Taking a Look at Asian Women Stereotypes - 1403 Words

1. Explicit yellowface is that it creates power imbalance between white and Asian/Americans. That it is okay for racial masquerading and playing yellowface, as well as adopting characteristics and behaviors. 2. Implicit yellowface is that only Asians are type cast for these roles and unfortunately, someone has to play the role and most the time it is the Asian actor. This assumption states that Asians/Americans are interchangeable all Asians are the same. 1. By regulating Camptowns by the US military and by Korea (Yuh 18), women were tested for STI’s twice a week (Yuh 24). The US military police created this system where if women tested positive they were not informed nor were they informed on who gave them the infection (Yuh 29). These women were harassed by both sides American and Korea for proof that they were tested (Yuh 29). 2. Another example is the US soldiers viewed these women as entertainers. â€Å"In Vietnam, an installation of prostitution servicing four thousand US soldiers was specially created by and for the benefits of the US soldiers (Yuh 16). The bases will make/have Camptowns, bars, and parlors near so it is easier for GIs to go there. Therefore, it creates and feeds the culture of the sex industry and slavery. GI’s have this pre-misconception of Korean women and Asian women. They believed these women enjoyed their job as much as the money they earned because East Asian women are these hypersexual addicts. In fact, they were seen as exotic however,Show MoreRelatedRape and Sexual Harassment: The Intersectional Experiences of Racism and Sexism for Minorities1488 Words   |  6 PagesAlthough both events can happen to men, women are more prone to face these occurrences. According to the National Violence Against Women Survey, â€Å"78% of the victims of rape and sexual assault are women and 22% are men† (â€Å"Domestic Violence Statistics†). In 2011, companies experienced sexual harassment charges at 11% in relation to all charges brought forth to businesses, and 16% of these charges were filed by men (Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment). These women are eternally tainted by these occurrencesRead MoreAsian American Culture And History1707 Words   |  7 PagesOne of the most prevalent issue in today’s world is racism. The prejudice and racism against Asian Americans seems to never end. Either it’s a nasty side remark about one’s looks or a judgment about one’s personality and abilities. In high school, one of my best friends was Vietnamese and I remember her going through quite a bit of problems. She was most definitely stereotyped and was supposed to be good at math and science, when in truth, she was horrible at both subjects. Instead, she loved historyRead MoreFactors That Affect The Social Location Of A Person With Race, Class, Age, Sexuality, And890 Words   |  4 PagesIn terms of my social location in race, I am apparently Asian girl. Western people can recognize me as an Asian girl visually when they see me without any self-introductions because I have black hair, black eyes, and flat nose. People can categorize me only by physical appearances. Some people might imagine that I am intelligent, kind and cal m girl which are typical stereotypes for Asian people even though they do not know which part in Asian countries I am from such as Korea, China, Thailand, JapanRead MoreRace, Racial, And Racial Discrimination863 Words   |  4 PagesIn this day in age Racial stereotypes appear to be as rampant as they were in the early 200s. The discussion and debate about race can be a sensitive and difficult subject for most individuals. Living in America is tough as it is with all of the crisis’s and chaos taking place left and right. That matter of race is a crisis of its own so to speak. One cannot express themselves completely to the extent of his or her liking without being judged, labeled or categorized. America has a very diverse andRead MoreAnalysis Of Orientalism In Rice Or Song Of Orientalism1000 Words   |  4 Pagesthe inferior, and the human from the other human. Orientalism is â€Å"a Western style for dominating, reconstructing, and having authority over the Orient† (Said, 3). An Orient does not choose to be oriental, someone else defines and reinforces the stereotypes that come with being oriental. Notes from a Divided Country, M. Butterfly, and The Vagrants all have traces of orientalism and through these three pieces of literature, they expand on the idea of how the label of â€Å"oriental† can be fought or conformedRead MoreThe Role Of Media And Its Effects On Society1648 Words   |  7 Pagescalled ‘Dove’ released an advertisement presenting a product called ‘Dove VisibleCare’ and the product was meant to be â€Å"new revolutionary†¦body washes that improve the look of your skin.† From hearing this description of the product we can safely assume that ‘Dove’s purpose is to enhance our skin, so that consumers who buy them can have look beautiful. Although, just reading the text can be misleading from what the advertisement picture shows us. The picture is shown with three females standing, in theRead MoreEssay on Do Not Judge Me: Stereotypes are Ruining Our Society1513 Words   |  7 PagesStereotypes â€Å"Dumbjocks†, â€Å"Women don’t belong in a professional setting, they belong in the kitchen†, â€Å"He must be a Jew, just look at his nose.(stereotypes and prejudices, para. 1) Today’s society is based solely on face values where people tend to place someone in a category because of those individuals actions. (Mcrae Stangore, 1996, p. 13) Prejudicial notations used to define members of a social or ethnic group are called stereotypes. People stereotype various groups of people, but none likeRead MoreThe Cause and Effects of Sterotyping Essay1293 Words   |  6 PagesStereotyping, which can be used positively and negatively, is something everyone uses every day; it is found in our humor, how people describe one another, and beliefs. People stereotype without knowing it; it is a way we use to help us understand a group. The problem with stereotyping is that it’s a self –opinion about a group, not an individual. Everyone has their own unique and distinct personalities, just as everyone has their own fingerprints so it is unfair to be judged quickly by people whoRead MoreMiss Saigon Musical1214 Words   |  5 PagesVietnamese girl, the story quickly unravels and begins to test the true idea of love at first sight. As one of the most successful musicals in the world, Miss Saigon addresses the ideas surrounding war and imperialism while exposing the egregious stereotypes between America and the Vietnamese. During the 1970s while America was at war with Vietnam, there were large amounts of weakened faith in the government. And as one scholar mentions, â€Å"The United States also paid a high political cost for the VietnamRead MoreThe Current Generation Of The United States1226 Words   |  5 Pagespredicted that the current generation will have to obtain their PhD in order to get their dream job. We can infer that since the length requirement is constantly changing, officials will also make the curriculum a little bit more challenging. If we take a look into the history of the education curriculum, one might say that it is time that officials changed it up. Throughout the years, students have only been taught topics within highbrow culture. â€Å"The terms â€Å"highbrow and â€Å"lowbrow† come from phrenology,

Financial analysis Free Essays

This endeavor would not have been successful without the help and encouragement from a lot of people with whom I had good fortunate of interacting during course of Journey. I am indebted to MR.. We will write a custom essay sample on Financial analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now SOD for the knowledge and experience that I gained from him during course of training which I can easily look at as my most rewarding phase the course of my study. Without his immaculate and intellectual guidance, sustained efforts and friendly approach, it would have been difficult to achieve the result in a short span of period. Not leaving behind the contribution of all other staff members at Finance Department for sharing with us the wealth of their experience and knowledge. PREFACE MBA is stepping stone to management career. In order to achieve practical, positive and concrete results, the classroom learning need to be effectively fed to the realities of the situation existing outside the classroom. This is practical true for management. To develop healthy managerial and administrative skills in the potential managers it is necessary that theoretical knowledge must be supplemented with exposure of real environment. Actually it is very vital for the management and it is in the practical training that the measuring of management is itself realized. I took summer raining in well-managed organization and was fortunate to get good exposure. In this project report an attempt has been made to cover different aspects of my training. How to cite Financial analysis, Papers Financial Analysis Free Essays Budget a detailed plan, expressed in quantitative terms, that specifies how resources will be acquired and used during a specified period of time. A budget is a description of a financial plan. It Is a list of estimates of revenues to and expenditures by an agent for a stated period of time. We will write a custom essay sample on Financial Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now Normally a budget describes a period In the future not the past Purposes of budgeting systems: Planning Facilitating Communication and Coordination Allocating Resources Controlling Profit and Operations Evaluating Performance and Providing Incentives Using a budgeting system companies can: Improve cash flow Optimize product portfolio Minimize salary adjournment Increase the operational level Eliminate breaks In Production process Stabilize debts level Precisely determine the real financing needs In Bangladesh our fiscal year is started from 1st of July and ended 30th June of the next year. Here we wants make a comprehensive analysis of the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2014-2015. The honorable finance Minister AMA Mitch proposed this budget dated on 05. 04. 2014 in Bangladesh national assembly members for the consideration and approval of the said budget. The annual budget t a glance Total size of the budget TX 250,506 core for 2014-15 fiscal year growth target of 7. 3% of GAP The proposed national budget and the economy (FYI), 2014-2015, provides an account of the government’s overall fiscal operations in pursuit of its declared goals and objectives to help promote â€Å"accelerated† and â€Å"inclusive† economic growth. It makes a lot of promises about improving government’s performance-related scorecard. But it does not shed enough light on why the promises of the outgoing fiscal could not be redeemed and what wrongs there were about meeting its projected broad targets. The political turbulence or violence that was witnessed in the first half of the outgoing fiscal can not be held solely responsible for it. This is more so when the official economic growth figure for the outgoing fiscal that Finance Minister AMA Mitch has, in his budget speech, mentioned tends to defy the predictions and projections that were made by different quarters during the period of political volatility and also subsequent to it, taking in view the possible adverse knock-on effects of the turbulence on the performance of the national economy in all its major sectors. If the official growth figure about the entry’s gross domestic product (GAP) in the outgoing fiscal portrays the real state of the economy, then there are obvious reasons to discard largely the links between the polity and the economy in the Bangladesh context. How far this is realistic to assume so, despite some clearly demonstrated inherent shock-absorbing capacity of the Bangladesh economy and also the proven resilience of its main economic actors, remains otherwise questionable. Yet then, the figures and data that the Finance Minister has mentioned about the performance of the economy in fiscal 2013-14 do unmistakably bear out shortfalls in any areas of consequence. This is so, in terms of the targets that were set in the Sixth Five Year Plan (SPY) document. The forthcoming fiscal being the terminal year of this medium-term plan that was approved by the government during its immediate-past tenure, it does not require a pundit to state that its goals and objectives would remain largely unmet. This will certainly further compound Bangladesh problems to fulfill its cherished national hope about reaching the status of a middle income country by 2021. If its existing situation does not change for the utter by a quantum leap, it will be well-nigh impossible to meet the whole set of Millennium Development Goals (Meds), particularly in areas like nutrition, effective health coverage etc. , that are much needed for poverty alleviation. In his budgetary proposals for the forthcoming fiscal, the Finance Minister has projected an aggregate expenditure outlay of about Take 2. 0 trillion, reflecting a rise by 15. 7 per cent over the revised budget of Take 2. 16 trillion for the outgoing one. There is no strong reason to consider the proposed size of the next fiscals national edged over-bloated, in view of the fact that overall public (government) expenditures, covering both current and development ones, will still be around 18. 7 per cent of GAP. The share of the proposed current (rev enue and non-development capital) expenditures at Take 1. 7 trillion will be 12. Per cent of GAP while that of public investment (ADAPT) at Take 803. 15 billion will be 6. 0 per cent of GAP in the forthcoming fiscal. Such budgetary expenditures in comparator countries. But two critical questions still arise here: Has the government the capacity to implement the proposed national edged, particularly that part of it which concerns the Annual Development Programmer (ADAPT)? What is about the quality of overall public expenditures, to assess their impact in terms of value-for-money, to link inputs with outputs and to count costs against benefits? These questions are of consequence because it has rather become a routine practice in Bangladesh to downsize the ADAPT in the third or last quarter of every fiscal because of implementation shortfall, on one hand, and the poor quality of overall public expenditures in terms of targeting, coverage, leakage, existing conditions of public service delivery, the nagging problem of cost over-runs of development projects due to procrastination of their execution, on the other. This is the sixth national budget that Finance Minister M. A. Mitch has presented during two successive periods of the Miami League (AL)-led government. The main challenge for implementation of the proposed national budget for FYI 2014-15 will lie in areas of arranging financial resources for its funding, without crossing the limit of the fiscal deficit that has been projected at 5. 0 per cent of GAP. If the limit is crossed, it may destabilize the macro-economic situation and also have some crowding-out effects on the economic activities in the private sector. The National Board of Revenue (N.B.) that collects the lion’s part of government revenues, in the form of duties and taxes, has not been able to fulfill its target in the outgoing fiscal, notwithstanding the fact that it had earlier demonstrated its commendable successes in raising the level of such revenue receipts of the government. The new fiscal measures that the Finance Minister has proposed for the forthcoming fiscal ay provide some cushions to the N.B. for augmenting its revenue collections. But the possible impact of such measures on overall economic activities merits a detailed scrutiny. Meanwhile, the N.B. will need to put extra-ordinary emphasis on widening the tax net, winning the trust and confidence of both the existing and potential taxpayers. It needs a shot in its arm to help strengthen its capacity to do this and that, too, by ensuring transparency of actions by its field-level officials. Overburdening the existing tax-payers with additional doses of direct taxes and creating additional robbers for economic actors in different sectors by way of any irrational tax structure, are certainly no rational policy choice for the government. Higher tax burden may otherwise lead to a greater degree of tax evasion or avoidance. Tax compliance depends, to a large extent, on the rate of tax and duty structure. So far the efforts for collection of domestic resources are concerned, there are strong reasons for the government to raise the levels of its revenue receipts from non-N.B. agencies or departments and enhance the volume of such earnings other than taxes, duties etc. , from different government agencies, autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies and all other relevant sources. The proposed budget for the forthcoming fiscal so. Meanwhile, the availability of the projected external assistance that will be required for footing the estimated budgetary expenditure, particularly on the development (public investment) side, will be predicated upon efforts to help accelerate the pace of implementation of the aided projects. Here, the developments in the recent years do need to be further consolidated and strengthened to a large extent, if the current situation about a bulging aid pipeline is to be improved. This is another daunting challenge. If the government fails to collect or mobiles the financial resources, both domestic and external, at the level projected in the proposed budget, it will be forced to either cut back its development spending in the second half of fiscal 2014-2015 or to borrow more from both banking and non-banking sources than what has been projected. Neither of these two is welcome. If public investments in priority areas fall short of the target, the potential of the economy to move onto a higher growth trajectory will intention to remain unrealized. If the government’s borrowings overshoot the projected level, it will entail most unwelcome consequences. The fiscal deficit will then exceed the projected level, causing macro-economic pressures: the private sector may face resource constraints; interest payments on account of domestic public debt may swell further without enhancing the capacity of the economy to foot the related bill etc. At this stage, it would be worthwhile to draw the attention of all concerned to the imperatives for facilitating the expansion of investment activities in the private sector. The real test of the proposed budget for fiscal 2014-15 lies in this particular area. A synergy of actions will be needed to make this happen. The national budget cannot certainly address all the issues that are badly impacting new private investments. But it has to facilitate the forging of such a synergy. If private investments do not rise, the prospects of the economy to generate new Jobs, create more income-earning opportunities and pave the way for its accelerated growth rate, along the desired lines, will continue to delude all concerned. How to cite Financial Analysis, Papers

AIDS (3244 words) Essay Example For Students

AIDS (3244 words) Essay AIDSAdults (over the age of 18) from the company and other people who I know wererandomly assigned to receive the survey. The group includes married males andfemales as well as single male and females. There are 19 female and 31 malesubjects. A survey consisting of twenty statements concerning sexuallytransmitted disease and HIV infection. The survey was designed by myself . Thepurpose of the survey is to measure participants awareness of AIDS and sexuallytransmitted diseases. I am trying to show that people are not well informedabout subjects such as condom use, condom use and alcohol, transmission ofsexual diseases, and the magnitude of the AIDS problem. Subjects are asked tochoose the level with which they agree or disagree with each statement. Thereare two levels of agreement and two levels of disagreement. See appendix A. Aconsent form was signed by all participants. See appendix B. Results t-test*: t(48) = -2.2185, p * .0313 | | | df cv pv Variable N Mean Std Dev. MinimumMaximu m Q1 50 1.420 0 .810 1.00 4.00 Q10 49 1.408 0.810 1.00 4.00 Q15 50 1.320 0.621 1.00 4.00 Q3 48 3.396 0.869 1.00 4.00 Q9 50 3.240 0.822 1.00 4.00 Q6 503.220 0.834 1.00 4.00 Q16 50 3.100 0.621 1.00 4.00 Methods Subjects Adults (overthe age of 18) from the company and other people who I know were randomlyassigned to receive the survey. The group includes married males and females aswell as single male and females. There are 19 female and 21 male subjects. Agesranged from late teens to early fifties, with the majority being in theirtwenties. Independent variable Questions 6, 9, 13, and 16 on the survey. I wouldbe comfortable eating lunch with someone with HIV or AIDS. I would becomfortable shaking hands with someone who has AIDS. I am very well informedabout HIV, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. I would not haveunprotected sex with someone unless they got tested first. Dependent Variable. Awareness and education of AIDS and sexually transmitted disease. OperationalDefinition Awareness and education of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseaseequals a total score of 12 or higher on questions 6, 9, 13, and 16 of thesurvey. Procedures A survey consisting of twenty statements concerning sexuallytransmitted disease and AIDS was given to fifty subjects. A t test was performedon the results as well as a comparison of male vs. Female scores on theAwareness and Education variable. Discussion Results of the survey have shown aneed for additional education of males concerning AIDS awareness and education. Females, (89%) did very well on the variable which was measured for satisfactoryknowledge and awareness of AIDS and sexually transmitted disease. Males, (65%)did also score well on this variable. This leaves us with 35% of the malesneeding more education and 11% of the females needing to increase thereawareness and education. The rather large number of males needing furthereducation tend to support my hypotheses that yes more education is necessary. Iwas pleased to see that on the whole, people are better informed than I hadoriginally hypothesized as demonstrated by the scores reported for specificquestion. The lowest score or strongest disagreement was on the statement thatAIDS was no longer a big issue. People also realize that just having one sexpartner at a time is not enough to protect you from AIDS as demonstrated bytheir response to number 10. The strongest agreement with statements on thesurvey concerned worrying about childrens future. This being the case, why isit that beha vior as is described in my research does not reflect this knowledge?People know what they need to do to reduce their chances of exposure to AIDS andsexually transmitted disease but they fail to do it. The research concentratedon students who are exposed to much more information about AIDS than adults whoare out of the educational system. Further education about the dangers ofunprotected sex is needed as the study suggest, but we also need to understandwhy education is not enough. We desperately need to develop behaviors which willprotect us from sexually transmitted disease and AIDS. Education Needed forAIDS, HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Sexually transmitted diseases are amajor health concern for our country. With the spread of AIDS among so manypeople, both gay and heterosexual, it is important that we understand how thesediseases spread and what we can do to prevent them. Continuing efforts toeducate college students about the dangers of unprotected sex have resulted inli ttle evidence of positive change in sexual behavior (Saywer ; Moss, 93). During the 1980s, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, the cause ofAIDS, emerged as a leading cause of death in the United.States). In 1993, HIVinfection became the most common cause of death among persons aged 25-44years.(Center for Disease Control) Because of the long latency period for HIV alarge number of these people may have become infected during the ages of 18 to24 the ages of most college students. One of the national health objectives forthe year 2000 for the college age population is a reduction in unintendedpregnancy and transmission of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, including and HIV/AIDS.. Studies have shown a need for educational interventions and futurein-depth studies of college students. An example is a study which showed that agroup of college males who had a history of sexually transmitted diseases, highnumbers of sexual partners and inconsistent condom use still perceived theirrisk of HIV/AIDS infection as very low.(Sawyer and Moss, 93). College students are thought to be at high risk for Sexually Transmitted Diseases because oftheir high level of sexual activity and their potential for multiple sexpartners Studies have shown that even students who consider themselves in longterm relationships often experience casual sex with another partner ( Sawyer andMoss,93 ). Multiple partners seem to be the norm rather than the exception. Sawyer and Moss (1993), reported that 21% of the men sampled have had 2 to 3sexual partners,33% 4 to 6 partners and 39% 7 or more sexual partners. Anotherstudy reported an average of 6 different lifetime partners among female collegestudents. ( Kusseling, Wenger and Shapiro 95 ) It becomes very obvious that withthis type of activity occurring, the need for protection from STD is veryimportant. The most obvious and easiest course of action would be for collegestudents to abstain from sex, have a monogamous relationship with someone who isnot infected, or reduce the risk of infection by using condoms, but this is nothappening as the following studies have shown. Nicholas D. Ritchie, PhD, andAdelaide Getty, RN, BHS, CHES (1994). Francoise S. Kusseling, MOB; Neil S. Ten Year War Cuba EssayThe survey is completely confidential as I will not ask for your name or studentID. Number. The purpose of this survey is to better understand the need for HIVand Sexually Transmitted Diseases education. If at any time you do not feelcomfortable responding to a statement you may skip it or decide to stop takingthe survey. If you decide to stop taking the survey and leave please take theunfinished survey with you to discard to assure your privacy. Each statement isresponded to by circling the most correct number under each statement. Youranswers are numbered from 1 through 4. Below is a chart explaining the ratingfor each answer. 1. Totally disagree or None of the time 2. Disagree somewhat orSometimes 3. Agree somewhat or Usually 4. Totally agree or All the time ConsentForm Date____________ I, _________________________, state that I am over 18years of age and that I voluntarily agree to participate in a research projectconducted by ______________ psychology st udent at ______. The research is beingconducted in order to better understand the need for HIV and SexuallyTransmitted Disease education. The specific task I will perform requires me tofill out a survey about my beliefs about HIV and sexually transmitted diseases,my chances of getting the HIV virus and my beliefs concerning condom use andsafe sex practices.. I will not be asked to identify myself in relation to thesurvey which I fill out. I acknowledge that ______________ has explained thetask to me fully; has informed me that I may withdraw from participation at anytime without prejudice or penalty; has offered to answer any questions I mighthave concerning the research procedure; has assured me that any information thatI give will be used for research purposes only and will be kept confidential. Ialso acknowledge that the benefits derived from, or rewards given for, myparticipation have been fully explained to me-as well as alternative methods ifavailable, for earning these reward s-and that I have been promised, uponcompletion of the research task, a brief description of the role my specificperformance plays in this project. There will be no reimbursement for yourparticipation from me (_____________) or the school. _____________________________________________________ SIGNATURE OF RESEARCHER SIGNATURE OF PARTICIPANT__________________ Education Needed for AIDS, HIV and Sexually TransmittedDiseases Abstract Results of the survey have shown a need for additionaleducation of males concerning AIDS awareness and education. Females, (89%) didvery well on the variable which was measured for satisfactory knowledge andawareness of AIDS and sexually transmitted disease. Males, (65%) did also scorewell on this variable. This leaves us with 35% of the males needing moreeducation and 11% of the females needing to increase there awareness andeducation. The rather large number of males needing further education tend tosupport my hypotheses that yes more education is necessa ry. On the whole, peopleare better informed than had originally been hypothesized. Measures Survey Myage is___________ My sex is___________ My education level is______________ Checkone, I am single _________, married __________, divorced __________ I havechildren and their ages are 1-10 _____, 11-15______, 16-20_____, 21+ _____ 1. Aids is a lower income and gay problem, I dont need to worry. 2. I would nevergo out with someone who was HIV positive, or who had AIDS. 3. I worry about mychildrens future and them getting AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases. 4. People now have fewer sex partners due to AIDS. 5. People use condoms morefrequently because of AIDS. 6. I would be comfortable eating lunch with someonewith HIV or AIDS. 7. People do not use condoms as much after they have beendrinking. 8. People know enough about AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. 9. I would be comfortable shaking hands with someone who has AIDS. 10. As long asyou only have one sex partner you are safe. 11. I dont worry about sexuallytransmitted diseases. 12. I believe that our educational system has beeneffective in presenting AIDS related information to students. 13. I am very wellinformed about HIV, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. 14. We spendtoo much money on AIDS related research. It would be better spent on cancerresearch which is more important. 15. I do not think HIV and AIDS is such a bigproblem anymore. 16. I would not have unprotected sex with someone unless theygot tested first. 17. People are more likely to become sexually involved if theyhave been drinking. 18. I would feel comfortable discussing condom use with apotential sexual partner before ever having any sexual contact. 19. Most singlepeople usually have had a few drinks before they have sex. 20. People who getHIV and AIDS kind of deserve it for being stupid1-2-34 Circle 1 for to tally disagree 2for somewhat disagree 3 for somewhat agree 4 totally agreeBibliographyNicholas D. Ritchie, PhD, and Adelaide Getty, RN, BHS, CHES (1994). Did anAIDS peer education program change first-year college students behaviors? Thejournal of American college Health , January vol 42, 163-166 Dona Schneider,PhD, MPH; Micheal R. Greenberg, PhD; Monica Devanas, PhD; Anu Sajja, MPH; FernGoodhart, CHES; and David Burns, AM (1994). Evaluating HIV/AIDS Education in theUniversity Setting. Journal of American College Health, vol 43, 11-15. JamesJaccard, PhD; Ruth Andrea Levinson, PhD; and Luann Beamer, MA. (1994). StudentOpinion Leaders and HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Risk Behavior. Journal of AmericanCollege Health, 1995, vol 43, (5) March, p 216- 223 Barbara A De Buono,M.D.,M.P.H., Stephen H Zinner, M.D., Maxim Daamen, M.D., and William M. McCormack,M.D. (1989). Sexual behavior of college women in 1975, 1986, and 1989. NewEngland Journal of Medicine, 1990 vol 322 (12), March. P 821-825 Rob in GSawyer,Phd, and Donald J. Moss, MD. (1993). Sexually transmitted diseases incollege men: A preliminary clinical investigation. Journal of American CollegeHealth 1993, vol 42 (3) November, p111-115 Anita Raj, M.S., and Robert HPollack, PhD., (1995). Factors predicting High-Risk sexual behavior inhetrosexual college females. Journal of sex and marital Therapy, Vol. 21, No.3,Fall, 213-223 Francoise S. Kusseling, MOB; Neil S. Wenger, MD, MPH; and MartinF. Shapiro, MD, PhD. (1995). Inconsistent Contraceptive Use Among Female CollegeStudents: Implications for Intervention. Vol 43,march191-194 Tina M. Brien,MSEd;Dennis L. Thombs, PhD; Colleen A. Mahoney,PhD; and Larry Wallnau, PhD. Dimensions of Self-Efficacy Among Three Distinct Groups of Condom Users. Journalof American College Health Vol 42 January Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1996 Vol. 45, No. 6 February 16Philip W Meilman PhD. Alcohol Induced Sexual Behavior on Campus. Journal ofAmerican College Health. Vol 42, (1) July 1993 p 27-31

Why an existentialist might prefer to speak of finitude rather than death Essay Example

Why an existentialist might prefer to speak of finitude rather than death Paper We often recognise human beings as being distinct from other species for the ability to anticipate death. But death can simply mean ones biological termination and therefore not capture fully the philosophical questions which we associate with human existence. Critically discuss why an existentialist might prefer to speak of finitude rather than death. Mans ability to recognise death is a fundamental part of his existence; it can be said that this is what separates us from animals or mere things. The subject of death can be viewed and understood in different ways. Some may see death as the end of a story, and chose to ignore or fight against it. An Existentialist however, would prefer to incorporate death as part of their whole existence. In this essay I will discuss how an Existentialist would prefer to speak of finitude rather than death. I will look at how his understanding of existence differentiates from that of somebody who thinks of death as something to be shunned. I will attempt to analyse how this Existential outlook on human existence helps them to deal with philosophical questions of morality, guilt, and ultimately authentic existence. I will endeavour to evaluate the problems that may arise from such a view on existence, and ascertain how death factors in to the Existentialist view. Humans are finite beings. Finitude in itself enables us to account for what is creative in the capacities of the finite human creature. Heidegger calls fate the association of the two senses of finitude: as project of being and as dependence upon pregiven being. (Kerszberg 1997, p238) It can be said that there is no absolute freedom for humans, and this encompasses the tragedy of existence. We will write a custom essay sample on Why an existentialist might prefer to speak of finitude rather than death specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Why an existentialist might prefer to speak of finitude rather than death specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Why an existentialist might prefer to speak of finitude rather than death specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer One way of defining this tragedy may be seen as a clash between the aspirations of human freedom and creativity with a cosmic order that is stronger and defeats man (Macquarrie 1972, p189). Its this limitation of man combined with the tragedy that makes us human. When an Existentialist is speaking of finitude, he means that we have simply been thrown into existence and we must accept our inward awareness of our very own being. Each individual persons existence is characterised by facticity in that we have not chosen to be, but rather, we are just here. We are stuck with our particular being; our genetic and hereditary selves, our place and moment in history and society etc. We do have possibilities in life, but they are confined by the external forces acting upon us. In this sense facticity can be seen as an opposite to possibility, or rather Existence never escapes from the tension between possibility and facticity. On the one side man is open and projects his possibilities; on the other side he is closed by the factual situation in which he already finds himself. (Macquarrie 1972, p192). It may be difficult for us to view death as anything other than a simple end to ones life. This biological death may be seen as an interruption of life, but if we accept this we cannot experience existence as a whole. Martin Heidegger believed that one way of overcoming this difficulty was to shift attention from death as the once-for-all observable fact at the end of life to the existents inward awareness that his being is a being-towards-death. (Macquarrie 1973, p195). So death is something that is already possible, in fact, the most possible thing in ones existence. Heidegger relates death to care, and this incorporates the everyday being of the Dasein (my beingness). It arises from the tension between the forward thrust of possibility into the future and the facticity of the situation into which the existent is already thrown, together with falling into the world and the they. (Macquarrie 1972, p196). One aspect of this is that death can be viewed upon as a supreme possibility of human existence. All the possibilities that we see before us are laid out before death one after the other. We can only experience one thing at a time and each of these things comes before the ultimate possibility of death still a possibility even though it can be an end to others. For Heidegger, he asks that we should anticipate death and that it should be an included factor into the way we experience certain events. For this reason the Existentialist will prefer to speak of finitude rather than the basic concept of death as it allows them to become aware that existence has boundaries and thus can contemplate it as a finite whole. There is a great difference in existential attitude between the man who lives in the face of an end and the man who systematically excludes the thought of death, or seeks to do so. Macquarrie 1972, p197). This relation of death to facticity is that the possibility of death is aimed at the future; facticity involves things that have already happened this possibility of death, to the Existentialist, is a current consideration. Nobody believes that death is something that can be stopped or is something that they would want to stop living forever may be a monstrosity. Another aspect of care is the falling. This entails becoming absorb ed into the world and being overwhelmed by external forces, thus becoming a part of the they. The people who are falling have shunned the notion of death and will try to avoid it where possible. People create institutions to deal with the subject of death; funerals are big business and delay the onset of decomposition with methods such as embalming. These people try to ignore and forget about death. Heidegger claims that death, honestly accepted and anticipated, can become an integrating factor in an authentic existence. (Macquarrie 1972, p198). For some Existentialists, death is the final absurdity, just as absurd as life itself. Camus states Human insurrection is a prolonged protest against death (Macquarrie 1972, p198) So death can be viewed as the ultimate symbol of the finitude of mans existence. There are some problems that arise for the Existentialist when an existence has a lack of wholeness. As humans relate differently to time than animals or things, there are a number of tensions that arise and it is almost improbably for there not to be. A human projects himself into the future For the thing or animal, the present only is real; the past is no longer and the future is not yet, and this means in effect that they are unreal. Macquarrie 1972, p200). For humans we should try to gather the past, present and future together in a quest for wholeness. With these Existential ideas in place, we can examine the difficulties involved when discussing finitude. If somebody were to dwell on the future exclusively, then they may be in danger of being overcome by fantasy and have a fear of the past. A preoccupation with the past is just as damaging, as we may paralyse our genuine willingness. We could deny ourselves exposure to new things and changes because of our routines we have adopted. Another common imbalance would be that of the present. In this sense man can become akin to an animal or a thing because of circumstances determined for him possibly institutionalised code for example and have thus, fallen into the they. Its questions and considerations like these, which arise from speaking of finitude rather than death. The problem of guilt arises for the Existentialist where the disorder of human existence is noted. Existing is projecting oneself into the future, but there is a flaw between this and where we currently are in the present. For the Existentialist this may be seen as a flaw that allows for morality. It is similar to the idea of falling set out by Heidegger. Nietzsche described this flaw of man as the thing that makes it possible for one to become super-man, but at the same time the deterioration of man. As humans we must take responsibility for our being; we must attempt to strive for authentic experience and true self-hood. Existentialists will not agree that there is a blueprint for such an ambition. Man must decide who he will be, and more than this, each individual must decide the question for himself. In contrary to this an inauthentic existence would be one where external forces limited your creativity and ability to find ones true self. Sartre said You are free, therefore choose that is to say, invent. No rule of general morality can show you what you ought to do; no signs are vouchsafed in this world (Macquarrie 1972, p207). Some may critique this idea however as surely we would be abandoning true humanity if everybody just did their own thing. It is possible that we may already be comfortable in our current situation but we must not let our existence stagnate because of it. So, an Existentialist would prefer to speak of finitude rather than death, as it focuses on human existence as a whole, and as such, allows them to obtain authentic experience. It allows us to preserve the autonomy of existence. In striving to realise values that are truly our own we can avoid the downfalls of an inauthentic experience such as falling or our lives becoming stagnated. To ignore death or to think of it as a bad thing that should be fought against is detrimental to humanity in the eyes of an existentialist, and destroys our chances at being able to ask some of the most fundamental philosophical questions of our existence.

Use These 50th Wedding Anniversary Toast Quotes

Use These 50th Wedding Anniversary Toast Quotes Watching a young couple in love is joy, but watching an aging couple in love is bliss. When a couple has cherished their marriage for 50 years, it certainly calls for a special anniversary event. If youre the one giving the toast, youll want to plan your speech in advance. Its good to keep a celebratory toast under five minutes to keep the event light and fun. And focus on honoring the couple while shying away from embarrassing anecdotes that could make someone uncomfortable. Sprinkle in a toast  quote or two in your speech to help  you express your joy at the occasion and make it extra poignant, whether youre a child of the couple, the party host,  or one of the gold-anniversary  betrothed. Anonymous Newlyweds become oldyweds, and oldyweds  are the reasons that families work. â€Å"You are the parents that all kids hope to have; you are the couple that all lovers hope to be; and you both are the pillars of support that every family wishes it had.   Never laugh at your wife’s choices.  You are one of them.† Love is like an earthquake- unpredictable, a little scary, but when the hard part is over you realize how lucky you truly are. â€Å"You don’t marry someone you can live with. You marry the person who you cannot live without.† Moonlight and roses are bound to fade for every lover and every maid, but the bond that holds in any weather is learning how to laugh. A toast to love and laughter and happily ever after. Felix Adler Love is the expansion of two natures in such fashion that each includes as the other; each is enriched by the other. Pearl S. Buck A good marriage is one which allows for change and growth in the individuals and in the way they express their love. Mahatma Gandhi â€Å"Where there is love there is life.† Erich Fromm Immature love says: I love you because I need you.  Mature love says, I need you because I love you. Greek Proverb The heart that loves is always young. Mignon McLaughlin A successful marriage requires falling in love  many times, always with the same person. Ricardo Montalban â€Å"True love doesn’t happen right away; it’s an ever-growing process. It develops after you’ve gone through many ups and downs, when you’ve suffered together, cried together, laughed together.† Rita Rudner In Hollywood, a marriage is a success if it outlasts milk. Its so great to find one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. Paul Sweeney A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance, and tenacity. The order varies for any given year. James Thurber Love is what youve been through with somebody. Themis Tolis â€Å"To love is nothing. To be loved is something. But to love and be loved, that’s everything.† Vincent van Gogh Love is something eternal- the aspect may change,  but not the essence.

Quotes by One Tree Hill Character Lucas Scott

Quotes by 'One Tree Hill' Character Lucas Scott It must be terrible to discover that your father has another family  and he has been denying your existence for years. This is what Lucas Scott has to deal with on the TV show One Tree Hill, which showcases Lucass emotions as he tries to create his own identity. If you have already watched episodes of One Tree Hill, these quotes from Lucas can help you better understand his character. Lucas Scott on Life Many people die with  music  still in them. Why is that so? Too often its because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, times run out. But I cant do it. And even worse, I dont know why I cant do it. You know, its like, no matter how confusing or screwed up life got, the game always made sense. It was mine, you know. And in a lot of ways, its who I am. But I cant be that person in their gym or in their uniforms or ... in their world. Ever wonder how long it takes to change your life? What measure of time is enough to be life-altering? Is it four years, like high school? One year? An eight-week walking tour? Can your life change in a month or a week or a single day? Were always in a hurry to grow up, to go places, to get ahead ... but when youre young, one hour can change everything. Katherine Anne Porter once said: There seems to be a kind of order in the universe ... in the movement of the stars and the turning of the Earth and the changing of the seasons. But human life is almost pure chaos. Everyone takes his stance, asserts his own right and feelings, mistaking the motives of others and his own. Most of our life is a series of images. They pass us by like towns on the highway. But sometimes, a moment stuns us as it happens. And we know that this instant is more than a fleeting image. We know that this moment ... every part of it ... will live on forever. Needing Help Sometimes, its easy to feel like youre the only one in the world whos struggling, whos frustrated, or unsatisfied or barely getting by. That feeling is a lie.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦ we all need a little help sometimes. Someone to help us hear the music in the world, to remind us that it won’t always be this way. That someone is out there. And that someone will find you.† Random Musings What are you, Keith? An angel? A bad dream? Did you ever look at a picture of yourself and see a stranger in the background? It makes you wonder how many people have pictures of you. I was there but not to kill you. I saved your life, but I should have let you burn. Theyre afraid people might find out who they are before they find it out themselves. So Im confused. You want to be anonymous, and you let the world watch you on a web cam.

Human resource performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human resource performance - Essay Example As coaching managers, they have to pay attention to the behaviors, values and skills that are linked to the desired outcomes by the organization. As the senior manager, I will emphasize on the need for listening as this aspect is counter-intuitive. For instance, I would ask the managers to meet with the employees or even the supervisors and managers so as they discuss the difficulties they encounter. Through sharing their points of view, these parties develop rapport; thus, accommodate each others point of view. Additionally, I will plan to focus on the behaviors that need to be changed. I will highlight these change areas in meetings. For instance, I will clearly highlight that use of unwanted language is unacceptable in the office, with specific examples that some employees or even supervisors used. Through explaining this out rightly to the employees will reduce chances of reoccurrence of the same as the particular individuals with these behaviors will know that have been identified from the crowd (Bacal 162). As the senior manager, I will focus on the need to explain the importance of interpersonal relationships in the workplace. As argued by Bacal, performance can only be attained in an organization only if another people’s interests are identified and respected (155). In this case, chances of verbal abuse will be minimal as the managers will instill the feeling of co-working in the entire workplace. None of the employees or supervisor will, therefore, take up a perfectionist role; thus, reduction of hostility and an increase in the employee relations (Weintraub & Hunt 112). In terms of increased turnover, I will train managers on the need to be more patient while hiring and not do it out of mere desperation. Gathering adequate information on an applicant is vital for the long term success of the company as the manager will hire the best person from the list of

Business Report Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Report - Term Paper Example The founder was Ms.CarrollCaire who acted as the director. Co-founders included Johnson. P. K and Katherine Powell. Initially Katherine was the secretary general while Johnson was the manager. The hotel has twenty two employees and has two locations in the city(Ford, 2008). The company has experienced tremendous growth since2014 due to the increasing number of tourists in the city. The profit increased by a profit margin of 12% since its foundation. In 2013 the hotel was among the best hotels in the city in the 2009-2010 financial years. The main services and products include catering and accommodation services. Recreational services such as swimming and gymnastics are also available to the clients at a fee. There are some fast food shops that sell artistic assets to the tourists at a cheap price(Begley, 2006). Business report is a form of assignment that serves to analyze a using application of business theories to produce a range of suggestions for improvement of the business of a given client or firm. This business plan will thus demonstrate my analytical, reasoning, and evaluation skills while identifying and weighing-up possible solutions and outcomes of the personalized customer service in Pacino Sky Fall Hotel. The business plan will also examine available and potential solutions to solve problematic situations or issue arising from customer’s feedback information desk(Taggart & Publications, 2009). In an attempt to make customers delightful a hotel company need to find out what makes their clients tick. There is a great need to monitor the service users and learn what they deem important by setting up metrics to measure their behavioral changes. The main agenda is to increase customer’s engagement and service fulfillment(Begley, 2006). Personalized customer service is a system that focuses on customer’s

McCarthyism’s Connection to Crucible Essay Example for Free

McCarthyism’s Connection to Crucible Essay During the 1940s to the 1950s, McCarthyism took its way, ruining innocent people lives through false the accusations of being affiliated in Communism. The innocent people that were accused and not found guilty couldn’t return back to their normal lives. One of the people that were trialed was Arthur Miller, author of The Crucible. Miller didn’t take this lightly and felt that something had to be done, so he wrote The Crucible connecting the McCarthy trials with the Salem witch trials. There were numerous relations of the Salem witch trials and McCarthyism, but there were three that stood out the most. During the McCarthy trials and Salem witch trials, innocent people endured the scare factor which brought out strange behavior, the accused couldn’t go back to their regular lives, and the accused had to endure the harsh interrogations. In The Crucible and during McCarthyism, it was prudent to go by the expectations that society presented or one may run the risk of having their reputation flawed. In The Crucible, Abigail and few other girls were discovered dancing in the woods by Rev. Parris. When Rev. Parris discovered this he couldn’t let it go, because during those times if you had time to dance then you had time to read the Bible. Innocent U.S. Government officials lost their jobs to be suspected of being Communist by McCarthy so he may move up the political ladder. During McCarthyism and Salem witch trials, the smallest evidence was used to make their accusations. In The Crucible and McCarthy trials, both include the faulty accusations and harsh interrogations that were placed on innocent citizens. During the time of McCarthyism, people lives were monitored by the government to reveal any unusual behaviors that may be considered Communist. Much of the evidence that was used was pulled out of someone’s file that may have been ten years old. In The Crucible, Proctor was thought of being affiliated with witchery for not coming to church in a couple of weeks. Proctor didn’t come because of his wife’s illness, but even this excuse wasn’t enough to get him in the clear completely. The wild accusations of the McCarthy trials and in The Crucible, created a stir within both societies that caused people to alter their lifestyles in hopes of not being noticed. The Red Scare of McCarthyism was focused in the government system and it stood for such a long time with support from people due to the anxiety of Communists being in the U.S. In The Crucible, nearly  one hundred people were trialed and found guilty of witchery in on year. Giles Corey accused his wife because she was reading a book other than the Bible. The anxiety of the fear that his wife may be a witch brought him to the court to plea his belief. The fear factor, strict expectations of society, and reputations being ruined were factors that made living during McCarthyism and the Salem witch trials nearly impossible to not become involved. Everyone during those times, presented a fear of the witch hunts that caused them to accuse people they have known for years, which kept these trials stable. No one could escape the witch hunts, and those whom did were lucky to not have had their lives ruined and banned from any jobs and spending time with your family. Both periods of time share the regret and unfortunate events that innocent people had to endure.

Obe: The Restructuring Of American Society. :: essays research papers

OBE: The Restructuring Of American Society. There has been a concern for some time throughout America regarding the quality of public education. Students are graduating from highschool without adequate knowledge of the three R's. Universities are recruiting a multitude of incompetent pseudo-scholars. Employers don't understand why the new generation of workers do not possess the basic skills to perform the job. It would appear that American students are not learning as much as their parents did. And yet, teachers are still teaching, taxes are still being paid, and more funds than ever are being appropriated for public education. What's going on in America's classrooms? Up until the 1980's most schools used a standards based curriculum. In the traditional classroom setting, educators focused on the input side of education, teaching a specific body of knowledge. Students were graded against predefined standards and passed or failed based on their ability to meet those standards. This method of teaching produced a graduate with a well rounded education, and prepared him for further development of career skills. With the exception of those who did not apply themselves, the system worked. Today America's educators take a new approach in the classroom. The focus of education has moved to measuring what students can do, rather than what they understand. This is the core principle of Outcomes Based Education (OBE). An outcome, by definition, is something that follows as a result or consequence. So OBE then, is an approach to education where the end result is the most important factor. This is very important in understanding what OBE is, and what it intends to do. In the OBE classroom, every aspect of the curriculum is geared toward achieving a small group of specific goals. To gain an insight into OBE, it is necessary to learn something about its origins and those promoting it. B. F. Skinner, a psychologist and learning theorist, developed the techniques of learning (operant conditioning) based on conditioning phenomena first analyzed scientifically by Pavlov. Skinner called his technique his "teaching machine." Skinner thus developed the principles on which "Mastery Learning" was developed by Benjamin Bloom. Mastery Learning was the original name for the process known today as Outcome Based Education, also known as Performance Based Education, or Restructuring. Educational theories used in OBE are based on Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. A curriculum, according to Bloom, "...may be thought of as a plan for changing student behavior." (p 14 of Ron Sunseri's book OBE: Understanding the Truth about Education Reform, Questar Publishers, P.O. Box 1720, Sisters, OR 97759) Bloom called it "Mastery Learning." Techniques for his new style of education, based on Skinnerian behavioral psychology, focus on

Feminist Epistemology Essay

Abstract In this paper I analyze the potential of Allison Jaggar’s suggestion that emotions in general, and outlaw emotions in particular, be incorporated into feminist epistemology. Jaggar advocates a standpoint theory of emotions, and suggests that the emotions of the oppressed in particular are helpful rather than inimical to acquiring knowledge. I argue that although there are some potential problems with Jaggar’s approach, these problems are common to standpoint theories and can be addressed by applying the solutions offered by other feminist theorists. One common criticism made by feminist epistemologists[i] is the critique of traditional epistemology’s notions of objectivity and neutrality. As Naomi Scheman puts it, in traditional epistemology â€Å"[t]hose who are taken to be in the best position to know are those who are believed to be objective, distanced, dispassionate, independent, and nonemotionally rational† (3-4). [ii] According to Allison Jaggar, the result of this conception of the knower in modern epistemology is a sharp distinction between reason and emotion where reason is privileged because emotions are viewed as involuntary responses that distort our rational observations of the world, which in turn distort the knowledge we can gain from these observations (1992). She further argues that this distinction contributes to the denial of women’s epistemic authority since women are associated with emotions and men with reason, and so men became the standard by which epistemic authority is judged. This is just one of many concerns feminist epistemologists share. However, there are many dissimilarities between feminists as to how to deal with the problems in traditional epistemology. [iii] One approach that I will focus on in this paper is feminist standpoint theory, particularly the standpoint theory offered by Jaggar in â€Å"Love and Knowledge: Emotions in Feminist Epistemology. † What Jaggar aims to accomplish in her paper is to â€Å"begin bridging the gap [between emotion and knowledge] through the suggestion that emotions may be helpful and even necessary rather than inimical to the construction of knowledge† (1992, 146). The bridge she wants to build includes a methodology for identifying biases of the dominant group that leads to false appraisals of the world. This methodology relies on the notion that perspective can be altered by the way one is situated in the world, particularly how one’s situatedness can affect one’s emotional perspective and response. I will explain the concept of emotional perspective and response in a moment, but I want to first note that the type of emotions she thinks are important to feminist epistemologists are outlaw emotions—which are emotional responses that do not follow or support the values and norms we have been taught to accept. Because outlaw emotions are usually a negative response to norms and values, they can help us identify which biases are causing errors in our methods of seeking knowledge. The point that Jaggar wants to make clear is that impartiality in our epistemic methods is impossible, therefore, we should give up on the notion of impartiality and work towards identifying biases that will better guide our epistemic endeavors. There is much debate between feminists over the potential of feminist standpoint epistemologies, yet, I think that Jaggar’s methodology warrants some consideration. [iv] However, because she offers just a sketch of how emotions might be incorporated into epistemology, there are some aspects of her theory that are problematic. The first problem is that standpoint theories seem to neglect the differing experiences of particular individuals within groups by trying to speak about the experiences of these groups in general. The second problem is that Jaggar needs to address how to distinguish which outlaw emotions could potentially further feminist interests from the other emotions, outlaw or otherwise. The general aim of this paper, then, is to initiate an investigation into whether Jaggar’s proposal will be a fruitful endeavor for feminist epistemologists. The more specific aim of this paper is to point out some of the potential problems that arise from her theory, as a feminist theory, and to offer some potential solutions for these problems, some of which are solutions that feminists have previously used to answer similar problems in other feminist theories. 1. Jaggar’s View Jaggar argues that theories that make the distinction between reason and emotion as it pertains to knowledge are mistaken in that they falsely assume emotions are involuntary responses that can be separated from reason. Jaggar contends that most emotions are socially constructed, intentional, and can influence our perceptions of the world. For example, when someone feels anger at a slight from a friend, this anger arises not as an involuntary response, but rather there is a judgment being made about the way friends ought to behave and the response of anger is the appropriate emotion that corresponds with one’s expectations being disappointed. We form beliefs about what constitutes a slight by a friend at the same time as we learn what our society values as appropriate friendship behavior and appropriate responses to different experiences—say affection as a response to respect from one’s friends and anger to disrespect. The idea that emotions are constructed suggests that socialization influences our appraisals of the world and the judgments we make are often emotional responses to observations that reflect the norms and values of our society. For example, when someone tells a joke the expected response is for a person to be amused. However, my being amused by a joke presupposes a number of social conditions. For instance, when we hear something like ‘a priest, a rabbi, and a duck walk into a bar’ we immediately feel an anticipatory amusement, since we recognize this as a joke formula. [v] If I do not recognize this formula then my lack of understanding could cause me to not share the same social experience as the other people who are hearing the same joke. Second, in order to find the joke amusing I must not only understand the language in which the joke is told, but also the content of the joke. I must share the same appraisal of the world in order to actually be amused by the punch line. Third, emotional responses are neither automatic nor passive in the sense that we have no control over them. I may be amused and laugh at a joke of this type. However, I may not laugh if I find the joke to be in bad taste even though not laughing when amusement is anticipated often creates moments of social tension and discomfort. The important thing to note here is that in both cases whether or not I am amused can be a deliberate conscious decision. From this example, we can see why Jaggar suggests that, â€Å"every emotion presupposes an evaluation of some aspect of the environment while, and conversely, every evaluation or appraisal of the situation implies that those who share the evaluation will share, ceteris paribus, a predictable emotional response to the situation† (1992, 153). Just as I would have to share a similar appraisal of the world in order to understand the punch line of a joke, I am also influenced by those preconceived notions to think the joke is funny. At the very least, I am conditioned to some extent to recognize a joke when I hear one and laugh when I think laughter is the expected response. Jaggar thinks it is important to recognize that emotions play a role in how we seek knowledge, given that if we maintain the distinction between emotion and reason in epistemology, then this distinction will influence whom we think are good epistemic agents: namely, dispassionate investigators who can keep their emotions from interfering with their observations. Ironically, because the notion of a dispassionate investigator is considered the ideal, we are biased in our assessment of who is a good investigator and who is not. Note that Jaggar is not saying we are not being impartial enough in our assessment of investigators; rather she is saying our bias in favour of the dispassionate is inhibiting because emotion is an essential part of knowledge. Moreover, the distinction between emotion and reason is problematic, as Jaggar points out, because â€Å"reason has been associated with members of dominant political, social, and cultural groups and emotion with members of subordinate groups†, like â€Å"people of color†¦and women† (1992, 157). The result of the false distinction between emotion and reason is that it produces a myth about investigators that functions in a circular pattern where the myth reinforces the oppression of those who are perceived as emotional, while the oppression reinforces the myth that it is bad to be emotional. In order to give a full account of what it means to be a good investigator, then, we should acknowledge how emotions function to produce passionate investigators who are reliable observers. The first point Jaggar thinks a full account should include is that in many ways emotions are socially constructed in a way that reflects the norms and values of our society, and that this emotional construction influences our evaluations and observations of the world. The second aspect of the social construction of our emotional constitution she wants to point out is that our emotional construction is not complete in the sense that there are people who do not always respond to or evaluate particular situations in a manner that reflects social norms and values. Jaggar calls these unconventional emotional responses and evaluations â€Å"outlaw† emotions, and states that they are usually experienced by â€Å"subordinated individuals who pay a disproportionately high price for maintaining the status quo† (1992, 160). However, when the distinction between emotion and reason is maintained biases against emotional responses in general and unconventional emotional responses in particular, are disregarded. For example, a woman may feel anger or fear when a sexist joke is made, but when she tries to voice her opinion she is told either that she did not understand the joke or that she has no sense of humour. Thus, when the distinction is maintained it makes it difficult, if not impossible, to realize that the joke is not funny because it is based on a negative stereotype. That is to say, it is not acknowledge that the stereotype and the expected emotional response is dictated by the current norms and values. Furthermore, because a woman, who may already be identified as a bad observer, is pointing out that there may be a mistake in our way of thinking, her response is disregarded as emotional and unreliable, and the oppressive norms and values go unquestioned. 2. Jaggar’s Methodology and Potential Problems The benefit of ridding ourselves of epistemologies that do not acknowledge the role of emotions, both conventional and unconventional, is that we can begin to recognize which norms and values are causing harmful biases and negative stereotypes. Furthermore, Jaggar claims that feminist outlaw emotions—which are outlaw emotions that â€Å"incorporate feminist perceptions and values†Ã¢â‚¬â€are particularly useful in feminist epistemology because they â€Å"can help in developing alternatives to prevailing reality by motivating new investigations†¦Feminist emotions provide a political motivation for investigation and so help determine the selection of problems as well as the method by which they are investigated† (1992, 161). Although Jaggar meant to offer a rough sketch of some of the changes that need to be made to our epistemic theories and practices, I think there are  some potential problems that need to be addressed. For one, I think she needs to say more about how we should determine which emotions will lead to fruitful norms and values, and which emotions we should reject. To her credit, it seems that Jaggar recognizes this is a question that needs to be addressed given that she tries to give reasons for why â€Å"certain alternative perceptions of the world, perceptions informed by outlaw emotions, are to be preferred to perceptions informed by conventional norms† (1992, 161). She claims the reason women’s outlaw emotions should be given consideration is because women are not members of the group that conventional beliefs about emotions privilege. Given that women experience the consequences of not being privileged, they are not as likely to adhere to these norms without question. Hence, they are better able to articulate the negative aspects of their experiences because they do not fear that this questioning of norms will threaten their privileged status. The problem with this response is that it does not seem to fully answer the question, because some outlaw emotions will not provide reliable guides to identifying biases, and so the difficulty will be distinguishing which emotions are reliable from those that are not. In order to give a more robust argument for why we should give special consideration to the emotions of oppressed people she needs to first address the fact that the â€Å"oppressed† do not share one perspective. As pointed out by Marilyn Frye, one problem with making claims about the standpoint of women’s emotional perspectives is that such claims seem to presuppose there are universal types of emotions—outlaw or otherwise—that are consistent throughout the emotions experienced by women. Frye notes that this is a mistake often made by feminists given that it is common for epistemological theories to espouse that â€Å"all knowers are essentially alike, that is, are essentially like oneself: one thinks that one speaks not just as oneself, but as a human being† (35). What happens in feminist theorizing as a response to this attitude is feminists become convinced they need to speak as â€Å"Women† in order to be taken seriously. As Frye points out, feminists often face the difficult task of trying to articulate â€Å"the circumstances, experience and perception of those who are historically, materially, culturally constructed by or through the concept women. But the differences among women across cultures, locales and generations make it clear that although all female humans may live lives shaped by the concepts of Woman, they are not all shaped by the same concept of Woman† (36). [vi] The point I want to stress from this passage is that not all women will experience the same emotions in the same contexts because we are formed by different concepts of â€Å"Woman† even though women in general face oppression in one form or another. In response to the problem of women’s differing experiences, Frye suggests feminists approach epistemology with a different methodology. That is, a methodology that will allow women to give meaning to their own experiences even though they are not experiences that are shared by all women. Part of this project entails that feminists give up the notion of a universal women’s experience. Another part is that they listen to many different women’s experiences and look for patterns of similarity. Frye suggests this methodology will result in the following: The experiences of each woman and of the women collectively generate a new web of meaning. Our process has been one of discovering, recognizing, and creating patterns—patterns within which experience made a new kind of sense, or in instances, for the first time made any sense at all. Instead of bringing a phase of enquiry to closure by summing up what is known, as other ways of generalizing do, pattern recognition/constructions opens fields of meaning and generates new interpretive possibilities. Instead of drawing conclusions from observations, it generates observations. (39) I think this methodology will be helpful in pointing out the outlaw emotions that can offer guidance as to which of our norms and values are questionable, and opens a dialogue over potential ways to change them. The methodology Frye advocates can be further developed if we consider potential ways in which women can express their experiences such that patterns can be recognized. One approach that I find particularly convincing is offered by Morwenna Griffiths. Griffiths suggests that feminist epistemologists can employ autobiographical accounts of women’s experiences as a means of articulating the differences between women’s experiences. Like Frye, Griffiths also notes that there is no one experience common to all women. However, Griffiths further claims that, â€Å"[i]ndividuals are not entirely of one group or another. On the contrary, individuals are fragments of an uncertain number of groups† (62). The conclusion she draws from this point is that it is an oversimplification to limit the types of knowledge humans can acquire into categories like women’s knowledge. One person can experience oppression from the perspective of more than one position. To name a few, one may experience oppressions from the perspectives of a particular race, class, gender, or sexual orientation, and intersections of these. For example, the oppression experienced by a native woman is not the same as that experienced by a native man or that experienced by a white woman. Hence, Griffiths suggests that one’s positions in the world at different times can contribute to her understanding of the world, which in turn will influence the knowledge she can acquire about the world. Noting the different positions from which an individual can have experiences and acquire knowledge is important because it suggests that there can be similarities between the positions we occupy and the individual experiences we have. This potential to have similar experiences of the world further suggests that similarities in experience make it the case that we are not completely denied access to other people’s understanding of the world. The reason Griffiths thinks autobiographical accounts are a crucial feature of feminist epistemology is because the way in which individuals come to find similarities in experiences is through language. To further clarify her point, she argues that, language has a considerable power to determine what we see and do, but this power is not absolute. We also create new language, by working on the languages in which we live. Individual experience can be used in creation knowledge in combinations with the experiences of others. Groups can develop languages of their own if they share particular psychosocial, social and linguistic experiences. Thus women in society, for instance, who share particular positions within it can develop a way of talking about this. (66) In short, Griffiths suggests that language is key to feminist epistemology because it points out how women with different experiences can nonetheless come to some consensuses on the oppressions they experience and the knowledge developed from these experiences. 3. Conclusion I think that if we incorporate Griffiths’ and Frye’s approach on Jaggar’s theory what we will find is a more tenable response to questions about which outlaw emotions can be regarded as being particular to women: namely, patterns of outlaw emotions that feminists have recognized through the expression of different women’s autobiographical accounts. And once we can start pointing out the commonalities between the different perspectives that arise from the standpoint of different women, we can begin show that there is something about women’s reality that makes it the case that they are experiencing the world differently than men. I have not even scratched the surface with respect to giving a detailed explanation of exactly how Jaggar thinks a fully functional theory of outlaw emotions might look. However, I am assuming that once theorists start admitting that emotion is an integral part of epistemology the intricate details of how to identify fruitful outlaw emotions will be worked out. For instance, we might be able to start identifying patterns of emotions that could be considered outlaw emotions and which norms and values that they are a response to. And this recognition will further our abilities to start questioning the norms and values that guide our epistemic practices. I think this is the sort of thing Jaggar had in mind when she states that the benefit of bridging the gap between emotion and knowledge is that our emotions, when properly accessed, â€Å"may contribute to the development of knowledge, so the growth of knowledge may contribute to the development of appropriate emotions† (1992,163). The development of this project may be slow and arduous, but given the problems that exist in traditional epistemology I think Jaggar’s project seems worthy of consideration as a potential contributor to a solution. NOTES ———————– [i] For the purposes of this paper I will equate feminist epistemologists with feminists philosophers of science given that there are many overlapping interests between the two. [ii] For similar arguments, particularly with respect to how positivism had contributed to the notion of the ideal objective knower, see Jaggar (1992) and (1983), especially pp. 355-358; Code (1993). [iii] As noted by Louise Antony, â€Å"For discussions of epistemological frameworks available to feminists, see Sandra Harding, The Science Question in Feminism, (Ithaca, N. Y. : Cornell University Press, 1986), especially pp. 24-29; Mary Hawkesworth, â€Å"Feminist Epistemology: A Survey of the Field,† Women and Politics 7 (1987): 112-124; and Hilary Rose, â€Å"Hand, Brain, and Heart: A feminist Epistemology for the Natural Sciences,† Signs 9, 11 (1983): 73-90. † (Antony 2002, Note 3). [iv] For discussion of Feminist Standpoint Theory, see Bar On (1993); Harding (1993); Longino (1993). For a more general analysis of essentialism in feminist theorizing, see Spelman (1988). [v] Thanks to Elizabeth Brake for clarifying the distinction between the emotion of amusement and the behavior of laughter, as well as supplying me with an example of amusement anticipation. [vi] Jaggar does mention that she is speaking â€Å"very generally of people and their emotions, as though everyone experienced similar emotions and dealt with them in similar ways† (Jaggar 1992, 157). And she further notes that â€Å"it is an axiom of feminist theory†¦that all generalizations about ‘people’ are suspect† (Jaggar 1992, 157). So she does, at the very least, seem to recognize that she may fall prey to Frye’s criticism. However, she goes on to argue that making generalizations about the emotionality of women is part of how the epistemic authority of men is perpetuated, and she does not address the issue of how she should deal with the problem as it applies to standpoint theory. I find this particularly odd given that in another work she claims that part of the project of feminist ethics entails that feminists be sensitive to the fact that all women are not similarly situated in such a way that universal claims can be made about them even though there are commonalities between women’s situatedness at times. (Jaggar 1991). So, although I am uncertain as to why she does not deal with problems that might arise from this issue as it applies to standpoint theory, I gather that she would welcome rather than reject feminist theories that could aid her in avoiding this problem as it would apply to feminist epistemology. BIBLIOGRAPHY Alcoff, Linda, and Elizabeth Potter. 1993. Feminist epistemologies. New York: Routledge. Antony, Louise. 2002. Quine as a feminist: the radical import of naturalized epistemology. In A mind of one’s own 2nd edition, ed. Louise M. Antony and Charlotte E. Witt. Colorado: Westview Press. Bar On, Bat-Ami. 1993. Marginality and epistemic privilege. In Feminist epistemologies. See Alcoff and Potter 1993. Code, Lorraine. 1993. Taking subjectivity into account. In Feminist epistemologies. See Alcoff and Potter 1993. Frye, Marilyn. 1996. The possibility of feminist theory. In Women, knowledge and reality 2nd edition. ed. Ann Garry and Marilyn Pearsall. New York: Routledge. Griffiths, Morwenna. 1995. Feminisms and the self. New York: Routledge. Harding, Sandra. 1993. Rethinking standpoint epistemology: â€Å"what is strong objectivity†?. In Feminist epistemologies. See Alcoff and Potter 1993. Jaggar, Alison M. 1992. Love and knowledge: emotions in feminist epistemology. In Gender/body/knowledge. ed. Alison M. Jaggar and Susan R. Bordo. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. ——. 1991. Feminist ethics: projects, problems, prospects. In Feminist ethics. ed. Claudia Card. Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ——. 1983. Feminist politics and human nature. New Jersey: Rowman & Allanheld Publishers. Longino, Helen E. 1993. Subjects, power and knowledge: description and prescription in feminist philosophies of science. In Feminist epistemologies. See Alcoff and Potter 1993. Scheman, Naomi. 1993. Engenderings: constructions of knowledge, authority, and privilege. New York: Routledge. Spelman, Elizabeth V. 1988. Inessential women: problems of exclusion in feminist thought Boston: Beacon Press.

Gillette Essay

Case Analysis for Gillette: Product and Marketing Innovation 9/11/2012 Abstract Gillette is seeking means to retain dominance in market share they have lead for the last century. Along with sustaining market share Gillette has continued focus on expanding worldwide into less saturated markets. In this analysis multiple alternatives will be explored in order to make a recommendation on steps that would favor Gillette’s organization in meeting their aspirations. Situation Analysis Product quality and efficient marketing are the core value propositions that set the pace for Gillette’s success. With continued innovation in both product development and marketing strategies Gillette has been able to retain a commanding worldwide market share in a highly competitive, but mature, razor and blade market. Strong market share allowed Gillette to sustain profits even through economic droughts in recent years. On the flip side, Gillette’s innovation success also posed challenges. In order to maintain their market share, a dependency on continuous product improvement formed over time. Now Gillette will need to determine how to balance investment in research and development along with other areas of the organization. At times their own innovation of new product lines impacted their leading product lines in the market. During the 1990s Gillette found themselves cannibalizing their own successful products when trying to out due the competition. Even though internal competition shifted sales from one product line to another, Gillette’s sales were able to re-coop development costs. Expanding market share around the world also revealed challenges with varying religious and culture beliefs. Western influences have started to generate growth with European woman as younger generations watch American movies and television that depict women with sleek underarms and legs. Gillette’s latest innovation, the Fusion 5(+1) blade, was back in 2006. Since then Schick, Gillette’s leading competitor has not responded with their own break through. Gillette should be wondering what Schick might do next. Problem As the market Gillette has lead for so long became mature, their growth ultimately declined due to market saturation and increase competition. Fluctuations occurred only when newer, more innovative products were introduced. This put more pressure on development advancements and marketing tactics. Many analysts believe that Gillette and Schick, leaders in razors and blades, have reached the end of meaningful product innovation [1]. In 2006 when the Fusion 5(+1) blade was introduced, it exploded off the shelves. Gillette sold more than 4 billion Fusion razors with in the first two months. The Fusion’s initial success was quickly fleeting as sales reports showed that razors were outselling the cartridge refills. This was very concerning to Gillette as it is well-known that razor manufacturers earn most of their profits from refills, not the initial razor purchase. Critics also questioned why five blades were needed to get the best shave when Gillette had touted its three-bladed Mach3 as †the best a man can get. † â€Å"Consumer reports conclude that there were no additional performance benefits provided by the five-bladed Fusion, especially when compared to the Mach3† [1 pg391]. Economic recession also impacted sales as Gillette’s products went up in price due to a need to re-coop development costs. How can Gillette continue to maintain or grow market share in a mature market and keep future strategies aligned with customer wants? Alternatives Continue product line and marketing without major change. No additional research and development costs would need to be spent, which in return reduces the need to raise prices for maintaining their profit margin. However the risk looming would be competitor innovation impacting current market share. Schick may produce a new innovative product that would sway consumers from purchasing Gillette’s products. As stated in the case Gillette must find new ways to innovatively out-produce or out-market the competition. Investing in research and development to create new product line or enhance current products adds considerable expenses. Development costs will need to be re-cooped. This will keep competitors in check, but will be challenging to keep pricing competitive. Compliment current leading product lines that keep consumers happy. Promoting Christmas, Father’s day and Mother’s day gift grooming kits that meets more of the consumer’s needs will also introduce consumers to other product lines Gillette has to offer. Focus marketing potential growth opportunities globally by challenging resistance in product awareness and interests. As a Gillette razor consumer, I have encountered an inconvenience that I think can be solved and build customer loyalty. I’ve been using Mach 3 razors for over fifteen years, and when purchasing refills I have found it difficult to find blades that are compatible with the razor handle that I own. Thinking out of the box, what if Gillette were to make razor handles that are compatible with any of Gillette’s product line of refills? This would then provide consumers the freedom to purchase from a variety of Gillette’s product lines without having to spend extra money on a handle that works with the particular product refill. Owning a Gillette universal handle would also encourage customers to stay with Gillette refills as converting to another brand would cost more with the initial required handle purchase. Implementation From the case I would assume Gillette will continue to â€Å"innovatively out-produce or out-market the competition† [1]. I believe moving forward with developing a universal handle with Gillette refills would accomplish this. This would require investment into developing a new handle and rollout of the product. Here is an approximate timeline to complete.

The Principles of Possessives

The Principles of Possessives The Principles of Possessives The Principles of Possessives By Mark Nichol The rules about forming possessives can seem confusing, especially because forms differs according to which style manual a publication is following. But the primary styles are relatively simple. In this post, I will refer only to the two prevalent styles in mainstream publishing: that of the Associated Press Stylebook, the resource of record for American newspaper publishing, as well as some magazines, many websites, and various other forms of written communication, and The Chicago Manual of Style, the bible of American book publishing, as well as many general-circulation periodicals. Guides for certain academic and scholarly subjects may differ. AP Style Newspaper style is simple and minimalist: To form a possessive construction from a singular common noun, add an apostrophe and the letter s: â€Å"The girl’s hair is red.† However, if the noun ends in the letter s and the following noun begins with an s, add an apostrophe only: â€Å"The waitress’ smile was infectious.† Treat a proper noun the same as a singular common noun: â€Å"Jim’s car ran out of gas.† But if a proper noun ends in s, add an apostrophe only: â€Å"Lewis’ training regimen is impressive.† If a plural noun ends in s, use an apostrophe only: â€Å"Cats’ claws are retractable.† If the plural does not end in s, use an apostrophe and an s: â€Å"The men’s room is to the right.† If the possession applies jointly to two singular nouns, apply the apostrophe and s only to the latter noun: â€Å"Green eggs and ham’s popularity has declined.† (In this sense, â€Å"green eggs† is plural in construction but singular in meaning; it’s a menu item, not a grouping of eggs.) But if the two nouns are distinct, apply the appropriate possessive form for each noun to that noun: â€Å"My hat’s color and my shoes’ color match.† Chicago Style Book style is simultaneously more complex and more consistent: No exception is made depending on whether singular nouns preceding and following the apostrophe end and start with s, respectively: â€Å"The waitress’s smile was infectious.† (However, all plural nouns are treated the same as in AP style.) Some ambiguity occurs, though, with traditional expressions following the â€Å"for (blank) sake† form: When the noun ends in an s, an apostrophe alone is employed (â€Å"For goodness’ sake, put on some clothes!†), while expressions with singular nouns follow the normal style: â€Å"For expedience’s sake, I faxed the form.† Better yet, in this case, relax the expression: â€Å"For the sake of expedience, I faxed the form.† The primary difference in style between the two resources is that singular proper nouns are always followed by an apostrophe and an s, even if they end in s (or x or z). For plural forms of proper names, however, if the name ends in one of these letters, add an es and an apostrophe: â€Å"We saw the Thomases’ house.† Otherwise, add an s and an apostrophe only: â€Å"We found the Smiths’ cat.† In the most recent edition of the manual, the style for two special cases has changed: Words ending in an unpronounced s are treated the same as words with a normal s sound (â€Å"Dubois’s translation is better†), as are words ending in an -eez sound (â€Å"Xerxes’s defeat was definitive†). However, common nouns plural in form but singular in meaning take an apostrophe only: â€Å"Economics’ complexities are daunting.† The same is true of proper names: â€Å"The Rocky Mountains’ discovery by European explorers prompted exploitation of mineral and other natural resources.† However, many writers find these constructions awkward, and prefer to relax the constructions: â€Å"The complexities of economics complexities are daunting†; â€Å"The discovery of the Rocky Mountains by European explorers prompted exploitation of mineral and other natural resources.† The distinction in AP style between joint possession and separate possession (see the last paragraph in the previous section) also applies to Chicago style. Some other special cases include possessives with the genitive form (â€Å"Three hours’ delay made all the difference†); a possessive form of a phrase that appears attributive (â€Å"The farmers’ market has a wide selection of tomatoes,† but â€Å"I have a Diners Club card†); and plurals of publication and composition titles. In the case of such titles, if it is italicized, add an apostrophe and an s (â€Å"I read the New Yorker’s article about it,† but, because the following title ends in an s, â€Å"The New York Times’ editorial supports the bill.†) If quotation marks are called for, relax the construction: â€Å"The first line of ‘My Life in Verse’ appropriately describes her birth,† rather than â€Å"‘My Life in Verse’’s first line appropriately describes her birth.†) Possessives followed by a gerund a present participle (a type of verb ending in -ing) acting as a noun should use an apostrophe and an s if singular (â€Å"The doctor’s telling of the story was interrupted†) and an apostrophe alone if plural (â€Å"Doctors’ taking on of more responsibility are a factor†). It might be better, however, to revise the sentence in such cases: â€Å"The doctor’s account of the story was interrupted†; â€Å"Quality of care is affected when doctors take on more responsibility.† Also, this grammatical structure should not be confused with the similar participle form, which is not possessive: â€Å"Doctors taking on more responsibility are likely to offer a lower quality of care.† The apostrophe is optional when a noun (or a pronoun) follows a preposition: â€Å"They thought of their friends moving away as a personal affront† could also be rendered â€Å"They thought of their friends’ moving away as a personal affront,† where moving refers to an act of moving that â€Å"belongs† to their friends. 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 Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:4 Types of Gerunds and Gerund Phrases15 Types of DocumentsPersonification vs. Anthropomorphism

Hugo Chavez Biography and Dictatorship

Hugo Chavez Biography and Dictatorship Hugo Chavez (1954 - 2013) was a former Army Lieutenant Colonel and President of Venezuela. A populist, Chvez instituted what he calls a â€Å"Bolivarian Revolution† in Venezuela, where key industries were nationalized and oil revenues were used in social programs for the poor. Hugo Chvez was a vocal critic of the United States of America and, in particular, former President George W. Bush, who he once famously and publicly called a â€Å"donkey.† He was very popular with poor Venezuelans, who in February of 2009 voted to abolish term limits, allowing him to run for re-election indefinitely. Early Life of Hugo Chavez Hugo Rafael Chvez Frà ­as was born on July 28, 1954, to a poor family in the town of Sabaneta in the province of Barinas. His father was a schoolteacher and opportunities for young Hugo were limited: he joined the military at the age of seventeen. He graduated from the Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences when he was 21 and was commissioned as an officer. He attended college while in the military but did not get a degree. After his studies, he was assigned to a counter-insurgency unit, the start of a long and noteworthy military career. He also served as head of a paratrooper unit. Chvez in the ​Military Chvez was a skilled officer, moving up in the ranks quickly and earning several commendations. He eventually reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He spent some time as an instructor in his old school, the Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences. During his time in the military, he came up with â€Å"Bolivarianism,† named for the liberator of northern South America, Venezuelan Simà ³n Bolà ­var. Chvez even went so far as to form a secret society within the army, the Movimiento Bolivariano Revolucionario 200, or the Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement 200. Chvez has long been an admirer of Simà ³n Bolà ­var. The Coup of 1992 Chvez was only one of many Venezuelans and army officers who were disgusted by corrupt Venezuelan politics, exemplified by President Carlos Pà ©rez. Along with some fellow officers, Chvez decided to forcibly oust Pà ©rez. In the morning of February 4, 1992, Chvez led five squads of loyal soldiers into Caracas, where they were to seize control of important targets including the Presidential Palace, the airport, the Defense Ministry and the military museum. All around the country, sympathetic officers seized control of other cities. Chvez and his men failed to secure Caracas, however, and the coup was quickly put down. Prison and Entry Into Politics Chvez was allowed to go on television to explain his actions, and the poor people of Venezuela identified with him. He was sent to prison but vindicated the following year when President Pà ©rez was convicted in a massive corruption scandal. Chvez was pardoned by President Rafael Caldera in 1994 and soon entered politics. He turned his MBR 200 society into a legitimate political party, the Fifth Republic Movement (abbreviated as MVR) and in 1998 ran for president. President Chvez was elected in a landslide at the end of 1998, racking up 56% of the vote. Taking office in February 1999, he quickly began implementing aspects of his â€Å"Bolivarian† brand of socialism. Clinics were set up for the poor, construction projects were approved and social programs were added. Chvez wanted a new constitution and the people approved first the assembly and then the constitution itself. Among other things, the new constitution officially changed the name of the country to the â€Å"Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.† With a new constitution in place, Chvez had to run for re-election: he won easily. Coup Venezuela’s poor loved Chvez, but the middle and upper classed despised him. On April 11, 2002, a demonstration in support of the national oil company’s management (recently fired by Chvez) turned into a riot when the demonstrators marched on the presidential palace, where they clashed with pro-Chavez forces and supporters. Chvez briefly resigned and the United States was quick to recognize the replacement government. When pro-Chavez demonstrations broke out all over the country, he returned and resumed his presidency on April 13. Chvez always believed that the United States was behind the attempted coup. Political Survivor Chvez proved to be a tough and charismatic leader. His administration survived a recall vote in 2004 and used the results as a mandate to expand social programs. He emerged as a leader in the new Latin American leftist movement and had close ties with leaders such as Bolivia’s Evo Morales, Ecuador’s Rafael Correa, Cuba’s Fidel Castro and Paraguay’s Fernando Lugo. His administration even survived a 2008 incident when laptops seized from Colombian Marxist rebels seemed to indicate that Chvez was funding them in their struggle against the Colombian government. In 2012 he easily won re-election in spite of repeated concerns over his health and his ongoing battle with cancer. Chvez and the US Much like his mentor Fidel Castro, Chvez gained much politically from his open antagonism with the United States. Many Latin Americans see the United States as an economic and political bully who dictates trade terms to weaker nations: this was particularly true during the George W. Bush administration. After the coup, Chvez went out of his way to defy the United States, establishing close ties to Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua and other nations recently unfriendly towards the US. He often went out of his way to rail against US imperialism, even once famously calling Bush a â€Å"donkey.† Administration and Legacy Hugo Chavez died on March 5, 2013, after a long battle with cancer. The final months of his life were full of drama, as he disappeared from public view not long after the 2012 elections. He was treated mainly in Cuba and rumors swirled as early as December 2012 that he had died. He returned to Venezuela in February of 2013 to continue his treatment there, but his illness eventually proved too much for his iron will. Chvez was a complicated political figure who did much for Venezuela, both good and bad. Venezuelas oil reserves are among the largest in the world, and he used much of the profits to benefit the poorest Venezuelans. He improved infrastructure, education, health, literacy and other social ills from which his people suffered. Under his guidance, Venezuela emerged as a leader in Latin America for those who do not necessarily think that the United States is always the best model to follow. Chavezs concern for Venezuelas poor was genuine. The lower socioeconomic classes rewarded Chvez with their unwavering support: they supported the new constitution and in early 2009 approved a referendum to abolish term limits on elected officials, essentially allowing him to run indefinitely. Not everyone thought the world of Chvez, however. Middle and upper-class Venezuelans despised him for nationalizing some of their lands and industries and were behind the numerous attempts to oust him. Many of them feared that Chvez was building dictatorial powers, and it is true that he had a dictatorial streak in him: he temporarily suspended Congress more than once and his 2009 referendum victory essentially allowed him to be President as long as the people kept electing him. The admiration of the people for Chavez carried over at least long enough for his hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro, to win a close presidential election a month after his mentors death. He cracked down on the press, greatly increasing restrictions as well as punishments for slander. He drove through a change in how the Supreme Court is structured, which allowed him to stack it with loyalists. He was widely reviled in the United States for his willingness to deal with rogue nations such as Iran: conservative televangelist Pat Robertson once famously called for his assassination in 2005. His hatred for the United States government occasionally seemed often to approach the paranoid: he accused the USA of being behind any number of plots to remove or assassinate him. This irrational hatred sometimes drove him to pursue counter-productive strategies, such as supporting Colombian rebels, publicly denouncing Israel (resulting in hate crimes against Venezuelan Jews) and spending enormous sums on Russian-built weapons and aircraft. Hugo Chavez was the sort of charismatic politician who comes along only once a generation. The closest comparison to Hugo Chavez is probably Argentinas Juan Domingo Peron, another ex-military man turned populist strongman. Perons shadow still looms over Argentine politics, and only time will tell how long Chavez will continue to influence his homeland.