A study of communication strategies employed by Chinese EFL learners Literature review

A study of communication strategies employed by Chinese EFL learners in oral contexts - Literature review Example ?....14 2.4 Communication Problems of Chinese EFL Learners†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..15 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦17 1. Introduction For communication to take place, a message needs to be transferred from the sender to the receiver. But sometimes the communication process may break down when the intended message fails to be sent to the receiver. In those situations, the speaker will try to solve the problem and re-establish the conversation by adopting certain techniques. These techniques are commonly known as â€Å"communication strategies† (CSs). It was a term firstly coined by Selinker (1972) in his paper on â€Å"Interlanguage†. Selinker considered these strategies as one of the five processes central to second language learning. All language us ers need communication strategies to help them convey their intended meaning. ... The time constraints of naturally-occurring conversations impose an extremely heavy burden on these learners, forcing them to retrieve appropriate TL items from their memory and respond quickly. As claimed by Wagner and Firth (1997), â€Å"CS is a very prominent element in speech production and therefore an important element in natural discourse† (p. 342). 1.1 Definitions In the past three decades, a great amount of scholarly research and discussion has been generated on the nature, taxonomies and use of CSs (Dornyei and Scott, 1997). For so many years, however, the definition of CSs has still remained controversial. Although Selinker was the first to put forward the term â€Å"communication strategy†, he did not dig deep into the nature of such strategies. The first ones to provide a definition of CS were Tarone and her associates (1976), who defined it as â€Å"a systematic attempt by the learner to express or decode meaning in the target language, in situations wher e the appropriate systematic target language rules have not been formed† (p. 78). Moreover, Tarone (1980) emphasized that â€Å"CS relate to a mutual attempt of interlocutors to agree on a meaning in situations where requisite meaning structures do not seem to be shared† (p. 420). This definition introduces an interactional perspective. In Tarone’s words, â€Å"communication strategies are seen as tools used in a joint negotiation of meaning where both interlocutors are attempting to agree as to a communicative goal† (p. 420). Simply put, it means that both parties in the communication process try to compromise on meaning by adjusting their perspectives to see just one meaning both of them understand, and this may include some repair mechanisms in the breakdown of

Riordan Manufacturing Team Building Essay Example for Free

Riordan Manufacturing Team Building Essay Riordan Manufacturing is a global plastics manufacturer employing 550 people with projected annual earnings of $46 million. The company is wholly owned by Riordan Industries, a Fortune 1000 enterprise with revenues in excess of $1 billion. Its products include plastic beverage containers produced at its plant in Albany, Georgia, custom plastic parts produced at its plant in Pontiac, Michigan, and plastic fan parts produced at its facilities in Hangzhou, China. The companys research and development is done at the corporate headquarters in San Jose. Riordans major customers are automotive parts manufacturers, aircraft manufacturers, the Department of Defense, beverage makers and bottlers, and appliance manufacturers. As you can see Riordan is a large company with offices worldwide and communication and travel can be a major expense for the company especially when implementing new lines and technology at one of their facilities. Future statements made by Riordan, We will maintain an innovative and team oriented working environment. By assuring that our employees are well informed and properly supported, we will provide a climate focused on the long term viability of our company. We must be focused in achieving and maintaining reasonable profitability to assure that the financial and human capital is available for sustained growth. As Riordan moves forward with their mission statements the cost of implementing new technology and training employees to operate and manage these new systems costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. The companys most recent expansion took place in 2014 when it opened its operations in China. At that time, the entire fan manufacturing operation was moved from Michigan to China and the Pontiac, MI facility was retooled for the manufacture of custom plastic parts. During the first quarter of the  expansion travel costs alone just for the training of the ongoing systems integration project surpassed one hundred thousand dollars. We know that Riordan will always be on the forefront of applying new technology and systems to keep up with market trends in the future. This is why implementing the creation, deployment, and support of effective interactive distance learning and communication systems to improve business, is crucial to the ongoing success of the company. The CADE system will reduce thousands of dollars of travel expenses directly related to the training required with each new system at all of the company’s facilities. Developing a distance learning system that will allow Riordan to provide effective training through teleconferencing from their headquarters in San Jose CA to facilities all over the world will reduce expenses by millions of dollars over the long term. The Need for Training and Communication The cornerstone of a competitive organization is its highly trained workforce. In today’s market, product life-cycles are shorter, more complex. The available time for training is greatly reduced. Many companies are downsizing and the responsibilities of those that remain are increased, jobs are consolidated. Corporate communication and training needs have never been more important Time becomes one of the most limited resources. Regardless of the industry, many of these issues are very much the same: (Velocedge Inc, 2014). High cost and increased difficulty of travel Inability to reach all employees anywhere, anytime High cost of training, continuing education Lack of qualified instructors or presenters Time it takes to get a message to all employees Expensive to develop effective training and communication programs Loss of productivity when employees take off work for travel, training, or meetings Difficulty in transferring knowledge throughout the organization The CADE System The Communications And Distance Education (CADE) system is designed to  facilitate live, interactive programs over a satellite, Internet, or streaming video network as well as capture those programs for later playback. Interactive Satellite Delivery During an interactive broadcast, the instructor or presenter can ask multiple choice, true/false, yes/no, numeric, and multiple selection questions and participants can respond with either wireless remote controls in a classroom setting or through a personal computer. The PC at each remote location collects participant responses from the wireless remotes and transmits them back to the presenter over an intranet or Internet connection. Participants may also speak with the presenter, using voice over IP, PBX, or standard telephone line, and everyone in the broadcast can listen to that conversation. Interactive Web Delivery With CADE eTutor, interactive training and communication programs can be delivered over the Internet/Intranet. It provides the same capabilities of the satellite delivery system, as well as a few extra features, in a desktop version using highly compressed audio and video over IP. Capture All Interaction Participant responses are captured, time-stamped, and stored in a web-based learning management system. In addition to capturing the satellite based information, the CADE system also supports web based training, classroom, paper based, and is fully SCORM compliant. All data in the CADE system is created, managed, and accessed through this web-based portal to the database. CADE System Components The CADE system is comprised of a number of software applications. These applications include: Studio Control System The instructor or presenters interface Virtual Classroom The remote site control program eTutor The web-based interactive delivery system Learning Management Web The web-based learning management system New System Flow Diagram for CADE System at Riordan Manufacturing The new CADE is a free standing system that has virtually no effect or interaction with any of the present Information systems or processes currently in use by Riordan Manufacturing. The CADE system is designed to facilitate live, interactive programs over a satellite, Internet, or streaming video network as well as capture those programs for later playback. CADE is primarily a software based product but it represents a new paradigm in software development, utilizing an effective integration of world-class software components and Internet technologies in an adaptive architecture. To keep pace with todays rapidly changing world, CADE was designed to incorporate change as quickly as an organization realizes the need for change. Corporate management faces many issues that can keep an organization from being as competitive and profitable as it needs to be CADE wont be one of them. As a new or better technology solution is identified, an idea to improve a feature, or a new function desired, that change can be easily incorporated into the CADE products keeping your system continually up to date, meeting each new requirement, and keeping your investment protected. Satellite -Live -On-demand -Prerecorded Interactive Web Training Audio/Video -Live -Prerecorded Web Courses SCORM Classroom Video On Demand Desktop Classroom CADE Advantages to Riordan Interactive Distance Learning Even though there is a lot of talk about distance education, over 90% of all formal training continues to use classroom delivery. The major cost driver of training is delivery. Satellite or web based, Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) provides the benefits of classroom without the large cost. (Velocedge Inc, 2014). . Faster Deliver to more people in less time, Concept to delivery time in hours or days, Cut classroom delivery time in half, Deliver to entire target population in one broadcast Cheaper Fewer experts needed to deliver message, Deliver to more people with less cost, Low cost to develop and deliver content, Incalculable cost savings: time off work, travel, per diem, etc. Better Over 25% improvement in student retention, Most consistent message delivery, one voice Standardized design , Utilize only the most qualified instructors, Provides detailed tracking and reporting (Velocedge Inc, 2014). Presently Riordan’s first quarter number’s pertaining to the General Administrative line item is over budget one hundred thousand dollars due to travel and per diem expenses related to emergency training of the new systems that have been added. By incorporating the new CADE system to provide long distance training this will eliminate any additional over budget expenses caused by the new systems and also provide low cost long distance training for any future systems that are put in use by the company. The new CADE system will reduce company expenses in many ways: reducing or eliminating travel and per diem costs, reducing course development costs, reducing the number of trainers, reducing the time off work, reducing the time to develop a course, and many other ways. Pricing is based on the number of remote sites you have and the Presentation Studio System that is specified. However, the cost is a fraction of what you are spending now to train your employees. References Velocedge Inc. (2014). velocity and knowledge. Retrieved from http://www.velocedge.com/ Learn.net. (2014). The CADE System. Retrieved from http://www.velocedge.com/CADEnew/Products/index.htm

Reggae music on Rastafarians

Reggae music on Rastafarians The origins and significance of reggae music on Rastafarians Regarded as the core of Rastafarian culture, reggae music is also the heart and soul of Jamaica. Rastafarianism emerged in the 20th century along with reggae music in the 1960s. The latter has been a way of revealing Rastafarianism to individuals while Rastafarianism has contributed to the growth of the reggae genre, illustrating the reciprocal relationship between the two. One of the major promoters of both Rastafarianism and its music has been Bob Marley who, via globally famous tracks, has helped the two proliferate. I wish to look at the influence of reggae and rastafari beyond the West Indies because I feel that Reggae is unique, joyful and does something to people, different to other music. This is mostly due to the ideas behind it, and I want to show that its not just about marijuana and the usual stereotypes of Rastafarians but to show the beauty and significance of listening to Reggae and being a Rastafarian. During the 1930s Jamaica was an island where depression, discrimination and racism dominated, especially in the poorest areas. This is where Rastafarianism came in to help out the community. The Rastas claim that Haile Selassie, emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974, was the re incarnation of Jesus Christ and their religion worships a single God, known as Jah. Rastafarianism therefore originated in Jamaica around this time as a result of the strong oppression by Western nations. Its basic principles include the desire to defy Babylon (a common term used to define Western culture) as well as using non-violence as a method to achieve this. Furthermore their principles consist of a peaceful autonomous and independent society together with a symbiotic relationship with nature and their surrounding environment illustrated by the fact that often Rastafarians are vegetarians and prefer avoiding foodstuffs such as alcohol, meat, pork and shellfish instead basing their diets on alternative nu trients such as those in mango and coconut. Another extremely important aspect of the Rastafarian culture is dreadlocks; in fact these are a way to repudiate Babylon and its artificiality inspiring dread in its inhabitants. Furthermore Rastafarians believe that by shaking their dreadlocks a connection is created between God and themselves. Another method of completing this divine connection is by smoking ganja which also counteracts the daily oppression. The Rastafarian method of non-violence has therefore allowed the survival of Jamaicas population along with other colonies of the West Indies providing survival against the influence of Babylon as well as pride in the African culture. Originally serving as a method of restoring self awareness as well as their African roots reggae music today plays a major role in teaching the Rastafarian people about the oppressive, deceptive and divisive nature of the system under which they live and, as written above, serves as the primary way to annihilate Babylon, with Nyabinghi music being the most integral form of it. Reggae developed from several other musical styles including ska, rocksteady, mento as well as American RB. Furthermore, although the majority of radio stations were situated in Florida or Louisiana, some were powerful enough to transmit their music as far as Jamaica therefore influencing the development of this genre. Only in the 1960s did Reggae become an officially distinct genre. Reggae is based on a musical approach characterized by accents on the off-beat which is identified as the skank. It also contains a heavy backbeated rhythm which means there is an emphasis on specific beats in a bar, an example of this in beats 2 and 4 in 4/4 time. This backbeat differs greatly from the usual strong African-based sounds and is not found in typical European or Asian music. The music is also frequently very straightforward, and occasionally it will be constructed and based upon no more than one or two chords. These simple recurring chord structures therefore add to the hypnotic effects of reggae. Reggae music consists of several instruments which include drums and other percussion, bass guitars and guitars, keyboards, horns and vocals. Furthermore the reggae drumbeats are usually selected from three major categories: One drop, Rockers and Steppers. In the first, the stress is fully on the third beat of the bar (typically on the snare, or joint with the bass drum). With Rockers beat, the stress is on the third beat as well as an accent on beat one (usually on bass drum) while in the last, the bass drum plays four solid beats to the bar, giving the beat an persistent force. There is also extensive variety of additional percussion instruments that are used in Reggae music. Bongos are often used in improvised patterns with African style rhythms but cowbells, shakers and claves also have fundamental roles in reggae music. Also, the bass guitar regularly plays a leading position in reggae and, united, the drum and bass are typically referred to as the riddim (Rhythm). The sound of bass in reggae is thick and heavy and the bass line is often an uncomplicated two-bar riff that is focused around its thickest and heaviest note. Another fundamental instrument in reggae music is the rhythm guitar which plays chords mainly on the second and fourth beats of a bar which, as written on the previous page, is a sequence of beat known as skank upon which reggae is largely based. Furthermore this instrument is played to produce a very short and scratchy chop sound which causes it to sound similar to a percussion instrument. From the late 1960s to the early eighties the piano was also a main feature in reggae music doubling the guitars skank rhythm, playing chords in a staccato style or occasional extra beats or riffs. From the 1980s onwards synthesizers were used to replace the piano, adopting organ-style sounds in order to achieve the choppy feel typical to this style of music. Another family of instruments utilized in reggae is the brass section, including saxophones, tr umpets and trombones. These often play introductions or counter-melodies but, in more recent times, are being replaced, along with the piano part, by synthesizers. In comparison to the other instruments and rhythm of reggae, the vocals are a more of crucial aspect of the genre. In fact they are distinct from other genres as they directly deliver specific messages to the audience, the nature of which will be discussed in the following paragraph. Many reggae singers use embellishments of various kinds such as tremolos (volume oscillation) or vibrato (pitch oscillation). Possibly the most fundamental part of Reggae is its lyrics, known for their tradition to cover various subjects including love, peace, religion, sexuality, relationships and socializing. Some of the messages sent to the audience via the lyrics are optimistic and upbeat, but they may also be of political significance as the singer attempts to increase the awareness of the audience to such matters. This is achieved by criticizing materialism or enlightening the listener with lyrics concerning controversial issues such as the Apartheid or human rights. Reggae song-writers mainly sing about one love and one world, unity and brotherhood of all mankind, the coming together regardless of diverse beliefs, and the hope of a new tomorrow. In addition Reggae lyrics are, as written in above pages, religion oriented, often discussing religious subject matter such as paying tribute to the Rastafari God, Jah. Other common lyrics are based on socio-political issues, for example the embrace of black nationalism, anti capitalism, criticism of political systems and Babylon which, as previously discussed, is the idiom used for the white political authority organization that has held back the black race for centuries. The lyrics in Reggae music remind the audience of the singers demand to gain freedom which in turn addresses the quest for freedom of all people who are oppressed globally. Robert Nesta Marley or more likely known, Bob Marley was born in a little countryside town in Jamaica on 6th of February 1945. He was a vocalist, performer, songwriter, and a pioneer to many because of his way of introducing reggae music to the world, and he still remains to be one of the most adored musicians to this date. Bob was the child of a black adolescent mother and a much older, soon after not present white father. His earlier years in the countryside village were spent in the community of St. Ann. This is where Marley meets one of his child-hood friends, and future collaborator in music, called Neville â€Å"Bunny Wailer† ORiley Livingston. They both attended the same school, and they mutually shared a love called music. Bob was encouraged to begin playing guitar thanks to Bunny. Nevilles father and Bob Marleys mother afterward had an affair together which resulted in all of them living together for some time in Kingston; this is according to Christopher John Farleys Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley. Marley in the late 1950s lived in Trench Town; this is one of Kingstons poorest neighborhoods. Even though the poverty influenced him a lot he still found motivation in the music that surrounded him. This is because there were a couple of successful musicians which were from Trench Town as well. Also as I mentioned before, many other sounds and music was broadcasted from America which many artists such as Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, influenced Marleys love for music. Bob and Bunny dedicated most of their time to music and under the supervision of Joe Higgs, a famous reggae musician in Jamaica, Marley tried to develop on his singing skills. Under the tutoring of Higgs Marley met another student, Peter McIntosh which later became Peter Tosh, who would play with Marley and Livingston later on, to be known as The Wailers. Approximately in 1962 a local record producer, named Leslie Kong, liked Bobs singing and produced a small number of singles for Marley, one of them being â€Å"Judge Not†. His small success as a solo artist, made Marley join and create a band with his two friends, Bunny and Tosh, to form the ‘Wailing Wailers in 1963. In January 1964 the first single that they all made called â€Å"Simmer Down† rose up to the top of Jamaican charts, at this point of the bands status 3 other members had joined the Wailing Wailers. These new band members included Junior Braithwaite, Beverly Kelso, and Cherry Smith. Even though the bands popularity was rising in Jamaica, they still had financial problems and this caused for 3 of the members to leave, these were Junior, Beverly and Cherry. The 3 original members went through a rough patch for a period of time and Marley moved to the United States where he married Rita Anderson on 1966. After some time Bob returned to his home, Jamaica and reunited with bunny and Tosh now form ‘The Wailers. At this point in Marleys life he started to develop and explore his spiritual side and his interest grew for the Rastafarian movement. At this point the Rastafarian movement had been in Jamaica over 30 years. In the late 1960s some of the songs that the wailers produced where â€Å"Trench Town Rock†, â€Å"Soul Rebel†, and â€Å"Four Hundred Years†. In the 1970s the wailers added two new members, Aston â€Å"Family Man† Barret and his brother Carlton†Carlie† Barret. They later got a contract with Island Records which resulted in the recording their first full album, Catch a Fire, and tour Britain and the United States in 1973. Burnin, their next album was released that same year and this album featured songs like â€Å"I Shot the Sheriff†. Their next album in 1975, Natty Dread, reflected some of the political problems that Jamaica was facing between the Peoples National Party and the Jamaica Labor Party. Some of the conflicts between these two parties can be seen in one of their songs â€Å"Rebels†, this song was inspired because of Marleys own firsthand experience of these conflicts. One sad fact about this album was that two if the original members left to pursue their own solo careers, these were Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. The bands and reggaes popularity was increased abroad when the band toured extensively now called Bob Marley the Wailers. They were joined by I-Threes which consisted of a group of 3 female vocalists, Marleys wife Rita, Marcia Griffiths, and Judy Mowatt. Marley was starting to be on his way to becoming an international music icon and was already a much admired star in Jamaica. He entered the U.S music charts in 1976 with the album ‘Rastaman Vibration. His devotion to his faith and his interest in political change was reflected in one of his songs, â€Å"War†. The lyrics to this song where taken from a speech by Haile Selassie, the song discusses a new Africa, freedom, and racism. In 1976 there was an attempt of assassination on Marley because of his popularity and support of the Peoples National Party from the rivals. The night of December 3, 1976, a group of armed men broke into Marleys and the Wailers rehearsal before a concert. Marley and his wife were lucky and were just injured from gun shots but Don Taylor was shot 5 times and had to have surgery in order to save him. Even though the attempt of assassination had occurred, Marley still played at the show that night. The following day the Marleys escaped the country. The next year, 1977, Bob moved to London where he began to work on ‘Exodus. This song speaks about biblical stories of Moses and the Israelites leaving exile and comparing this to his own situation. This theme also links to another topic discussed in the song being returning to Africa, to the roots of Africans. This track was very popular in Britain and this song was followed with other successful songs like ‘Waiting in Vain and ‘Jammin. The whole album was very popular and stayed in the British charts for more than a year and is considered one of the best albums ever made. During 1977, Marley wanted treatment on a toe he had injured earlier that year, then discovering it to be cancerous cells on his toe. Bob required surgery for it to be removed in Miami, Florida. Even thought Marley and the Wailers were making Exodus they all recorded what would be released on another album, Kaya, which came out the following year, 1978. The two main records in this album were ‘Is This Love and ‘Satisfy My Soul, this record theme was love. Even after his last experience in Jamaica with an attempt of assassination he returned to Jamaica and in his One Love Peace Concert he made the two parties PNP and JLP leaders shake hands on stage, I think this shows the determination of Bob towards unity and love. That same year Bob visited Africa for the first time in his life. He visited places like Kenya and Ethiopia and obviously Ethiopia being more significant to him because of the relations with Rastafarianism. His next album portrayed a lot the unity of Africa and the end of the oppression there. Survival, the album, was mostly inspired from his visit to Africa. The next album which was release in 1980 was a huge success. Songs in this album like ‘Could you be loved and ‘Redemption Song, the latter song spoke about Marleys talents of how he combined poetical lyrics with social and political importance. One of the lines of the songs quotes ‘emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds this is a clear example of the play of words and how he directs the message directly at the audience. The cancer that had been discovered earlier in his toe had unfortunately spread across all of Bobs body while they were in touring around Europe and the united states to promote their album. During his tour in Europe Bob underwent treatment in Germany where we was able to fight the cancer for a couple months, but it then was shown that he did not have much to live. When this was known Bob Marley wanted to return to his homeland but unfortunately passed away before he could make it to Jamaica. He died on the 11 of May 1981 in Miami, Florida. In part of his memorial service his wife, Rita Marley, and the Wailers played one last time for him. Figures of more than 30,000 people paid their respects to the Jamaican hero whish had received a Medal of Peace from the United States that earlier year. Marley will always be remembered till the end of times as one of the first international singer to have come from the Third World. His music is still and will be popular and fortunately his inheritance is continued by his wife and children. Also many of his children have continued in the family business and have as well succeeded in the music industry. His fight for the oppression and poverty still continues thanks to an organization created by the Marley family called the Bob Marley Foundation. This organization helps in education, health, food, and development of countries which need help.

Ezeulus Defeat in Chinua Achebes Arrow of God Essay -- Achebe Arrow

Ezeulu's Defeat in Chinua Achebe's Arrow of God When the Umuaro people began to encounter the spreading European colonialists, most realized that the colonialists were not like their other enemies and that they could not be defeated in the same way. So, even those most fiercely opposed to the colonial presence at first eventually conformed to its power. However, Ezeulu, the tragic hero of Chinua Achebe's Arrow of God, was not the typical Umuaro villager. As the chief priest of the powerful deity Ulu, Ezeulu felt that he could be subordinate to no one and accordingly rose up in direct confrontation with both the colonialists and his own community. Even as strong of a man as Ezeulu could not fight successfully against such outnumbering odds; Ezeulu was defeated completely and witnessed the breakdown of his family, his religion, and even his own sanity. The first contact that the Umuaro villagers had with the colonialists in the novel came as the result of a war stemming from a land dispute with a neighboring village, Okperi. Ezeulu's actions in this conflict would shape the future relationship between himself and colonial Captain Winterbottom, called Wintabota by the villagers. The conflict leading up to the war began in an Umuaro meeting of the elders. Being a democratic society, the village had no chief and therefore relied on the assembly to make decisions, such as whether or not to go to war. Nwaka, an important Umuaro elder, led the people to believe that they should attack the Okperi people because they had infringed upon farmland that traditionally belonged to Umuaro. Ezeulu did not agree with the war and believed that it would not be accepted by the gods. Therefore, he said, "If you choose to fight a man for a piece ... ...tting their old god. As Ezeulu realized that the title of Ezeulu would not be passed on to one of his remaining sons (and that they would probably not accept it even if it was available), he lost his sanity. Everything that had been important to him, his family, his religion, and his community had abandoned him. Now, even his own mind turned against him. Achebe's Arrow of God is such a powerful novel because it shows that the immense power of colonialism can cripple even the strongest of men like Ezeulu. While we watch Ezeulu spending the remainder of his waning life living "in the haughty splendor of a demented high priest" spared the knowledge of the final outcome, a question forms in our minds: if Ezeulu could not stand up to the white man, what chance did the average man have? (229). Work Cited Achebe, Chinua. Arrow of God. New York: Anchor Books, 1969.

Chimerism in Humans

Chimera according to the genome glossary is an organism which possesses cells or tissues with a different genotype. This can be caused due to mutated cells of the host organism or cells from a different organism or species. According to Greek mythology, the original â€Å"Chimera† (pronounced as kih-MEE-ra, and the adjective form â€Å"chimerical† pronounced as kih-MER-ih-cal) was a fire-breathing female monster with the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the hindquarters of a dragon. The terrifying Chimera may have merely been a product of a substandard family environment — her father was the giant Typhon, her mother the half-serpent Echidna. Her siblings were the Cerebrus (the three-headed hound who eventually found work guarding the gates of Hell), Hydra (a nine-headed aquatic monster) and Orthrus (the runt of the litter, a prosaic two-headed dog). As per the mythology, Chimera pounced around making everyone wretched until one day a man named Bellerophon, riding on the winged horse Pegasus slays her. [Author unknown, Chimera, 2004] Though believed to be a mythological epic, it was found that cases of Chimera were actually prevalent in humans when certain intriguing criminal cases erupted. One such case was when a woman has been raped by a man and the women claimed a particular person to be the culprit. However, the crime justice authorities had found it difficult to convict the suspect. It so happened that the DNA taken from his blood sample did not match the DNA of the suspect. However, extensive investigation and the victim’s statements revealed it to be same person being responsible for the crime. When another series of DNA tests were taken from the suspect, this time from his hair sample it was found that the DNA sample perfectly matched. This revealed a breathtaking phenomenon among human genome which has resulted in various problems in the criminal justice system. Those people who have two types of DNA in their body are called chimeras after the mythological creature with a head of lion, body of a goat and a tail of a serpent. These people are sometimes also referred to as mosaics. It has found that these people have two different types of DNA in various parts of their body. Though a rare occurrence, this could have been due to various reasons. [Vladar, 2004] One of the common reasons is that chimeras are formed if developing fraternal twin embryos join together to become one embryo. This is something which is completely opposite of identical twins who are formed when a single embryo splits into two. This occurrence takes place in the very early stages of the embryo development i.e. when it is still in the form of unspecialized cells, so when it develops the baby that is born is healthy but with two types of DNAs. It is also found that fraternal twins don’t have same set of DNA, however, they the two fraternal twin embryos fuse together it results in chimera. Another reason for chimeras to form is when developing fraternal twin share the same blood supply. This usually happens when the twins with different DNA share a placenta in the mother’s womb and cells from their blood mix together. This results in the twins being chimeras based on only their blood as other cells are not affected by the blood supply. Chimeras are also formed through some mistakes or mutations taking place in the division of the cells in the development embryo. This mainly takes place when the cells split into two so that they are able to be formed into more of themselves for the growth of the embryo. It also results in the the doubling up of the DNA by the cells which gets divided between the two new halves. During this process, if something goes wrong, then some new cells result in having different DNA. If this happens in the early stages of the development, then the tissues which are developed from the cells will have different genotype. It is difficult to gauge the exact number of chimeras in the world. We are able to find out whether a person is a chimera or not only when his / her DNA is analysed. This causes varied problems with regards to solving of crime cases and also results in complication with regards to donation of organs. In recent years, exciting results have been found out that a section of genetically incompatible cells may contribute to conditions like infertility, autism and Alzheimer's disease. [Migliore, L et al, 1999] Human chimeraism came into being with advent of blood typing and it was found that some people had more than two types of blood group. Most of the cases of chimeraism are the blood chimeraism i.e. non-identical twins sharing a blood supply in the womb. Twin embryos often share a blood supply in the placenta, allowing blood stem cells to pass from one embryo and settle in the bone marrow of the other, seeding a lasting source of blood. As a result, almost 8% of non-identical twin pairs have chimeric blood. [van Dijk, B A; Boomsma, D I and de Man, A J M, 1996] Apart from those who have chimera due to different blood types, there are even larger numbers of people who have this phenomenon due to carrying smaller numbers of different blood cells that may have passed through the mother and the fetus across the placenta or persist from a blood transfusion. It has also been analysed that the presence of some foreign white blood cells might be the cause for autoimmune diseases wherein the immune system affects the body’s own tissues. [Nelson, J L, 2002] True chimeras are usually identified when they possess male and female cells resulting in the formation of hermaphrodites or any related problem in the person’s sexual organs and their chromosomal sex is identified by their blood test. So the real number of chimeras and mosaics are much more than those that have been identified till date. Unless and until a chimera comes forward to get his blood sampled or has been convicted for a crime, it wouldn’t be possible to know whether he actually is a chimera. This has resulted in further complication in solving some crime justice cases. It has been also analyzed that with the increase in in-vitro fertilization (IVF), there has an increase in the cases of chimeras. To avoid infertility among women, IVF has been quite common in the present day scenario. In this process, two or more embryos are placed in a woman’s uterus so there is an increased success rate. This results in 25% more cases of twin pregnancies than expected. With the increased number of twins, there is likelihood of more cases of chimeras. This was proved by Bonthron who found out that the British hermaphrodite boy who was a chimera was formed by IVF. Strain, L; Dean, J C S; Hamilton, M P R and Bonthron, D T – 1998] According to various tests undertaken along with ultrasound examinations performed on the mother who was carrying the single fetus, the baby that was born had a normal right testis and a semi-developed left testis. An operation was conducted when the child was 15 months old and the surgeons removed â€Å"an abnormal gonad and vas deferens.† Pathology studies later exposed that these were actually an ovary with a fallopian tube attached. Studies revealed that the child's chromosomes had both female (XX) and male (XY) cell lines. This was explained to be that the child was an exceptional case of a true chimera which was a mixture of two embryos from separately fertilized eggs. The other likelihood was that two different sperm had unusually developed into a single mature egg before cell division had taken place. To distinguish between these possibilities, the researchers analyzed DNA near the centromeres of the child's chromosomes, which are involved in cell division. [Author unknown, DNA puzzle of mother ‘made of two women', 2004] Apart from this, the study conducted also revealed that chimerism can occur naturally, resulting in children with vague genitalia, however published data on the phenomenon is very restricted and many XX/XY children may go unnoticed. Even so, the fact that chimerism occurred in a child born following in vitro fertilization should be taken seriously. [Author unknown, 2004 In Vitro Fertilization Results In Chimera, 2004] Considering these above points, it is becoming more and more difficult for the crime justice system to analyze the crime due to the increase in the cases of chimeraism and mosaicism which in turn is increasing with the increase in in-vitro fertilization. The criminals are able to move about freely as their blood samples usually differ from their other DNA samples taken from different parts of the body. It is also becoming difficult for the crime justice system as well as the medical system to analyze the exact number of chimeras as it is very difficult with the increase in mutations.

How does Shakespeare use dramatic devices in Act 3 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet Essays

How does Shakespeare use dramatic devices in Act 3 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet Essays How does Shakespeare use dramatic devices in Act 3 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet Paper How does Shakespeare use dramatic devices in Act 3 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet Paper Essay Topic: Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is the classic love story written by the infamous William Shakespeare, the Elizabethan playwright. It is set in Verona in the early 16th century and tells the story of two households- the Montagues and Capulets, who are equally alike in power, wealth, social status and dignity, as said in the prologue ‘two households, both alike in dignity’. The youngest generation of the two households break into mutiny because of the hatred of the previous generations (‘from ancient grudge break to mutiny’). These endless feuds cause destruction and death to the streets of Verona (‘civil blood makes civil hands unclean’). However, two young and naive members of the opposing households; Romeo, son of Lord and Lady Montague, and Juliet, daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet become entwined in a dangerous love rollercoaster, which was to be obstructed by their parents as the cold war of rivalry between the two households continued. This play however does not fit into the genre of romance, but tragedy as although Romeo and Juliet are ‘a pair of star-crossed lovers’, fate had planned events far from the fairy-tale happy ending for the both of them, a fact the audience have known since the prologue of the play- ‘star-crossed lovers take their life. Not only do the two main protagonists die an untimely death, but there are also many other deaths throughout the play, including that of Tybalt’s and Mercutio’s. Other tragic elements of the play include the fact that the two lovers cannot be united because of the brawls of the two families and that the only way to restore peace to Verona is for Romeo and Juliet to die, ‘who with their death bury their parent’s strife†¦which but their children’s end nought could remove’. There are also many other themes that run throughout the play such as; enmity, marriage, death and mainly- love. Like all pieces of literature, the play has been influenced by the era it was written in. This scene of the play serves as a reminder for us, a reminder that this play, with all its emphasis on love and romance is based in a patriarchal society, a masculine world where honour, pride, and status are prone to erupt in a fury of conflict. Other influences include the age that marriage was considered acceptable as Juliet was only 13 when her marriage proposal arrived and it was also normal for the groom to be considerably older than the bride, as Paris was 18 when he was engaged to Juliet. Marriage was fixed by the choice of the bride’s father, disobeying her father’s wishes would result in a suitable punishment- nunnery or death, which is what her fate would have probably been if she confessed her love for Romeo. The overall viciousness of the play’s social environment is a main tool that Shakespeare employs to make the pair’s love seem ever more fragile and delicate and their relationship is the only respite of the audience’s from the dangerous and brutal world pressing against their love. Act 3 Scene 1 is the scene directly after the marriage of Romeo and Juliet, and is seen as the pivotal point of the play as it is the point where the play transforms from a comedy/romance to a tragedy as the violence results in the banishment of Romeo. It is also the point where the audience see Romeo transform before their very eyes; they see him change from a loving, caring, tender-hearted and gentle person to a violent, destructive and reckless character, all because of the death of his best friend Mercutio. The scene takes place in Verona ‘a public place’. The sort of environment we would be expecting a laugh, maybe a joke and the development of characters in terms of their feelings towards others, but remembering that it is Shakespeare who is the playwright, the audience can expect anything to happen. The characters of Mercutio and Benvolio (who are characters of great friendship) are introduced to us at the beginning of the scene and Shakespeare immediately starts to build tension through his choice of language with the opening line of the scene (spoken by Benvolio) being: ‘the day is hot, the capels abroad, and if we meet we shall not escape a brawl’. Shakespeare again portrays Benvolio as the peacekeeper, a slightly more worried/concerned character than Mercutio. Here Benvolio is trying to explain to Mercutio that a hot day can get a lot of people bothered and is attempting to explain to Mercutio that it would be wise to leave early before any start of trouble begins, tension builds as we- the audience know that they are in a public place, which is the perfect area for someone to be in if they are looking for trouble. Benvolio carries on by saying that he can feel tension building in the atmosphere and senses something bad is going to happen ‘For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring’, through this line Benvolio is saying in the heat of this atmosphere it is quite common for young men to lose control, as it can make someone’s blood boil-which hints to the audience that trouble is just around the corner, especially with Mercutio present. Mercutio replies to Benvolio’s words of wisdom by aptly refusing to leave, his exact words being: â€Å"Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy: and as soon mov’d to be moody and as soon moody to be mov’d. † Mercutio here is implying that Benvolio is involved with many of the fights between the Montagues and Capulets, trying to make Benvolio retaliate with him. This is an antithesis because Benvolio is always trying to keep the peace as much as possible without being involved, a playful mood and atmosphere is built up with this banter. These opening verses highlight the contrasting personalities of Mercutio and Benvolio. Benvolio’s name originates from the word ‘benevolent’ which means ‘peaceful’ which is reflected in his personality, whereas Mercutio’s name originates from ‘mercury’ or, ‘mercurial’. Mercury being the chemical used in thermometers. Shakespeare chose this name for Mercutio as it reflects his character- volatile, dangerous, changeable in temperament and reacts quickly to provocation and heat in arguments. The structure of Mercutio’s dialogue in the opening verses of the scene also reflects his personality as he uses pros and a strong rhythm in his speech, (with Shakespeare using minimal punctuation in the text) emphasising his loss of control and bringing out the anger and recklessness in his personality. The audience are immediately reminded of the warnings of the Friar, of ‘fire’ and ‘powder’ meeting and the explosion and disaster which follow. Contrasting with the previous scene changing the atmosphere from happy and romantic to tense and dramatic; leaving the audience themselves tense and apprehensive about as to what the rest of the scene will reveal to them- keeping Shakespeare’s audience eager, engaged and very much involved in the plot of the play. Mercutio continues to be fearless and reckless as the scene progresses, seeming unconcerned about confrontation and of the consequences which may follow. Even when Benvolio announces the arrival of the Capulets (‘by my head! Here come the Capulets! ) Mercutio does not seem to care- ‘by my heel†¦I care not! ’ his comic and fiery character coming across again here with him appearing to look forward to confrontation. When approached by the Capulet’s Mercutio does not hesitate to provoke Tybalt, whose personality is no less volatile than that off Mercutio. It is at this point, under the blazing sun, in a public place, with these two persona lity’s clashing that the audience know that a fight is unavoidable. Tybalt then insults Mercutio by saying- ‘thou art consortest with Romeo? ’ implying that he is homosexual and referring to his sexuality with Romeo. Mercutio reacts infuriated and weapons are then drawn and it seems that a fourth public brawl will be inescapable. Benvolio then steps in, urging them to go to ‘some private place’, reminding both parties about the Prince’s warnings in Act 1 Scene 1- ‘If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace’. However, his words of wisdom seemingly fell into deaf ears as Mercutio and Tybalt continued with their contention. Soon after this Romeo arrives at the fray, and is approached by Tybalt, whom he refuses to fight when challenged. Romeo attempts to explain that he could not fight Tybalt, as he had reasons to love him that greatly outweighed the reasons to hate him- reasons that he could not yet reveal to the play’s other protagonists (‘but love thee better than thou canst devise, till thou shalt know the reason of my love; and so good Capulet†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢). Shakespeare creates dramatic irony (the audience having greater knowledge of the events of the play than the characters), with these few lines, as the audience of the play know the reason for Romeo’s love is his marriage to Juliet- Tybalt’s cousin. Dramatic irony is an effective technique to be used by Shakespeare in this scene as it makes the audience anxious to know if their interpretation of Romeo’s dialogue matches that of the characters on stage. Romeo would be a fool to get into a fight with his cousin-in-law, so backs down, a gesture which is seen as mature and noble by the audience but perceived as cowardly and weak by the characters in the scene- especially Mercutio. All that Mercutio understood from Romeo’s dialogue was that he was lacking confidence, bravery and was too scared to take on someone as fierce as Tybalt. Mercutio calls Romeo a coward ‘O calm, dishonourable vile submission’, he then tried to coax Tybalt into duelling him in Romeo’s place (‘you rat catcher, will you walk? ’), and he decided. Romeo tries to stop them, he stands in the middle of Mercutio and Tybalt, his attempt to be a saviour however failed and resulted in the death of his best friend- Mercutio was stabbed by Tybalt under Romeo’s arm, mortally wounding him. Mercutio- about to die still cracks jokes ‘Ay a scratch a scratch! however the mood changes completely when it is understood that Mercutio’s wounds were fatal. Before his death Mercutio is seen repeatedly saying the words ‘A plague upon both your houses’, expressing his extreme displeasure with both parties, saying how he views them as the cause of his death. Mercutio is a bystander in the feud and although he is the friend of Romeo he sees both families as being in the wrong and does not intend to tak e sides. Mercutio’s loyalty to Romeo seems to have gone with this line, which would have heavily impacted the audience. The conflict between the characters would have further engaged the Elizabethan audience, and ensured that their attention was on the plays plot (as the audience needed scenes such as these to keep their minds focused as in the Elizabethan Era plays were quite lengthy and people had to stand for hours on end, which would be frustrating). These conflicts would also serve as a way of informing the audience that more drama and exhilarating scenes awaited for them. This scene also reminds the audience of just how brutal this family feud actually is- Mercutio, neither Montague or Capulet was slain because of the conflict of the two families. It makes the audience fully understand how truly violent this feud is and makes them think about all the innocents who have been severely injured or even lost their lives at the hands of these two foes. It makes us understand how brutal the family’s hatred for each other is. The play pivots on the line ‘O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio is dead! ’, it is at this very line where the play turns from comedy/romance to tragedy. Mercutio’s exit from the play was an extremely significant one, as he was the jester, the character who has overshadowed Romeo with his bawdy humour. It seemed that when Mercutio died all the humour of the play died with it. Characters began to change from this point onwards; the most significant change seen was that of Romeo who changed from Romeo the romantic†¦ to Romeo the violent. Up to this point in this play Romeo had been portrayed as a depressing, dull and negative character, and he had been seen as this since the beginning of the play where we first encountered him as a heartbroken young man. The audience had no reason to be particularly drawn to this rather boring character, and almost instantly fell in love with Mercutio- with his vibrant, interesting and fiery personality. It seemed that only in Mercutio’s death could the spotlight truly be focused on Romeo, and shows us that Romeo was not as dull as we first perceived him to be, he actually has a unique personality with it changing from happy calm and collected to merciless, ruthless and angry almost instantaneously. The spotlight finally arrived to Romeo at this point in the play†¦in time for a dramatic climax, which no doubt captivated the audience. Romeo, in a quick rage decided that either he or Tybalt must die and barely hesitated to challenge him to a duel. Romeo killed Tybalt him in his stride. He became so blind with fury he murdered his cousin-in-law without a second thought, not taking any of the consequences into account. It is this point in the play where the audience begins to wonder about Romeo’s personality, had he really changed, just like that? Or had this been a part of Romeo’s personality that Shakespeare had been hiding for us, waiting to bring out at the right moment to ensure that all members of his audience were shocked, intrigued and eager to see how the plot unfolded? Another clever technique used by Shakespeare is used here. The scene ends with Romeo fleeing the scene (as advised by Benvolio), and with the arrival of the prince and Lady Capulet. The Prince turns to Benvolio and asks for his account of the events, seeing as he is a peaceful, noble and a trusted source who would give an unbiased recount- which he did. Benvolio throughout the play has cleverly been used by Shakespeare as a narrator, as he provides information for the person who he is directly speaking to on stage (in this case, the Prince) and the audience, ensuring that the events are kept fresh in their mind and are not forgotten. After hearing what had happen Lady Capulet was out for revenge, and was desperate to have Romeo killed. The Prince told Lady Capulet that it was fair that Romeo killed Tybalt, as he had slain Mercutio. But, still views Romeo as a villain and exiles him from Verona and states that if he returns he shall be killed, and no excuses or prayers would influence this decision- ‘I will be deaf to pleading and excuses†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This captivates the audiences interest as they already know that Romeo and Juliet are now man and wife, and his actions have now cause him to be exiled from Verona- from Juliet. Seeming to have ruined all possible chances of them being together, and poses numerous questions in the minds of the audience, the most common and obvious probably being- ‘How on earth will they get back together? ’ They will also be extremely curious as to how the plot would unfold, would this twist cause their love to end? Dramatic irony again is used by Shakespeare here, a clever dramatic device that he has used multiple times in this scene and has proved extremely successful and effective. I think that this scene is very important in the context of Romeo and Juliet as it is the pivotal point in the play. It helps the audience to understand how important Mercutio was to Romeo, if it wasn’t for their friendship being as strong as it proved to be then Romeo would not have acted in the way he did and slain Tybalt. It also shows us a completely new side to Romeo, a character whom prior to this scene had been perceived as a plain and dull character, but now he seems like an emotionally complex character that is governed by his feelings and is prone to acting impulsively. Which explains why he killed Tybalt, his newly bonded in law, Romeo was blinded by the fury and murdered him in revenge for his best friend, without even considering the impact it would have on his relationship with his newly wed Juliet. Two main protagonists are killed off by Shakespeare in this scene; and it seems that these characters were destined to die for the plot to unravel. Shakespeare contrasts this scene to the mood of the previous scene (Act 2 Scene 6), which had a romantic, relaxed and generally atmosphere. Act 3 Scene 1 was written by Shakespeare and put directly in front of this scene in order to shock the audience and have their attention for the remainder of the play. Shakespeare successfully used a range of dramatic techniques in this scene and had the audience in his grasp throughout the entire scene. In my opinion I think that Act 3 Scene 1 is by far the best scene in Romeo and Juliet because it was unexpected and managed to shock the audience, it leaves everyone asking the same question- what does all this mean for Romeo and Juliet?

Hue and Cry

Hue and Cry Hue and Cry Hue and Cry By Maeve Maddox The following comment set me wondering how widespread the misspelling of hue in the expression hue and cry has become: Where’s the hew and cry [in the mainstream media] about the way women are treated? A web search turned up a great many examples of â€Å"hew and cry,† but it’s not always easy to tell which are misspellings and which are intended to be humorous. For example, the Seattle Times ran the headline, â€Å"Hew and Cry Put on Hold.† The story was about a protest against the the logging of Old-Growth stands. Before 1979 and the separation of the Department of Education from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, many newspaper headlines used the expression â€Å"hew and cry† as a play on the acronym HEW. Sometimes, however, the intended expression seems clear enough from the context. Here are some examples of hue being misspelled as hew in newspapers published in the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and Canada. Amid Hew and Cry, British Buyout Firms Stay on Message Remember the hew and cry about some ducks dying in a tailings pond? Imagine the hew and cry if GeorgeBush were President So where’s the hew and cry over the gross spending spree? Hew and cry as South run riot Modern speakers are more familiar with the hue that means â€Å"color† than with the hue that means a noise or an outcry, so it’s not surprising they might assume the hue in the expression would have a different spelling. hue: noun. Outcry, shouting, clamor, especially that raised by a multitude in war or the chase. Hue meaning â€Å"shout† came into English from French heu, which was more of an utterance like â€Å"huh† than a word. â€Å"Hue and cry† was the combined tumult of men shouting, dogs baying, and hunting horns sounding that accompanied the pursuit of a criminal. In time the expression became a legal term for such a pursuit commanded by the local constable. Men who refused to assist in â€Å"the hue and cry† were subject to legal penalties. In modern use, â€Å"hue and cry† is used figuratively as a synonym for outcry. One â€Å"raises a hue and cry† against a perceived crime or injustice. Hew, on the other hand, has to do with cutting and chopping. hew: verb. to strike, or deal blows with a cutting weapon; to strike forcibly with a cutting tool. Considering that â€Å"hue and cry† is in its ninth century of use, insisting on spelling it correctly may seem a bit picky. It’s amazing that modern speakers still have a use for it. Still, dictionaries do exist. It seems reasonable to expect people to learn to spell the words they use in publishing their thoughts. 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 Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Examples of Passive Voice (And How To Fix Them)3 Cases of Complicated HyphenationIs "Number" Singular or Plural?

Free Essays on Uncle Toms Cabin

While reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin, I have received more of a sense of feminism than abolition. Though Stowe proudly professes the evils of slavery, I believe that it is her profound feelings on the place of women within society that envelops Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Through the development of the female characters, Stowe enforces the ideal of women as the â€Å"Angel of the House†, yet asserts their role of importance in the events that surround them. With motherhood as a central theme, Stowe works to indirectly influence her readers to recognize the importance of women within society. Looking directly at the text, evidence is clear on page 52, when Stowe introduces her readers to Mrs. Shelby for the first time. â€Å"Mrs. Shelby was a woman of high class, both intellectually and morally. To that natural magnanimity and generosity of mind which one often marks as characteristic of the women of Kentucky, she added high moral and religious sensibility and principle, carried out with great energy and ability into practical results.† She quickly contrasts Mrs. Shelby with her husband, to demonstrate the difference between men and women. â€Å"Her husband, who made no professions to any particular religious character, nevertheless reverenced and respected the consistency of her, and stood, perhaps, a little in awe of her opinion. Certain it was that gave her unlimited scope in all her benevolent efforts for the comfort, instruction, and improvement of her servants, though he never took any decided part in them himself.†1 Right away, Stowe implies t he saintly Christian qualities of the woman to gain the respect of the reader, while the male of the household is classified as an atheist. Through this religious-based opposition, the female is ultimately placed above the male on the hierarchy of the family. This is just one of the many female characters that stand above their male partner within the novel. Mrs. Shelby’s place as the... Free Essays on Uncle Tom's Cabin Free Essays on Uncle Tom's Cabin While reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin, I have received more of a sense of feminism than abolition. Though Stowe proudly professes the evils of slavery, I believe that it is her profound feelings on the place of women within society that envelops Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Through the development of the female characters, Stowe enforces the ideal of women as the â€Å"Angel of the House†, yet asserts their role of importance in the events that surround them. With motherhood as a central theme, Stowe works to indirectly influence her readers to recognize the importance of women within society. Looking directly at the text, evidence is clear on page 52, when Stowe introduces her readers to Mrs. Shelby for the first time. â€Å"Mrs. Shelby was a woman of high class, both intellectually and morally. To that natural magnanimity and generosity of mind which one often marks as characteristic of the women of Kentucky, she added high moral and religious sensibility and principle, carried out with great energy and ability into practical results.† She quickly contrasts Mrs. Shelby with her husband, to demonstrate the difference between men and women. â€Å"Her husband, who made no professions to any particular religious character, nevertheless reverenced and respected the consistency of her, and stood, perhaps, a little in awe of her opinion. Certain it was that gave her unlimited scope in all her benevolent efforts for the comfort, instruction, and improvement of her servants, though he never took any decided part in them himself.†1 Right away, Stowe implies t he saintly Christian qualities of the woman to gain the respect of the reader, while the male of the household is classified as an atheist. Through this religious-based opposition, the female is ultimately placed above the male on the hierarchy of the family. This is just one of the many female characters that stand above their male partner within the novel. Mrs. Shelby’s place as the...

Personal Theory of Communicating Biblical Truth Term Paper

Personal Theory of Communicating Biblical Truth - Term Paper Example In the New Testament, Jesus Christ remains the medium and the message of the communication of God. The word says that in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God (KJV). The meaning of this is that Jesus was with the father from the beginning. The incarnation of God can be described to be the language of expression that was used to convey his total love for the humanity. Incarnation is thus viewed to be a manifestation of the self-communication of our God (Wiggins, 2012). In 1 Tim. 4: 12-16 (Lawrence & Bredfeldt, 1998, p. 214), Paul focuses on reliability as a recipe of success. notably, reliability purifies motives, reputation, passion and most importantly warmth. Biblical communications seem to have two levels. They include God’s communication with man, and the other one is man’s communication with other God and other human beings. Therefore, the interpersonal communication of God to man is what is referred to as a revelation (Lawrence & Bredfeldt, 1998). The Bible has presented to Christians many principles of communication. These principles are key in helping believers to be communicators who glorify the Lord and therefore will form my personal theory to communicating the biblical truth; ( Pastor Dennis & Grimes, 2001) The real reason for teaching or ministering plays an imperative role in fulfilling or achieving inappropriate ends (Lawrence & Bredfeldt, 1998, p. 215). It speaks about where many words exist then transgression is unavoidable but the wise restrain their lips. The above biblical text clearly teaches us that we need to be very careful of the words that we talk. The Holy-Spirit should be our guide and our helper so that we do not utter words that will spear-head conflict in our communication. Evidently, this principle may be real in the classroom setup. Suppose a lecturer brings up the topic of debate in the classroom about â€Å"divorce in our Society†. Certainly, this can be a sensitive

Change in Employee Relations in United Kingdom Essay

Change in Employee Relations in United Kingdom - Essay Example Majority of the employees give preference to work in a better work atmosphere than working in a poor work atmosphere with higher pay. Globalization and other changes that took place in the world caused a drastic change in the employee relation. Huge difference can be seen in between the present form of employee relation and traditional way of employee relation. This paper makes an attempt to evaluate the changes in the employee relation in last 30 years and its importance in the future developments in the context of United Kingdom. Though there may be some variations in employee relation or industrial relations practices in various countries, changes are taking place in various countries in almost similar manner. Decades back, each country may have its own industrial practice, but now due to globalization and advancement of technology majority of the countries' employee relation practices are more or less similar. Today the industrial relation is very important and a widely discussed subject and has a great significance in the growth of industries. The terms labour relation and industrial relation are interchangeably used (Bean, 1994). A good industrial relation has a significant role in the success of any kind of business. Appalachian State University defines employee relations as "it involves the body of work concerned with maintaining employer-employee relationships that contribute to satisfactory productivity, motivation, and morale" (Staff-employee relations, n. d.). Disputes are common at work places. If there is a better labour relation this disputes can be minimized. If the employer is interacting with the employees in a better way it can increase the loyalty of the employees, thereby increasing the productivity of the organisation. Overview of different issues of employee relation Here are different issues related to the employee relation that requires detailed discussion and is always a topic of debate for the experts in this field. Some of the issues are employee grievances, employee wellness, employee compensation, employee discrimination, employee promotion...etc. The management especially human resource management team should be efficient enough to maintain an efficient employee relation in an organisation. 1. Employee grievances handling: Employee grievances are common at work place. If the management t failed properly solves the grievances of employee s o it may cause serious problems to the organization including losing of efficient employees. Employees would not be ready to work in organization where their grievances are not properly solved. There are no industrial concerns which are working smoothly at all times. In some concern employee have complaints against employers. In some other cases employers may have complaints against employees. This is happening mainly due to lack of better employee relation. These grievances may be real, imaginary, valid, invalid, genuine, not genuine etc. Generally speaking complaints affecting one or more employees may be treated as grievances. Grievance is a feeling of discontent or dissatisfaction among workers regarding anything concerned with the company (Som, n. d.). Causes of grievances: There may be variety of reasons for grievance. Some of them are explained below. a. Difference in opinion: The management and

Favorite place (Dillard's) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Favorite place (Dillard's) - Essay Example While Dillard’s is considered to be an upscale department store, it offers an assortment of treasures for most budgets, including its low-priced clearance centers, making Dillard’s an economically-friendly company. As a department store, Dillard’s offers an array of merchandise useful for all aspects of one’s life and their home. Despite the enormous variety of high-end products found throughout Dillard’s many stores, this company’s claim to fame is its vast selection of clothing and shoes. Being upscale and at the forefront of procuring the best fashions, Dillard’s does not have a difficult time in staying up-to-date with the latest designs for men, women, and children. In the clothing department, available brands range from Antonio Melani, Armani Exchange, Calvin Klein, DKNY, and Ralph Lauren, in all desired styles: dresses, coats, pants, tops, pajamas and gorgeous gowns and handsome tuxedoes for any special occasion, including weddi ngs. The children’s department is just as abundant in its selection, with stunning formal wear for holidays and the character clothing that children adore for day-to-day wear. Dillard’s clothing department is only matched by its shoe department with thousands of different styles in countless brands, including their newest addition of the popular Ugg brand. There are shoes for every occasion and each season, from tennis shoes and sandals to strappy pumps and leather dress shoes. While the clothing and shoe selections define Dillard’s department stores, the perfume, make-up and accessories section, appropriately located at the center of each building, are the centerpiece. This area is easily recognizable from the sweet and strong fragrances of the dozens of bottles of perfume and cologne. Though there are many options for men in this area, it can be considered the paradise of women. Here they can find perfume and body spray in scents ranging from sweet and innocen t to strong and daring, all provided by some of the top brands, including Prada, Chanel, and Dior. The vast collection of make-up brands gives women what they need at their fingertips to enhance their own natural beauty or to design a completely new and stunning look. To add to the wonders of the make-up and perfume section are the helpful representatives willing to aid guests until they find the scent or look they are searching for. Often circling the perfume and make-up counters are racks upon racks of handbags, purses, scarves, belts, and beautiful jewelry. Men and women alike can find all that they need to complete the perfect outfit or to surprise a loved one with a dazzling gift. Once someone has finished spoiling themselves with the clothes and jewelry and glamorous extras found among the many shelves of Dillard’s, they can turn their attention on dressing up their homes. In the outer regions of the circle of Dillard’s, a guest can find all that they need for th eir bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, including little knickknacks and decorations to accentuate any room. For the bedroom, Dillard’s offers a wide selection of bedding sets and individual sheets and pillowcases, as well as pillows, canopies, and bed skirts. Unlike the selections found at many common department stores, the bedding found at Dillard’s exemplifies elegance, turning even a child’

Management Practive in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Practive in Business - Essay Example The planning process focuses on the realistic view of the business expectation. The presence of proper planning process in an organization helps the management of the organization in maintaining a focus towards the overall growth and development of the business. The planning process also helps the organization in providing a framework for the business and provides the organization with a benchmark for measuring the performance of the organization (Reilly, Minnick & Baack, 2011). Considering the importance of planning in the business organization, the planning process in Liberty mutual insurance is being analyzed critically. The first step maintained by Liberty Mutual insurance in their planning process is in setting the basic target of the organization which includes clarification of the vision, mission and goals of the organization. The vision of Liberty mutual insurance involves providing every one with the same amount of opportunity to live their dreams. The mission of the organiz ation states that the organization is in the process of value creation for the citizens with the help of the effective and profitable life insurance plans. The goals of the organization are also made clear and it aims at becoming a leading provider of life insurance services in the global market by focusing attention towards the customer satisfaction. The organization also aims at enhancing the value of stakeholders by achieving reputations in the market through the business practices. In matters of implementation of any strategic decision in the organization; the mission, vision and goals are kept in mind. Before planning for any changes in the organization, careful market research is conducted and due importance is provided to the needs of the customers. During the decision making process ideas are taken from all levels of the management and clear analysis of the views of the employees are done. The various departments within the organization are assigned with the responsibility o f managing their own department and integration within different department is maintained. As the goals of the organization, includes the creation of values to the customers, careful steps are being adopted to make the products of the organization popular among the customers by addressing their needs in a proper manner. The management also is looking for expansion in the international markets, by conducting studies regarding the market feasibility of various economies. Leading: Leadership is one of the important attribute of good managers and the process of overall leading of the employees to attain their goals and objectives often determines the success of an organization. The process of leading the employees in the organization starts after the goals are set by the management (Canada, 2009, p.22). In Liberty mutual Insurance, the workings of the organization is strengthened by the presence of effective leadership quality of the key personnel who constantly dedicates their best in helping the employees to attain their goals set by the organizations. One important characteristic of the leaders in the organizat

Why is an understanding of Emotional Intelligence essential for Essay

Why is an understanding of Emotional Intelligence essential for practicing managers - Essay Example Much of the debate in today’s corporate world is surrounding the question whether academic excellence and technical training alone are sufficient in building up an efficient manager. The newly evolved concept of Emotional Intelligence has posed a serious threat to the traditional idea of Intelligence Quotient as a yardstick of measuring managerial excellence. This essay serves to comprehensively explore the concept of Emotional Intelligence and critically analyse its significance in the life of practicing managers. Emotional Intelligence refers to the capacity of an individual to recognize, evaluate and regulate his own emotions and the emotions of others. The first comprehensive usage of the term is attributed to Wayne Payne in his thesis A Study of Emotion: Developing Emotional Intelligence  (1985). Before and after Payne, many other scholars like Beldoch, Leuner, Greenspan, Peter Salovey and John Mayer had mentioned the term in their works. However the term Emotional Inte lligence received wide acceptance and recognition in the year 1995 after the publication of Daniel Goleman’s work Emotional Intelligence - Why it can matter more than IQ. The term received reinforcement through Goleman’s further publications on the same theme.... The Ability Theory, put forward by Salovey and Mayer, presents the idea of a new kind of intelligence. The theory defines Emotional Intelligence as- "The ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions and to regulate emotions to promote personal growth." It considers emotions as a source of information that helps a person to comprehend and steer through his social environment. According to this theory, Emotional Intelligence is a collection of four types of abilities- perceiving, using, understanding and managing emotions. (Salovey, 2005). The Trait Theory propounded by British psychologist K.V. Petrides defines Emotional Intelligence on the basis of an individual’s self-perception about his emotional abilities. As per this theory, Emotional Intelligence is "a constellation of emotional self-perceptions located at the lower levels of personality." It is based on four prime tenets- well-being, self-control, emotionality and sociability . (Petrides, 2007; Leutner, 2011). In contrast to the ability and trait theories, it is the Mixed Theory that offers a more comprehensive overview of the concept of Emotional Intelligence. The theory was proposed by Daniel Goleman in his work What Makes A Leader. He treats Emotional Intelligence as a set of skills and competencies that initiates leadership. Emotional Competencies are not inherent talents but learned abilities that must be worked upon. Or in other words, people may possess innate Emotional Intelligence, but they have to acquire Emotional Competency through their own efforts. Goleman outlines five major parameters which constitute Emotional Intelligence, which are

Critical Response Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critical Response Paper - Assignment Example It is imperative for the country to balance the opinions of the different religions and integrate them in the formation of the government. This is because the relationship between the government and the religion is very fluid; the religion and/or the politics change in response to history and its interpretation. According to Brown-Foster and Goldstein (2010), circumstance and history determines the evolvement of the relationship between the state and the religion. The institutions should be set up in a way that they do not have certain privileges within the constitution but the freedom of worship privately should be given. According to Costopoulous, Diamond and Plattner (2005), religious institutions should not be provided with constitutional privileged prerogatives that permit them to consent public policy within the democratic governments. It is important to note that the political parties will perform the role of mandating the public policy because the religious institutions are not supposed to mandate any public policy. Voting is the only way to offer transparency within the government and the political parties have the mandate of voting in their favorite

Management Practive in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Practive in Business - Essay Example The planning process focuses on the realistic view of the business expectation. The presence of proper planning process in an organization helps the management of the organization in maintaining a focus towards the overall growth and development of the business. The planning process also helps the organization in providing a framework for the business and provides the organization with a benchmark for measuring the performance of the organization (Reilly, Minnick & Baack, 2011). Considering the importance of planning in the business organization, the planning process in Liberty mutual insurance is being analyzed critically. The first step maintained by Liberty Mutual insurance in their planning process is in setting the basic target of the organization which includes clarification of the vision, mission and goals of the organization. The vision of Liberty mutual insurance involves providing every one with the same amount of opportunity to live their dreams. The mission of the organiz ation states that the organization is in the process of value creation for the citizens with the help of the effective and profitable life insurance plans. The goals of the organization are also made clear and it aims at becoming a leading provider of life insurance services in the global market by focusing attention towards the customer satisfaction. The organization also aims at enhancing the value of stakeholders by achieving reputations in the market through the business practices. In matters of implementation of any strategic decision in the organization; the mission, vision and goals are kept in mind. Before planning for any changes in the organization, careful market research is conducted and due importance is provided to the needs of the customers. During the decision making process ideas are taken from all levels of the management and clear analysis of the views of the employees are done. The various departments within the organization are assigned with the responsibility o f managing their own department and integration within different department is maintained. As the goals of the organization, includes the creation of values to the customers, careful steps are being adopted to make the products of the organization popular among the customers by addressing their needs in a proper manner. The management also is looking for expansion in the international markets, by conducting studies regarding the market feasibility of various economies. Leading: Leadership is one of the important attribute of good managers and the process of overall leading of the employees to attain their goals and objectives often determines the success of an organization. The process of leading the employees in the organization starts after the goals are set by the management (Canada, 2009, p.22). In Liberty mutual Insurance, the workings of the organization is strengthened by the presence of effective leadership quality of the key personnel who constantly dedicates their best in helping the employees to attain their goals set by the organizations. One important characteristic of the leaders in the organizat

Critical Response Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critical Response Paper - Assignment Example It is imperative for the country to balance the opinions of the different religions and integrate them in the formation of the government. This is because the relationship between the government and the religion is very fluid; the religion and/or the politics change in response to history and its interpretation. According to Brown-Foster and Goldstein (2010), circumstance and history determines the evolvement of the relationship between the state and the religion. The institutions should be set up in a way that they do not have certain privileges within the constitution but the freedom of worship privately should be given. According to Costopoulous, Diamond and Plattner (2005), religious institutions should not be provided with constitutional privileged prerogatives that permit them to consent public policy within the democratic governments. It is important to note that the political parties will perform the role of mandating the public policy because the religious institutions are not supposed to mandate any public policy. Voting is the only way to offer transparency within the government and the political parties have the mandate of voting in their favorite

A raisin in the sun coursework Essay Example for Free

A raisin in the sun coursework Essay In this essay I am going to analyse how Lorraine Hansberry presents the transformation of Walter in the play A raisin in the sun. The pages Im going to concentrate on are pages 1787 and 1788. A raisin in the sun portrays a few weeks in the life of the Youngers, an African-American family living on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s. When the play opens, the Youngers are about to receive an insurance check for $10,000. This money comes from the deceased Mr. Youngers life insurance policy. Each of the adult members of the family has an idea as to what he or she would like to do with this money. The matriarch of the family, Mama, wants to buy a house to fulfil a dream she shared with her husband. Mamas son, Walter Lee, would rather use the money to invest in a liquor store with his friends. He believes that the investment will solve the familys financial problems forever. Walters wife, Ruth, agrees with Mama, however, and hopes that she and Walter can provide more space and opportunity for their son, Travis. Finally, Beneatha, Walters sister and Mamas daughter, wants to use the money for her medical school tuition. She also wishes that her family members were not so interested in joining the white world. Beneatha instead tries to find her identity by looking back to the past and to Africa. Later on in the play, the Youngers fight over their competing dreams. Ruth finds out that she is pregnant and starts to worry about the financial problems that may happen if she keeps it. Mama puts $3,500 down payment on a house and gives $6,500 to Walter from which he has to give Beneatha some for her medical school tuition. Walter on the other hand doesnt give Beneatha her share of her money, instead gives it to Willy his friend who runs away with it. The house is in Clybourne Park, an entirely white neighbourhood. When the Youngers future neighbours find out that the Youngers are moving in, they send Mr Lindner, from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association, to offer the Youngers money in return for staying away. The Youngers refuse the deal. In the meantime, Beneatha rejects her suitor, George Murchison, whom she believes to be shallow and an assimulationist. Subsequently, she receives a marriage proposal from her Nigerian boyfriend, Joseph Assegai, who wants Beneatha to get a medical degree and move to Africa with him. The Youngers eventually move out of the apartment, fulfilling the familys long-held dream. Their future seems uncertain and slightly dangerous, but they are optimistic and determined to live a better life. They believe that they can succeed if they stick together as a family and resolve to defer their dreams no longer. Various stage directions are used to show Walters feelings for example, when Ruth informs Walter that Mr Lindner is here a long minute passes and Walter slowly gets up from his room. This shows that Walter is not eager to meet Mr Lindner so he takes his time. When Walter slowly and awkwardly walks out of his room passing the back of his sleeve across his mouth from time to time makes him seem as if he is a small chid who is sloppy and awkward. This is how he behaves throughout the play and shows the childish side of him. When Walter looks down at his boys eyes he realises that Travis is the 6th generation in his family to live in America and should look to set an example for future generations. While Walter talks to Mr Lindner he looks around and shifts from one foot to the other and makes short pauses in his speech showing that he is unsure and frightened about speaking out aloud in front of his family. He tries to get the point across that they are very plain people. Walter again looks away from Mr Lindner and down at his shoes and then back up at him. This shows that he cant maintain eye contact with Mr Lindner. This makes Walter feel shy because he is speaking to someone who is higher classed and who he feels is superior to him. He again tries to get the point across that they are plain people by telling Mr Lindner their current situation such as how he has been a chauffer most of his life and how Ruth is a domestic worker in peoples kitchens. All this confuses Mr Lindner as he doesnt know what Walter is trying to get across instead he listens to him and see what he has got to say. Walter now starts to tell Mr Lindner how his father almost beat a man to death once because this man called him a bad name or something. Walter asks Mr Lindner if he knows what he is talking about, he replies no, Im afraid I dont this makes Walter feel as if he is the only one that understands what it feels like so he gains confidence in himself and straightens up. Walter tries to get another point across by saying that he came from people who had a lot of pride and now they dont have the same pride. Walter tries to make out that they are still very proud and how his sister is going to be a doctor. Walter contradicts himself as in the beginning when he was arguing with Beneatha he mentioned that being a doctor is more of a males role and she wouldnt be able to become one. Walter now starts to cry while facing Mr Lindner eye to eye this makes Walter feel bad about what he has done with the money. Walter now decided to tell Mr Lindner that they are moving into the house because his father had earned it. This shows that Walter has recognised his responsibility and best interest for his family at heart. Walters character has evolved from a young child into manhood making him a hero of the family. Walter now has all the confidence to look Mr Lindner absolutely in the eyes and tell him we dont want your money. Walter finishes with a very definite statement. Doing this makes Mr Lindner feel as he is an obstruction and so should leave. The family are all excited about the wise decision Walter has made. The audience feel that in the beginning of the play Walter is selfish and money hungry because he doesnt listen to any member of his family and only thinks about trying to get rich quickly. In the end Walter had realised what a fool he had been after losing the money his mother had trusted him with. Now he should listen to his families needs and do what he thinks is right. By making the wise decision of moving into the house he makes the audience feel as if he has become a true man and a hero to his family. Walter is virtually a new person now which people like more than what he was before. The character of Mr. Lindner makes the theme of racial discrimination prominent in the plot as an issue that the Youngers cannot avoid. The governing body of the Youngers new neighbourhood, the Clybourne Park Improvement Association, sends Mr. Lindner to persuade them not to move into the all-white neighbourhood. Mr. Lindner and the people he represents can only see the colour of the Younger familys skin, and his offer to bribe the Youngers to keep them from moving threatens to tear apart the Younger family and the values for which it stands. Ultimately, the Youngers respond to this discrimination with defiance and strength. The play powerfully demonstrates that the way to deal with discrimination is to stand up to it and reassert ones dignity in the face of it rather than allow it to pass unchecked. In my opinion I think Walter is like any other American- African in that time. He believes that money is the only thing he needs to solve all his problems but little does he know that he needs to listen to his family and not just himself. I also think that all the male roles such as Willy and his friends are bad influences on Walter as they persuaded him to give them his money which they ran off with. However the female roles such as mama and Ruth were a good influence as they all stuck together even when Walter was against them and helped Walter to see what he is throwing away. Lorraine Hansberry is trying to say that Black people in the 1950s experienced a life of discrimination in one way or another. They got here today by having defiance and strength in themselves. Even though they were not treated as equals by some white people, however they made a stand which gave them dignity and the power to be treated as equals. Though black people try to fit into a white neighbourhood they should still remember their roots and how they got here.

Perceptions Of Risk And Travel Intentions Tourism Essay

Perceptions Of Risk And Travel Intentions Tourism Essay Despite its resilience, tourism is also seen as a fragile industry as it is vulnerable towards various attacks and crises events, such as wars, incidents of terrorism, outbreak of diseases, political instability, and so on. Boniface and Cooper (2005) noticed that in recent years, the global tourism industry has suffered an increasing number of serious disasters and crises. The impact of globalization of the tourism market means that events occurring in one part of the world can have a significant impact on other parts of the world. Tourism is an important economic sector for many countries. However, as the tourism industry is highly prone to risk from external factors and pressures in the operating environment, planners in charge of tourism have to develop strategies to manage the impact of crises and disasters so as to protect society in general and tourism business in particular. Against this background, this chapter offers a better understanding of the type of travel risks, touris ts perceptions of travel risks, the impact of perceptions of risk on travellers travel intentions and travel risks associated with Thailand. TRAVEL RISKS Risk is defined as the uncertainty a person would face when they cannot foresee the consequences of a decision made (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2000). It has become an important factor when it comes to considering global tourism because safety, calm and peace are the fundamentals in attracting potential tourists to a destination (Sonmez, 1998). Travel risk is defined as the possibility of meeting a danger while engaging in travel (Fischhoff et al. 1984) or the consciousness of security and awareness of the likelihood of damage during travel (Wogalter et al. 1999). Tourists will experience travel risk during the process of consuming and purchasing travel services (Tsaur et al. 1997). Perceived travel risk is often referred to travellers perception of negative results of buying travel products (Murray 1991; Dowling and Staelin 1994; Zeithaml and Bitner 2003) or the unclear travel decision outcome (MacCrimmons and Wehrung 1986). Perceptions of travel risk vary according to different types of travel risk (Reisinger and Mavondo 2005). In the tourism literature, there are several types of travel risk listed out by tourism scholars such as cultural risk, equipment or functional risk, crime risk, health risk, financial risk, physical risk, natural disaster risk, psychological risk, political risk, social risk, terrorism risk and time risk (Reisinger and Mavondo 2006a, 2006b). Reisinger and Mavondo (2006a, 2006b) offer definitions of these various risks: Cultural risk: refers to the possibility of facing cultural misunderstanding, difficulties in communicating with foreigners, inability to adjust to the life and living standards in the foreign land. Equipment or functional risk: is the likelihood of equipment, mechanical, organizational problems that may occur during travel or at a destination (accommodation, attractions and transportation). Roehl and Fesenmaier (1992) found out from their research result that the respondents mentioned equipment risk as the highest perceived risk factor among the others. Crime risk: refers to the possibility of victim being robbed or becoming the subject of a murder or rape. Health risk: is the possibility of getting sick and unwell while travelling or at a destination. It was stated by Richter (2003) that health organisation such as World Health Organization (WHO) was not successful in performing its original duty of reporting and preventing the outbreak of new and serious disease. However, there is an increasing number of individuals awareness towards the seriousness of heath risk they may face while travelling abroad. Health diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the Asia-Pacific region and Mad Cow Disease in Europe have caused a significant impact towards travel flows (Richter, 2003). Financial risk: refers to the possibility of travellers not being able to obtain value for money, lost or waste money if the expectation for the trip is not fulfilled. In tourism, price was a major demand factor. Hsieh et al. (1994) found that both non-package and package tourists have the common view of getting the value for the amount that they have paid for their vacation. Physical risk: refers to the possibility of getting injured physically; it includes danger and injury that are harmful to health (accidents). It was also defined as the possibility that there is a probability that ones health will be exposed to risk, sickness and injury due to the factors like weather, law and hygiene problems found during the tour (Tsuar, Tzeng and Wang, 1997). Natural disaster risk: refers to the possibility of being affected by a natural disaster event such as eruptions of volcanoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, floods, tsunamis, wildfires and droughts. Psychological risk: imply that there may be a possibility of damaging self-image as the travel experience may not reflect the tourists personality or self-image. Political risk: means that tourists may get involved in the political chaos of the destination being visited. Social risk: refers to the possibility of disapproval from friends, associates or family with regards to the vacation choices. Tourist may suffer a lower social and personal status or emerge as being unfashionable. Also, as according to Reimer (1990), he argued that the style of vacation such as the number of places visited, distance travelled, regularity of travelling and destinations unusual nature may impress a travellers peers. Or that with the existence of peer pressure, it can act as a strong motivation for people to purchase upscale trips. Terrorism risk: relates to the possibility of being caught in a terrorist act, for example hijacked plane, biochemical attack or bomb explosion. Time risk: refers to the possibility of wasting too much time on travel experience, as the tourist waste time doing unnecessary stuff or that the product did not perform on time. Perceptions of Risk and Travel IntentionS One of the factors affecting a tourists decision-making process is perception of risk. In this sense, it acts as a deciding factor (Freyer and Schroder, 2007, p. 136), and has significant impact on tourism demand. For example, studies have illustrated that perceptions of high risk in a destination are associated with a decrease in the demand of tourism (Prideaux and Laws, 2007; Sonmez, Apostolopoulos and Tarlow, 1999). This could be due to the fact that tourists buying behaviour is influenced by destination image and that with the freedom to choose from a wide range of destinations, most tourists are not likely to travel to places associated with risks (Pechlaner et al. 2007, p. 158). Destination image affects not only the travel decision of potential travellers but also acts as an influential factor towards the perceptions and holiday activities of tourists at a particular location. Therefore, when a destination is linked to negative images, there will be a probability that the tour ists will choose a safer substitute destination (Freyer and Schroder, 2007, p. 136; Gurtner, 2007, p. 82). It is useful to understand how individuals are influenced by perceived risk while making the decision. In general, perceptions of individuals may be affected by external factors that are a problem for local tourism business and destination management to influence (Kozak, Crotts and Law, 2007). There are uncontrollable factors such as natural disasters (Faulkner and Vikulov, 2001; Huang and Min, 2002; Huan et al. 2004), outbreaks of diseases (MacLaurin, 2004) and terrorism attacks. These types of factors may cause a lasting effect in the perceptions of tourists when they happen. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the nature of these incidents and disasters so as to foresee the potential impacts they have on the industry and to control their consequences. Recognizing human basic needs for safety and security is needed to make potential tourists feel safe prior or during their trips. However, it is unfortunate to know that safety and security problems are often destination depende nt (Kozak, Crotts and Law, 2007). Sonmez and Graefe (1998b) identified two types of decision makers, risk averse individuals and risk seekers. Risk averse decision makers would prefer to choose a destination of lower risk and are willing to forgo some expected return in order to reduce differences in possible outcomes. On the other hand, risk seekers are likely to show less concern regarding safety factors towards the choice of destination and are most willing to sacrifice some expected return. Clearly, information about the factors influencing perceptions of risk would allow tourism and destination managers to develop a better understanding of what may potentially scare off tourism market segments as well as what they can do to attract them (Dolnicar, 2007, p. 107). Reisinger and Mavondo (2006) stated that each and every individual perceive and react to travel risk differently. It is said that tourists perceptions towards travel risk differ depending on gender (Darley and Smith 1995; Loker-Murphy and Pearce 1995; Carr 2001; Lepp and Gibson 2003). However, Sonmez and Graefe (1998) argued that there is no relationship between gender and travel risk whereas Mattila et al. (2001) identify some gender differences in health risk behaviour during travel period. It is also said that females have restrictions in their choice of travel due to their gender (Lynch and Atkins, 1998). This could be due to the fact that females generally perceive higher travel risks than men. For example, women are more concerned about food and health related risks and that experienced male travellers are less likely to change their travel plans when it comes to facing potential terrorism, natural disaster and health related risks (Kozak et al. 2007). In addition, other than g ender, personality might be influential on individuals perception of travel risk as well (Carr, 2001). Tourists perceptions of travel risk also differ depending on age as younger tourists tend to perceive higher travel risk than older tourists. This also means that travel-related risk actually declines as individuals grow older (Gibson and Yiannakis, 2002). It is said that older individuals can be more or less risk averse than young individuals depending on their wide personal and observational learning experiences, experimentations and abstract conceptualisation. However, Sonmez and Graefe (1998b) argued that there is no relationship between age and travel risk. In this case, the relationship between age and perception of travel risk remains unclear. Reisinger and Movondo (2006a, 2006b) argue that, different nationalities and cultures are differentiating factors with respect to perceptions of travel risk. Bontempo et al. (1997) found that risk perception of tourists from western countries differs significantly from that of Chinese tourists. Kozak et al. (2007) used Hofstedes (2010) concept of Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) theory to observe international perceptions of related travel risk in terms of ambiguity and uncertainty; it shows the residents comfort level in terms of low, medium and high risk avoidance. Travellers from high UAI cultures, tend to perceive higher risks when compared to travellers from low UAI cultures (Hofstede and Hofstede 2005). Typically, travellers coming from high UAI (risk-avoiding) cultures do not feel at ease in environment listed as unstructured, risky and unclear as they feel threatened by the ambiguous and unknown. Whereas tourists coming from low UAI (risk-tolerant) cultures are typically more comf ortable with environments involving uncertainty and risk. Low UAI countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and China tend to be more sensitive towards terrorist attack, infectious disease and natural disaster risks (Kozak et al. 2007). Travellers from high UAI countries, such as Germany, perceive higher travel risks and anxiety as compared to Singaporean tourists (Reisinger and Movondo, 2006a). With anxiety, there will be a significant impact on travel intention and perceptions of safety (Reisinger and Movondo, 2005). Past experiences and familiarity with a destination are also factors that affect tourists perceptions of travel risks. Tourists who are more experienced in travelling may perceive lower risks, due to the confidence in the destination gained from previous positive visits (Sonmez and Graefe, 1998b; Lepp and Gibson, 2003; Kozak et al. 2007). However, if the last visit to the destination turns out to be negative, it may cause potential tourists to be nervous about future options. Also, individuals who have travelled to the destination before are more likely to return to the place as they are familiar with the location and that increases their sense of safety in the destination. Relevant research also indicates that tourists who travel with friends/family/partner (collectivists) perceive lower travel risk than tourists who travel alone (individualists). Travel activities involving group activities help act as a cushion against potential risks whereas travelling alone expose individuals to numerous potential risks (Weber and Hsee, 1998). Lastly, tourists perception of travel risk differs according to their education background as well (Sonmez and Graefe, 1998). Better educated tourists are better informed and aware of real travel risks through information obtained from reliable sources. They do not engage, therefore, in misunderstanding of the real situation, hence perceiving lower risks than lower-educated tourists (Laver et al. 2001). Also, according to Park and Reisinger (2010), high income tourists perceive a lower influence of travel risks than low income tourists. It could be due to the availability of finances that lead to a lower concern in travel risks as they have the money to sacrifice if there is a need to pay for damages. It is important to understand the importance of safety and security concerns of potential travellers over a destination, as according to Buttle and Bok (1996) travellers are generally affected by their own perception of risk while making travel decisions. For example, it is highly possible that when travellers perceive higher potential risks as compared to the benefits they might acquire from travelling to a destination, there will be a tendency of cancelling the trip to the destination. This is clearly supported by Sonmez and Graefe (1998a), who state that there is a high probability that tourists would avoid travelling to a destination if they associate the destination with the existence of high levels of risk. As judging from past incidents, there was an indication of an increasing demand in cancellation of trips or holiday plans just right after the attack of 9/11 (Chen and Noriega, 2004; Floyd et al. 2004; Kingsbury and Brunn, 2004). SINGAPOREAN TOURISTS AND RISK PERCEPTIONS As a small country with limited choices of entertainment and natural sceneries for the locals to enjoy, many Singaporeans tend to find the opportunity to travel out of Singapore (Lim and Lui, 2009). There has been an increase in the total number of Singaporeans travelling outbound. With the data extracted from Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA, 2009), it indicates an increase of 804,234 outbound Singapore residents in year 2008 to 6,828,362 as compared to 6,024,128 in 2007. It was also reported that there are an increasing trend among Singaporeans within the age range of 18 to 65 years old to travel to nearby countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and Hong Kong (Lim and Lui, 2009). This could be due to the living lifestyle of Singapore residents as employed Singaporeans generally earn a decent amount of income, and fresh universities graduates receive a good starting pay from their first official job. Which shows a society that is willing to spend on leisu re and recreational activities as travel is considered as part of their lifestyle. According to Lim and Lui (2009) findings, wide spread of swine flu in America and Mexico did stirred up fear among Singaporeans who are intending to travel within Asia Pacific. However, it was not confirmed or known if any risk or crisis would affect Singaporeans plans towards international travelling. ABOUT THAILAND AND TRAVEL RISKS The discussion now turns to Thailand, the research context of this study. Thailand is a country the economy of which depends heavily on its tourism industry. Tourism is the major export service of Thailand, actually accounting to about 6-7 percent of the countrys national Gross Domestic Product (EIU ViewsWire, 2003). From a tourism perspective, over the years Thailand has been branded as a friendly, exotic, exciting and natural destination. It is considered to be a popular travel destination among tourists as it is considered to be a hospitable country towards visitors as well as a country rich in cultural heritage, historical tourist destinations and natural attractions (Koumelis 2004; National Identity Board, 2000). Tourists generally have many choices on attractions and activities in Thailand as there is a wide selection such as: the beautiful beaches located in the South, rainforests and mountains in the North, huge shopping malls or market located in the city, etc. According to Rogers (2003, p. 276), the most important factor attracting tourists would have to be the value for money. Staying in Thailand is cheap because of the availability of cheap accommodation and food. Engaging in activities does not cost much, which is why the destination attracts many young tourists as it is affordable. Thus, with a combination of all these favorable factors, Thailand emerges as an attractive tourism destination. However, according to Campiranon, K. (2008), there has been a rise in the number of the occurrence of crises events in Thailand has caused worries regarding their impact on the image of the country. For example, towards the end of 2004, disasters such as the Tsunami, SARS epidemic, bird flu or avian flu had caused a significant drop in international arrivals to the country. In addition, the serious worldwide recession emerging in mid 2008, caused a decrease in the desire of tourists to travel. Furthermore, Thailand was suffering from political instability crises, whereby the Suvarnabhumi Airport was closed down on 26 November 2008 by the yellow shirt or Peoples Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters, which mainly consists of royalists, businessmen and the urban middle class who are the opposition of the former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra and his allies. On 11 April 2009, Thailand was assigned to hold the East Asia Summit in Pattaya, but this resulted in an attack by the Red shirt mob, which mainly consists by a large proportion of rural-based and working-class Thais who are the supporters of Thaksin and his policies. This caused the significant delay of the summit and the evacuation of world leaders to safety. Following the cancellation of the East Asian summit was the uprising of violent riots and the declaration of emergency by the prime minister the very next day. The graph below illustrates the international tourist arrivals to Thailand between years 2007 to 2010. Source: www.ThaiWebsites.com According to the data extracted from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT, 2010), there have been a decrease in international arrivals from 3.64 million in the first quarter to 2.96 million in the second quarter of 2009. As compared to the previous first two quarters of 2007 and 2008, the figures appeared to be lower. However, despite all the serious commotions that had happen in April, tourism arrivals increased towards the end of 2009. In the last quarter of 2009, it was reported to have a higher arrival rate as compared to 2007 and 2008. It was then brought forward to the first quarter of 2010, whereby there was a significant increase in tourist arrivals. However, just when hopes of returning to healthy levels of industry growth were up, serious demonstrations held by the Red shirts during the month of April negatively affected tourist arrivals in the second quarter of 2010. From here, we can see that with the negative factors affecting Thailands tourism, the influence of it act ually seems to last just a few months each time it happen, and that tourists will resume their interest in Thailand as their selected tourist destination thereafter (ThaiWebsites, 2010). CONCLUSIONS Following the analysis presented in this chapter, the main conclusion is that a negative destination image leads to negative tourists perceptions of risk. This in turn affects tourists intention to visit the destination if there are other options to choose. Also of particular relevance to this study is the conclusion that tourists perceptions of risk is associated with factors such as socio-demographic variables (e.g. age, gender), previous travel experience, travel party size, education level and nationality. Travelling has been part of Singaporeans lifestyle as Singapore lacks the leisure activities and natural sceneries to entertain the locals in long run. Therefore, travelling to nearby countries like Thailand is an attractive destination choice as it is affordable and suitable for short holiday trips. There is however, no known data on how Singaporeans are affected by risk or crisis towards their holiday planning. In recent years, Thailand has been vulnerable towards risks such as the outbreak of diseases, natural disasters as well as political instability. Visitor arrivals were seen to have decreased during the occurrence of crises events, and various businesses were affected as a result. Thus, this study aims to study the following three researched question: Singaporeans have a low perception of risk with regards to travel to Thailand. Socio-demographic has a positive relationship with the perceptions of risk. Intention to travel has a positive relationship with the perception of risk.