U.S. Diplomatic Mission Attacks in Benghazi and the Aftermath

On the day of the 11th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, another attack unfolded–this time, on foreign soil, but still very much hitting close to home. Four U. S. citizens–the U. S. ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens; a Foreign Service information management officer, and two other U. S. personnel–died when members of the radical Islamist group called Ansar al-Sharia, one of many extremist Salafi groups, clashed with security forces in Benghazi after protesting near the U. S. onsulate. It has been debated what has provoked this violence, but it was initially believed that it was due to an online film considered offensive to Islam. Earlier on in the day, in Cairo, there were protests being executed in response to the mentioned video, but whether or not those protests were related to the Benghazi attacks remained unclear in the few days following. The inflammatory video on Islam in question, titled, â€Å"Innocence of Muslim s,† is a 14-minute long film production that mocks Islam’s prophet, Muhammad.It was uploaded to the video site YouTube in July, 2012, but didn’t gain attention in the Muslim world until its broadcast on an Egyptian Islamist television station until early September. Only days after its broadcast, protests broke out in several cities throughout the Middle East and the rest of the world, including Cairo and some Western countries. Not only were there marches and shouting of anti-U. S. slogans, there was also the burning of U. S. and Israeli flags as well as the burning of some buildings generally associated with the U. S.Islam strictly prohibits any depictions of the prophet Muhammad, unlike in Christianity, where Jesus is often depicted through paintings and sculptures, which Christians tend to worship. While some Islamic leaders praised reaction to the film, and called for further protesting and burning of U. S. -associated objects, such as flags, others Middle Ea stern leaders, such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, condemned the attacks and reactions to the incendiary film, while also condemning the film itself. President Obama himself condemned the film, but reiterated that it was not an excuse for the violence that was carried out.The filmmaker, once believed to be an Israeli Jew, is now believed to be an Egyptian-American Coptic Christian after it was revealed that he had operated under a false name, which landed him jail time for fraud. Egyptian Copts, the largest Christian community in the Middle East, are often the target of discrimination and attacks by militant Islamist extremist groups. Egyptian authorities ended up charging seven Coptic Christians living in the United States for insulting Islam and harming national unity, which is more symbolic than literal, for the fact that all seven live outside Egypt.The tensions between Copts and Muslims in Egypt have risen recently due to the release of the low-budget film. As protes ts continued to erupt across the Muslim world, many Libyans condemned the attacks that happened on their soil and came together in a demonstration to show the United States that the attack did not represent Libya or Libyans, with signs reading phrases such as, â€Å"Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans,† â€Å"Sorry people of America, this is not the behavior of our Islam and prophet,† and â€Å"Thugs and killers don’t represent Benghazi nor Islam. These Libyan citizens aimed to distance themselves from the attacks and the riots that ensued across the country and the world. In response to the attacks, Libya’s government vowed to cooperate with the United States in order to find the perpetrators of the now seemingly planned attack on the consulate. It is suspected that this attack had been planned for a while before its execution, and that it conveniently coincided with the onset of violent protests in response to the anti-Islamic film.Later in Septe mber, violent protests surged in Benghazi–not against the United States, but for democracy and against the Islamist militias that still control a large part of Libya–to one of which the attacks on the U. S. consulate were linked. According to demonstrators participating in the protests and ousting of the militias, Libyans have had enough of extremists a year after ousting long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi, especially after the recent attacks.On the other side, those who are pro-Ansar al-Sharia protested in support of the extremist group, justifying the killing of the Americans with the offense the U. S. had committed against Islam with the release of the now notorious film. After protests calmed and subsided (at least in the media), on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, many criticized President Obama of his handling of the attacks in Benghazi. Many on the conservative right accused him of being an â€Å"apologist† for Islamic terrorism and the killing of th e four Americans.This became a hot topic in the presidential debates in October, when presidential candidate Mitt romney accused Obama of having gone on an â€Å"apology tour,† where President Obama â€Å"apologized† to other nations for American behavior, particularly in the case of the anti-Islamic film. He referenced a statement released by the U. S. Embassy in Cairo, which stated that it condemned efforts to â€Å"hurt the religious feelings of Muslims,† and that they â€Å"firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others. Romney affirmed, as well as other Conservatives, that the current administration’s response to the attacks were not to condemn them, but to apologize to those who executed them. This also led to a debate on how soon after the attacks Obama referred to the events as â€Å"terrorist attacks. † It was affirmed that he did not immediately classify the attacks as â€Å"terrorist† in nature, of which Romney accused him during one of the debates. This was a buzz topic for days in the media, as a fact check revealed that the President had actually delivered a statement the day following the attacks, condemning the actions as â€Å"acts of terror. Despite the myth having been debunked, even after the elections had ended and President Obama secured his second term in office, the handling of the events in Benghazi turned into a scandal. The suspicion remained that President Obama and the White House staff dealt poorly with the aftermath of the attacks on the U. S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi. There also remain questions on the motives behind the initial descriptions that the White House gave regarding the attacks, claiming that they were â€Å"spontaneous. With much attention surrounding David Petraeus, who recently resigned his position as director of the CIA allegedly due to an extramarital affair, his description of the attacks during closed-door congressional briefings have been heavily covered in the media. Petraeus affirmed that the attacks in Benghazi were previously planned and executed by terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda. What it all boils down to, seemingly, is a game of words and semantics of â€Å"terrorism† vs. â€Å"spontaneous attacks. † The line between truth and speculation behind the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi and the film that coincidentally incited protests and violence among Muslims around the world remain somewhat blurred. What has been clear from the start, though, is that the events that unfolded that day and in the days and weeks after, put pressure on an already strained relationship between the United States and the Muslim world, and provoked a new debate on the limits of freedom of speech. However, over the months following the events, it turned into a heated debate on U. S. oreign policy and the ways in which these sorts of attacks are handled when reveal ing them to the American public. Either way, consumers of media on such delicate topics–whether in the United States or abroad–are all too often caught in the crosshairs of cultural and political misunderstandings through the lenses of news outlets. Bibliography 1. ) Bash, Dana, Barbara Starr, Suzanne Kelley, and Chelsea Carter. â€Å"Ex-CIA chief Petraeus testifies Benghazi attack was al Qaeda-linked terrorism. † CNN 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 23 Nov. 2012. . . ) Crawford, Jamie. â€Å"President Obama on Benghazi: â€Å"I am always responsible†. † CNN 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. . 3. ) Graff, Peter, and Suleiman Al-Khalidi. â€Å"Benghazi Anti-Militia Protest: Libyan Protesters Drive Islamist Militia From Country's 2nd-Largest City. † Huffington Post 22 Sept. 2012. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. . 4. ) Jordan, Rosiland. â€Å"Angry protests spread over anti-Islam video. † Al-Jazeera 14 Sept. 2012. Web. 9 Oct. 2012. . 5. ) Payne, Ed, and Saad Abedi ne. â€Å"Egypt charges Coptic Christians linked to infamous video. CNN 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. . 6. ) Steinhauser, Paul. â€Å"A day after Libya attack, Obama described it as ‘acts of terror'. † CNN 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. . 7. ) Tawfeeq, Mohammed. â€Å"Hundreds in Iraq protest inflammatory anti-Islam video. † CNN 14 Sept. 2012. Web. 15 Sept. 2012. . 8. ) â€Å"Timeline: How Benghazi attack, probe unfolded. † CBS News 2 Nov. 2012. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. . 9. ) â€Å"US anti-Islam filmmaker Nakoula Basseley Nakoula jailed. † BBC 7 Nov. 2012. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. . U.S. Diplomatic Mission Attacks in Benghazi and the Aftermath On the day of the 11th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, another attack unfolded–this time, on foreign soil, but still very much hitting close to home. Four U. S. citizens–the U. S. ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens; a Foreign Service information management officer, and two other U. S. personnel–died when members of the radical Islamist group called Ansar al-Sharia, one of many extremist Salafi groups, clashed with security forces in Benghazi after protesting near the U. S. onsulate. It has been debated what has provoked this violence, but it was initially believed that it was due to an online film considered offensive to Islam. Earlier on in the day, in Cairo, there were protests being executed in response to the mentioned video, but whether or not those protests were related to the Benghazi attacks remained unclear in the few days following. The inflammatory video on Islam in question, titled, â€Å"Innocence of Muslim s,† is a 14-minute long film production that mocks Islam’s prophet, Muhammad.It was uploaded to the video site YouTube in July, 2012, but didn’t gain attention in the Muslim world until its broadcast on an Egyptian Islamist television station until early September. Only days after its broadcast, protests broke out in several cities throughout the Middle East and the rest of the world, including Cairo and some Western countries. Not only were there marches and shouting of anti-U. S. slogans, there was also the burning of U. S. and Israeli flags as well as the burning of some buildings generally associated with the U. S.Islam strictly prohibits any depictions of the prophet Muhammad, unlike in Christianity, where Jesus is often depicted through paintings and sculptures, which Christians tend to worship. While some Islamic leaders praised reaction to the film, and called for further protesting and burning of U. S. -associated objects, such as flags, others Middle Ea stern leaders, such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, condemned the attacks and reactions to the incendiary film, while also condemning the film itself. President Obama himself condemned the film, but reiterated that it was not an excuse for the violence that was carried out.The filmmaker, once believed to be an Israeli Jew, is now believed to be an Egyptian-American Coptic Christian after it was revealed that he had operated under a false name, which landed him jail time for fraud. Egyptian Copts, the largest Christian community in the Middle East, are often the target of discrimination and attacks by militant Islamist extremist groups. Egyptian authorities ended up charging seven Coptic Christians living in the United States for insulting Islam and harming national unity, which is more symbolic than literal, for the fact that all seven live outside Egypt.The tensions between Copts and Muslims in Egypt have risen recently due to the release of the low-budget film. As protes ts continued to erupt across the Muslim world, many Libyans condemned the attacks that happened on their soil and came together in a demonstration to show the United States that the attack did not represent Libya or Libyans, with signs reading phrases such as, â€Å"Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans,† â€Å"Sorry people of America, this is not the behavior of our Islam and prophet,† and â€Å"Thugs and killers don’t represent Benghazi nor Islam. These Libyan citizens aimed to distance themselves from the attacks and the riots that ensued across the country and the world. In response to the attacks, Libya’s government vowed to cooperate with the United States in order to find the perpetrators of the now seemingly planned attack on the consulate. It is suspected that this attack had been planned for a while before its execution, and that it conveniently coincided with the onset of violent protests in response to the anti-Islamic film.Later in Septe mber, violent protests surged in Benghazi–not against the United States, but for democracy and against the Islamist militias that still control a large part of Libya–to one of which the attacks on the U. S. consulate were linked. According to demonstrators participating in the protests and ousting of the militias, Libyans have had enough of extremists a year after ousting long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi, especially after the recent attacks.On the other side, those who are pro-Ansar al-Sharia protested in support of the extremist group, justifying the killing of the Americans with the offense the U. S. had committed against Islam with the release of the now notorious film. After protests calmed and subsided (at least in the media), on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, many criticized President Obama of his handling of the attacks in Benghazi. Many on the conservative right accused him of being an â€Å"apologist† for Islamic terrorism and the killing of th e four Americans.This became a hot topic in the presidential debates in October, when presidential candidate Mitt romney accused Obama of having gone on an â€Å"apology tour,† where President Obama â€Å"apologized† to other nations for American behavior, particularly in the case of the anti-Islamic film. He referenced a statement released by the U. S. Embassy in Cairo, which stated that it condemned efforts to â€Å"hurt the religious feelings of Muslims,† and that they â€Å"firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others. Romney affirmed, as well as other Conservatives, that the current administration’s response to the attacks were not to condemn them, but to apologize to those who executed them. This also led to a debate on how soon after the attacks Obama referred to the events as â€Å"terrorist attacks. † It was affirmed that he did not immediately classify the attacks as â€Å"terrorist† in nature, of which Romney accused him during one of the debates. This was a buzz topic for days in the media, as a fact check revealed that the President had actually delivered a statement the day following the attacks, condemning the actions as â€Å"acts of terror. Despite the myth having been debunked, even after the elections had ended and President Obama secured his second term in office, the handling of the events in Benghazi turned into a scandal. The suspicion remained that President Obama and the White House staff dealt poorly with the aftermath of the attacks on the U. S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi. There also remain questions on the motives behind the initial descriptions that the White House gave regarding the attacks, claiming that they were â€Å"spontaneous. With much attention surrounding David Petraeus, who recently resigned his position as director of the CIA allegedly due to an extramarital affair, his description of the attacks during closed-door congressional briefings have been heavily covered in the media. Petraeus affirmed that the attacks in Benghazi were previously planned and executed by terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda. What it all boils down to, seemingly, is a game of words and semantics of â€Å"terrorism† vs. â€Å"spontaneous attacks. † The line between truth and speculation behind the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi and the film that coincidentally incited protests and violence among Muslims around the world remain somewhat blurred. What has been clear from the start, though, is that the events that unfolded that day and in the days and weeks after, put pressure on an already strained relationship between the United States and the Muslim world, and provoked a new debate on the limits of freedom of speech. However, over the months following the events, it turned into a heated debate on U. S. oreign policy and the ways in which these sorts of attacks are handled when reveal ing them to the American public. Either way, consumers of media on such delicate topics–whether in the United States or abroad–are all too often caught in the crosshairs of cultural and political misunderstandings through the lenses of news outlets. Bibliography 1. ) Bash, Dana, Barbara Starr, Suzanne Kelley, and Chelsea Carter. â€Å"Ex-CIA chief Petraeus testifies Benghazi attack was al Qaeda-linked terrorism. † CNN 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 23 Nov. 2012. . . ) Crawford, Jamie. â€Å"President Obama on Benghazi: â€Å"I am always responsible†. † CNN 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. . 3. ) Graff, Peter, and Suleiman Al-Khalidi. â€Å"Benghazi Anti-Militia Protest: Libyan Protesters Drive Islamist Militia From Country's 2nd-Largest City. † Huffington Post 22 Sept. 2012. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. . 4. ) Jordan, Rosiland. â€Å"Angry protests spread over anti-Islam video. † Al-Jazeera 14 Sept. 2012. Web. 9 Oct. 2012. . 5. ) Payne, Ed, and Saad Abedi ne. â€Å"Egypt charges Coptic Christians linked to infamous video. CNN 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. . 6. ) Steinhauser, Paul. â€Å"A day after Libya attack, Obama described it as ‘acts of terror'. † CNN 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. . 7. ) Tawfeeq, Mohammed. â€Å"Hundreds in Iraq protest inflammatory anti-Islam video. † CNN 14 Sept. 2012. Web. 15 Sept. 2012. . 8. ) â€Å"Timeline: How Benghazi attack, probe unfolded. † CBS News 2 Nov. 2012. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. . 9. ) â€Å"US anti-Islam filmmaker Nakoula Basseley Nakoula jailed. † BBC 7 Nov. 2012. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. .

Why Zoos Should Close

1. Limited enrichment. Animals need to have their mind active while they are in captivity. Good zoos do this by offering them toys or puzzles to figure out, by hiding food in the exhibit so they have to exercise their natural hunting. scavenging instincts and by using training. Training also helps with medical needs, a lot of animals are trained to lift their feet so they can be checked out, or to expose their side/rump in order to give injections safely. Zoos that do not work on enrichment or training leave the animal unnecessary stress.Have you ever seen tigers or bears pacing in their enclosure? That's a stereotypical behavior of animals in captivity when they are not stimulated enough. Bad sign. 2. Lack of education, research and conservation. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is an international group that gives accreditation to facilities that strive to improve the welfare of their animals, educate the public about the wild and captive animals and environment and spend mone y on research to help both education, conservation and wildlife.Zoos that are not accredited by the AZA may do these things, but it is unlikely. â€Å"Roadside zoos† are only there to make a profit. They make sure that their animals stay alive so they can make money off of them, but have no commitment to keep them healthy and they do not contribute to the scientific community. 3. Poor breeding programs. AZA institutions are part of an international breeding program with a huge data set that includes the genes and health records of all the animals that are used in breeding programs.There's even individual committees in charge of each species or groups of species to make sure that breeding is done only to make healthy offspring that can contribute to the genetic pool of captive animals. Good zoos very rarely use wild animals to breed, so they do not affect any of the natural, wild populations. Bad zoos, however, can partake in the illegal blackmarket pet and exotic animal trade . These animals can be taken directly from the wild, illegally, and/or bred with other animals with absolutely no consideration to their genetics. Inbreeding is a big problem, and is never done in good zoos.

Analysis of Service Marketing UBER Technologies †Free Samples

UBER technologies are the company that is headquartered at San Francisco, California. It is the company that deals with transport network services. This company has started its business by developing a mobile application (Cramer & Krueger,   2016). This application is used by the customers to book or request the ride that is being transferred to the drivers who are using their own cars to conduct the trip. As per the data, the company operates its business in 58 countries and 300 cities in the entire world. After UBER, many companies have tried this business idea and launched their own taxi services for the customers. The ear is known as â€Å"Uberification†. This business was founded by two people named Travis and Garrett in May 2009 and they released the app for UBER in June in the same year. In 2012, UBER took the initiate to expand its business at international level (Creighton, 2017). In the year of 2014, the innovation of carpooling is initiated by the business and the company reached at the position of 48 th among the most powerful companies of America. As far as the business UBER is Australia it considered, it has been analyzed that the business has started in 2012 may. In Australia, it has been observed that the market share of the company is rising day by day. UBER has started its business by launching Uber black that includes only the black cars as the cabs by the chauffeurs. This initiative of the business takes up around 3% of the total industry market (Amin & Radhakrishnan, 2013). After that Uber taxi has been launched that allow the taxis to work under Uber as Uber cars. This strategy allows the company to earn more 2% of the market share. As the company has experienced success with these strategies then it started launching the UberX and captured around 22% of the electronic payment market. The above figure clearly describes the spending of the people in Australia on UBER in the electronic payment industry. This suggests that UBER is doing great with its business in Australia and there are more opportunities for the company to grow (Chen, Mislove & Wilson, 2015). as far as the customers and the target market of the company is considered, it has been analyzed that target market of the company are the smartphone users along with the internet access on their phones. They are considered as the potential customers because they are the prospects that can easily be converted into customers. The riders who want to ride are not only the target for the company (Cannon & Summers, 2014). The company also targets the drivers and the car owners. This is because UBER does not have its own cars and employs the individual who are the car owners. As far as the competitors of UBER in Australia are considered, the recent news suggested that Hi Oscar is the company that is taking over the market of UBER. This company has been launched by Perth locals Daniel and Jeremy. It has been analyzed that, may be UBER is cheap and provide convenient rides but still there are many reasons on that the business is replaced by another local company. some of the reasons are surge pricing, internal toxic culture, bad behavior of the drivers etc. the company has attracted around 330 drivers in Perth and then planning to launch its business in Sydney and Melbourne as well (Rogers, 2015). There is several strength of this business over UBER. The first strength or the advantage sis that it is a local company so can attract large number of local people towards it. In terms of income it charges only 15% of the total income from the drivers while other international; brand like Uber charges 25% of the income. This suggests that even if the local compan y is charging, the economy is remaining in the nation only. Strength is that the company is registered with GST (Wheeler IV, 2009). This company allows the users to select their driver and favorite those for future so that in future if they wants to take a ride they can select their driver. The company provides the rating system of thumbs up and thumbs down that help in removing the dilemma of average rating. Another major advantage of the ride from Oscar is that the women customers have the opportunity and chance to select for the women driver. Other than Oscar, GoCatch is another company that has launched its business in taxi industry (Mulley, Nelson, Teal, Wright & Daniels, 2012). Increasing number of companies in the industry is taking over the share of UBER in Australia and becomes a threat for it. The company has launched its services with lower prices than UBER by 10-15%. This is really an alarming stage for UBER to bring innovation in the business of Australia. UBER is observed to be the company that is very much focused for customer service. The company is customer oriented in nature. The major strategies that support the company cater the customer such great services are as follows: Simplicity: Uber app is very much easy and simple to use. It is a user friendly app that supports the customers to operate it easily without being much techno savvy. Even the drivers that are not so much educated can handle the app. it is not only for the users of smartphone but the customer those who are not having nay smartphone can also book their rides by messaging (Australia, 2017). This simplicity is the strategy of customer service by UBER. This is because of the pap is complicated then it cannot be used by nay of the uneducated person. Convenience: Taking ride from UBER is very convenient for the customers. Even if the customer does not know the location where he or she is standing, they can book a ride by sending their location and the driver can pick them up from there. As the company also deal with private cars so they are more comfortable and clean then the cabs or taxis. The payment method for paying for the rise is also very easy (Hall, 2017). It is not necessary to carry the cash all the time to take a ride from Uber. The app can manage the payments by themselves; the customer just need to associate his debit or credit cards with the app and the money will automatically gets deducted. Speed: Speed is another strategy of the company to provide great service to the customers. In any of the city where the UBER serves its customers, they can easily get the UBER cars nearby. This is because there are a lot number of Uber cars available and the system is such that distributes the drivers and the cars according to the demand of the cars at the place. As soon as the customer books the ride, the driver approaches to the customer in lease of the time. Service environment can be defined as the physical environment of the business. All the tangible things that are associated with the firm’s service and provide the proof of the quality of the services form the service environment. After booking the ride: As soon as the customer books the ride with UBER, the driver calls the customer and asks them about the location and tells them about the limit within which they can reach on the location (Tucker, 2017).  This helps the customer to know about the waiting time. After pick up: It has been observed that all the Uber cars are very well managed as after the pickup, the driver greets the customer with poise and ask them if they are comfortable or not. The cars smell good and provide the customer the feel of sitting in his own car rather than a taxi. After the drop: As soon as the driver drops the customer, the customer provides rating to the driver and vice versa. Driver also helps the customer to lift up their luggage if it’s heavy. All the above discussed points provide the information about the service environment of UBER. As discussed in the above section that even if UBER is performing well in its business but facing some of the issues in Australia. The main issue is the issue of surge charging. This is the major issue faced by the company as the local competitors in the place are not charging the surge prices with the customers and thus gaining the higher customer as then UBER. Another issue that has been analyzed with UBER is that most of the drivers do not know how to read the navigation properly. This is to be recommended to UBER that they should concentrate on providing training to their drivers about the application and the navigation app. They should also manage the surge pricing system so that they cannot lose their customers. It has been concluded from the above study that UBER is the company that deal with transportation service in many countries and also in Australia. The Australian business of the firm is doing well but still facing some of the competition from the local competitors such as GoCatch and Oscar. As far as the customer is considered, they have the target market of people those who are using smartphones and have internet connection. The service environment of the company suggests that the services of the company are very much convenient for the customers and provide a good experience of the rides. Some of the issues have also been faced by the company which can be overcome by taking the recommended actions. Amin, S., & Radhakrishnan, M. (2013).  U.S. Patent Application No. 13/672,658. Australia. (2017).  Australia. Retrieved 11 May 2017, from https://newsroom.uber.com/australia/ Cannon, S., & Summers, L. H. (2014). How Uber and the sharing economy can win over regulators.  Harvard business review,  13, 1-4. Chen, L., Mislove, A., & Wilson, C. (2015, October). Peeking beneath the hood of uber. In  Proceedings of the 2015 ACM Conference on Internet Measurement Conference  (pp. 495-508). ACM. Cramer, J., & Krueger, A. B. (2016). Disruptive change in the taxi business: The case of Uber.  The American Economic Review,  106(5), 177-182. Creighton, D. (2017).  Uber competitor launches in Brisbane.  Brisbane Times. Retrieved 11 May 2017, from https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/uber-competitor-launches-in-brisbane-under-new-laws-20160904-gr8bcs.html Hall, B. (2017).  Uber has new competitors in Australia.  Uber Drivers Forum. Retrieved 11 May 2017, from https://uberpeople.net/threads/uber-has-new-competitors-in-australia.150636/ Lovelock, C. (2011).  Services Marketing, 7/e. Pearson Education India. Lusch, R. F., & Vargo, S. L. (2014).  The service-dominant logic of marketing: Dialog, debate, and directions. Routledge. Mulley, C., Nelson, J., Teal, R., Wright, S., & Daniels, R. (2012). Barriers to implementing flexible transport services: An international comparison of the experiences in Australia, Europe and USA.  Research in Transportation Business & Management,  3, 3-11. Rogers, B. (2015). The social costs of Uber.  U. Chi. L. Rev. Dialogue,  82, 85. Tucker, H. (2017).  GoCatch is launching Australia's first Uber X competitor.  Business Insider Australia. Retrieved 11 May 2017, from https://www.businessinsider.com.au/gocatch-is-launching-australias-first-uber-x-competitor-2016-2 Wheeler IV, G. Y. (2009).  U.S. Patent Application No. 12/453,780. Wilson, A., Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M. J., & Gremler, D. D. (2012).  Services marketing: Integrating customer focus across the firm. McGraw Hill.

Anthro 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anthro 101 - Essay Example So little is known about Sahelanthropus and Ardipithecus that it is challenging to place it conclusively on the tree. Sahelanthropus was discovered by Ahounta Djimdoumalbaye in 2001 in Chad, in the southern Sahara desert. Sahelanthropus has small brain size, brow ridges and small canine teeth, which are characteristic of later hominids. Ardipithecus discovered by a team led by Tim White, Berhane Asfaw and Gen Suwa in the years 1992 and 1993 in Ethiopia. Ardipithecus is a spectacularly complete fossil with about 120 cm (311") tall and weighs about 50 kg (110 lbs). In August 1995, Meave Leakey, a zoologist at the National Museums of Kenya and her colleagues reported the discovery of hominids from the Lake Turkana region in northern Kenya. These finds, predominantly from the site of` Kanapoi, range in age from 3.9 to 4.2 million years and consist mostly of, teeth and jaws, They show strong similarities with A. afarensis but the Kanapoi hominids are characterized by a series of anatomical features that distinguish them as a new species. A. anamensis. Although characters such as tooth formation and the propping of the frontal part of the jaw are dissimilar in these two species, the more primeval character state in Australopithecus anamensis makes it a good ancestor to Australopithecus afarensis. Australopithecus afarensis was discovered by Donald Johanson in 1973 at Hadar in Ethiopia. It was an adult female of about 25 years. Her pelvis, femur (the upper leg bone) and tibia show her to have been bipedal. She was about 107 cm (36") tall (small for her species) and weighed about 28 kg (62 lbs) From the figure above, Australopithecus anamensis is judged to be a sole ancestor to Paranthropus aethiopicus and robustus, and because they both displays a host of features derived in the robust direction, they are not viewed as an

Kipling's White Man's Burden Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kipling's White Man's Burden - Essay Example Rudyard Kipling is trying to show the negative attitudes of Europeans towards imperialism. Africans were considered as savages and a burden by them. This is a racial point of view. Africans are considered as crazy, devilish, and dumb people. Africans are treated as a burden of the Europeans, but at the same time, they also think that it is their responsibility to help Africans out. Kipling is simply justifying American’s coming in Africa and taking over the African lives. This reflects that he does not believe in the concept of equality. For him, not every person holds equal rights and some have fewer rights than others, simply because they are less humane. He is encouraging the concept of imperialism. He believes that the Africans are simply ungrateful people. Help is being granted to them, yet they are retaliating against it. 2. Kipling addressed this poem to the Americans in relation to their recent colonization of Philippines. I believe that Kipling really thinks that it i s the responsibility of the civilized nations to those they have conquered. While using the term â€Å"white man’s burden†, he is trying to explain the fact that the European ancestry (or the American one, for that matter) has more opportunities and chances for better education and has more political influence than the natives had. Had Kipling written this poem earlier, he would have argued against colonial imperialism. He was born in the time when native people have already been conquered. It seems as if Kipling is trying to get across the message that no gratitude or corporation in return for the improvement of the lives should be expected. When Kipling uses the phrase â€Å"Take up the White man’s Burden†, it has two meanings. It is naturally considered a duty towards the primitive, impoverished people and that the do-gooder has to bear the resulting ingratitude. Kipling’s assumption regarding the laziness and backwardness of the Filipinos might be considered as racist and patronizing to many modern day readers. But it simply was not meant to offend the people. Kipling was simply trying to explain the difficulties which the Americans faced. The issues, which were then raised by Kipling, seem to be relevant in today’s world. The world is not made a better place without sacrifices and hard work. In addition, the welcome mat is not always rolled out for those who want to change the world for the better. 3. Kipling has offered defense throughout the poem. He thinks that imperialism can work out for the best if it is executed correctly. The poem was meant to discuss not only the American response to the Philippines but also towards the European countries – that they should share medicines and wealth to reduce the misfortunes, illnesses, and famines which are polluting Africa. At first, imperialism might seem to be very striking, but it can have various definitions, depending on the way it is being executed. So muc h emphasis on the execution is placed so that dual meaning is not derived out of Kipling’s prose. He strongly believes that if imperialism is implemented in the correct way, than it can preserve cultures. It is possible only if the wealth is shared and medicine is practiced properly. However, it was not seen the way Kipling had interpreted. The wealthy defined civilization. White men are considered wealthy and hence

Chipotle Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Chipotle Case Analysis - Essay Example ii. Ensured usage of raw materials of the highest quality and application of classic methods of cooking. This was to ensure that the restaurant produces dishes that are reasonably priced and ready to serve to customers in a short while. iii. Creation of operationally efficient restaurant having a pleasing aesthetic distinctive setting in its interior. iv. Friendly customer care services. v. Increased awareness and respect for the environment. This would have entailed the use of freshly grown organic produce and meat that is humanely raised and having no hormones or antibiotics. At the point of establishing these chains of restaurants, the main idea that was in the mind of the entrepreneur Steve was that, as a place of fast foods, the restaurant needed not to be quite expensive but, more accessible and affordable to most of the consumers. As such, when Steve commissioned the opening of the first of such restaurants in Denver in the year 1993, it became a great hit in the marketplace, and the majority of consumers were pleased with the services offered. According to the report, Chipotle grew in operations from a 1-unit restaurant to a 1,230-unit chain of restaurants that served in various parts of the country (41 states), and which managed to serve a daily customer base of about 800,000 people. The reasons for this great increase in sales turnover and high profitability index was due to a combination of various factors among them, provision of better quality fast foods compared to other restaurants, up scaling of the restaurant and the ability to deliver faster services to the customers. It is as a result of this extensive expansion and tremendous increase in sales turnover of the restaurant that Steve sought to expand the base into other neighboring states. Such expansions were to areas such as the District of Columbia, the United Kingdom and Canada. For instance, according to the financial reports of the year 2011, Chipotle managed to record revenues worth $2.3 billion and a $214.9 million in net income. The diluted earnings per share (EPS) for the same year were about $6.76 million. These are clear indications to a company with a positive growth profile hence, prospectively looking forward to increased business opportunities in the near future. A SWOT analysis for Chipotle Mexican Grill will be based on the past relations for continued existence of the company. For instance, the continued increase in the stock prices for a company is a likely indication of strength in the restaurant. There are a number of reasons as to why a SWOT analysis for a company is essential, especially to stakeholders and prospective investors to the company. This is because the analysis will help in making informed decisions about investing in the company or even buy shares and stocks from the shares of the company traded in the stocks market (Paiz, Dave, Ryan, Brian, Kristina, Frank & Mark 165). Chipotle Mexican Grill is recorded to have publicly started tradin g in its shares in the year 2006, and since then, it has had impressive stock prices recordings in the market. For instance, according to this report, the stock price of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the year 2012 climbed to record high of about $380 to $385 per every traded stock as compared to the previous year; thus, a representative 80% increase. Strengths 1. The availability of a well developed marketing strategy. A critical study into the report

Creating the Constitution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Creating the Constitution - Research Paper Example The bill of rights is a vital constituent of American law and the government. It symbolizes culture and freedom of the United States of America (Beeman,23). The first three articles of the constitution are important in the land. They outline the three branches of the government, and states a set of regulations and rules these branches must follow. This ensures smooth running of the federal government. The American constitution was refined from the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. It was initially ratified by the nine states only. The final draft was then penned by Jacob Shallus. The penned draft is found and displayed in the Records of Administration and National Archives of Washington, D.C. Creation of American constitution was a long process. It was difficult to persuade the 13 states of America to ratify the constitution. The draft was based on the separation of powers, federalism and provision of checks and balances (Riemer, 55). The details of blue print of the new government under the new constitution and which bound all the American states were: The article I of the constitution provided for the functions and separation of the congressional powers. The legislation created here is bicameral. It also outlined the qualification for one to hold an office. It also set methods of selection both the senators and the representatives. It also stated powers such as declaring wars and regulating interstate commerce. Article II provided the power to the president of United States to execute laws. The article II also limited the president’s term to four years a maximum of two terms in office. It stated the mechanisms of removing the president from the office. The constitution also set the modest powers of the president. The powers include negotiator of foreign treaties, ambassadors’ appointment, judges and other high rank officers. The most important power vested on him is the power of being the commander-in chief of the armed forces.

A Friendship and Betrayal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Friendship and Betrayal - Essay Example At the same time, the friend needs to be supportive, come what may, even if you do something wrong and this something comes back to bite you, so to speak. So, honesty and loyalty are the most important qualities when it comes to a friendship. Then, of course, there are other things to look for – compatible personalities, a shared sense of humor and a shared interest in activities are good things to look for as well. These are the same qualities that I look for in a boyfriend. Loyalty is an important aspect of friendship in general. It is important that a person not take positions that will undermine you, that a person does not steal from you, and that they did not betray you in any way. Of course, as I stated before if you are doing something which is immoral, wrong or illegal, the friend should not support that, but, other than that, a friend should be loyal, and this is universal. Disloyalty generally means that the person is not a true friend. One day, I found out that my b oyfriend and my best friend were sleeping together. And they were doing it in my apartment, while I was away at work. Right away, I decided to end both the friendship and the relationship with my boyfriend. If they wanted to be together, then they could be together, but I would no longer be a part of their lives. This was the ultimate betrayal, and I did not think that I could look past it. As I said, loyalty and honesty are the two biggest traits that a good friend must have, and my best friend showed that she was neither loyal nor honest when she did this to me. I was especially hurt because my friend had recently lost her baby through miscarriage, and I was totally there for her during this period of time. She had an ectopic pregnancy, which means that her baby was growing in her fallopian tube and not the womb, so the pregnancy was actually life-threatening. I went to the hospital with her and stayed with her after she arrived home because she was an emotional mess at that point . I called her every day to make sure that she was feeling okay. I felt that she was profoundly disloyal, and that really hurt. It was several weeks before I would take her phone calls. I heard it through the grapevine that she and my boyfriend did not last, and that my boyfriend had found somebody else. I felt that this was karma for my friend because she hurt me and now she was hurting too. Still, I was feeling sad and lonely, and my friend was calling me several times a day and leaving messages, so I finally picked up and we talked. She told me that she was suffering from severe depression, and her doctor had put her on medication. The depression stemmed partly from her lost pregnancy, but it turns out that the problem went even deeper than that. She was clinically depressed, which means that she had a chemical imbalance in the brain, and she was getting treatment for that. She did not have an excuse for sleeping with my boyfriend, except to say that she was lonely and he was the re. I could feel that she was needy, and I could understand why. She was vulnerable, and my rat of a boyfriend took advantage of that. Really, my boyfriend is the person who deserved all the blame in this situation. I wrestled with whether I would let this person back in my life. I thought about all the good times we shared because we had been friends for many years.

Identify the Most Appropriate form of Market Research in a Given Essay

Identify the Most Appropriate form of Market Research in a Given Situation and Implement that Research - Essay Example One of the main reasons that were understood in this connection is the happening of economic recession for which many social activities of the people countered a sharp decline. Further it was found that owing to the rise of the economic recession the main consumer segment that was increasingly affected constitutes the premium segment of consumers. Brand Heineken in this context reflects as have fallen in a trap in not being able to reduce the price of its products to help reach to a mass consumer base in the recessionary market. It is because a reduction in the price of the products may hamper or tarnish its brand image of being a premium product. On the other hand the inability to gain a larger market signified less of marketing and sales revenues which also restricted the brand’s ability to make any significant marketing and promotional investments leading to the problem getting intensified (Cannes Creative Lions, 2011). Having hinted on the problem the market research domai n can now consider on deciding on the attributes of the target group of people over whom research would be conducted based on questionnaires and again the budget for conducting the market research activity would be decided upon (Hague and Morgan, 2004, p.21). Market Research Market Research Objective In regards to the above context the company desired to conduct a market research activity which would help in satisfying the subject of the queries created focusing on the stated problem. The main objectives of market research were found to be threefold. Firstly the market research was conducted by the company to help sustain the brand image and market position of the brand in the premium beer market of Italy. Secondly the market research also focused to help sustain the same price for its premium products in the recessionary market. Finally the market research activities were also conducted to help the brand gain a large amount of consumer loyalty than before in the premium beer segmen t of Italy. Henceforth the market research objectives for enhancement of brand loyalty of the beer brand is found to be subjected to a specific market territory and to a specific consumer group to analyse the change in sales volume and market share (Cooklin et al., 2006, p.48). Market Research Process For the above condition the market research activity that was designed operated based on a threefold step. In the first step the market research team focused on segmenting the entire market into relevant consumer groups consisting of the target consumers. Such division was conducted based on demographic profiles of the consumers such that firstly the consumers in the age group of 18-24 were chosen. However the group for its failure to project the premium set of consumers the target group was based on the consumer segment of age group of 20-30 years who would drink the premium beer. The second focus of the market research activity targeted at helping the old consumers gain their bygone youthful

Northanger Abbey Characters Essay Example for Free

Northanger Abbey Characters Essay Second of which, it is also important to note that the social identity theory claims that every person enacts multiple identities that functions in every social context such as for instance, mother, professor, volunteer, that could be drivers of buying actions (p. 11). The behavioral decision theory that is under the umbrella of the social identity theory claims that choices of consumers are often made in accordance with their attribute values. Closely related to this is the attitude theory which emphasizes consumer expectancies and evaluations on a particular product belief (p. 11-12). The figure below presents consumer goals in terms of their buying preferences. It could be seen that the core reason that determines why such and such consumers buy certain products is primarily due to their life theme and values. In effect of these, their life themes and values deeply influenced how they are going to deal with their life projects, current concerns and consumption intentions. Finally, the benefits sought and the feature preferences are also considered as the end goal of the being and doing hierarchy. Figure 3:   A hierarchical model of consumer goals Source: Ratneshwar, Mick and Huffman (2000, p. 14) Life themes and values are the personal ideas of being and the highest goal in a persons framework. A terminal value is a belief that is considered as an end in itself such as freedom r wisdom. These types of values are like existential concerns that every customer has to deal with their daily lives which are rooted on their personal histories (p. 15). Themes and values in one’s life are the core conceptions of the self. These values are deeply embedded, interconnected and central in order to maintain integrity of the self-system. Corollary with this, these values are relatively stable and accessible as well and could be activated easily in almost any circumstance. As such it could be said that themes and values serve as a yardstick or standard guide to lower-order goals and actions (p. 17). Current concerns such as activities, tasks or quests are also vital in a consumers buying behavior. For instance, activities or life projects that a customer wants to engage into like gardening, being an animal rights advocate and the likes influences them to buy certain products that are in accordance to such goals (p.18). 2. 5 CSR and Purchasing Decisions The link between CSR and consumer purchasing decisions is something that has a direct relationship. It has been said by Varadarajan and Menon (1988) that it is very relevant for consumers to first be educated on a particular companys level of social responsibility before they could incorporate such on their pattern of behavior. This is important so that consumer purchasing decisions could be affected by the CSR programs that a company is employing. The notion of cause related marketing which is a way for companies to support non profit organizations by allotting a certain percentage of their sales to the former is one of the most effective way of doing the aforementioned (Mohr and Webb, 2001, p. 45). Albeit, it should be noted that although CSR has been highly exercised by most companies, the biggest inhibitor of the latters success is lack of consumer awareness on a particular companys CSR program. However even if this is the case, there is a growing evidence that a lot of consumers are desiring to know more about how companies conducts their businesses. The purchasing information that was given by Council on Economic Priorities in 1994 tells that consumer interest on CSR has been steadily growing (Mohr and Webb, 2001, p. 45). 2. 6 Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty Customer satisfaction is difficult to understand and it is define in different ways. Many researchers argued that there is a difference between the customer satisfaction, which is gained from tangible products and intangible services. The difference is because of the intangibility of the services and the failure to separate production and consumption. Therefore, customer satisfaction from services and goods may come from and influenced by different factors. Hence, should be considered separately and differently (Veloutsou, C. et al, 2005). Two issues should be considered when looking customer satisfaction in services whether it is conceptualized or transaction specific or cumulative (Hoest, V. and Knie-Andersen, M. , 2004). Customer satisfaction has been perceived as not the sole determining factor for a loyal customer base (Griffin and Herres, 2002, p. 2). During the 1980s and the 1990s, the notion of customer satisfaction which is weighed in terms of providing quality customer service and excellence has been perceived as providing good financial results and repeat purchase. A study conducted by Forum Corporation (Stum and Thiry, 1991, p. 34) claimed that 40% of the customers who participated in the study claimed to be satisfied with a particular product found it easy to shift brands without any hesitation. As such, it has been perceived by Griffin and Herres (2002; p.4-5) that the true measurement that should be used in repeated business is Customer Loyalty. Customer loyalty focuses more on consumer behaviour than attitude. When a particular client is loyal to a brand, such a person is more particular in conducting purchase behaviour that is relatively more non random. A client who is loyal to a brand has developed a particular justified belief on which and what to buy from whom. More importantly, the notion of loyalty implies a purchase that occurs for a particular duration, which does not occur less than twice. Also, it could be significantly noted that the decision to purchase could be made by one or two or more individuals. As such, it could be the case that the decision making to buy a particular product could be a compromise, hence explaining one of the key reasons for ones loyalty for a particular unit. There are two important factors that are closely associated with brand loyalty and these are customer retention and total share of customer. The former describes the duration in which a particular company has the business of a client. The rate of customer share on the other hand is equivalent to the percentage of a customers budget that is spent with the firm. For instance, a company is said to have 100% share of a customers budget if the latter spends his or her entire budget with a particular firm. As such it could be said that customer retention and percentage of customers budget is very important; however, there might be instances wherein a customer is prevented by certain laws to purchase just from one vendor such as government accounts. Gustafsson and Johnson (2000; p.50) presented a model which would effectively measure customer satisfaction. Satisfaction in terms of the model is perceived as customers overall evaluation of the purchase and consumption experience with a product, service or provider†. The model presented by Gustafsson and Johnson (2000) appears to be different from transaction-specific portrayals of customer satisfaction that normally leads to repurchase. The model focuses on the importance of Customer Lens or the perspective of a customer on a particular brand, most especially how it benefits them. The lens of the customer will allow the organization to take a view of their product as it appears on the market place and not really how their organization perceives it (Gustafsson and Johnson, 2000, p. 5). It has been argued by Gustafsson and Johnson   (2000) that customers decisions to repurchase a particular product are deeply influenced by their overall purchase and consumption from a particular company or brand. In addition, customer satisfaction could pave the way for an enhanced reputation and an increase of brand equity for a particular organization. Such in turn could further attract customers that could have further increase the market share of a particular brand. 2. 7 The Body Shop International, PLC Values The Body Shop International PLC has five corporate values: Against Animal Testing, Support Community Trade, Activate Self Esteem, and Protecting our Planet (The Body Shop International plc a, 2007). 2. 7. 1 Against Animal Testing The company strongly advocated for the banning of the test of cosmetics on animals. In addition, the company prides itself due to its strict compliance of the internationally recognized Humane Cosmetics Standards (The Body Shop International plc b, 2007). As such it has been implementing a so-called fixed cut-off date to all of their ingredients. Such means, that the company does not and will never test their cosmetics on animals, hence calling it an immovable fixed date (The Body Shop International plc c, 2007). More importantly, the company has also assured that their products could also be suitable for vegetarians. This means that the company does not use any ingredient that is perceived to cause harm to animals (The Body Shop International plc c, 2007). In effect of this, the Body Shop has been awarded on 2006 as the Best Cruelty-free Cosmetics by the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatments of Animals). (The Body Shop International plc b, 2007). The advocate of Body Shop to ban animal testing is stretched even by the company supporting researches that could bring about alternatives against animal testing. In 2004, the Body Shop Foundation has awarded the Centre for Alternatives to Animal Testing at John Hopkins University ? 20 000 in order to support the universitys research in finding other ways to test cosmetics   (The Body Shop International plc b, 2007). 2. 7. 2 Support Community Trade Body Shops support for community trade focuses on the use of natural ingredients and handcrafted products from skilled people and was brought for a reasonable prize for more than 20 years on over 24 countries and 31 suppliers (The Body Shop International plc e, 2007). In another perspective, community fair trade provides workers in marginalized countries to earn a reliable wage that could help them build their futures (The Body Shop International plc d, 2007). More importantly, the community trade that Body Shop made from the aforementioned also provides the company the assurance that it has been purchasing ingredients in which they know where came from (The Body Shop International plc d, 2007). As such, it could be said that the company has been spreading not only its monetary assets but also its intellectual investments as well fairly among countries most especially to the ones which needed it most (The Body Shop International plc d, 2007). 2. 7. 3 Activate Self Esteem Body shop also deeply upholds basic feminist values. Their motto: Know your mind, love your body; communicates the individuality of all women and the disregard to false promises, hype, and jargons of cosmetics and a fixed standard of beauty (The Body Shop International plc f, 2007). More importantly, the body shop emphasizes the importance of self awareness, self-confidence, self-growth and self-acceptance. As such it deems self respect while focusing on diversity, acceptance and empowerment (The Body Shop International plc g, 2007). 2. 7. 4 Protecting our Planet Protecting the planet is the last among the five core values of Body Shop. This value is deeply connected on the advocate of the company in using natural ingredients. Body Shop believed that through the use of natural ingredients and through helping on the ban against cosmetic test on animals, they are helping to protect the environment (The Body Shop International plc h, 2007). Furthermore, Body Shop also supports the use of renewable sources through the use of Forest Stewardship Council certified wood products. I

Peer Correction in Teaching Writing Skills

Peer Correction in Teaching Writing Skills CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background of the problem Writing skill which includes language, private knowledge and skill, emotion and the interaction of personal opinion is difficult and challenging to learn and develop for many students in EFL contexts in general and in Vietnam in particular. In Vietnam, there are many teachers of English who even believe that teaching writing skill to EFL learners is more complex than teaching other communicative skills (Mazdayasna Tahririan, 2001). Although language learners have to learn hard to have good compositions, they still have made a variety of errors or mistakes when writing. In other words, EFL learners often feel stressful and anxious when writing in a foreign language (Spratt Leung, 2000). Consequently, language teachers and researchers have made an effort to know how they can do to help students be able to minimize their mistakes in their writing. However, they also admit that it is impossible for them or any teacher to read and correct all the students compositions on writing lessons because â€Å"correcting written work is time-consuming† (Ur, 1999, p.74), especially for large classes. Peer feedback (also peer correction, peer response or peer review) with its advantages can be a promising way which can be used to encourage students to read and give comments and suggestions together for enrichment of their peers writings before the final versions of their products are submitted to their teachers. Peer correction works as a vital part in the process approach to teaching writing because it helps learners realize their learning level as well as their demands for enhancement of writing ability. Brown (1994) and Gipps (1994) have the same opinion that feed back is one of the main factors in the process of English learning and teaching. Many other researchers, for example, Paulus (1999), Min (2006) promote the idea that verbal and written feedback should be applied to foster writing skills. This strategy, thus, has been used popularly on the writing lessons of many English classes in Vietnam consisting of those at centre of Informatics and Foreign Language, Thai Nguyen College of Education, Thai Nguyen Uni. Ur (1999, p.74) states that peer correction can help us not only save time, but also develop the â€Å"critical reading† skill for â€Å"content, organization, style and language accuracy†. Additionally, peer feedback can receive an efficient method to make students to have critical thinking of writing and assessment skills than teacher feedback. In other words, peer feedback helps learners make good use of their own effort to make their writings expressive and effective. However, in spite of its roles and impact on the process of writing, peer feedback has not been paid much attention in Vietnam. Some researchers such as Tran (2007), Phan (2007) who are interested in peer response in writing introduce their point of view, knowledge and experience about this topic in their researches which show the present state of emplo ying peer feedback learners attitude and especially offer some suggestions to better the current response training. 1.2. Purpose of the study As mentioned above, it is not difficult to find out studies which research the role of peer feedback in writing skill on the way to foster it. However, the writer of this study with to do the research to know about the fact of peer feedback in Vietnam in general and the Centre of Informatics and Foreign Language, TNCE, TNU more clearly. This study also investigates whether peer feedback can have positive impact on ESL writing process among pre-intermediate non major students at this Centre or not; they can revise their own writing works to develop their writing skill or not and how this process really happens. Bearing in mind, the writer decides the research with title â€Å"Using peer correction in teaching writing skill to help Vietnamese college non-major students at CIF, CE, TNU reduce errors in their written compositions† 1.3. Research question(s) or statement of hypothesis This study aims at finding answer to the following research question: How can peer correction help EFL learners reduce mistakes in their written compositions? The question is addressed to one of the writing classes that I am teaching this term in Centre of Informatics and Foreign Language, College of Education, Thai Nguyen University with the aim to examine how peer correction affects the process of revising and writing a complete composition of my students here. 1.4. Organization of the study This study can be divided into five chapters. In this chapter, background of the EFL writing in local context is given and the aim of this study is also identified. Chapter 2 mentions some reviews of the literature which go through related literature and researches, in which, general of writing teaching and a brief idea of peer feedback in writing skill will be focused. In chapter 3, the writer describes the methodology and processes of the research. Chapter 4 presents data analysis and findings. Chapter 5 gives some implications of the study, summarizes main point discussed in the study, indicates some limitations and proposes some suggestions for the further researches. Lastly, the final parts of the study are appendices and references. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1. Overview of writing process Lannon (1989) claims that writing is a process delivering meaningful messages and including its own specific goal. This process requires students to work hard instead of regarding it as an uncomplicated act (Byrne, 1988). However, in language teaching and learning process, Tribble (1996, p.3) defines writing as a language skill that involves â€Å"not just a graphic representation of speech, but the development and presentation of thoughts in a structured way†. This means writers need to arrange their ideas logically and systematically. There have been different approaches to teaching writing EFL classes but two most popular ones are product approach and process one. Product approach can be the traditional method of writing which stresses the final outcome of the writing process as well as grammar, usage, form and mechanics of the composition. Students are often asked to write a similar paragraph basing on the model and using new taught structures, vocabularies or any aspects of language. After that, the teacher will correct students writings or â€Å"feedback in the class commonly means the correction of the students language errors† (Mazdayasna Tahririan, 2001, p.56). Therefore, students find difficult to know why and how they made errors to avoid repeating them on the next tasks. Though thanks to this method students can sometimes reject errors (Tribble, 1996), it does not encourage students create in writing at all, â€Å"the use of language is manipulate of fixed patterns; the patterns are learned by imitation† (Pincas, 1962, p.185). Over the last forty years, there has been remarkable interest in writing process. There are many researchers and educators suggesting language teachers that they should pay attention to students writing process instead of only their final writing version (Paige Way, Joiner and Seaman, 2000). Process writing can contain stages such as rewriting, writing, revising and rewriting or editing. However, Reid (1993) supplement this process with three more stages, namely, responding, evaluating and post-writing, in which peer feedback is focused more in responding. Prewriting: something done before drafting such as choosing a topic, brainstorming, collecting data, organizing. Composing / drafting: actually writing. Revising: selecting organization, structures, edition or collection word. Rewriting: completing stage step by step. Responding: getting the teacher and peers responses, discussing with them about papers to improve the content. Evaluating: receiving marks or scores from the teachers. Post-writing: any activities happened after completing rewriting and getting assessment (role-play) Cresswell claims that to as students to exchange their writing draft is an effective way to foster their learning autonomy and help them become alert reader when proofreading their partners written tasks (2000). As the result, they also have critical thinking when they read their own paper to find and correct themselves their mistakes in those, i.e. their writing ability can be develop (Markino, 1993). It is necessary to allow students to have more time to write and get feedback from their teachers and classmates, and then rewrite the drafts so that they can let reader be abele to understand their idea expressed on the paper better (Frankenberg-Garcia, 1999). 2.2. Definition and some types of errors Different researchers have different ways to categorize errors. In this study, the writer only wishes to refer one of classification strategies based on the relation to comprehensibility given by Burt and Kiparsky (1972) because of its close concern with the notion of mistakes mentioned in this study. These researchers divided error into two main types: global errors and local ones. Hendrickson (1978) notes that we will be able to realize which error is global or local, because error can be regard as â€Å"communicative† or â€Å"non-communicative† ones. According to Ellis (1997), while global errors such as over generalization or simplification have an effect on explanation of the whole structure of sentence, local error just affect a single factor in sentences, i.e. word, phrases, closures or grammatical morphemes. Burt and Kiparsky (1974) also claim that global error have higher hierarchy than local errors. Thus the global ones seem to be care about and be corrected more than local ones Norish (1983). However, those local errors can be considered as â€Å"minor ones†, error in tense and aspect†, they are popular mistakes of English writing learners. 2.3. Peer feedback and its impact on reducing mistakes and developing writing skill â€Å"Knowledge is best acquired through negotiated interaction† (Grabe Kaplan, 1996, p.380). There are many approaches to error correction and also definitions of peer feedback from many linguists and experts. According to Richards, et al, Peer feedback is an activity in the revising stage of writing in which students receive feedback about their writing from other students-their peers. Typically students work in pairs or small groups, read each others compositions and ask questions or give comments or suggestions (1992, p.268). Some other researchers of EFL writing state that feedback play an essential role in the process of writing. Keh (1990) claims that giving feedback means giving comments and suggestions, which helps the writer edit his or her composition. Through teachers or classmates feedback, students can know what kinds of mistakes they made and how to cope with those mistakes. Therefore, if students can get a â€Å"productive feedback†, they can correct their own errors and avoiding making the similar mistakes in the later writing tasks. It is wise for teachers to require learners responsibilities for their own writing performance and their peers ones because of the strong effect of peer feedback on students review as well as their writing skill. Zamel (1987) supposes that peers are actual and direct readers or reviewers. In the fact that, there are a number of methods teachers utilize to assist students check their mistakes but indeed teachers seem to not be able to resolve the problem individually. Students play the parts of both writers and readers or givers and receivers. Hefernik (1983) regards peer editing as learning and teaching instrument for teachers and learners because students can give helpful feedback each other. Peer writers can edit their own written compositions basing on the readers remarks and comments (Mendonca and John, 1994; Rollison, 1998), so the writers can be better at learning writing. Students can also have superior performance by the student-to-student activities because these activities are often more detailed than teacher feedback (Caulk, 1994). Also, Mangelsdorfin thinks that peer review can help many students to have diverse perception about their topics as well as foster the ideas and make them more clearly in the EFL writings. Therefore, researchers believe that â€Å"peer feedback can have a positive effect on classroom dynamics and can help to train learners in skills they need to become autonomous† (Spratt et al, 2005, p.157). Joyce (1997) employs a research to explore main strategies so as to respond to the EFL students composition writings. After the twelve-week period, by comparing the initial writing sample and the third one after using peer editing, he shows that writing competency of students grows strongly and concludes this strategy is efficient and necessary. In the research conducted by Wong (1999), peer correction was carried out and discovered by qualitative data to ease the process of EFL writing in four factors: grammar, rules and concepts, meaning and emotional elements. In addition, it helps students improve awareness of writing skill. Quantitative findings of this study introduce 97% students admit that they want to apply peer correction in the future. It is important to stress that the writer of this study learns a lot from Wongs research, and longs to use some his methods in this research to examine whether it is suitable for the writer teaching fact. Kurt and Atay (2007) also experimented with 86 Turkish Prospective Teachers of English. Those participants are divided into 2 groups: Experimental group (writing an essay and receiving peer feedback) and control group (writing an essay and receiving teacher feedback only). This study concluded that peer feedback helps Turkish PTs reduce writing anxiety and it is really considered as a complementary factor of the teacher feedback. Despite its advantages, peer response has its own weakness. Its procedure requests the training and organization from the teacher as well as it depends on students ability of collaboration with peers. Many students give their partners too general and ambiguous reviews. They make their peers find it difficult to understand and catch messages or information. The writing ability, thus, seems to not improve (Tsui Ng, 2000). CHAPTER 3: METHODS AND PROCEDURES 3.1. Methods of the study The research is done qualitatively in the context of a 30-student English class. They are non-major students; their level of English proficiency is pre-intermediate and their writing ability is average. In this report, the writer uses two research tools to collect and analyze the needed data, i.e. recording and interview. Recording is used to record the process of peer correction. Chosen subjects were invited to record their discussions and then they were transcribed (Appendix 4) for analyzing. Voice recorder is chosen instead of video recorder to prevent their discussions from the presence of another people, which may interrupt their current process of peer correction. The writer also hopes that through recordings she can derive how students check and correct their writings each other and what types of mistakes are corrected most. The second tool used in this study is interviews with students at the end of the research to study whether this strategy is really suitable for them or not, that is, expose students attitude toward peer correction strategy as well as their opinions and get their suggestions to make this process better. According to Herbert and Irene (1995), in interviews students need to know the way of actual listening. Because they are pre-intermediate non-major students, they can only use English during the interviews, so they can speak in Vietnamese and then the writer record and translate them into English. 3.2. Procedure As a matter of ethics, the whole procedure of teaching and learning is implemented similarly to all students of the class after all of them give consent to be part of the research (Appendix 1). However, due to the limit of the study, I only focus to record and interview the learning engagement of two students (who I call anonymously in this report as A1 and A2 as a matter of ethics) during this process as the data for analysis. The writer after considering carefully decide to make peer correcting tasks in class. Before the real peer correction, the writer design some exercises to introduce the way to check a composition. They were guided to focus on some discrete mistake. Items are subject-verb agreement, spells, tense, verb form, number, part of speech. The structure of sentence, content, and organization of the composition/essay is also asked to be commented. Firstly, the students were asked to check sentence by sentence and then, they worked in pairs to check the paragraph (Appendix 2, Appendix 3) This research lasted for 8 weeks, and the writer chose 3 topics to ask students to write, discus and correct and then rewrite before submitting to give the teacher. These topics are informal letter to a pen friend; a descriptive passage about a close relative in your family; a biography passage of a famous person. Topic 1: Describe a person in your family Topic 2: Write an informal letter to your pen-friend Topic 3: Write a brief biography of a famous person you admire During this process, the writer asks students to give them tape-recorder to record their own discussions. In this paper, interviews are well-prepared. After recording them, the writer will transcribe and translate them (Appendix 6). CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 4.1. Data analysis à ¼ Analysis of data from the recordings The writer, in this part, wishes to learn about the process of peer correction through discussions taken recordings of subjects and interviews between the writers and them. After that, the writer would assess the result of the recorded discussions and interviews. It is undeniable that peer correction helps students improve EFL writing a lot, although the level of subjects is not high, they can give comments on a variety of types of mistakes language such as article, preposition, S-V agreement, infinitive or gerund an sometimes even whole structure of the composition or word choice. When correcting mistakes, they also give some suggestions and explain the reasons for those mistakes. Below are some examples in collected data. Extract 1(topic 1, A1s composition) Before correction: She and I are very different but we got on well together. She is short and Im tall. She likes stay at home and watch television with my parentss. A2: Ok. Sentence 1 is ok. In sentence 2, you should use get, not got, simple present. Next sentences let me see, here, like add v-ing not bare verb. My parentss, I dont know my parentss here mean, without possessive mark is correct. Do you agree? A1: Yeah of course After correction: She and I are very different but we get on well together†¦. She is shorter than me†¦.. She likes staying at home and watching television with my parents Extract 2 (topic 1, A2s composition) Before correction: My young brother is a 15 year old and I am 20 year old. My brother learn at Song Cong town and I learn at TN college of education. A1: My young brother is a 15 year old. You dont need an article here, it is not a noun and years, not year. Its plural. My brother learn at Song Cong town and I learn at TN college of education, wrong form of the verb the third singular person. A2: Okie. Learns not learn After correction: My young brother is 15 years old and I am 20 years old. He learns at Song Cong town and I learn at TN college of education. Extract 3 (topic 2, A1s composition) Before correction: I was born in a family of farmer. My parents are workers in a company and my brother is married and works for the post office. A2: I dont understand the next sentences. I was born in a family of farmer. My parents are workers in a company. Why? A1: Oh, so so sorry, I mean classes in society. But I cant express this idea. A2: Working class, you mean? Or you will not ? sentence. Are you clear? Now, next, any brother is married, was, not is and works for the post office. After correction: My parents are workers in a company and my brother is married and works for the post office. Extract 4 (topic 2, A2s composition) Before correction: Its verry wonderful. A1: Verry? Wrong spelling. Its Very. Can you find out the sentence? A2: Yes. Thats right. After correction: Its very wonderful! Extract 5 (topic 2, A2s composition) Before correction: I am looking forwalk to learning from you. Write soon! A2:†¦ And the last sentence, forwark, what do you mean? Forward, you mean that, wrong word. Learning what here? I think its hearing. A1: Yes. Thats terrible. After correction: I am looking forward to hearing from you. Please write soon to me! Through recordings, the writer also realizes that apart from getting knowledge to improve their writing skill, students are very interested in their discussions. They seem to feel confident and have responsibilities with their task. Extract 6 (topic 1, A2s composition) A1: Your handwriting is beautiful and their writing makes only a few mistakes. A2: Kaka. Thanks Extract 7 (topic 1, A1s composition) A1: Ok. Many thanks. I think I need to rewrite this topic carefully, a lot of mistakes A2: Try hard! Extract 8 (topic 2, A1s composition) A1: Yes. Thats terrible. A2: No, its very normal, me too. A1: Thanks Extract 9 (topic 2, A2s composition) A1: Theres few mistakes in their writing. Well-done! Hi Hi. I only give mistakes, you try to look at the writings. A2:Yes, Its OK. No problems. Be quick! However, when facing a little bit more difficult topic, both of them have difficulties in the way to express their ideas due to their lack of vocabularies, explanation of rules of grammar. They suppose that for those mistakes they need the support from the teacher. Extract 10 (topic 3, A1s composition) A2: Due to 1954, you mean? Since 1954, †¦This paragraph, you need to read again and correct structure to clarify. Honesty, I am not sure to edit this section exactly. I just give some comment. For example, you should use fight to liberation, not fights to unify whole country; instead of using comma and then unify country. A1: OK. I will try. After that, we can ask teachers help. à ¼ Analysis of data from the interviews The information from the interviewed reveals students thoughts, feelings and ideas toward this process. Although A1 has not tried peer correction before, she is convinced of this strategy after this study. She feels that she can realize her mistakes clearly and correct them. She is also able to avoid repeating on the next task. She wants to work in group of 3 or 4 to get more feedback from her peers. That means she admit the role of the peer feedback in developing her writing skill. Extract 11 (interview between the writer and A1) W: Will you use this strategy again? A1: Yes, of course. W: Can you give some suggestions to make the process better? A1: I like working in group of three or four. Thats all. W: Thank you very much! Unlike A1, A2 has used this strategy many times. Therefore she has a lot of experiences. Her ideas express her deep understanding of peer correction. She also likes it and she knows how it assists her in her writing process. However, she stresses the role of the teacher in the process of revising. Extract 12 (interview between the writer and A2) A2: I like it. But I still want teachers correct it finally. W: Why do you think so? A2: Because I myself sometimes find out my own mistakes. My partner can help me that. Moreover, when reading the text of my partner, I can learn something from it. However, there are some mistakes we cant correct we need teacher. 4.2. Findings Through the data collected from 3 writing assignments with recorded discussions and recorded interviews of students, the study has had the answer to the research question: Does peer correction help students reduce mistakes in their writing skill? The findings shows that peer correction affect pre-intermediate students writing ability, i.e. it has positive impact on students writing ability. There must be different factors or element affecting students changed writing versions. However, at various levels, students can profit from peer feedback to reduce mistakes in their composition. The result can help students review the writing process of an assignment, especially careless mistakes, grammatical and â€Å"discrete mistake item† rules of word choice (Wong, 1999, p.23). In contrast, the result says that students have difficulties in supporting the content, and the organization, structure depends on different opinions, so it is flexible. For students of low level, the teacher feedback is also very necessary when they can not cope with their problems alone or in pairs or in groups. Besides, the attitude toward peer feedback is quite favorable and sympathetic, they consider it useful and appropriate for them to use and they long to apply it to their learning in the future. CHAPTER 5: REFLECTION AND CONCLUSION 5.1 Reflection This study can be seen as a good opportunity to know more about my students, about what is the reason for the fact that they are not good at writing. In the study, I also have chance to access a number of researches of many experienced language educators and teachers, from which I obtain new knowledge of language teaching and learning in general and knowledge of peer correction in teaching writing composition in particular. Besides, during the process of doing this research, I can learn more about the methods of doing research scientifically and seriously. I also realize that it is important to learn looking at the practice of my English learning and teaching by critical thinking and make research questions with the hope of improving it. I also learn to arrange and organize my ideas and my work systematically to fit the timetable of the research procedure. However, the thing I feel sympathizing fully is that I get the way to put my background knowledge into the knowledge repertoire of related previous researches to have a more general view of my situation and to utilize my research skills, i.e. summarizing or synthesizing effectively by stimulating them actively, creatively and critically. However, the research still has some limitations regarding the methods of data collection and analysis that I might change in my next research if I have any chance. Firstly this study was conducted with 2 subjects, so it is difficult for the researcher to have an overall view of peer feedback and its impact on the writing process of students. This affects the validity of this research. Secondly, the study has not categorized students into different pairs with different levels such as high-high, high-low, and low-low. In the other word, this study has not generalized about the effectiveness of peer feedback in different students level of English teaching and learning. Thirdly, because the writer of this research can be seen as an inexperienced one, and there exist time limit, the writer is hoped to be able to do a further and better research which is expected to overcome the shortcomings in this study. 5.2 Conclusion To sum up, the research has brought to the writer some important lessons of English teaching and learning in general and of working with my students in particular. The research affirms for the writer that peer feedback activities are useful and suitable ones that students want to do regularly when learning writing. It is not because in the activities, students have opportunities to get productive responses and suggestions from their friends in order to edit errors in their own writing and avoiding repeating them but also because those activities let them read their peers writing, they can learn a lot from this, and also in those activities they feel confident and relaxing. Thus, they can comfortably improve their English fluency. The writer also realizes that to have peer feedback activities, teacher needs to arrange and organize carefully and systematically. The role of the teacher need to be cared for because in any case, the correction of the teacher is the most important and exact one. However, since the research is not totally as good as the writer expected, the writers would like to do further research on this topic to overcome the limitations of this study mentioned above.

A Comparison of Freedom in Beloved and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest :: comparison compare contrast essays

Theme of Freedom in Beloved and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest   Freedom as defined in Websterà ­s dictionary is liberation from the control of another person or arbitrary power, a being able to act or move without hindrance or restraint.   My definition of freedom is altered from this due to the various experiences I have had. These experiences affect my perception of life and influence how I define freedom, just as another person would view freedom differently than me.   Freedom, as I perceive it to be, is the ability to live a life without any restrictions or limitations imposed on you by others.   You must have complete control over every aspect in your life.   Most people think of freedom only in the realm of the physical, but I believe that freedom is emotional as well.   In order to be considered free, you must be separate from your past.   You need to acknowledge your past and realize what has happened, but at the same time you need to move on.   You cannot allow your life to be lived according to what has happened in your past, or a cycle will ensue.   This cycle comes from making choices while à ¬freeà ®.   During a life lived in freedom, inevitably a wrong decision will be made and you will be forced to deal with the repercussions.   Some people become slaves to these choices, which results in an emotional bind.   Therefore, from freedom comes entrapment and enslavement to the choices made while à ¬freeà ®.   People end up being extremely attached and emotionally affected by their past, such as the characters in Beloved and One Flew Over The Cuckooà ­s Nest, that they will never live a à ¬normalà ® life again.   The theme of freedom is evident in both Beloved and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.   Every character in both of these texts is affected by freedom in some way or another.   In Toni Morrisonà ­s Beloved, Schoolteacher acts as the catalyst who takes away his slaveà ­s freedom, where as in One Flew Over The Cuckooà ­s Nest, Nurse Ratchet plays this role by infringing upon all of her patientà ­s freedom.   Sethe, in Beloved, suffers from both kinds of freedom.   As a slave she has physical restraints placed on her as well as emotional ones.   All slaves are confined to the land of their owners, which is an obvious violation of a personà ­s freedom.   Sethe was unable to leave the plantation and go where she desired.

Comparison of Wendys International, Inc. and Starbucks Corporation Bas

Comparison of Wendy's International, Inc. and Starbucks Corporation Based on Finances Wendy's International, Inc., incorporated in 1969, is primarily engaged in the business of operating, developing and franchising a system of quick-service and fast-casual restaurants. As of December 28, 2003, there were 6,481 Wendy's restaurants (Wendy's) in operation in the United States and in 21 other countries and territories. Of these restaurants, 1,465 were operated by the Company and 5,016 by its franchisees. As of December 28, 2003, the Company and its franchisees operated 2,527 Tim Hortons (Hortons) restaurants with 2,343 restaurants in Canada and 184 restaurants in the United States ¡]Smart money, 2004. Starbucks Corporation purchases and roasts whole bean coffees and sells them. As of September 28, 2003 (fiscal year-end 2003), Starbucks operated a total of 4,546 retail stores. Starbucks sells coffee and tea products through other channels, and, through certain of its equity investees. The Company has two operating segments, United States and International, each of which include Company-operated retail stores and Specialty Operations. Starbucks opened 602 new Company-operated stores during fiscal 2003. As of fiscal year-end, Starbucks had 3,779 Company-operated stores in the United States, 373 in the United Kingdom, 316 in Canada, 40 in Australia and 38 in Thailand.  ¡]Smart money, 2004 ¡^ In this financial analysis report, I will compare and contrast these two companies ¡Ã‚ ¦ finance based on their annual report and related websites. There are four parts in this report. It includes Financial Ratios, WACC, Working Capital and Dividend policy. Part  ¢Ã‚ ¹Compare and Contrast of the Financial Ratios Profitability Ratios The Retails-Eating Places industry is a very competitive area for companies to survive. Both Starbucks and Wendy ¡Ã‚ ¦s are excellent companies to earn a lot of profit in this industry. Return on sales (ROS): Harrington (2004) said that  ¡Ã‚ §this ratio indicates that what percentage of each dollar of revenue is available for the owners after all the expenses are paid to other suppliers. This ratio is related to net income and net sales which I found from the income statements of both Starbucks and Wendy ¡Ã‚ ¦s in their annual reports. The return on sales is the key profitability ratio. This ratio tells the analyst what proportion of the revenues ... ...urchasing the company's own shares, acquiring new companies and profitable assets, and reinvesting in financial assets (McClure, 2004) . Bibliography Harrington, D. (2004) Corporate Financial Analysis. 7th ed. Ohio, South-Western. Hoover ¡Ã‚ ¦s Company Records (2004) database [Internet] Available from: < http://ezproxy.mala.bc.ca:2051/pqdweb?RQT=573&TS=1098648711&clientId=7024&LASTSRCHMODE=2> [Accessed 18 Oct 2004] Mergent Online (2004) database [Internet] Available from: < http://ezproxy.mala.bc.ca:2129/compsearch.asp> [Accessed 12 Oct 2004] Reuters website (2004) Investing [Internet] Available from: [Accessed 15 Oct 2004] Ross, S.A., Westerfield, R.W., Jaffe, J.F., & Roberts, G.S (2001) Corporate Finance. 3 th ed.Toronto, McGraw-Hill Ryerson. Seiler. M, (1996) Adverse selection in capital budgeting decision making. Management Research News, 19(8), pp.61-67 Smart Money website (2004) [Internet] Available from: < http://smartmoney.com/> [Accessed 15 Oct 2004] Wendy ¡Ã‚ ¦s International, Inc. website (2004) [Internet] Available from: [Accessed 13 Oct 2004] Yahoo Finance website (2004) [Internet] Available from: [Accessed 12 Oct 2004]

The Contributions of Blacks to the Arts :: essays papers

The Contributions of Blacks to the Arts The Contibutions of Black Americans to the Arts â€Å"†¦ Without a continuous bond uniting men, without a continuous current of shared thought, †¦ there could be no living worthy of being called human.† Richard Wright spoke these words in his autobiography Black Boy. He, as well as many other black Americans have displayed exmplemtory talent in the arts. As a matter of fact, blacks have contributed their talents to the arts, for many years, especially in the areas of painting, literature, and music. Many people are unaware of the contributions black people have made to the art of painting. Painters such as Benny Andrews and Jacob Lawerence have expressed the pain and joys share through their paintings. Jacob Lawerence, whose styles range from expressionism to cubism, is famous for the painting Grand Performance. The painting show blacks coming together in the performing arts. On the other hand, Benny Andrews is an artist that conveys his meaning through allegory. He is, however, known for his contribution to the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition. He was one of the firsts to start this organization which protested against the underepresentation of black art. Another art that blacks influenced is literature. For example, Richard Wright was one of the first writers to address and protest against the racism problem in America. In his book, Native Son, he shows how a black boy is driven to kill a white woman. He also wrote essays for a book written by former communists who were displeased with the party. Most of his works show the struggles of black Americans. Likewise, novelist Toni Morrison writes about the struggles of black females. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature and in the late 1980s, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her book Beloved. This book shows the effects of slavery on a former slave after the war. Morrison is not the only woman to receive awards for work. Maya Angelou given many awards, including Grammys in 1994 and 1996. She received the one for the recording of her poem â€Å"On the Pulse of Morning† recited at President Clinton’s inauguration and one for â€Å"Phenomenal Woman.† She along with many others has shown explemary talent in literature. Beginning as early as slavery, blacks have impacted music dearly. Jazz, a form of music stemming from gospel, is a form of expression. One famous jazz musician was the trumpet player Miles Davis.

Catholicism in Quebec and the Quiet Revolution Essay

Montreal is Quebec’s largest city, has always been renowned for its many churches and basilicas, earning it the nickname la ville aux cents clochers. Mark Twain once said â€Å"This is the first time I was ever in a city [Montreal] where you couldn’t throw a brick without breaking a church window†. Today, it is better known for the diversity of its people and its culture painted streets, such as the Quartier Latin and the booming Quartier des spectacles. The city is home to over a hundred and twenty cultural communities and seventy-five languages; seemingly fitting since well over a quarter of the population was born abroad. In the June 2008 issue of Monocle, a London based magazine, Montreal was dubbed â€Å"Canada’s Culture Capital†. It seems hard to imagine that the Catholic Church had a monopoly over not only Montreal but the entire province of Quebec simply half a century ago. How did a land founded and built on Catholicism become a place renow ned for its cultural diversity? This essay will explore how the Catholic faith’s image developed in Quebec after the Second World War, touching the province’s strong religious foundation, the Church’s control of the education and medical systems, and how the Quiet revolution paved the way for the prosperity of the French language and the multicultural land we have today. Jacques Cartier officially claimed Quebec in the name of the King of France in 1534, bringing the first sign of Christianity by putting up a cross in Gaspà © that is still visible to this day. The farm, family, faith and language were until recently stereotypical symbols for the Quebecois, but gradually became symbols of French settlers instead. However, these hadn’t always been symbols of the colonists; farming and permanent families were not part of the mindset of the early colony. Samuel de Champlain first met with the Algonquin people on his exploration journey in 1603 and the two parties were quick to form an alliance. The French and Algonquin began trading firearms for furs to keep warm throughout the winter but were mainly sent to be sold in France. During the long alliance with the Algonquin people many Jesuits, members of the Society of Jesus, a Christian male religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, sought to evangelize and convert the aboriginal people. This created a bitter divide between the traditional practitioners of Midewiwin and the Catholic converts. Champlain returned in 1608 to create a settlement in what is now Quebec City, however at the time the French were interested in trading, fishing cod fish and later hunting beaver. This lifestyle made it difficult to attract potential colonists, and upon Champlain’s death in 1635 there were only 300 settlers in New France. King Louis XIV began encouraging members of his military to remai n and settle in New France after discharge, and also hiring young laborers to work in the colony then encouraging them to stay as well. The recruitment efforts of the King of France resulted in a 2:1 male to female ratio, thus he supported les filles du roi, a plan where poor women without a dowry migrated to New France to be married and bear children. By 1681, the marriages and families of these women grew the population to 10 000. These 10 000 French settlers would produce most of the francophone population of Canada (Phan, 292). Once King Louis XV signed the Treaty of Paris, handing over the French territories to the English, the French military, upper-class and business elite all returned to France. The abandoned settlers turned to the Roman Catholic Church as the clergy begun opening schools and hospitals. The French colony of Quebec wanted to avoid an American influenced political policy which stood for Protestantism, republicanism and war, as well as severing its ties with France following the Treaty of Paris and the French Revolution’s religious prosecutions. The colony then adapted policies of the Church, associating the land with the Vatican instead. The Church system worked well for the prosperity of the people at the time, but later Pope’s decisions would eventually lead to the downfall of faith in Quebec. The early 19th to mid-20th centuries saw the farm, family, faith and language become the sacramental lifestyle of the Quebecois. At the end of the 19th century in Rome, Pope Leo XIII called for a renewal of ecclesial studies to modernise the Church’s lessons to aid in the application against the challenges of the new world. Reform-minded scholars were thus encouraged to explore and revise the conventional positions of the church and were given much elbowroom until the Pope’s death in 1903. His successor, Pope Pius X, had a much different approach. In 1907 the Pope published Pascendi Dominici Gregis, a letter condemning modernism as the synthesis of all heresies (Jodock, 56). The Vatican began enforcing anti-modernism, which set the stage for what would later be the Quiet revolution. `The period leading up to the 1960s was one through which the province had long been undergoing a process of industrialization and urbanization that had dated back to the latter part of the nineteenth century. Various transformations had been taking place, making it no surprise that the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP) was able to dethrone the Union Nationale (UN) as leaders of provincial government. During the 1940s and 1950s, the image most frequently associated with Quebec’s French-Canadian people was that of a church-ridden, agricultural society outside the mainstream of the urban-industrial North American way of life. Although the Catholic Church is credited for the preservation of the French language and culture, the Western world had moved its interest away from the large families and agriculture supported by the Church. This seemingly outdated view of Quebec as a society gave politicians a clear view on what to campaign for. Jean Lesage of the QLP was able to garner over 50% of the popular vote and gain 51 seats to defeat the UN, ending a 16 year run for that party in Quebec. The province was about to come out of the period known as â€Å"la grande noirceur†, due to the scandal and corruption that the Union Nationale leader used to remain in power, and to enter a new era that Quebec still finds itself in at this very moment. The Quebecois expected change and Lesage was to come through for them. As the former provincial government had been supported by the Catholic Church, he had started what seemed to be a secularization process that coincided with the status of religion in Quebec at that time. Between the years 1961 and 1971, religious practice in Montreal fell from 61 percent of the population to 30 percent, and only 14 percent among people aged 16-24. The low number of young Catholics raised many concerns for the Church as to wear they would find future replacements for its aging clergy (Gauvreau). The emergence of lay Quebec organizations that defined nationalism in terms of language and political independence instead of religion also hastened a loss of confidence in the church. Not the least of significant markers in the 1960s was the bishops’ decision to dismantle Catholic Action itself. The entire process resulted in a de-Christianization that most defined carefully as not the decline of private belief, but as the rapid loss of a Catholic public identity. Jean-Paul Desbiens wrote a letter under the name Brother Anonymous criticizing the education system, stating the importance of the involvement and control of the provincial government over such services. The characterization of Quebec citizens as a religious people was outdated and the following period gave birth to a new identity for the Quebecois to latch on to. The Premier began this procedure by having the province take control of education by first establishing the Department of Youth (which became the Ministry of Education in 1964) and provided free education up through high school. Lesage would then go on to make schooling up until the age of 16 mandatory with the belief that educating the youth would lead them to become the successful leaders of tomorrow, replacing the Anglophones who were in control of most of Quebec’s businesses at the time. Continuing the reform, he increased government control over the healthcare system, by implementing a hospital insurance plan in 1961 (a prequel to Quebec’s version of a universal healthcare plan in 1972). These two essential institutions, which had been the responsibility of the Catholic Church ever since the birth of New France, were now primarily in the hands of the provincial government, giving substantiation for the many that now believed Quebec was a secular society. In Conclusion, a land founded and built on Catholicism became a place renowned for its cultural diversity after the anti-modernisation of the Church forced the Quebecois to break free from its monopoly over the province. After exploring how the Catholic faith’s image developed in Quebec, it is made evident that the stereotypical symbols of the 19th century Quebecois had to be shaken in the 20th century in order for them to prosper in the 21st century. Works Cited: Tentler, Leslie W. and Kevin Christiano. The Church Confronts Modernity: Catholicism since 1950 in the United States, Ireland, and Quebec. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America, 2007. Print. 19-90 Jodock, Darrell. Catholicism Contending with Modernity: Roman Catholic Modernism and Anti-modernism in Historical Context. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge UP, 2000. Print. Van, Die Marguerite. Religion and Public Life in Canada: Historical and Comparative Perspectives. Toronto: University of Toronto, 2001. Print. Phan, Peter C. Ethnicity, Nationality and Religious Experience. Lanham, MD: University of America, 1995. Print. Gauvreau, Michael. The churches and social order in nineteeth- and twentieth-century Canada. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2006. Print. Baum, Gregory and Michael Gauvreau. The Catholic Origins of Quebec’s Quiet Revolution, 1931-1970. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2005. Print.