Emma Watson and bell hooks Discuss Feminism

Emma Watson and bell hooks Discuss Feminism If you imagine who British actor Emma Watson is hanging out with on any given day, feminist icon bell hooks probably doesnt come to mine. But it turns out that Watson, the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, and hooks, a leading feminist theorist and cultural critic, have mutual girl crushes on each other. Watson began reading hookss work after her appointment to the UN, and hooks is a fan of Emmas for her portrayal of Hermione Granger in the  Harry Potter  film series. Paper Magazine got them together to talk about their crushes and the essence of thema shared passion for feminism. These are the most insightful and inspiring takeaways from it. The Struggle to be Cool Watson and hooks reflected on how girls and women often struggle to actualize their authentic, empowered selves because of internalized expectations of who we are supposed to be and how we are supposed to act. Watson recounted how when she first began playing Hermione Granger, she felt pressure to distance herself from the character while giving interviews out of a fear that it was not cool for girls to behave like Hermione. She remembers asking herself, What do young girls talk about? What do they say?, and coming up with, I like going shopping and I have a crush on Brad Pitt, even though what she really liked at that time was school, and had no idea who Brad Pitt was.   This story resonated with hooks as an example of how girls go through periods of trying on acceptable images of femininity, which serves to illustrate that as a society, we need to broaden and diversify those acceptable images so that girls and women can feel comfortable being who they really are. The Importance of Self-Love and Not Trying to Please Everybody When hooks asked Watson what power means to her in the context of feminism, Watson explained that what has been most empowering for her as she has studied feminism through reading is how it has enabled her to let go of self-criticism, and instead, to practice self-love. hooks added that, especially in the digital age, when people can so easily take your words and actions out of context and vilify you for them, it is important for women and girls to get over any kind of attachment to perfectionism, or to being liked by everybody all the time, or understood by everybody all the time. Girls and women, far more than boys and men, are socialized to please others, and it is truly hard to shake off this expectation, but the truth is, it is not our job to make everyone happy and like us. And this is truly a liberating realization. Feminists Can Be and Are Fun and Funny! Both Watson and hooks acknowledge that feminism gets a bad rap because of stereotypes of feminists as humorless killjoys, and this is a serious problem for the movement. In contrast, Watson explained that part of what she loves about hooks is how funny she is when she speaks about feminism. hooks then pointed out, Humor is essential to working with difficult subjects: race, gender, class, sexuality. If you cant laugh at yourself and be with others in laughter, you really cannot create meaningful social change. Feminists Must Be Allowed to Be Whole, Complex, and Balanced People Related to the fact that feminists can be and are funny,  hooks discussed the larger problem of women not being represented as whole and complex people as they age. Instead, in popular culture and in the popular imaginary, they lose their sexuality, their empowerment, and the essence of what makes them cool- something that hooks fears happened to Hermione in the film version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. hooks admitted that as she has aged, she has felt constrained by expectations that she must be the activist version of herself at all times, but that there is more to who she is than the person who fights racism and sexism. She explained that she is genuinely interested in fashion and beauty too, and she counseled Watson to keep fun and leisure in her new life of activism, saying, Everyone needs to have a balanced life. Being balanced is crucial, because it helps us not to over-extend or to try to live up to other peoples expectations in ways that leave you feeling empty . Feminism is Listening and Learning hooks applauded Watson for working hard to learn about feminism and issues that affect women and girls by reading widely and by engaging broadly with a diverse group of people. Watson said of taking a year off from acting, I want to do a lot of listening, which is an important aspect of the feminist worldview and practice: listening to others and learning from them. We Must Bravely Breach Boundaries The meetings- theyve had a few now- and conversations between Watson and hooks have crossed boundaries of age, race, class, nationality, profession, and that between academia and the public sphere. This kind of meeting and talking across boundaries, with respect for difference and an interest in learning from it, is crucial to the liberatory work of feminism. Of their newfound bond and shared commitment to feminism, hooks remarked, I feel like part of creating a world that is just and diverse is pushing against those boundaries that close us off from one another. Im glad that Im not closed off from you, and that were going to have more fun conversations in the days ahead. Anyone who fancies themselves a feminist, or a person committed to equality for all, can learn a lot from these two.

6 Interesting Facts About the Hispanic Population

6 Interesting Facts About the Hispanic Population Facts and figures about the Hispanic American population reveal it is not only the largest ethnic minority group in the United States but also one of the most complex. Individuals of any race (black, white, Native American) identify as Latino. Hispanics in the U.S. trace their roots to a variety of continents, speak a variety of languages and practice a variety of customs. As the Latino population grows, the American public’s knowledge about Hispanics grows as well. In this effort, the U.S. Census Bureau compiled statistics about Latinos in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month that shed light on where Latinos are concentrated in the United States, how much the Latino population has grown and the strides Latinos have made in sectors such as business. Latinos face challenges as well; they remain underrepresented in higher education and suffer from high rates of poverty. As Latinos gain more resources and opportunities, expect them to excel. Population Boom With 52 million Americans identifying as Hispanic, Latinos make up 16.7% of the U.S. population. From 2010 to 2011 alone, the number of Hispanics in the country jumped by 1.3 million, a 2.5% increase. By 2050, the Hispanic population is expected to reach 132.8 million, or 30% of the projected U.S. population at that time. The Hispanic population in the U.S. in 2010 was the largest in the world outside of Mexico, which has a population of 112 million. Mexican Americans are the largest Latino group in the U.S., making up 63% of Hispanics in the nation. Next in line are Puerto Ricans, who make up 9.2% of the Hispanic population, and Cubans, who make up 3.5% of Hispanics. Hispanic Concentration in the U.S. Where are Hispanics concentrated in the country? More than 50% of Latinos call three states (California, Florida, and Texas) home. But New Mexico stands out as the state with the largest proportion  of Hispanics,  making  up 46.7% of the state. Eight states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Texas) have Hispanic populations of at least 1 million. Los Angeles County boasts the highest number of Latinos, with 4.7 million Hispanics. Eighty-two of the country’s 3,143 counties were majority-Hispanic. Flourishing in Business From 2002 to 2007, the number of Hispanic-owned businesses in 2007 jumped by 43.6% to 2.3 million. During that time frame, they grossed $350.7 billion, which represents a 58% jump between 2002 and 2007. The state of New Mexico leads the nation in Hispanic-owned businesses. There, 23.7% of businesses are Hispanic-owned. Next in line is Florida, where 22.4% of businesses are Hispanic-owned, and Texas, where 20.7% are. Challenges in Education Latinos have advances to make in education. In 2010, just 62.2% of Hispanics aged 25 and up had a high school diploma. In contrast, from 2006 to 2010, 85% of Americans aged 25 and up had graduated from high school. In 2010, only 13% of Hispanics had obtained at least a bachelor’s degree. More than double that proportion of Americans generally (27.9%) had obtained a bachelor’s degree or a graduate degree. In 2010, only 6.2% of college students were Latino. That same year just more than a million Hispanics held advanced degrees. Overcoming Poverty Hispanics were the ethnic group said to be hardest hit by the economic recession that kicked off in 2007. From 2009 to 2010, the poverty rate for Latinos actually increased to 26.6% from 25.3%. The national poverty rate in 2010 was 15.3%. Moreover, the median household income for Latinos in 2010 was just $37,759. In contrast, the median household income for the nation between 2006 and 2010 was $51,914. The good news for Latinos is that the amount of Hispanics without health insurance appears to be declining. In 2009, 31.6% of Hispanics lacked health insurance. In 2010, that figure dropped to 30.7%. Spanish Speakers Spanish speakers make up 12.8% (37 million) of the U.S. population. In 1990, 17.3 million Spanish speakers lived in the U.S. But make no mistake. Speaking Spanish doesn’t mean one isn’t fluent in English. More than half of the country’s Spanish speakers say they speak English â€Å"very well.† Most Hispanics in the U.S. (75.1%) spoke Spanish at home in 2010.

Book review of Hiroshima by Ronald Takaki Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Book review of Hiroshima by Ronald Takaki - Essay Example He seeks to prove that the American desire to end the war was just one of the many factors that lead to the final decision to drop the bomb. The story around Takakis argument is the little known reasoning behind the decision to drop the atomic bomb. Instead of simply focusing on the most accepted reason, to end the war, he explores other factors other than the obvious. His study of Harry Trumans letters to his wife, sister, mother, and his secret Potsdam Diary to open a "way to a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of the reasons for the atomic attack" (Takaki 5). By analyzing the feelings of the President he succeeds in bringing together the many factors that led to the end decision. He proves to the reader the overwhelming postwar concern that Truman and other leaders felt and their urgency to exert their world power and dominance towards Stalin and Soviet expansion. As Robert Griffith reveals in his article for The American Historical Review Dwight D Eisenhower was aware of these postwar concerns writing, â€Å"Eisenhower struggled to strike a balance among the competing claims of the services and his lette rs are filled with angry denunciations of military self interest† (Griffith 96). Takaki reveals that in the beginning the atomic bomb was intended to target Germany, not Japan and that it was later determined that Germany did not have any atomic capabilities therefore diminishing the threat. Takaki then questions why the bomb was then dropped on Japan, a country we also knew did not have any atomic capabilities. He says, "The reason for this acceleration was not the possibility of Japanese atomic threat. Japan lacked the resources and technical knowledge to become a nuclear power" (Takaki 20). As Andrew Rotter confirms in his book review for the Journal of American History, â€Å"Japans nascent bomb project was

Factors that Alter the Perceived Quality of Products Essay

Factors that Alter the Perceived Quality of Products - Essay Example Not only are consumers bombarded with overwhelming decision-making scenarios on a constant basis, numerous other considerations come into play before they determine which product they want to buy including the amount of time they have to shop, the time they have available between other activities, and their other daily stresses and concerns. Add the constant deluge of sales pitches, different combinations of benefits, complicated terms of service, fluctuating prices, and highly persuasive, psychologically driven promotional messages and consumers' perception of product quality is highly compromised. A great deal of research has gone into determining just how consumers deal with it all in order to come to any form of buying decision. These studies have discovered that a great deal of consumer decisions are based on a weighted measure between perceived quality, current need, and other emotional factors (Morris & Morris, 1990). While it is not possible for marketers to control consumers ' current needs, there are several ways in which understanding those other emotional factors can help marketers improve perceived quality of products. Perceived quality of a product is very important in consumer buying decisions and will have an effect on how much can be charged for the product as well as where the product should be placed, how it should be packaged, and what types of consumers will be likely to purchase it. When consumers perceive a brand to have a high quality, the brand is able to engage in reverse discounting - reducing the price of an already high-priced product to a point that is still well within the profit margin. Understanding of how much a product is worth is determined to a great degree by the eye of the consumer. This perception can be introduced and maintained by the marketer through the application of a high price tag and sometimes restricted market access. This marketing practice establishes the product as being rare and of high quality, encouraging c onsumers to pay more in order to improve their personal status within a similarly educated society (Passewitz, 2005). Continued feelings of perceived quality can be enhanced without prohibitively pricing the product out of the market by introducing value bundling. By bundling complimentary products together and offering them at a 'discounted' rate, consumers are encouraged to consider the probable cost of the individual pieces and perceive a good deal (Evoy, 1999). However, this method of manipulating perception of quality has its own bundle of concerns. Different approaches taken in research on this topic include examinations of price, the decision-making process, motivation, and application of the elaboration likelihood model (ELM). Price Studies into how price can be used to influence consumers' perception of product quality have identified two major strategies (Morris & Morris, 1990). Consumers see the low prices of bargain brands and assume that the strategy is to sell in bulk. The assumption is the products are of inferior quality - serviceable but not necessarily built to last. 'Quality' is thus defined as durability and not mass produced as opposed to 'value' which is defined as how many (in quantity or benefits) can one get for how few pounds. When the goal is instead to emphasize the high quality of the product, the competition is focused on being the highest priced on the market (Morris & Morris, 1990). To justify the additional expense, marketers bring attention to the higher than average quality of materials used and other attention to detail. In this way, high end marketers build off of the preconceived ideas of quality established by low end marketers (that 'quality' is

Decade of Corporate Greed Essay Example for Free

Decade of Corporate Greed Essay Ascended in the 1980’s he reinvented Republican policies that favored deregulation and the growth of business in America. These Ideas markedly opposed the views of the governmental interventionist policies of the 1960’s and 70’s with these ideas Reagan hoped to decrease government Involvement and heavy taxes. With these tax cuts Reagan’s thinking was that many new businesses would spawn and that it would have a trickledown effect by not only empowering businesses to grow and hire more people which in the end would benefit all from those on top in the corporate world all the way down to the lowest person in the company in which everyone benefits. This was welcome news not only to the Republicans but also the â€Å"lunch bucket democrats† who were working class democrats who predecessor Jimmy Carter of whom they thought they were ignored by. As a result of this many government services were slashed and created ideas of the government being the problem. With this many republicans encouraged individuals to do good for themselves for the government would not do this for them. With this encouragement of business growth and economic prosperity for as many people as possible individualism became a way of life in the 1980’s. The acquisition of wealth and indicators of it really helped to drive this decade in the 1980’s where it seemed most important to acquire as much â€Å"material† goods as possible. These ideas were also shown in the pop culture world as the artist Madonna made a hit song in the 80’s called â€Å"material girl† a song of the times basically about greed and gaining as material things as you possibly could with no shame of this greed. Also Gordon Gekko the fictional business tycoon in the film â€Å"Wall Street† stands up at board meeting to stress and states â€Å"Greed is good†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Greed will not only fix this malfunctioning corporation called Teldar paper, but also the other malfunctioning corporation called the U. S. of A. † There were even excesses being taken in sports, as Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds had greed of singles, doubles and stolen bases, also greed in gambling cost him his spot in Major League Baseball. It was also in this decade baseball experienced â€Å"free agency† destroying loyalties and players selling themselves to the highest bidder as player contracts doubled from just the decade before. Once these Republican policies had trickled down to popular culture it almost seemed to validate this style of politics, it seemed as if the Republicans ascendance to power had spawned this culture and decade of greed that was so actively embraced by the American public. With this these politicians simply stated that they were just acting in accordance to what the public’s wishes were. With this success that Reagan had in the 80’s America had once again began to reassert itself on the world stage after a challenging decade of struggling in the 1970’s. Reagan is thought to be responsible also for the victory in the cold war that had lasted for decades before his term. The new thinking in the 80’s was not that this was greed but more of what the Republicans called prosperity and success. Some of the negatives of these changes were Reagan deregulated everything which in effect destroyed competition and this created oligopolies. Some examples of these are in the airline industry he deregulated the industry causing every airline in the country, except 2 to become bankrupt, as the deregulation in the broadcast industry resulted in just a few major players like Disney and Clear Channel dominating the playing field. As for under the Reagan administration money in politics became more strong then ever and that still holds true today in the world of politics for it seems like we no longer have elections, we more like have auctions for where it seems the candidate who has the most money to spend on getting their name out is usually the one who wins in these political battles, especially for the Presidency. What this does now and back then in the 80’s where it started is a corporation who might want certain laws or tax breaks passed to better help their needs funds that candidate to get elected and then in turn expects them favors to be returned when that candidate is elected. This new concentration of wealth created a whole new class of millionaires, however on the downside for every millionaire there were several hundred homeless people. With this came more negativity that came with the corporate greed of the 80’s. For these people who became homeless and poor due to these millionaires greed were blamed for dragging down the economy by Republican politicians and their mouthpieces in the media, while the truth we found out later is that indeed it was these rich people who were ripping us off and actually were responsible for dragging down the economy. Going as far to blaming the poor the city of Los Angeles installed a fingerprint system to guard against welfare fraud that cost the city and hardworking tax payers 30 million dollars, and for all of this it caught one cheater. While at the same time â€Å"White collar† crime was rising and costing us more than street crime cost, also doing more damage and arguably causing more deaths. Reagan also had a deregulation of the savings and loans industry which was a total debacle and ended up costing Americans 500 billion dollars which is part of the still current banking problem that is going on today. Unfortunately Reagan also began the practice of sending American manufacturing jobs overseas, another move that made the rich even more rich and greedy and made the poor have even less than they did before. Despite all these negatives it can be argued that Ronald Reagan was the most important and influential President of the last 60 years, loved by the Republicans and loathed by the liberals. Reagan turned half a century of political and economic orthodoxy and turned it on its head. It can be argued that he turned those who were Roosevelt democrats. So whether you loved or hated Reagan there is no doubt that administration and the greed of 80’s is still alive today. My though would be if your rich, you like the corporate greed and excessiveness that took place in the 80’s, however if you are poor you are wondering why this turned out like it did.

An Inspector Calls :: English Literature

Drama: An Inspector Calls- Task One ----------------------------------- Written in 1946, "An Inspector Calls" takes us into the comfortable and complacent world of the Birling family who are disturbed during a celebration by the arrival of a mysterious police inspector. A young girl has committed suicide and it is revealed how all members of one family contributed to it. "An Inspector Calls" resorts to the ripping off of masks that we human beings frequently wear, with the Inspector relentlessly pursuing the truth. Just when the audience is tiring of discoveries, the whole action is given a violent twist and everyone is caught up in the unfolding events. When each member of the Birling family find out that they contributed to the death of Eva Smith, they react in very different ways and learn different things from the experience. Mr Birling is an arrogant and recognisable capitalist. He is highly conceited, and believes that whatever he says is true, for example "The Germans don't want war!" and "[Russia] will always be behindhand". We know that these statements are incorrect because of the war between Germany and England and Stalin's influence on Russia. However, Mr Birling seems oblivious to the warning signs of such serious matters. Or he just decides to blank out all the bad aspects of life, which do not concern him directly. When the Inspector arrives, Mr Birling tries to use his influence as a highly placed local to put down and demoralise the Inspector. This attempt is immediately dismissed as the Inspector does not seem to be interested in Mr Birling's influence. To try to show his importance Mr Birling remarks that he was "an alderman for years- lord mayor two years agoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦is still on the bench". However, the Inspector does not take any notice of this and continues with the investigation. As Mr Birling tells his part of his involvement in Eva's death, he manages to tell it in a way that makes him seem fair and kind to his workers. However, this is just a cover for his conscience and the Inspector and the audience can see this. In reality, he is greedy. Every penny in his pocket counts, and he tries to makes it seem that he feels that his workers deserve no more than the national average pay, if that. Nearer the end of the play, he begins to show remorse, although this remorse is directed more toward the fact that he may not get his knighthood because of the scandal, instead of feeling remorse at his actions in the situation. This is shown quite well when he says "But I care. I was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours List".

Class and School Size

It is important for students to receive the best education that their schools can offer to them because this would greatly contribute to their future and overall performance. Education is a significant part of a person’s life. Without it, people would have a hard time finding suitable and satisfying jobs and earn money. Still, several factors can affect a person’s learning process. Class and school size are important factors in students’ learning because this would affect their behavior and way of thinking.A class or school that is made up of a large number of students would be hard because it would mean that teachers and instructors would have a hard time monitoring each and everyone’s progress. They would not be able to concentrate on each child, which would somehow have a negative effect on the student because they would feel neglected and unimportant as compared to those who are being closely monitored. As such, there is a possibility that the students ’ learning and education would suffer because they would feel that they are not important members of the school’s community.A small sized class or school has its pros and cons. It would be good for the students because they would be guided and taught without much difficulty. They would also be able to build a close relationship with their classmates and their professors, which would help make them feel comfortable and can encourage them to learn. However, this type of setting would make the students used to being monitored and even â€Å"spoon-fed† with information. They may have a hard time adjusting when they encounter places where the population is larger, whether in another school or at the workplace environment.

Pollution in China Essay

Introduction China, with its rapid industrialisation seems to have paid its price by witnessing steeply rising levels of pollution. With millions of largely unregulated industries, the vast rivers, streams and lakes have become easy avenues for chemical, textile and tanning industries to discharge their toxic contents at will. The paper discusses the pollution in China, its impact on the environment and how it has affected the lives of people.   An Overview of Pollution in China   A report by the World Bank (China 2007) has pointed out that China is facing increased levels of pollution that has kept pace with the rising industrialisation of rural China. The report points out that the use of energy in China has went up by 70 % between 2000 and 2005. The use of coal has also increased by 75% and this has created a corresponding increase in the air pollution. The report points out that China’s emissions of SO2 and soot were respectively 42 percent and 11 percent higher making it the largest polluter in the world. The report also points out that pollution of water, rivers, lakes has also increased to alarming levels. Water pollution is also a cause for serious concern and during 2001 and 2005, about 54 percent of the seven main rivers in China contained water deemed unsafe for human consumption. The report points out that the economic burden of premature mortality and morbidity due to air pollution was157.3 billion Yuan in 2003, or 1.16 percent of by WHO. The report suggests that pollution costs China more than 147 billion Yuan a year in the form of increased health related costs. A report from CBS news says â€Å"China’s air pollution seems like a problem just for that country, think again. The stuff spewing out in China has now been detected in the United States, and some suspect it’s beginning to affect the U.S. climate China’s far-reaching dust and soot cloud travelling to the West Coast hits Hawaii first, and that may be why temperatures in Hawaii are rising. A lot of early-computer modelling of Chinese pollution’s effects on the global climate is turning out to be just plain wrong. This is why a massive new study with ground and air monitoring across Asia starts next year† (Yinchaun, 31 March 2000). Following table shows the air quality in China Table 1. Trends in Air Quality in China’s Cities (%) (China, 2007) The following table shows the distribution of particulate matter in air Table 2. Distribution of PM10 and SO2 Levels in 341 Cities, 2003 and 2004 (China, 2007)   The list of pollutants that infect China re provided in the following table. Table 4. List of major pollutants and their categories (China, 2007)   Clare (Clare D’Souza, 2002) reports that â€Å"Energy consumption, especially coal consumption, is the main source of air pollutants such as particles, SO2, NOx, and CO in most cities of China. As the primary energy source, coal has accounted for about 65 to 70 percent (China Statistical Yearbook 2004) of total energy consumption in recent years, which has caused many environmental and human health problems. Crude oil consumption has been increasing because of the rapid expansion of the motor vehicle fleet in many cities. In recent years, epidemiological studies conducted around the world have demonstrated that there are close associations between air pollution and health outcomes. PM10 and SO2 are chosen in many studies as the indicative pollutants for evaluating the health effects of ambient air pollution. Although the mechanisms are not fully understood, epidemiological evidence suggests that outdoor air pollution is a contributing cause of morbidity and mortality. Epidemiological studies have found consistent and coherent associations between air pollution and various outcomes, including respiratory symptoms, reduced lung function, chronic bronchitis, and mortality†. The author suggests that industry â€Å"size† is controversial with respect to environmental issues. In some studies large enterprises have been deemed to be more pollution intensive in comparison with small enterprises. The author reports that small enterprises as being more environmentally friendly due to their size and found small plants to be far more pollution intensive because they are difficult and costly to regulate. Empirical research has suggested that enterprise size is inversely correlated with emissions intensity in developing countries. World Bank and other institutions have found that small enterprises are pollution intensive (Mani, 1997).   Karshenas (1992 author has pointed that the Winter’s (model of business and the environment may be a more appropriate way of approaching the problem. According to the author, â€Å"enterprises may not have mastered perfection in terms of ecological sustainability but enterprises can make a systematic assessment of the areas where improvements can be introduced. Although Winter goes beyond traditional management theory, the model emphasizes ecologically sound processes and practices right throughout a firm, from company policy, employee relations, supply chain, public relations and marketing. A firm should consider prevention, reduction, recycling and disposal of wastes throughout its operations. They should use sustainable inputs in environmentally friendly manufacturing processes that result in greener outputs (i.e. maintaining environmentally friendly processes for a product from cradle to grave). This would prove to be profitable, provided that the end users, be they industry or consumers, are committed to using green products. Ideally, enterprises should take control of their own operational structure by viewing cleaner manufacturing as a competitive and strategic challenge, they should resort to manufacturing life-cycle analysis, environmental auditing and environmental reporting. The reality is that an enterprise cannot consider making a product ecologically sound without considering how its raw material acquisition, development, manufacturing, distribution, sales and disposal systems impact on the environment. The author suggests that has gone one step further by stating that managers in a green venture start from a different mindset. They recognise that becoming green is an opportunity to establish a unique position in a niche market or, by being able to produce a higher value product with fewer resources, to gain a competitive advantage. He proposed a trisect by which sustainable business is based on the concept of balancing ecological, economic and social factors†..   Action to fight pollution   The government of China has redoubled its efforts in fighting pollution and has organized task forces at the local levels. The structure is shown in the following figure. Figure 1. Main Government Partners in the Project   The report has identified a number of measures to fight pollution and these are displayed in the following table. Table 4. Sectors and Pollutants Included in the CECM (China, 2007) The team has implemented certain steps to fight the pollution and these are illustrated in the following figure.   Figure 2. Flow Chart for Estimating the Economic Cost of Pollution (China, 2007)   The following steps have been proposed: Step 1: Identify the pollution factors, polluted area, and related conditions. Step 2: Determine affected endpoints and establish dose-response relationships for pollution damage. Step 3: Estimate population (or other) exposures in polluted areas. Step 4: Estimate physical impacts from pollution using information from steps 2 and 3. Step 5: Convert pollution impacts in physical terms to pollution costs in monetary terms. Indiscreet reaction by the Chinese government Wang (Wang Xiangwei. 4 Jun 4, 2007) reports that the Chinese government is paranoid about maintaining a good image about China, for fears that it may hurt its business stakes. The author reports that the most convenient way for China to control pollution is by jailing activists who point out the problems of pollution. The author reports about the village of Wuxi and how it was affected by pollution. â€Å"For hundreds of years, Wuxi , on the edge of Tai Lake, was the envy of the nation. In the heart of the Yangtze River delta and known as â€Å"the land of fish and rice†, it was bestowed with fertile land and abundant waterways, and was also home to famous poets, painters and industrialists. Since recently however, the city has become a stinking hell for its five million residents as a blue-green algal bloom from the heavily polluted lake contaminated the city’s tap water, making it foul-smelling and undrinkable. After scrambling for six days with emergency measures, Wuxi officials said yesterday the tap water was drinkable. But the residents, who have relied on bottled water for drinking and cooking, have every reason to be suspicious. Xinhua has reported that after the usual cleaning aids such as activated carbon failed to remove the odour, the city adopted what Mayor Mao Xiaoping called â€Å"a bold move† by pouring huge amounts of potassium permanganate (Condy’s crystals) into water-intake points. This allowed the strong oxidising agent to remove foul-smelling matter from the pipes. But Xinhua failed to explain that potassium permanganate is hazardous and can be a health risk. As the Wuxi officials brazenly claimed credit for winning the battle against the water crisis, none of them yet had the decency to apologise to the suffering residents. All of them have blamed factors beyond their control – higher- than-normal temperatures that helped to foster the growth of the algae, a lack of rain and favourable wind conditions, and the lowest water level in the lake in five decades. In fact, the fundamental cause of the crisis is the lake’s heavy pollution – as several mainland environmentalists have repeatedly warned the authorities in the past decade. Wu Lihong, 39, is one of them. He has spent large sums of his own money over the past 16 years collecting evidence of pollution at Tai Lake, the mainland’s thirdlargest freshwater lake, and petitioning the local authorities to shut down the polluters. Now, with a water crisis on its hands, one would imagine any government that claims to â€Å"put the people first† would give Wu a medal of honour and make him a hero. Instead, Wu, known as the Tai Lake anti-pollution warrior in overseas media, is languishing in jail and awaiting trial on June 12 on trumped-up charges of blackmail. A farmer turned businessman who grew up in Zhoutie town in Yixing – a small, booming industrial city under the jurisdiction of Wuxi – Wu witnessed the lake turn into a cesspit. He then made it a personal crusade to petition authorities to shut down more than 2,000 chemical factories in Yixing that spewed toxic pollutants into the lake every day. By passing the local bureaucracy and filing reports to higher- level government officials has led to limited success he is welcomed, even liked by many central government officials and national media in Beijing. In 2005, he was chosen as one of mainland’s top 10 environmentalists and honoured at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People. But he incurred the wrath of local officials and has been constantly harassed by local policemen, officials and thugs. He was arrested again in April on charges of blackmail after the local officials set a trap for him. They offered him 40,000 yuan for a mission to attract investment from other mainland cities, and then laid charges of blackmailing the authorities. His lawyer, Zhu Xiaoyan , said that Wu had told her that he was whipped while in custody, and she was not allowed to see him until more than six weeks after his arrest. Like Gao Yaojie , a retired Henan doctor who refused to keep quiet about Aids, Wu has refused to stand down despite the threat of jail. The mainland leadership should learn from the fiasco of trying to muzzle Ms Gao and release Wu immediately†.(Wang Xiangwei. 4 Jun 4, 2007).   Conclusion Pollution in China has assumed the proportion of an epidemic with wide ramifications on the health of the people, the environment, air and water. The paper has presented discussed various aspects of the problem and presented statistics to show the extent of pollution. Certain recommendations have also been made so that the pollution could be averted and reduced to some extent. References China, 2007. Cost of Pollution in China. Retrieved 18 January 2008 from www.worldbank.org/eapenvironment. Clare D’Souza, 2002. The nexus between industrialization and environment. Journal of Environmental Management and Health. Volume 13 Number 1 2002 pp. 80-97 Karshenas, M (1992), â€Å"Environment development and employment: some conceptual issues†, in Bhalla, A.S (Eds),Environment Development and Employment, WEP Study, ILO, Geneva, Mani, M, Pargal, S, Huq, M (1997), â€Å"Does environmental regulation determine the location of new manufacturing?†, World Bank, Washington, DC, Policy Research Working Paper Wang Xiangwei. 4 Jun 4, 2007. Release the man who first raised the alarm about Tai Lake’s pollution China Briefing. South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. P. 5 Xinhua, 26 December 2006. China’s Energy Conditions and Policies. Xinhua News Agency – CEIS. p: 1 Yinchaun. 31 March 2000. A Global Problem: China’s Pollution. Retrieved 18 January 2008 from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/03/31/archive/main178697.shtml

Confucius Essays - Chinese Philosophy, Confucianism, Confucius

Confucius Essays - Chinese Philosophy, Confucianism, Confucius Confucius Confucius Confucianism was the most important thing in Chinese life, but who was Confucius the person? Before the respected philosopher Confucius was born, China was constantly in a state of war. The teachings of Confucius helped to reform China. Confucius lived a long and prosperous life, he was self-taught but spread his wisdom to many, and he was very influential in politics even though he never held a major government position. Confucius was born in 551 B.C., in the state of Lu (modern day Shadong or Shantung Province), into a low aristocratic family. His parents died when he was very young and left him to take care of his older brother who was crippled. He was given the birth name Kong Qui. Confucius comes from the Latin word Kongfuzi, which means Great Master Kong. He married at age nineteen and had two children, a son and a daughter. He was very much a family man though he did travel a lot. Confucius loved music, and when he traveled to a neighboring state of Lu, he became so absorbed in it that he forgot to eat. Confucius was a large man of great physical strength. His last couple years of life were probably bitter due to a number of deaths of his close associates. He died in 479 B.C. at the age of 72. Confucius was for the most part self-taught, although he was not too proud to learn from people inferior to him. At age 15 he set his mind on learning. He derived his learning from the first Chou kings Wen and Wu. He claimed that he wasnt born with his knowledge, which exemplifies his pursuit of wisdom. At age 20, he became a teacher. He traveled widely, gaining disciples who are responsible for writing down his sayings and ideas in the analects. His teaching stressed the importance of traditional relations of filial piety and brotherly respect. He was for the most part supported by his students though he may have received some form of pay from the government. He never refused to teach anyone, no matter how poor they were. Confucius is the first known professional teacher in Chinese history. He spent his life not only preparing himself for government positions, but also preparing his students. Several of his disciples went on to hold key positions in the government. In addition to te aching, Confucius spent much of his time on classics such as poetry and music. Confucius was a large believer that things should be based on virtue, and not on blood. Confucius dream was to have a position as advisor to a wise ruler, but never accomplished this. He held several minor governments positions throughout his life. He held these positions only for short periods of time due to conflicts with his superiors. He went to place to place offering advice to many Chinese rulers. If they didnt take his advice, he would move on to the next place saying that he was not going to force anyone to take his advice. At age sixty-seven, Confucius returned to his native state, but his advice was not regarded there. Jan Chiu (a former disciple of Confucius) asked him his opinion about raising taxes, and he said to do what was in favor of the people. When Jan Chiu went ahead and raised the taxes anyway, Confucius denied him as one of his disciples. Confucius was often asked war advice, and he would say that though he had some knowledge of sacrificial vessels, he had not studied warfare, and therefore he could not help. At old age, Confucius was disappointed because he never got to participate fully in government, and he said, As far as taking trouble goes, I do not think I compare badly with other people. But as regards carrying out the duties of a gentleman in actual life, I have never yet had a chance to show what I could do. Confucius was one of the most influential people in Chinese and world history. His knowledge is still regarded to this very day. Confucius changed everything in China, including education, government, and attitudes toward behavior in public and private life. If Confucius had never lived, the modern world of

Quotes From the Famous Novel Catch-22

Quotes From the Famous Novel 'Catch-22' Catch-22  by Joseph Heller is a famous anti-war novel. Even if youve never read the book, youve likely heard about its premise. The title of the book refers to a situation where no matter what choice you make the outcome will be bad. The concept has been widely referred to in popular culture.   Here are a few quotes from the novel to refresh your memory, to give you a taste for this classic, or just for you to enjoy the language and lines of Joseph Hellers famous work. Catch-22 Quotes Chapter 2 An unreasonable belief that everybody around him was crazy, a homicidal impulse to machine-gun strangers, retrospective falsification, an unfounded suspicion that people hated him and were conspiring to kill him. Chapter 3 He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt, and his only mission each time he went up was to come down alive. Chapter 4 Youre inches away from death every time you go on a mission. How much older can you be at your age. Chapter 5 Fortunately, just when things were blackest, the war broke out. There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for ones own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Or would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didnt, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didnt have to, but if he didnt want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. Thats some catch, that catch-22,  he observed. Its the best there is,  Doc Daneeka agreed. Chapter 6 Catch-22...says youve always got to do what your commanding officer tells you to. But Twenty-seventh Air Force says I can go home with forty missions. But they dont say you have to go home. And regulations do say you have to obey every order. Thats the catch. Even if the colonel were disobeying a Twenty-seventh Air Force order by making you fly more missions, youd still have to fly them, or youd be guilty of disobeying an order of his. And then the Twenty-seventh Air Force Headquarters would really jump on you.   Chapter 8   History did not demand Yossarians premature demise, justice could be satisfied without it, progress did not hinge upon it, victory did not depend on it. That men would die was a matter of necessity; which men would die, though, was a matter of circumstance, and Yossarian was willing to be the victim of anything but circumstance. But that was war. Just about all he could find in its favor was that it paid well and liberated children from the pernicious influence of their parents. Clevinger was a troublemaker and a wise guy. Lieutenant Scheisskopf knew that Clevinger might cause even more trouble if he wasnt watched. Yesterday it was the cadet officers; tomorrow it might be the world. Clevinger had a mind, and Lieutenant Scheisskopf had noticed that people with minds tended to get pretty smart at times. Such men were dangerous, and even the new cadet officers whom Clevinger had helped into office were eager to give damning testimony against him. The case against Clevinger was open and shut. The only thing missing was something to charge him with. Ill tell you what justice is. Justice is a knee in the gut from the floor on the chin at night sneaky with a knife brought up down on the magazine of a battleship sandbagged underhanded in the dark without a word of warning.   Chapter 9 Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.    With a little ingenuity and vision, he had made it all but impossible for anyone in the squadron to talk to him, which was just fine with everyone, he noticed, since no one wanted to talk to him anyway.   Chapter 10 Major Major never sees anyone in his office while hes in his office. Chapter 12 Open your eyes, Clevinger. It doesnt make a damned bit of difference who wins the war to someone whos dead. The enemy, retorted Yossarian with weighted precision, is anybody whos going to get you killed, no matter which side hes on, and that includes Colonel Cathcart. And dont you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live.   Yossarian sidled up drunkenly to Colonel Korn at the officers club one night to kid with him about the new Lepage gun that the Germans had moved in. What Lepage gun? Colonel Korn inquired with curiosity. The new three hundred and forty four millimeter Lepage glue gun, Yossarian answered. It glues a whole formation of planes together in mid-air. Yossarians heart sank. Something was terribly wrong if everything was all right and they had no excuse for turning back. Chapter 13 You know, that might be the answer - to act boastfully about something we ought to be ashamed of. Thats a trick that never seems to fail.   Chapter 17 There was a much lower death rate inside the hospital than outside the hospital and a much healthier death rate. Few people died unnecessarily. People knew a lot more about dying inside the hospital and made a much neater, more orderly job of it. They couldnt dominate Death inside the hospital, but they certainly made her behave. They had taught her manners. They couldnt keep death out, but while she was in she had to act like a lady. People gave up the ghost with delicacy and taste inside the hospital. There was none of that crude, ugly ostentation about dying that was so common outside the hospital. They did not blow up in mid-air like Kraft or the dead man in Yossarians tent or freeze to death in the blazing summertime the way Snowden had frozen to death after spilling his secret to Yossarian in the back of the plane. Chapter 18 Dont tell me God works in mysterious ways, Yossarian continued, hurtling on over her objection. Theres nothing so mysterious about it. Hes not working at all. Hes playing. Or else Hes forgotten all about us. Thats the kind of God you people talk about - a country bumpkin, a clumsy, bungling, brainless, conceited, uncouth hayseed. Good God, how much reverence can you have for a Supreme Being who finds it necessary to include such phenomena as phlegm and tooth decay in His divine system of creation? What in the world was running through that warped, evil, scatological mind of His when He robbed old people of the power to control their bowel movements? Why in the world did He ever create pain?   Pain? Lieutenant Scheisskopfs wife pounced upon the word victoriously. Pain is a useful symptom. Pain is a warning to us of bodily dangers.   Chapter 20 He had failed miserably, had choked up once again in the face of opposition from a stronger personality. It was a familiar, ignominious experience, and his opinion of himself was low. Chapter 36 And looking very superior, he tossed down on the table a photostatic copy of a piece of V mail in which everything but the salutation Dear Mary had been blocked out and on which the censoring officer had written, I long for you tragically. R. O. Shipman, Chaplain, U.S. Army. Chapter 39 Morale was deteriorating and it was all Yossarians fault. The country was in peril; he was jeopardizing his traditional rights of freedom and independence by daring to exercise them. Chapter 42 Run away to Sweden, Yossarian. And Ill stay here and persevere. Yes. Ill persevere. Ill nag and badger Colonel Cathcart and Colonel Korn every time I see them. Im not afraid.

'It is impossible to discern from the approach of the judiciary to Essay

'It is impossible to discern from the approach of the judiciary to either the question of the incidence of the burden of proof - Essay Example CJS is accountable for apprehending the criminals, penalising them for their offences, executing the orders of the court like custodial punishment, collecting fines imposed by courts, supervising the community and to rehabilitate them for stopping future crimes2. CJS evaluates its operation by employing the following five indicators namely a) bringing crimes to justice b) enhancing the awareness and confidence of the public c) satisfying the victims by sentencing the criminals d) to redress the disproportionality among various races and e) recovery of stolen assets or properties3. As per recent research study carried over by academics at Birmingham University reveals that crime rates will tend to decline when there are tougher prison sentences and further there is a direct link between levels of policing activity and crime reduction . Hence, the study strongly suggests that UK government should desist from downsizing its police personnel, mainly on the grounds of cost cutting. The ab ove study found that prison imprisonment was especially successful in minimising the property crime by repeat and serious offenders in UK. It also found that if sentence is increased to 16.4 months from that of 15.4 months, it is likely to minimise the burglaries in the succeeding year by 4800 out of annual aggregate of 962,700. The report finds that there is unambiguous evidence that more effective and sustained policing will definitely minimise the crime rates in UK4. Burden of proof in criminal cases Under English criminal law , the most renowned cannon is that the accused will be treated as innocent until the prosecution proves the guilty of offence of an accused by beyond realistic doubt. Though the English law assumes an accused as an innocent, but it yet requires upon the prosecution to produce adequate evidence so that the court can declare the accused as an offender. The famous maxim as held in Hobson5 that one innocent man should not be punished even if ten guilty men coul d escape from the punishment. Earlier, in Woolmington v DPP, where defendant W claimed that he killed her wife accidentally. In that case, the court was of the view that defendant had the onus of proving any defence it which wanted to forward. However, the same was turned down by the House of Lords, and it held that, the prosecution had the onus of establishing all the components of crime except in some extraordinary cases, and it did not acknowledge any defences forwarded by the accused6. Thus, the â€Å"golden thread â€Å" rule which inflicts the whole legal onus on the prosecution, and the maxim that the Crown must establish its case beyond any satisfactory doubt was held in very old case namely 7White8. Thus, in Woolmington case9, the House of Lord set precedent by pronouncing that the prosecution assumes the whole onus in criminal cases. It is claimed that by placing the whole burden of proof on prosecution, it helps to minimise the wrongful convictions by police. It also de notes the severity of criminal convictions and thereby increases the moral convictions among the police. Thus, under English law, the prosecution is responsible for any of defences put forth by an accused like alibi, provocation, self-defence or duress. In Ashley v Chief Constable of Sussex Police,10 in criminal proceedings, the onus of negativing self-defence lies upon the prosec

Ethnography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Ethnography - Essay Example Thus, through this method, ethnography was created and later developed to become one of the most important contributions of human society to the science of knowledge in the 20th century. As ethnography became the predominant form of data collection in this period, one of its proponents, Clifford Geertz, considered this new, emerging form of social science as a "thick description." Ethnography as a social science that possesses "thick description" is reflective of its ability to bring out a multitude of perspectives from a single observation of a society or culture. However, this very character of ethnography as a social science is also 'interpreted' in various ways, and this will be the focus of the discussions that follow from this text. Discussing and analyzing the works of Clifford Geertz, Peter Winch, and Charles Taylor concerning the issue of ethnography as an alternative form of knowledge and perspective in the field of social science, the concept of "thick description" is best illustrated. This paper posits that Geertz, Winch, and Taylor's interpretations of ethnography as a "thick description" contained variations of how each proponent viewed research in social science must be conducted. Each proponent offered different views on the epistemological roots of ethnography both as a methodological and conceptual discipline or field of study in social science. II. Clifford Geertz: Balance between quantitative and ethnographic data Clifford Geertz is one of the leading ethnologists that began the 'ethnographic revolution,' an American social scientist who developed the field of symbolic anthropology, wherein symbols and rituals are interpreted based not on their ecological and economic meanings, but on the meanings of these symbols and rituals within the context of the culture wherein they are found and practiced. He was also the one who introduced the term "thick description" to describe the science of ethnography. In order to make sense of this concept of 'thick description,' it is best to understand how Geertz utilized his knowledge and ability to interpret cultures using a different, non-Western perspective in his classic work, "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight." In this particular ethnographic study, Geertz looked into Balinese society and culture in terms of its most dominant and prevalent ritual: cockfighting. In "Deep Play," the anthropologist interpreted Balinese cockfighting as a ritual that is symbolic in nature, wherein his interpretations included the findings that cockfighting is symbolic of Balinese men's masculinity, and the collective nature of Balinese society in general. Cockfighting as a ritual that reflected Balinese men's masculinity is specifically represented by the cock itself, wherein the Balinese man "is identifying not just with his ideal self, or even his penis, but also, at the same time, with what he most fears, hates" Moreover, as a collective ritual participated by the many, Balinese cockfights are also symbolic of what Geertz termed as the "migration of the Balinese status hierarchy into the body of the cockfight" (Geertz, 1973). Both in individualistic and