and development programs, which are spread across each of their divisions with over 9.6 billion US dollars being spent on the same in 2011 alone. This ensures that the company has a concrete footing on the medical needs of the world through a constant supply of new products that are market specific. Their research and development programs also complement the efforts of their drug development activities by constantly testing for any new risks and uncertainties that may be posed by the drugs that they produce to both the company and the ir customers (Ehrat 164). Sanofi Sanofi is a French pharmaceutical company with its headquarters in Paris, France. It is currently ranked the world’s third largest pharmaceutical company in terms of revenues. Its revenues are mainly drawn from the research and development activities, as well as the manufacturing and marketing of prescription drugs (Linehan 158). In 2004 the company came to be known as Sanofi-Aventis after its acquisition of Aventis co. Some of its other subsidiaries include Zentiva, Sanofi Pasteur, Shantha Chattem, Biotechnics, Genzyme, Medley and Nichi-Iko. The company mainly focuses on the diabetes and oncology products as well as other flagship products in the anti-thrombotic and cardiovascular fields (Linehan 24). Merck co. Merck Co. is ranked as the fourth largest pharmaceutical company in the world and has its headquarters in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. It was initially established as a subsidiary of a German company back in 1891, but the US confi scated it during World War I and later made it an independent American company in 1917. The company has been identified to base its operations on research and development as they seek to discover, design, develop and market innovative pharmaceutical products that improve the health of humans as well as animals all over the world (Frazier 3). They have managed to achieve this directly and through joint ventures with other pharmaceutical companies (Frazier 7). The company is also known for the Merck manuals, which are reference books for those in the medical and pharmacy fields.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Comparison One of the aspects of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies, that stands out is their concentration and investment on research and development programs. This is credited to the fact that most of the competition in the pharmaceutical business lies in the development of new products that are unique and serve to satisfy particular health needs. Revenues for the largest pharmaceutical companies according to 2009 annual reports Rank Company Country Total Revenues Net income/ (loss) Employees 1 Pfizer United States $50,009 $8,635 137,127 2 Johnson Johnson United States $63,747 $10,576 119,200 3 Hoffmann–La Roche Switzerland $43,970 $8,135 78,604 4 Novartis Switzerland $44,267 $8,454 98,200 5 GlaxoSmithKline United Kingdom $40,424 $10,432 103,483 6 Sanofi France â‚ ¬29,306 â‚ ¬8,471 84,000 7 AstraZeneca United Kingdom/Sweden $31,601 $5,959 67,400 8 Abbott Laboratories United States $29,527 $4,880 68,697 9 Merck Co. United States $27, 428 $13,024 74,372 10 Bristol-Myers Squibb United States $19,977 $2,165 42,000 11 Eli Lilly and Company United States $18,634 $2,953 40,600 12 Boehringer Ingelheim Germany $16,959 $2,163 43,000 For instance the development, manufacture and distribution of an erectile dysfunction drug called Viagra by Pfizer served to give them a great competitive edge in the market, as no other company had introduced such a drug in the market before (Schoonveld 265). The need to increase their business capacity as well as their market share is characterized by the numerous mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical industry and this has served to increase the total value as well as productivity of the industry in general. This may be the reason behind the higher net income that Merck co. as compared to other pharmaceutical companies. Net incomes for the major pharmaceutical companies in the world The four major pharmaceutical companies, however, differ in their business models, with ot her major pharmaceutical companies as Pfizer and Novartis are identified to produce both prescription and over-the-counter drugs for both human and animal health. On the other hand, Sanofi chooses to concentrate their business model on the production of prescription drugs only while most major companies diversify their production so as to secure their revenue flows. Merck co. chooses to concentrate on research and development as well as the publication of medical and pharmacy manuals, which makes them unique in the whole industry (Frazier 4). Relationship between recessions and the increase in drug prices The suggestion that since 1960 to 2011, each time when pharmaceutical prices spiked, it was followed by a U.S. economic recession can only be explained through a review of consumer spending on prescription drugs. It has been identified that the cost of drugs increase by a substantial amount all over the world and this can be explained through the particular increase in spending. T he amount of money in billion dollars that the total cost of drugs increased by during recessions It has also been identified that American citizens spend over $289 billion a year on prescription drugs alone and this is a significant amount in the economy. Some people may argue that an increase in prices, even with a small margin will obviously have a significant impact on the economy and this directly translates to reduced savings and increased consumer spending (Schoonveld 127). This has been known over the years to be followed by a general increase in interest rates so as to reduce the consumption and increase savings (Ajami 267). With the inability of most citizens to meet their payments on credit advanced to them, defaults increase and the result is a negative ripple effect in the financial and credit markets as well as the entire economy in general. It may also be argued that during economic hardships people get sick often and, therefore, the demand for drugs goes up and subs equently their prices. Ajami, Riad. International business: Theory and practice. New York: M.E. Sharpe. 2006. Print. Ehrat, Felix. Annual report on Novartis Inc. Washington DC: United States Securities and Exchange Commission. 2011. Print. Frazier, Kenneth. Annual report on Merck co., inc. Washington DC: United States Securities and Exchange Commission. 2011. Print. Lepore, Matthew. Annual report on Pfizer inc. Washington DC: United States Securities and Exchange Commission. 2011. Print. Linehan, Karen. Annual report on Sanofi-Aventis. Washington DC: United States Securities and Exchange Commission. 2011. Print. Schoonveld, Ed. The Price of Global Health: Drug Pricing Strategies to Balance Patient Access and the Funding of Innovation. New York: Gower Publishing. 2011. Print.

5 Types of Awkward Wording to Avoid

5 Types of Awkward Wording to Avoid 5 Types of Awkward Wording to Avoid 5 Types of Awkward Wording to Avoid By Mark Nichol The following five sentences demonstrate various ways a carelessly worded or constructed sentence can fail to communicate the intended idea. A discussion and a revision follows each example. 1. There is a danger of overreaction and a rush to implement poorly thought through laws and regulations. Because the phrase â€Å"thought through† modifies â€Å"laws and regulations,† it should be hyphenated, but that phrasal adjective is awkward, partly because it’s difficult to say and especially because of the similarity of appearance of the constituent words. In such cases, seek one or more words that convey the same idea: â€Å"There is a danger of overreaction and a rush to implement poorly conceived laws and regulations.† 2. The consultant submitted a compliance risk mitigation plan. A string of nouns used as adjectives to modify another noun is grammatically correct (when properly hyphenated, which this example is not) but cumbersome. When more than two or three adjectives appear together like this, unpack the sentence and start over again, beginning with the target noun and using prepositions between the adjectives to relax the statement: â€Å"The consultant submitted a plan to mitigate compliance risk.† 3. That person is the chief ombudsman, which we use here to refer to the department’s director. The dependent clause implies that what is â€Å"used† here is the person, rather than the phrase used to designate that person. The sentence must be revised to clarify that here, â€Å"chief ombudsman† is a description of a person, not the person himself or herself: â€Å"That person is the chief ombudsman, the designation we use here to refer to the department’s director.† 4. We understand that all organizations are unique and can help you with your specific challenges. As constructed, this sentence erroneously suggests that all organizations are unique and that all organizations can help you with your specific challenges. The intended meaning, however, is that the company represented by the writer understands that all organizations are unique; in addition, the company can help the targeted reader with specific challenges. To clarify this distinction, the sentence must be divided into two independent clauses, each of which addresses one of the two distinct points: â€Å"We understand that all organizations are unique, and we can help you with your specific challenges.† 5. While reacting to unexpected surprises and being able to put out fires are essential at times, these capabilities are not sufficient for managing a company in a volatile market. In conversational writing, though and while are interchangeable as conjunctions, but it is best to reserve each word to mean â€Å"despite the fact that,† and â€Å"during the time that† respectively; otherwise, readers might misread the beginning of a sentence or phrase starting with while, thinking that the statement pertains to simultaneous events (â€Å"While [someone was] reacting to [something, something else occurred]†): â€Å"Though reacting to unexpected surprises and being able to put out fires are essential at times, these capabilities are not sufficient for managing a company in a volatile market.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Signs and Symbols You Should Know50 Idioms About Fruits and VegetablesWhile vs. Whilst

International Entrepreneurship Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

International Entrepreneurship Master - Essay Example Many "high-profile" entrepreneurial ventures seek venture capital or angel funding in order to raise capital to build the business. Many kinds of organizations now exist to support would-be entrepreneurs, including specialized government agencies, business incubators, science parks, and some NGOs. Wikipedia attributes much of the understanding of entrepreneurship to the work of economist Joseph Schumpeter and the Austrian School of economics. In Schumpeter (1950), an entrepreneur is a person who is willing and able to convert a new idea or invention into a successful innovation. Entrepreneurship forces "creative destruction" across markets and industries, simultaneously creating new products and business models. In this way, creative destruction is largely responsible for the dynamism of industries and long-run economic growth. Despite Schumpeter's early 20th century contributions, the traditional microeconomic theory of economics has had little room for entrepreneurs in its theoretical frameworks (instead assuming that resources would find each other through a price system). Entrepreneurship received a boost in the formalised creation of so-called incubators and science parks, where businesses can start at a small scale, share services and space while they grow, and eventually move into space of their own when they have achieved a large enough scale to be viable stand-alone businesses. It is being encouraged in an effort to revitalise fading downtowns and inner cities in America, which may have excellent resources but suffer from a lack of spirited development. (Wikipedia) For Frank H. Knight (1967) and Peter Drucker (1970) entrepreneurship is about taking risk. The behavior of the entrepreneur reflects a kind of person willing to put his or her career and financial security on the line and take risks in the name of an idea, spending much time as well as capital on an uncertain venture. (Wikipedia) Still another view of entrepreneurship, according to Wikipedia, is that it is the process of discovering, evaluating, and exploiting opportunities in the form of new business ventures. In this paradigm, an entrepreneur could be defined as "someone who acts with ambition beyond that supportable by the resources currently under his control, in relentless pursuit of opportunity" (a definition common