Patient Satisfaction Survey Essay

Healthcare is a very important aspect of today’s society. Thus, there is a conscious effort on the part of all stakeholders to constantly monitor the quality of healthcare services provided to patients in order to determine the need for improvement or innovation. The primary concern of this effort is the improvement of the present health condition of the people and the ethical concept of promoting life itself due to which, significant efforts and concerns are always given for the quality of healthcare services. (Fleming, 2004, 16). In order to effect this laudable goal of assessing the quality of healthcare provided by different concerned institutions, tools such as surveys are developed and used. Surveys that assess the level of satisfaction derived by patients from health care providers could be helpful for the improvement of services (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2007). On a daily basis, feedback from patients could give insight on the kind of service they experience in hospitals or other medical facilities (Kowalczyk, 2005; Fahy, 2008). Medicare, in an effort to understand the needs and experiences of patients, came up with the Patient Satisfaction Survey program. Problem Statement. In order to gain better understanding of the Patient Satisfaction Survey, as well as its effects on the behavior of professionals belonging to the health care industry, research that is based mainly on current literature is aimed to be conducted. Review of existing literature on the subject of patient satisfaction through the Medicare program called Patient Satisfaction Survey (Health Resources and Services Administration) could give substantial information on the institutions that implemented the project and feedback from different stakeholders. Such information could shed light on the effectiveness of the project vis-a-vis the intent for its launch. Patient satisfaction on the kind of service received from health care institutions like hospitals could be determined through the survey tool formulated by Medicare (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2007). Hospitals who implement the program would be able to churn out a good number of accomplished survey forms on a daily basis (Kowalczyk, 2005; Fahy, 2008). Research on data from such institutions would therefore be very helpful in gaining insight on the kind of performance that a hospital is able to give to its patients. The literature review could give answers to a lot of heretofore unanswered questions concerning various aspects of the health care industry, such as the speed with which a patient’s call is attended to by a health care professional, the degree of attention given by a physician to a patient’s concerns, and the cleanliness of health care facilities (Kowalczyk, 2005; Skehan & Petrillo, 2003). Significance of the Study  Since the Medicare Survey, particularly the questions and answers, would be posted on its website in an effort to push hospitals into improving health care and promote quality service delivery (Kowalczyk, 2005; Skehan & Petrillo, 2003), current literature could help paint a picture of the state of health services being given to patients across the United States today. Existing literature could also show how far implementation of the project has come through, especially the institutions that have adopted and enforced the program. A particular question that needs to be addressed by the literature is the effect of the survey results on the perception and belief of patients on the hospitals they choose to serve their medical needs. Thus, it is important that the facts to be gathered include tables, graphs and statistics that would show the general trend and effect of the survey results on the mindset of the patients.

Dakota Territory and Tool Box Enhancing

The only thing that's holding them back is the right group Of people. â€Å"Okay. So w?al need a scientist or two in case conditions are too harsh, too hot, or too dangerous. We need a strong body builder in case there really is life on Venus. We should bring some friends too so they can experience this incredible opportunity. And last but not least, the person who is willing to stay back, in case we†¦ -Dakota gulped. Never come back†¦ They will come looking for us. Dakota says sternly and seriously.Duke brings back his pro wrestler friend, Jack, who is willing to tag along. Dakota calls her old science teacher, Mr.. Seemlier and explains everything. He brings two more scientists because of how ecstatic they are to do this. Jake, Kelly and Viper are down to go as well. â€Å"Now are you guys still on board? Says duke. The whole gang simultaneously says yes and nods their heads. â€Å"Now. We need supplies. Jack, you get the cameras, video tapes, audio recorders, everythi ng. † † Mr.. Seemlier, you and your scientists will get the dried astronaut food.Two weeks' worth. † â€Å"Jake, Kelly, Viper. You guys will need to bring gallons of water, first aid supplies, and anything else you may need. † â€Å"Duke and I will handle the pillows, blankets and clothes. We will also make sure our space craft is ready for takeoff. † â€Å"Wait! Who's guan be the person to stay back in case something happens? † says Duke. â€Å"Crap I forgot! Molly will! Know she will. I'll call her. † Dakota repels. â€Å"So we all meet here. Tomorrow. With all supplies. No later than sunset.We don't want it to be too hot. † 1 . The words highlighted in blue are the sentences that use the repetition of words. The words highlighted in yellow are the short phrases separated by commas. The words highlighted in purple are the short sentences to provoke a fast paced tone. 2. Used dialogue to show that they like each other a lot and t o show how serious they were about this conspiracy. I feel I choose appropriate words for the situation such as â€Å"l was born ready. † And â€Å"Now are you guys still on board? †

Current Political Situation of Pakistan: Overview Essay

The article initially provides a brief overview about current political situation of Pakistan. Pakistan is a developing country and it is politically unstable but we live in the world where everything is possible. Democratic governments have always failed to complete their tenure which eventually results in a long lasting dictatorship reign. In Pakistani politics, there is a clear domination by few families only and these families have never produced long lasting fruitful results. The political system has been stagnant since 70†²s and no drastic change has taken place. The chair of head of state has been a war between the head of the army staff and a few noticeable political leaders. Who has suffered? Well, you guessed it right, the nation! Pakistani Politics Current Situation If we observe the political situation of Pakistan, much of the politics is based on different ethnic groups. It’s fair to say that the current political situation of Pakistan is in dire need of substantial changes if we compare it to the political systems of leading nations in the world. Role of Political Parties in Pakistan Pakistani PoliticsAlmost every party represents a particular ethnic group, therefore no party has got the support in every region because the role of political parties in Pakistan is very much based upon different ethnic groups they represent. This is one of the major reasons of slow development in some specific areas as compared to others. There are a number key problems in political system of Pakistan, & the list grows on and on with every passing minute. Read the News: Nawaz Sharif has become a better person Nawaz Sharif demands America to stop drone strikesReal Face of Mian Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto High Court appraises Mian Shahbaz Sharif’s Dengue work PML (N) MPA arrives at Assembly Hall on motorcycle to take oath Nawaz Sharif: Corruption would not be tolerated Shahbaz Sharif: We would continue from where we left off Shahbaz Sharif: Our government would reduce expenditures Dr Abdul Qadir Khan: PPP was corrupt where as Shahbaz Sharif did development work Pakistan to produce electricity from Coal, orders Nawaz Pakistani Politics Pakistani politics has started to take an adverse route as the layman pursues to struggle in the rut. The current situation in Karachi and Baluchistan is worse than ever. The blame of these riots clearly is on politicians who are just manipulating different groups to get benefits for themselves. If the current political situation in Pakistan does not change, the country would keep on suffering at the hands of monarchs and waderas! The role of youth in politics seems to be missing in this scenario and needs to be looked upon if the country is to strive for betterment. One possible solution for the underlying problem is to improve the problems of education system that erodes as every day falls behind. â€Å"Words, without power, is mere philosophy† Let’s join hands, let’s walk together, let’s make Pakistan a better nation!

EMPLOYMENT LAW Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

EMPLOYMENT LAW - Case Study Example Equal treatment in school and in the workplace is a civil right under federal and state laws†. In this given problem, the sexual advances made by Jami’s boss constitute sexual conduct in the work environment. The traumatic ordeal she had to go through forced her to seek medical and psychiatric treatment to overcome the sexual abuses she had experienced in the hands of her employer. In the case of Smith V. First Union National Bank (202, F. 3d 234,242, 4th Cir. 2000), sexual harassment was defined as a situation when â€Å"a work environment consumed by remarks that intimidate, ridicule, and maliciously demean the status of women can create an environment that contains unwanted sexual advances.† Jami, who is a victim of sexual harassment should file a complaint against Mr. Clark, her boss before the U.S. Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or file the case before the federal or state court. During the hallway review, Mr. Hallway even insisted that she can go b ack to her work only if she dropped the charges against him. Clearly, this harassment by the boss continued to persist because he knows that Jami is in dire financial distress because she was supporting her ailing mother. The former boss still places her in a hostile situation even if they no longer had a working relationship. The acts committed against Jami undoubtedly falls within the context of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Title VII of The Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended in 1991), which â€Å"prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin with respect to compensation, terms, conditions and privileges of employment†. In a number of occasions in the work place of Jami manifested that sexual harassment was present. First, the colleagues who commented on her physical attributes, like her body; and Second, the offensive gesticulation of Mr. Clark, the Vice-President of the company who stared at her body parts in a provocat ive manner, are indicative signs of sexual harassment. It is evident that a sexually hostile atmosphere was present in the work place. The illicit invitations made by Mr. Clark on Jami for lunch and out-of-town getaways on one weekend at his cabin, constitute sexually obnoxious behavior. These instances are severe enough to form the basis for a legal claim of sexual harassment. Although Jami accepted the invitations made by her boss on two occasions, her refusal to give in to his sexual demands such as kissing to maintain her present position in the company is an indication that she does not consent to the immoral acts. The case of Smith V. First Union National Bank (202, F. 3d 234,242, 4th Cir. 2000) stated that: â€Å"It was sexual harassment for a male supervisor to tell a female employee that women are too emotional to be in the workplace, that they need sex in order to perform well, and that violence may be the only way to keep a woman in line†. In the similar case of Sc hmidt V. Smith (684 A.2d 66, 1996), the Supreme Court ruled that: â€Å"This falls within the purview of sexual harassment when a young New Jersey woman left her job after six weeks, because the President of her company, among other things, constantly asked her to have sex with him, and on several occasions, grabbed her and tried to kiss her.† The situation of Jami is undoubtedly indicative of a sexually aggressive and antagonistic work atmosphere. However, due her current financial situation, she was forced her to reconsider giving in to the sexual favors of her boss in to retain her job. However, in the end, she refused to give in to the sexual innuendos of the boss in exchange for her position in the company. Thus, her rejection resulted to her demotion and reduction of her pay per year, and earned her a poor evaluation

Email and Privacy and how Cyber Law Protects User Rights Research Paper

Email and Privacy and how Cyber Law Protects User Rights - Research Paper Example After the discovery of the internet, electronic communication has rapidly evolved and hence the internet has grown to a complete unregulated and an unplanned phenomenon. The inventors of the internet and the World Wide Web never anticipated that it could lead to extreme undesirable consequences (Bazelon, 2001). The growth rate of the internet has been expanding at an alarming rate where recent studies indicate that the population of internet users is doubling after every three months due to the emergence of social sites as well as development of e-commerce. Many people are turning to electronic means of communication being offered by the internet, especially e-mails which can pass, store, and retrieve information from a database provide by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). However, as the internet becomes more useful day after day, it has been blamed on various sandals of money laundering, moral decay, as well as several legal issues related to privacy and hence the emergence of cy ber laws which contain all the regulatory and legal aspects of the world wide web and the internet(Bazelon, 2001). The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution deals with the issues concerning searches and seizures which may in one way or the other compromise an individual’s privacy and one case that involved such a violation was United States v. Warshak (Trout, 2010). Warshak was enjoying the reasonable expectation of privacy of his e-mails from his Internet Service Provider, Nu Vox until government agents compromised his rights by ordering the ISP to preserve and issue his emails without first obtaining a warrant which was to be based on probable cause, thus in accordance to the Fourth Amendment, the government agents had violated the privacy rights of Warshak. However, the agents depended on good faith with reference to the Stored Communications Act even though this exclusionary rule was not applicable in such a case (Trout, 2010). In another case involving United States v. Bynum, Mr. Bynum gave his information with the expectation that ISP would protect the privacy of his int ernet and phone subscriber information. However the internet service provider violated the Fourth Amendments by releasing personal information of Mr. Bynum to the FBI without them first obtaining subpoenas (Schwartz, 2009). Another similar case involved the U.S v. Councilman, in this particular scenario Councilman retained his client’s personal information especially his competitors through Wiretap in violation of the Wiretap Act. The interception and seizure without consent of his customers was contravention of the Fourth Amendment. Thus there was an urgent need to amend the Wiretap Act to have a broad definition of the word â€Å"intercept† to include electronic communication temporary in transit because the previous definition only encompassed the e-mails on electronic storage in computers. Congress amended the definition on 22nd July 2004 (Bazelon, 2001). Discussion During the case of United States v. Bynum, 08-4207, the court failed to accept the argument from the defendant that the use of subpoenas by the government in an effort to get subscribers information from his ISP was a violation of the Fourth Amendment rights of privacy (Trout, 2010). The court ruled that there was lack of evidence that â€Å"†¦the defendant had a subjective expectation of privacy in his internet and phone subscriber information†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Later he voluntarily accepted that he had freely given his personal data to his ISP and phone company and as a consequence, he had assumed the risk that theses companies could reveal his information to the authorities without his jurisdiction (Trout, 2010). Additionally, the court noted that Bynum was capable of demonstrating a subjective expectation of privacy with regard to this information, and then the information was subject to reasonableness test.

Report on Diversity day episode Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Report on Diversity day episode - Essay Example Employees are inconsiderate of other employee’s feelings. One employee shreds papers rudely inconveniencing another, who is on the phone. He even goes further to cut off a call from a client. Dwight steals a colleague’s client. Such behavior illustrates the absence of office etiquette. Michael Scott as the Scranton Regional Manager should set a good example and the standard for the way people conduct themselves in the workplace. The Diversity Day training is organized by corporate in response to an incident in which Michael made racially offensive statements. Having everyone sign the Diversity commitment paper in order to avoid embarrassment shows preferential treatment in corporate. There should be fair treatment of all members of an organization. At the seminar, he does not provide a good environment for Mr. Brown, the course facilitator to do his job. Michael also discriminates against black people in the office. He lashes out at them for failing to take responsibility for mistakes they make and blames them for expecting praise for doing what is expected of them. He later extends this discrimination to the Mexicans by suggesting that the term represents something that one should feel ashamed. Role acting about minority communities propagates stereotypes. The role of Michael representing Martin Luther Jnr is an insult to the civil rights movement and the black community he represented. The statement that most streets named after the civil rights record the highest number of violence propagates the stereotypes that black people are violent. The show also suggests that Arabs are violent people while upholding the perception that Jews are shylocks. It is worth noting that several laws broken in the show. For example, the slapping of Michael breaks the law against violence at the workplace. His imitation of Indians deliberately singles a member of the minority community subjecting her to emotional pain

Juvenile delinquency Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Juvenile delinquency - Research Paper Example Statistics showed that the young people are the ‘most active part of the population involved in illegal activities’ based on different forms of risks factors such as peer pressure, lack of parental or adult guidance, etc. thus, resulting into different forms of crimes such as substance abuse, and even murder in the most serious case scenarios (2005). Juvenile delinquency is an issue that affects both the legal and social aspects of the society. Although the problems related to delinquent behaviors can be rooted to the biological risk factors and parental supervision, the solutions undertaken by the society transcends the boundaries of personal and family life. The legal aspects and the establishment of the juvenile justice system can be considered as the main intervention established by the social and political leaders to resolve the problems related to juvenile delinquency. Juvenile justice is directly related to juvenile delinquency on the precept of finding solutions to the problems related to the latter. The main focus of juvenile justice includes the crimes that are committed and/or affected the youth. These cases had been recorded through history and each period had established certain rules and guidelines to handle these types of problems but the cases of problematic youth still continue. Based on the work by William Sanders in 1970, it had been de noted that juvenile offenders of the law had been recorded for 1000 years and such problems had been known even earlier (Shoemaker and Wolfe, 2005, p.3). The juvenile justice had started prior to the formal establishment of juvenile courts. During the early part of history, e.g. the era of feudalism, social control can be considered as the most stringent in every aspect of the society. Due to the social structure, the family was considered as the basic unit of social control. But

Gendering the Mythic World Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Gendering the Mythic World - Term Paper Example They also include false beliefs that certain societies use in order to give justifications to certain social institutions. Additionally they could be some sort of invented stories or ideas and concepts since they are about imaginary things or fictitious events and persons. Gendering on the other hand can be understood as socially defining certain sets of norms that are behavior related within certain cultures and are considered appropriate to a given sex. They include attitudes, personality traits, and actions related to particular sex in a society. Therefore gender differs in behavior and personality in accordance to the societal and cultural factors. Gendering myths is therefore deciding the gender roles of the characters depicted in the mythical tales based on the society and culture that the myth seeks to explain. This paper therefore seeks to discuss how: the mythic world has defined roles for men and women based on how the given societies and cultures deemed appropriate. The mythic world has defined roles for men and women based on how the given societies and cultures deemed appropriate. (Ferranti, 17 -21) outlines: in the ancient Greek women are depicted by many of the mythical stories as having strong feminine power which were mysterious and un-understood by men. Women gave life to people in this ancient age when the mystery of birth was just beyond man’s conception. The process of fertility, conception and birth were barely understood by the society. Consequently, males are depicted to so anxious about this mysterious feminine power to give life. Thus women were meant to raise and guard children. The roles that women played in the mythic stories are depicted as ladies of marriage and guardians of children, they thus were expected to give birth, raise and guard children. Similarly the myth of ancient Egyptian goddess, Isis talks of the same role that women played in giving life from what was in existent as will be

Film review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Film review - Essay Example In 2012 the film won prize in the nomination for best director in Sundance and was nominated for â€Å"Oscar† as best feature-length documentary. The documentary film starts with acquaintance with the narrator Emad Burnat, who experienced many events in his life, which he could name a â€Å"hot flame†. His life once became a mix of hope and pain. He made this film to â€Å"hold onto the memories† (â€Å"Five Broken Cameras†). For these purpose he had five cameras of different size. Each camera was filming one episode of Emad`s life. He was born in Bil`in – a village surrounded by hills - and spent all his life there. In childhood he used to work the land with his strict father and, like all urchins, he was not in delight of such activity. He wanted to walk with friend in the open valleys. Once he saw the Israeli survivors, which came to build a protecting wall in the middle of his family land, and his life changed. The first days after bulldozers arrival seemed hard for him. However, Emad has happy memories from this time too – his fourth son was born. The narrator bought his first camera for this occasion. We see the episode, how Emad is filming his family, his elder sons. Emad says that each of his boys was â€Å"a phase† in his and his wife`s lives and â€Å"each boy experienced a different childhood† (â€Å"Five Broken Cameras†). He notices his first son was born in 1995 â€Å"in the time of hope after The Oslo Peace Accords†. The urbanization came closer and closer during the childhood of Emad and the birth of Gibreel, his fourth son. This process was taken more and more territory for the purpose of movement of Israeli settlers. The newest settlement rapidly doubled its population, it took only five years for this and the barrier was finished to separate the settlers. The following minute we hear the sound of gun. â€Å"Soldiers are in the village†, says Emad`s wife (â€Å"Five Broken

Nutrasweet in China Essay Example for Free

Nutrasweet in China Essay To come up with a decision to the whether enter the Greater China Market or not we decided to approach the case with a SWOT analysis. Strengths NutraSweet is an artificial sweetener that is one of the most recognized brand names in the United States and in the world. NutraSweet’s earnings per share is $ 6. 36 and with huge capitalization and investments in diverse products. Stacey has the approved budget of $ 500,000 to market NutraSweet in China. NutraSweet has the flexibility on how to position their product in terms of functionality, or either as sugar substitute or health product for diabetics. Weaknesses The research conducted towards the Chinese consumers may not truly reflect the real sentiments of the consumers towards NutraSweet. NutraSweet has not decided on building its own distribution system and may rely on foreign agents for distribution. NutraSweet is more expensive than ordinary white sugar. Opportunities China is a big market and can provide higher profitability to the company. China is the second or eighth largest economy in the world; depending on how it was gauged. There is a perceived consumers’ infatuation with Western brands. Chinese maintain healthful lifestyle so the potential for NutraSweet to launch their product in China is strong. Threats Sugar is a common household purchase as a sweetener and has been part of Chinese households for decades. Culture dictates that there might be difficulty in replacing traditional use of sugar with NutraSweet. The Chinese market is so diverse and it is difficult to come up with a general characteristic to define them. Artificial sweeteners are known by history of skepticism for saccharin and potential health hazards. There is difficulty in attracting and retaining local employees and as such, NutraSweet is having doubts in investing into training their marketing and sales personnel for fear that the employees would not stay long in the company. There are only very few foreign agents that operate in China. Sugar use and consumption levels differed among 3 key markets –Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing. Arthur Andersen survey in China showed that most joint ventures from food and drink were not profitable. Most MNCs in China are unprofitable despite substantial growth. Majority of the Chinese are considered â€Å"flat-bellied† and don’t see the need for a diet regimen. The Chinese culture also dictates that they are not that concerned with their teeth, hence they don’t have that fear of tooth decay. The company should enter the Greater China market as a niche product for consumers with a medical need. The company cannot delay its entry in the China market, especially with factors such as an average of 10% economic growth, a quickly emerging middle class, and a high possibility in consumers’ increase purchasing power. Postponement of entry may mean higher costs in the future and although the company will not immediately profit from the venture, research showed that companies who entered the market 5 to 10 years ago were doing best. The knowledge gained from market entry will allow NutraSweet to sharpen its future strategies. Pros The successful experience in establishing medical awareness in Hong Kong may be applied to the Greater China Market. Entering the Greater China market through the three key cities will provide a better knowledge of the overall Chinese market. A natural market consisting of diabetics and obese customers already exist. Hospital stores and drug dispensaries do not have the bargaining strength that retailers have. Product information campaigns will be facilitated by health professionals who will easily understand and appreciate the product’s benefits. Promotion to medical professionals through associations will not need as much cost as a nationwide mass-market campaign. A $ 2,010,526. 31 in breakeven sales seems very feasible in the Chinese market. Cons The Chinese tend to be slim and had historically not been preoccupied by tooth decay. ? SHORT-TERM The Chinese consumers’ attraction to brand names, especially the number 1 in any category gives NutraSweet an opportunity to establish itself as a first mover in the medical aid products under a new category of sweeteners. The company will launch a product information campaign for medical professionals and will also tap their associations. Associations of diabetics and obese consumers will also be tapped. The company will focus on relationship building with the medical industry. Since poor dental health is a problem in China, the company may also create an awareness drive on the ill effects of sugar on the teeth to lay the foundation of need awareness. The product will be packaged in sachet form with global brand and American image prominent on the sachet to appeal to the consumers’ preference for American brands. The company will capitalize on the convenience of bringing the sachets anywhere with you. The medical industry will be given free samples of the product. The doctors will be taught to promote daily use of the product, with sweetening of milk and coffee or hot drinks as one of the more common purposes. Consumers will be taught to use the product in cooking through the provision of free recipe booklets and cooking demonstration classes. The product will be distributed in the three key cities of Greater China, namely, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing, where the medical industry is more developed compared with the other cities. The company will create its own distribution structure. The product will use the distribution channels of hospital stores and drug dispensaries. Since the focus is on niche marketing, the product will still be sourced from the U. S. plant. LONG-TERM The long-term goal will be to mass market the product in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and use the learning’s from those markets to penetrate the market Greater China. Establishing distribution networks in the two countries will be easier, given the favorable business environments. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, the product will be repositioned as a healthy family lifestyle food, targeting the affluent, health and weight conscious consumers. Aggressive promotion will be pursued, such as print and media ads, and the employment of product endorsers, and store promotions. Consumer awareness and education will be the focus of the campaigns.

Militarization And Weaponization Of Outer Space Politics Essay

Militarization And Weaponization Of Outer Space Politics Essay The exploration and use of outer space à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ shall be for peaceful purposes and shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interest of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [The] prevention of an arms race in outer space would avert a grave danger for international peace and security Prevention of an arms race in outer space, United Nations General Assembly Resolution, A/RES/55/32, January 2001. (PDF Document) Its politically sensitive, but its going to happen. Some people dont want to hear this, and it sure isnt in vogue, but-absolutely-were going to fight in space. Were going to fight from space and were going to fight into space. Thats why the US has development programs in directed energy and hit-to-kill mechanisms. We will engage terrestrial targets someday-ships, airplanes, land targets-from space. Commander-in-Chief of US Space Command, Joseph W. Ashy, Aviation Week and Space Technology, August 9, 1996, quoted from Master of Space by Karl Grossman, Progressive Magazine, January 2000 World Agrees: Space for peaceful purposes Internationally, for many years, it has been agreed that space should be used for peaceful purposes, and for the benefit of all humankind. Examples of uses and benefits include weather monitoring, help in search and rescue, help in potential natural disaster detection, coordinating efforts on detecting and dealing with issues of space debris and minimizing harmful impacts on Earth, research in sciences, health, etc. The United Nations (U.N.) Outer Space Treaty provides the basic framework on international space law, saying that space should be reserved for peaceful uses. It came into effect in October 1967. As summarized by the U.N. Office for Outer Space Affairs web site, the treaty includes the following principles: the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind; outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States; outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means; States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner; the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes; astronauts shall be regarded as the envoys of mankind; States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental activities; States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects; and States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies. Towards the end of 2000, the United Nations General Assembly had a vote on a resolution called the Prevention of Outer Space Arms Race. It was adopted by a recorded vote of 163 in favor to none against, with 3 abstentions. The three that abstained were the Federated States of Micronesia, Israel and the United States of America. (You can see the details from a U.N. press release, together with a list of countries that voted, were absent and so on.) In June 2004, The United Nations reiterated concerns about the militarization of space and not being used for peaceful purposes in a U.N. General Assembly session: The view was expressed that the [U.N.] Committee [on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space] had not been fulfilling the mandate given to it by the General Assembly in recommending ways and means of maintaining outer space for peaceful purposes. That delegation expressed the view that the Committee should address itself to that issue, since military activities in outer space were seriously affecting international cooperation in the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space. Some delegations expressed the view that a greater risk of the introduction of weapons into outer space and the adoption of a concept of a use of force in outer space would undermine the basis for and the very logic of developing nonproliferation mechanisms and of the whole system of international security. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The view was expressed that an international agreement should be concluded to prohibit the deployment of weapons in outer space. Report of the Committee of the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, United Nations General Assembly, Fifty-eighth Session, Supplement No. 20 (A/58/20), 11 to 20 June 2003, pp. 7-8 Similar positions have been reiterated since, too. For example, October 2006 saw a near-unanimous vote at the General Assembly when 166 nations voted for a resolution to prevent an arms race in outer space. Only one country abstrained, Israel, while only one voted against such a resolution, the United States of America. Whether the Committee can be effective, as the General Assembly desire, depends largely on some of the most powerful nations in the world. US Seeks Militarization of Space While various militaries around the world have used Space for years, it has largely been for surveillance satellites etc. However, the Bush Administration in the United States has long made it clear that the US wishes to expand its military capabilities and have weapons in space and therefore also be dominant in this fourth military arena (the other three being sea, land and air). This new ultimate high ground would provide further superior military capabilities. While it would provide additional important defense mechanisms, many worry about the other benefit it would bring-capabilities for offensive purposes to push Americas national interests even if they are not in the interests of the international community. Furthermore, together with its pursuit of missile defense, (which goes against the Anti Ballistic Missile treaty, an important part of global arms control mechanisms), the USA risks starting a wasteful expenditure of an arms race in space. Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, and the resulting War on Terror military-based policies and spending has increased. So too have the policies looking into space-based weapons. The Washington D.C.-based Center for Defence Information (CDI) provides a detailed report suggesting that this should not be a rushed decision: Unlike in Star Trek, the final frontier has yet to become a battlefield. But if the current trends continue, that will change-not in the distance future of science fiction, but within the next several decades. Emerging Bush administration plans and policies are clearly aimed at making the United States the first nation to deploy space-based weapons. There are several drivers behind this goal, including the very real concern about the vulnerability of space assets that are increasingly important to how the US military operates, and the administrations decision to pursue missile defense. Unfortunately, the administration has done little thinking-at least publicly-about the potential for far-reaching military, political and economic ramifications of a US move to break the taboo against weaponizing space. There is reason for concern that doing so could actually undermine, rather than enhance, the national security of the United States, as well as global stability. Thus it behooves the administration, as well as Congress, to undertake an in-depth and public policy review of the pros and cons of weaponizing space. Such a review would look seriously at the threat, both short-term and long-term, as well as measures to prevent, deter or counter any future threat using all the tools in the US policy toolbox: diplomatic, including arms control treaties; economic; and military, including defensive measures short of offensive weapons. There is nothing to be gained, and potentially much to be lost, by rushing such a momentous change in US space policy. Theresa Hitchens, Weapons in Space: Silver Bullet or Russian Roulette?, The Policy Implications of US Pursuit of Space-Based Weapons, Center for Defence Information, April 18, 2002 But because space-based weapons have been on the agenda long before September 11, and the War on Terror, the fight against terrorism is not the sole justification, though it may now add to the reasons. However, long before September 11, the concerns of the US motives for pursuing such policies have been questioned. The fear is that by seeking to create a dominant position in space, the US will become more powerful and others may be compelled to join an arms race in space. The above-mentioned CDI report also points out that The Bush administrations views were directly reflected in the 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), released Oct. 1, 2001. A key objective à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is not only to ensure US ability to exploit space for military purposes, but also as required to deny an adversarys ability to do so, states the QDR. In this context then, space is no longer seen as the resource available for all of humanity, but another ground from which to fight geopolitical and economic battles. The New York Times reported (May 18, 2005) that there is a further push by the US Air Force for weapons in space. Any deployment of space weapons would face financial, technological, political and diplomatic hurdles, although no treaty or law bans Washington from putting weapons in space, barring weapons of mass destruction, claims the Times. Yet, this news article appears to ignore the Outer Space Treaty mentioned above, or the Prevention of Outer Space Arms Race resolution, adopted by a recorded vote of 163 in favor to none against, with 3 abstentions (the US being one of those three). If technically there are no bans on weapons, then certainly such weaponization would go against the spirit of those treaties. What the Times does mention, though, is that There has been little public debate while the Pentagon has already spent billions of dollars developing space weapons à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ preparing plans to deploy them; Air Force doctrine defines space superiority as freedom to attack as well as freedom from attack in space; In April 2005, Gen. James E. Cartwright, who leads the United States Strategic Command, told the Senate Armed Services nuclear forces subcommittee that the goal of developing space weaponry was to allow the nation to deliver an attack very quickly, with very short time lines on the planning and delivery, any place on the face of the earth.' Space superiority is not our birthright, but it is our destinyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Space superiority is our day-to-day mission. Space supremacy is our vision for the future. General Lance Lord, head of US Air Force Space Command, quoted from Air Force Seeks Bushs Approval for Space Weapons Programs, New York Times, May 18, 2005 On August 31, 2006, President Bush authorized a new national space policy, superseding the National Space Policy of September 14, 1996. The policy was based on 8 principles. One was about supporting the peaceful use of space by all nations. However, Consistent with this principle, claimed the policy, peaceful purposes would allow U.S. defense and intelligence-related activities in pursuit of national interests. Two other key principles noted the use of force, if needed to defend US interests: The United States considers space capabilities-including the ground and space segments and supporting links-vital to its national interests. Consistent with this policy, the United States will: preserve its rights, capabilities, and freedom of action in space; dissuade or deter others from either impeding those rights or developing capabilities intended to do so; take those actions necessary to protect its space capabilities; respond to interference; and deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to U.S. national interests; The United States will oppose the development of new legal regimes or other restrictions that seek to prohibit or limit U.S. access to or use of space. Proposed arms control agreements or restrictions must not impair the rights of the United States to conduct research, development, testing, and operations or other activities in space for U.S. national interests; Unclassified National Space Policy PDF formatted document, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the US President, October 6, 2006 Despite its commitment to peaceful use of space as stated in its policy, just a few weeks later, the US was the lone vote against such a resolution at the UN General Assembly (and has voted against such a measure in the past), as mentioned further above. The policy therefore appears to meet the US Air Forces desire for weapons in space. The fear is that others will take a similar view (using the rhetoric of protecting its own interest in space) and encourage an arms race. For many, it may be shocking or disappointing that this might happen, but human history is littered with examples of powerful nations looking to consolidate their position to maintain their dominance which is a major reason for their wealth and success. China and Space As noted further below, China is likely to be considered a possible adversary of the US in the future, and may be one of the countries that could threaten US dominance in space, even though for now it has constantly opposed the use of space for military purposes. Countries that may either have their own power ambitions, feel threatened by the US, and/or are genuinely for peace, may all therefore have different reasons to want space used for peaceful purposes. When China recently blew up one of its aging satellites with a medium-range ballistic missile, it caused mild panic and concern amongst US, UK and other circles. The immediate fear was that China was slowly flexing its muscles and that an arms race was now underway. It was one of the first such acts since the 1980s when the Soviet Union and the US did such things. China is feared to be developing better weapons to do such things, and there was also concern that China didnt inform anyone that it was doing this. This lack of openness is certainly a worry and smacks of hypocrisy for wanting a global treaty to ban weapons in space on the one hand and then using a weapon to blow up a satellite in space later. It may indeed be that China is sincere in pursuing a global ban, but its lack of transparency has certainly diminished confidence in that idea. However, as the BBC noted, Chinas actions may have been in response to Bushs earlier declaration that they will seek to dominate space militarily and prevent a global treaty to ban weapons in space. On the issue of space weapons, the US certainly risks the charge of hypocrisy, the BBC noted. From the US perspective, the announcement of [US policy against a global treaty banning weapons in space] was clearly a response to a perceived threat from China as well as an attempt to preserve the current US advantage in space. Yet, It may be that last weeks test is an attempt by China to push back at the US and put pressure on Washington to consider negotiating a treaty to ban weapons in space. In addition, despite much of the mainstream media implying China had started an arms race, it could be thought that the US had already started it, and that unfortunately China decide to join in. Furthermore, any talk of an immediate threat from China, or one that is not too far off, would seem irrational, as clearly the US arsenal far outweighs any Chinese capability for the short-term future. Thus, any intention China has would result in self-annihilation. The concern the US has then is the longer term. US build-up in the region, fermenting alliances (e.g. India), purportedly due to the War on Terror also serves to check China in a new Cold War as Maryann Keady notes. As China and others increase in economic strength, investment in military and other such areas is going to increase. It is already recognized that China will be spending a lot more on military in coming years, but more to modernize rather than build up. However, in that process, it will likely gain a lot more capability, so people are watching with caution. India too has been investing in more space-based technologies and nuclear programs, which the US has been keen to get involved in. India, for its part has been only too happy for such assistance, even at the risk of neighboring tensions. Militarization of Space for Economic Superiority With regard to space dominance, we have it, we like it, and were going to keep it. Space is in the nations economic interest. Keith Hall, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space, Speech to the National Space Club in 1997. (Emphasis Added) Most wars (hot wars, trade wars, cold wars etc) throughout history have had trade and resources at their core. (See the Military Expansion part of this web site for more on that perspective.) The military superiority of past and present nations has been to defend or expand such national interests. The militarization of space by the USA, even when there has been an international agreement to use space for peaceful purposes, as mentioned above, begs the question why? On 16 January 1984, Reagan announced that Nineteen eighty-four is the year of opportunities for peace. War is Peace, as Orwell wrote in his satirical book [called 1984]. Peace through strength, peace through domination. It is clear to most of the world that the Son of Star Wars, the Nuclear Missile Defense option, is also not about defense, but it is another way for the US to exert its global hegemony. The NMD, as this history of the SDI shows us, is a political weapon to further US ends rather than enhance global security. Vijay Prashad, Shooting Stars, June 15, 2001 While the answer from US authorities is usually along the lines of defensive purposes (as with the related issues of missile defense and star wars, as also discussed on this web site, in this section), many see the domination of space as the ability to maintain, expand and enforce those policies that will serve that national interest. The US military explicitly says it wants to control space to protect its economic interests and establish superiority over the world. Several documents reveal the plans. Take Vision for 2020, a 1996 report of the US Space Command, which coordinates the use of Army, Navy, and Air Force space forces and was set up in 1985 to help institutionalize the use of space. The multicolored cover of Vision for 2020 shows a weapon shooting a laser beam from space and zapping a target below. The report opens with the following: US Space Command-dominating the space dimension of military operations to protect US interests and investment. Integrating Space Forces into warfighting capabilities across the full spectrum of conflict. A century ago, Nations built navies to protect and enhance their commercial interests by ruling the seas, the report notes. Now it is time to rule space. Karl Grossman, Master of Space, Progressive Magazine, January 2000 An Arms Race? How will the rest of the world take to being dominated from above? One doesnt have to be particularly unfriendly to the US to feel uncomfortable. More naturally hostile or suspicious countries could well feel they have been given no choice but to develop their own antisatellite weapons in an attempt to blind US satellites, even though, since the US will far outspend them, the effort would become an ever receding goal. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It will not only make enemies where none exist, it will drive its Nato allies, already nervous and alarmed about the consequences of the ballistic missile shield plan, into a state of antipathy towards America. Jonathan Power, Space-After Titos fun it might be Rumsfelds nightmare, Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research, May 9, 2001 Additionally, the development of weapons in space risks leading to an arms race, as mentioned in the Star Wars section on this site, in discussing the development of missile defenses. Currently, as CDI points out, the threat to US space-based interests is not as much as it is made out to be: Vulnerabilities do not necessarily result in threats. In order to threaten US space assets, military or commercial, a potential adversary must have both technological capabilities and intent to use them in a hostile manner. There is little hard evidence that any other country or hostile non-state actor possesses either the technology or the intention to seriously threaten US military or commercial operations in space-nor is there much evidence of serious pursuit of space-based weapons by potentially hostile actors. Currently, the simplest ways to attack satellites and satellite-based systems involve ground-based operations against ground facilities, and disruption of computerized downlinks. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It is obvious that the United States must ensure the integrity of its increasingly important space networks, and find ways to defense against threats to space assets. Still, there is little reason to believe that it is necessary for the US to put weapons in space to do so. Space warfare proponents are making a suspect leap in logic in arguing that space-based weapons are, or will soon be, required to protect the ability of the United States to operate freely in space. One could argue much more rationally that what is needed most urgently is to find ways to prevent computer network intrusion; to ensure redundant capabilities both at the system and subsystem level, including the ability to rapidly replace satellites on orbit; to improve security of ground facilities (perhaps moving to undergrou nd facilities); and to harden electronic components on particularly important satellites. Furthermore, the evidence of actual space weapons programs by potential adversaries is thin. Theresa Hitchens, Weapons in Space: Silver Bullet or Russian Roulette? The Policy Implications of US Pursuit of Space-Based Weapons, Center for Defence Information, April 18, 2002 However, fearful of the additional advantage, dominance and power the US will have, it is possible other nations may choose to develop their own systems to try and keep up or minimize the perceived threat. This will in turn make the US want to increase its expenditure even more, and so on, leading to an arms race, which risks leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy to justify continued expenditures. Once testing [of space weapons] begins, the need for destructive capabilities in orbit induces a mindset opposed to rational restraint. The mindset becomes unassailable if testing is completed, for then the system must be deployed since, if we have developed the capability, others will want to follow suit and rapidly will do so. Chief of Research, Colonel Daniel Smith, USA (Ret.), Space Wars, Center for Defense Information, February 2001. While the US may possibly be able to afford this, for other nations to get involved into such expenditures will be costly indeed, especially most have other pressing priorities. (It is also somewhat questionable that even the US can afford this in the long term, but the influential US military industrial complex supports this and so tax payers money will help large military contractors, as also discussed in more detail on the Star Wars page on this site.) (The star wars part of this section on this web site, also linked to from above, discusses more about the possibilities of an arms race and an impact on international relations.) China and Russia would seem two of the most likely adversaries that might engage in such a space-based arms race. However, as the Monterey Institute for International Studies in California notes, China has consistently opposed the weaponization of outer space in its official statements, and, along with Russia, has led the initiative to create an international treaty banning all weapons in space through negotiations within an ad hoc committee of the Conference on Disarmament. It could be argued that these nations are only pursuing such a course because they fear the more powerful United States getting even more powerful. This view may take hold in nations such as the US that do not look at the Chinese regime favourably (though much criticism is definitely warranted.) On the other hand, if China is going down this path for self-interest or self-preservation concerns, then by pressing for a treaty to ban weapons in space, they are doing it in a way that will prevent them from using space for their own military advantage. With backing from the United States the desires of the world community to keep space for peaceful purposes could be realized. The various technical monitoring facilities that would need to be in place to ensure compliance would likely mean any nation with desires to deceptively pursure a space militarization program could be thwarted. The US labels other nations that do not want to be part of the international system as rogue, yet one cant help wonder how the US should be labeled on this issue, then. Irans satellite: a look at the implications by Taylor Dinerman Monday, October 18, 2004 Recently, the Iranian military announced that it has successfully tested a 2000-km range missile, the Shahab 5, and the Tehran government has also said that, in April of 2005, they plan to launch the Islamic Republics first satellite. This, combined with the mounting evidence that their nuclear program is accelerating, indicates that we are headed for a major crisis next year. During the debates, both Bush and Kerry talked as if they will be able to stop Irans drive for nuclear weapons and the long-range ballistic missiles to deliver them, if not with diplomacy and sanctions, then with force. If they mean what they say, there is going to be trouble ahead. From inside Iran, a 2000-km missile will be able to hit, to the west, Greece, Turkey, parts of the Balkans, and the parts of Ukraine. To the east, it will cover all of Pakistan and major parts of India. To the south, it will not only be able to target Saudi Arabia, but Yemen, Eritrea and Djibouti, as well. To the north, not only will the nations of the Caucasus and Central Asia be within range, but major parts of Russia, as well. The capability of this weapon is far beyond what is needed for a strike against Israel. This missile and its longer range successors that are already in development are part of a major asymmetric arms buildup. The purpose of this effort is, in the first place, to safeguard the Mullahs position at home, where they are under challenge from a generation of young people who reject the Islamic revolution and the dictatorship it has created. Second, it is intended to provide an umbrella for the extension of their power into Iraq, Afghanistan and the Gulf, through the use of surrogates, such as Al Sadr and Gulbaddin Hekmatyr. If Iran can build and test a nuclear weapon, and prove that it has the capability to build and launch a satellite, even a small one, it will join a new category of states that could be referred to as mini-superpowers. Irans drive for nuclear weapons is obviously not going to be stopped because the Europeans or the Russian ask them to. The Mullahs believe that they need nuclear weapons not only to deploy against the US and Israel but also to safeguard their own regime. This does not mean that they are going to blow up one of their own cities if the locals get out of line, but it does mean that they want the prestige and the burst of nationalist pride that the Indians and Pakistanis got when their governments tested nuclear weapons in the 1990s.They may also hope that the West will fear that, if the regime is overthrown, the ensuing chaos might lead to a loose nukes situation. Under the Shah, Iran not only bought billions of dollars worth of western weapons, but also arranged for thousands of Iranian students to study science and engineering in the US and elsewhere. Many of these students stayed in the West, but thousands of others went back to Iran. Some of them, or people trained by them, are no doubt working on the Mullahs nuclear weapons and on the means to deliver them. If Iran can build and test a nuclear weapon, and prove that it has the capability to build and launch a satellite, even a small one, it will join a new category of states that could be referred to as mini-superpowers. A nation that can launch a satellite can theoretically build an ICBM. Israel and India are members of this club. Pakistan has not yet launched a satellite but has indicated that it plans to do so. Nations as diverse as Brazil, North Korea, South Korea, South Africa, and Japan all have tried, at one time, for membership. Having a satellite in orbit and a bomb in the basement gives a government options, and a certain amount of room to maneuver than states without that capability would have. During its war with Iraq, despite a larger population and greater strategic depth, Iran was nonetheless fought to a standstill, due to Saddams access to better weapons, from the USSR, France, China, Brazil and elsewhere (The US supplied less than 1% of Saddams weapons, mostly training helicopters and Chevy Blazers) and to his massive use of poison gas. The Islamic Republic learned to modify and to adapt the American and British weapons it had inherited from the Shah. The ability to keep even a small part of these systems in operation is not to be dismissed. To imagine, as some analysts do, that Iran is technologically dependent on Russia, North Korea, China, or Pakistan for its nuclear missile and satellite program is surely a mistake. The Shah was an exceptionally ambitious ruler and he laid the groundwork for Iran to develop a sophisticated and capable armaments industry. The requirements of the 1980-1987 war forced them to build on this foundation. Unless great care is taken, the Mullahs military may reserve some nasty surprises for anyone who goes against them. Fortunately, all reports indicate that the regime in place is at least as unpopular as that of the Shah during his last days. Indications of unrest are all over the Internet and even reach into the mainstream press. Sadly, this may not be enough to overthrow the Mullahs any time soon. So the US has got to begin developing some alternative plans for dealing with Iran. The US Army and Marine Corps may be fully engaged in Iraq, but the Air Force and Navy have plenty of spare capacity that could be used if diplomacy fails. Effectively targeting these forces against Irans bomb program and its supporting infrastructure is an exceptionally tough problem for the Pentagons and Centcoms Joint Planning Staff. If the US does nothing, then it is quite possible that, within a decade, Iran will have nuclear-tipped missiles that can hit not only Israel and Europe, but America itself. To counter that threat, the US will need a far more effective missile defense system than the one it has today. Only space-based boost phase interceptors, combined with a real multi-layered defense system, could hope to negate the threat. The final option is to develop and deploy space-based weapons capable of destroying Irans missiles and satellite launchers. This means accepting the weaponization of space, something that the Bush Administration seems to be trying to avoid dealing with. So the US and the West are faced with three exceptionally unpalatable choices. First, they could continue down the diplomatic path. This is currently being pursued, but since the Mullahs are obviously playing

English Based Idioms English Language Essay

English Based Idioms English Language Essay Introduction Language is a major feature of a nation. English language has developed hundreds of thousands of idioms. It has been estimated that about 7,000 idioms are used by a native speakers per week (Cooper, 1999, p. 249). At the same time, grasping idioms can be a great asset to learners in acquiring a new language (Celce-Murcia Larsen-Freeman, 1999, p.36). Idioms are extraordinarily difficult for their flexible structures and figurative meanings (Liu, 2003, p.675). For example, the meaning of high horse has nothing to do with high and horse but means an arrogant people. According to the surface meaning, second language learners can hardly tell its meanings. Also, Language is the most important communication tool. People use language to preserve and transmit human civilization, that is, language conveys the culture. Sapir (1921) observed that culture can be defined as what a human community does and thinks. The function of language is to explain what a thought is. Therefore, language does not exist alone. It is rooted in national culture and reflects national institutions. If culture is regarded as the cradle of language, animal idioms can be seen as the crystallization of culture. Animal idioms are plentiful in English. They prominently reflect English culture. For a long period, studies on animal idioms mainly focus on translation, cross-cultural comparison, literature, etc., such as On the Validity of the Communicative Translation in Idiom Translation from a Cultural Perspective (Wang, 2006), On the Untranslatability in English-Chinese Idiom Translation (Zhao, 2010). However, there are few studies on English animal idioms acquisition linking to British culture. For example, On the Integrated Teaching of Language and Culture in the British and American Literature Courses (Chen, 2009). Animal idioms, like a mirror, can clearly reflect the characteristics of a national culture. Generally speaking, culture is divided into three levels by anthropologists: high culture, popular culture, deep culture. High culture includes philosophy, literature, art and religion. Popular culture refers to customs, etiquette and the interpersonal aspects of life. Deep culture conta ins the meaning of beauty and ugliness, time orientation, problem-solving methods. They believe that these three levels of culture are closely linked. High culture and popular culture are rooted in the deep culture, while deep culture reflects the popular culture by a kind of custom or life style and reflects the high culture by certain forms of art or literary theme. Growing up in a culture has naturally inherited its deep culture and popular culture (Yin Han, 2007). High culture and popular culture belong to low context culture; deep culture belongs to high context culture. In this thesis, the key point is to investigate whether the Chinese English learners can understand the low context culture by examining the command of animal idioms. High context culture is out of the scope of this project. Literature Review Culture and Language There are a large number of definitions in culture, but a few of them can be reviewed. The most classical definition of culture is made by Edward B. Tylor, the father of cultural anthropology. The definition describes the culture as a center of society, which is regarded as the first important anthropological theory about culture. Tylor(1873, p.10) provided that culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of a society. He believed that culture is shared by all humankind, all community. Then, following the definitions of sociologists, they believe that culture refers to human attitudes, institutions, and beliefs etc. Reflecting the life of a human community is the key point in culture. Samovar et al (2000) observe that culture is a group (which may be a nation, corporate or family) to form thought, behavior, custom, etc. within certain amount of time and cultural consciousne ss is radiated from all activities. They think that culture describes the ways of a person or a group of peoples existence. The society, country and nationality are an important platform for peoples existence in generations. That is to say, culture explains the way of thinking, speaking, communicating during the existence. Also, Deng and Liu (2007) point out that culture illustrates the ways of a people, that is to say, culture refers to the entire way of life of a society. The language stems from certain social life and production and is the carrier of certain culture which contains peoples daily life. It inevitably reflects this nationalitys social reality and receives the constraint of this nationalitys custom, thinking mode, moral rule, value orientation, and political idea (Yang, 2007). Each language is a living fossil to a nation. Language as the main material has the most direct and close contact to build a culture. Furthermore, language is used for communication. It is impossible to use a language without awareness of its culture. That is to say, language can be a signal to identify different cultures. When language used by particular speakers, it conveys certain context which is how words be chosen, why to choose it, what meaning can be expressed. Language cannot exist without carrying culture meaning. Given the arguments above, the relationship between language and culture can be described as follows: language come from culture and culture embodies the entire way of life of a society. Using language can promotes cultural spread and culture can promote language development. Language and culture work closely and influence each other. Expressing facts, ideas, or events and reflecting the peoples attitudes, beliefs etc. are the most important function of a language. Language exchange actually is cultural communication. Learning a language well must be aware of its culture. Studies on Idioms Makkais Idiom Structure in English, an extended version of his doctorial thesis (1965), identifies two major types of idioms: one is encoding; another is decoding. Makkai finds a rationale to explain this division. The headword listed in the (OED) (1970) is sense 3a, which also appears in an identical form in the OED (1989): A form of expression grammatical construction, phrase etc., peculiar to a language; a peculiarity of phraseology approved by the usage of a language, and often having significance other than its grammatical or logical one (quoted from Fernando C., 1996, p.3-4). According to Moon (1998, p.4), narrower uses restrict idiom to a particular kind of unit: one is fixed and semantically opaque or metaphorical, for examples, as white as a sheet or cold shoulder. In broader uses, idiom is a general term for many kinds of multiword item, no matter semantically opaque or not. For animal idioms, the form is usually loose, and it mainly focuses on figurative meanings rather than literal meaning, for examples, put the cart before the horse, or straight from the horses mouth. According to Nunberg et al. (1994, p.498), idioms may differ along three orthogonal semantic dimensions: compositionality, conventionality, and transparency. Compositionality refers to the degree to which the phrasal meaning, once known, can be analyzed in terms of the contributions of the idioms parts; conventionality refers to the degree to which idiomatic meanings are not predictable based upon knowledge of the word components in isolation, and knowledge of the conventions of a particular language environment; finally, transparency refers to the degree to which the original motivation of these phrases is immediately accessible (see Titone and Conine, 1999:1663-1664). Wang (2010) mentions in English idioms feature and pragmatics that English idioms with the strong feature of rhetoric are formed from long-tem use and their structures are unique and have fixed expression. It contains proverbs, sayings, slangs, and allusions, etc. There are two important characteristics of idioms: one is semantic unity, that is, the overall meaning cannot be tracked from each word. For example, dog doesnt eat dog. It means that people of same profession, school, etc. never make trouble for one another instead of the surface meaning. Another is the structure of fixity, that is, its structure cannot be altered arbitrarily, for example, kick the bucket. It cannot say kick the pail or be used in the passive voice- the bucket is kicked. Animal idioms and British culture There is a close relationship between animals and peoples lives. On the one hand, animal is the main source of food and clothing for human; the other hand, kinds of animals represent certain images which people pay homage to them. These animals reflect human thought and contain certain national culture. Liao (2000) has defined that there are three bases to make animal vocabularies to cause cultural meanings. First, derive from animals appearances, physical structure, mentality, behavior. Second, come from cultural content such as fables, legends, religions, physical geography, and customs. Third, be created by association, that is to say, animals are associated with another things which relate to potential cultural psychology. In the perspective of linguistics, animal images used in idioms have figurative meaning. Idioms linked to animals usually contain metaphors. Animals denote and connote supposed qualities. These qualities are applied to people and human situations. There is a ph enomenon that no idiom database contains animal or insect, although many contain hyponyms such as cat, dog, or horse. The reason may be that general words such as animal are too neutral to cause these kinds of institutionalized metaphors, despite the fact that both animal and insect are used in other contexts with metaphorical meanings (Moon, R., 1998, p.196). In the meantime, the formation of animal idioms relies on culture. According to the arguments mentioned above, culture refers to all aspects of a people such as geographical situation, the style of production, and literature etc. In the history, Great Britain was the overlord in the sea. Despite the Europe, other continents were the British colonies. Therefore, British nation could contact with many animal species. Britain is surrounded by islands. Due to the abundant resources from physical geography, animal idioms flourished in the early years of that century. Thereby, English idioms have close contact with sea and fishing, for example, hook ones fish. Comparing with China, Great Britain is filled with small mountains and strait lands. In ancient Britain, horses are main tillable force. The function of horses is above all. Thus, there is particularly large number of horse-related idioms, such as horse of another color, an iron horse, or horse sense etc. In ancient China, the cattle played a significant role. That is why so many idioms related to cattle in China, for examples, niu qi chong tian  ¼Ã…’feng ma niu bu xiang ji etc. These cattle and horses have been portrayed by cultural connotation. In addition, some animal images come from Greek and Roman mythology or Bible, like serpent which means Satan in Bible (Zhao, 2010). Animal idioms related studies In the second language learning, correctly using idioms has always been regarded as a tough problem. A learner must recognize the fix structures and given meaning, not only the literal meaning but also the figurative meaning. Figurative meaning refers to metaphors which have close relationship with culture. Whats more, animal idioms are more flexible and oral orientation. It is not easy for second language learners to breach the syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic barriers in idiom learning. Blasko and Connine (2002) made an experiment in comparing Malay and English to investigate second language figurative proficiency. They found two results as follows: First, figurative expressions with an equivalent conceptual basis and linguistic form are the easiest; Second, figurative expressions with an equivalent linguistic form but a different conceptual basis are the most difficult. Lin Weiyan (2003) designed a project to investigate English idiom learning in different cultural background. H e observes that English idioms with same figurative meaning as Chinese are easy to understand comparing with different figurative meaning as Chinese. That is to say, if the English idioms are similar to Chinese ones in expression and meaning, mother tongue will make effectively transfer; if not, mother tongue will make negative transfer. Wu Xudong and Chen Bin (2006) quickly came to the conclusion that the process of conceptual and cultural transfer is the process of comprehending English animal idioms, and Chinese English learners has low capability to comprehend English animal idioms with different metaphors. From the presented studies above, it can be concluded that commanding idioms, especially animal idioms is one of the big obstacles in second language learning. Chinese English learners have the advantage and disadvantage of understanding animal idioms, because there are some similar figurative meanings. But due to the learning environment, Chinese English learners have low capabilities to command animal idioms. Research Question Can the command of English animal idioms greatly influence Chinese English Learners to understand British culture? Hypothesis Due to the relationship with language, animal idioms and culture, command of English animal idioms can greatly influence Chinese English Learners to understand British culture.

Silence and the Notion of the Commons :: essays research papers

The title of this essay â€Å"Silence and the Notion of the Commons† gives the same idea of people as programmable and unprogrammable similar to the idea seen in the Matrix. Whereas programmable people, who are the commons, are the people inside the matrix they are also known as the sheep, the people that believe in everything they are told. The unprogrammable people, who are the silence, are the people outside of the matrix. Ursula Franklin uses a variety of techniques in order for the audience to fully understand her message, and to inform them of the topics discussed in her essay, as is particularly apparent in paragraph 5 of her essay â€Å"Silence and the Notion of the Commons.† Franklin addresses her audience in first person in paragraph 3, â€Å"I would like to thank everyone involved in this conference, and the organizers in particular, for inviting me to deliver this talk. I am very obviously an outsider and wish to come to this group to talk about something that is central to all work that you people are doing.† Franklin addresses her audience personally. She speaks to them about something not necessarily of her interest but of the audience’s interest. Her audience is perhaps mature but may have some people that English may not be a language the understand, therefore by emphasizing very drastically on the important words in her essay by saying them frequently. It is a psychological tact that the more times you repeat a word the better the chance there is of the audience remembering it. In paragraph 4, Franklin uses repetition to emphasize sound and its sources. She uses â€Å"s† sounds throughout the whole passage to imbed the sounds into her audiences mind. The use of alliteration can first be seen in the title â€Å"Silence and the Notion of the Commons†, the sound that standout are the â€Å"S† sounds of Silence and in Commons. This idea is used in paragraph 4 by the repetition of sound and source that is then incorporated into soundscape and landscape. She also uses the phrase â€Å"mix sounds† which is ironic to the fact that she only uses the alliteration of the â€Å"s† sound in mix and in sounds. The use of alliteration also allows the audience to pay close attention to the important words. Another technique Franklin uses to maintain the audience’s attention is her sentence structure. She uses very long sentences throughout paragraph 4 and has 2 short sentences in the middle of the paragraph.

William Shakespeares The Taming of the Shrew Essay -- William Shakesp

William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew "The Taming of the Shrew" could either be seen as offensive or acceptable to women dependant upon the era of which they lived (16th century-the period of Shakespeare, or the 21st century). Act 4 Scene 1 is a main focal point to debate whether the play is seen as offensive to women. In Shakespeare's time, women were not treated humanely but more like objects. Men were seen as the superior sex of which had complete control over women and could marry who ever they wanted. The women had no say in who they married. Basically the two sexes were not treated equally. Also women could not go to school, but had to stay at home to cook and clean. Men could also bet on the behaviour of their wives to see which is the 'tamest'. Obviously a lot has changed since Shakespearian times and men and women are now treated equally and have the same rights as each other. Women can go to school and also choose who they want to marry. In the Shakespearian time the male superiority etc would have been classed as acceptable and normal, but a modern audience would be flabbergasted if they saw a man bidding with the woman's dad to marry her. Throughout Act 4 Scene 1, there are examples of the bad treatment Petruchio forces against Katherina; "I tell thee, Kate, `twas burnt and dried away, And I expressly am forbid to touch it," Act 4 Scene 1, Line 152-3. This quote shows that Petruchio is denying Katherina food by saying it is burnt and later on in his speech that burnt meat produced an excess of the choleric humour, which caused anger. We know he is lying just to make Katherina starve in order to tame her. This could definately be seen as offensive or even a crime for denyin... ...lso the decisions were made not in the sisters interests. In Act 5 Scene 2 the men bet on whose wife is most obedient; "Let's each one send unto his wife and he whose wife is most obedient to come at first when he doth send for her shall win the wager which we will propose" Act 5 Scene 2, Line 66-9. This again shows the women as objects and links to wealth. The men are the superior sex, which have control over all including their wives. My conclusion is, that 'The Taming of the Shrew' could definately be seen as offensive to women, especially in Act 4 Scene 1. The women are shown as betting objects and opportunities to gain in wealth and respect. They were tamed to be the perfect wives through starvation and captivity. Everything that was forced upon the women, were not to their best interests, but to the interests of the person doing it to them.

The Odyssey, Analysis of Hubris, Ate, Nemesis

The Cycle That Continues Today Many people get off a plane and think that was a terrible trip because the security lines were long, the flight was delayed, and the food was terrible. Odysseus’ journey is guaranteed to be a hundred times harder. He spends ten years trying to get home after the Trojan War and has a series of mishaps along the way. Homer, who was a famous bard in Ancient Greece, tells Odysseus’ story in the epic poem, the Odyssey. Throughout the poem, many characters go through the cycle of Hubris, Ate, and Nemesis, causing hardships that never needed to happen, and their mistakes teach readers lessons.The cycle begins when a character is arrogant, acts upon it, and then gets punished based on their actions. Iros, a beggar, decides that he doesn’t want to share the space with Odysseus, who he thinks is a weak old beggar, but he pays in the end. The suitor, Antinoos, leads the pack of men taking over Odysseus’ castle; he dies for his disloyal actions toward the king. Finally, Odysseus’ plan to return to Ithaka is slowed by over eight years after he angers Poseidon’s son by being arrogant. Iros isn’t closely related to the suitors or Odysseus but he still goes through the cycle.Iros’ experience with the cycle results in a loss of food and shelter after he commits his Ate. Iros meets an old and weak beggar whom he thinks he is better than because he is much younger and looks stronger. Then, during his Ate, he challenges the beggar to a fight for the castle‘s Great Hall. In his Nemesis, the beggar, who is actually Odysseus, breaks his jaw in the first punch and then hurts his leg with just a quick kick. Readers can learn through Iros not to judge others by their looks or age. Before the fight, Iros encourages the suitors to pay attention and cheer him on.Iros tells Odysseus, â€Å"Clear-out grandfather or be hauled by the ankle bone. See them all giving me the wink? That means, ‘Go o n and drag him out! ’ I hate to do it. Up with you! Or would you like a fist fight† (Fitzgerald 335). When Iros commits his Ate, he angers Odysseus by insulting him. This shows that people should learn to share, and not take advantage of elders. The cycle continues throughout the story in Antinoos. During Odysseus’ absence, Antinoos thinks he can take over the castle and his wife; this causes him to lose his life.When Odysseus doesn’t return from the Trojan War, people begin to question if he is alive or not. Antinoos and the other suitors decide to take advantage of this opportunity by invading the castle. His Ate is committed when they drink Odysseus’ wine, slaughter his cattle, and mistreat Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, and the other servants. When Odysseus finally returns, still disguised as a beggar, Antinoos throws a chair at him. In the end, his nemesis is being the first suitor to die, since he is the leader of the pack.Readers can learn not to take advantage of others or take what has not been earned. Odysseus and his most trusted servants lock the suitors in the Great Hall, in order to try to kill them. Homer writes, â€Å"He drew the cruel head of an arrow for Antinoos just as the young man leaned to lift his beautiful cup†¦ Odysseus hit him under the chin and punched up the feather through his throat† (Fitzgerald 409). Antinoos’ Nemesis is death at the hand of Odysseus’ arrow, and it is revenge for taking over his castle. Although Odysseus causes the Nemesis of Iros and Antinoos, he experiences the cycle himself.Even though Odysseus is considered the hero of the poem, he still goes through the Hubris, Ate, and Nemesis cycle. In order to escape Polyphemos’ cave, where he is trapped, Odysseus blinds the Kyklopes. After escaping the cave, he boards the ship and with arrogance reveals his name and where he is from. In anger, the Kyklopes asks his dad, Poseidon, to punish Odysseus by making it almost impossible to return to Ithaka, Odysseus’ home, this is his Nemesis. The lesson the reader can learn is that boasting can get in the way of the ultimate goal. Bragging makes others even more mad, and they try to get revenge.Odysseus couldn’t just leave quietly. Polyphemos tells his dad everything he knows and how to punish him. He yells, â€Å"Oh hear me lord, blue girdler of the islands, if I am thine indeed, and thou art father: grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, never see his home again. Laertes son, I mean, who kept his hall on Ithaka. Should destiny intend that he shall see his roof again among his family in his fathers land, far be that day, and dark the years between. Let him lose all companions, and return under strange sail to biter days home† (Fitzgerald 161). Polyphemos determines Odysseus’ fate.It takes ten years for him to return home finally. All of his crew dies, and when he arrives, he finds that suitors have invaded h is castle. The lessons learned from Odysseus’ mistakes are important for people today, not only for people the past. Arrogance can’t always be controlled, and still today self-importance gets in the way of peoples life goals. The Odyssey’s exciting adventure teaches lessons about life and human nature. None of the characters are perfect, so this allows people to relate to their personalities and mistakes, keeping this poem popular.

An Analysis of Psychology in Art Essay

Kahlo’s painting Self Portrait with Cropped Hair (1940) and Lichtenstein’s Drowning Girl (1963) both use emotive techniques in order to convey more subtle feelings. While Lichtenstein employed a more bold look to his female subject, Kahlo uses a formal stance in her self-portrait, but both give the viewer the idea of sorrow being the center subject behind these female figures. Kahlo’s self portrait shows a woman on a chair (presumably Kahlo) with the cut pieces of her hair scattered all about her. This use of the hair being all around the main figure gives the viewer the impression of a battle – that Kahlo lost. Hair is a metaphor in the painting – a metaphor of peace or strength. In the bible the symbol of hair can be found in the story of Samson and Delilah in which Samson got his strength from his hair, and the prostitute Delilah cut it all off thereby rendering the hero useless. If then, Kahlo’s hair is her strength it is almost as though the viewer is peering on to a death sentence of the woman. The death sentence in Lichtenstein’s work is much more blatant as the drowning girl states in her bubble â€Å"I’d rather sink than call Brad for help† which coordinates this theme of desperation and sorrow. The stance of either female in their respected representations are opposite: Lichtenstein gives his subject a subdued and hopeless stance being already almost entirely submerged in the water and thereby closer to death while in Kahlo’s painting, although nearly all of her hair is spread about her in a form of defeat, the figure stands in erect position rather in a stance of having lost the battle. There is distinctly more depth present in Kahlo’s painting, with the cut hair scattered on the ground and the angles of the chair making the viewer fell as though they are peering into this event. In Lichtenstein’s work the viewer is given a close up of the woman who doesn’t allow for much depth to be viewed – but in classic Lichtenstein technique, his use of flat planes further develop this loss of field of depth. This is perhaps a metaphoric sense of depth since Kahlo’s portrait is subtle and the viewer has to read into the subject and the subtler emotions involved in the work while in Lichtenstein’s work the viewer merely has to read what the girl says in order to understand everything about the painting in one glance. With a second glance at the figure in Kahlo’s work (and with the history of her recent divorce from her unfaithful husband Diego Rivera) the viewer may guess that this cutting of the hair is symbolic of Kahlo’s state of emotions. Perhaps she is shedding the part of herself that Diego had claimed as Kahlo has said of her art, â€Å"I do not know if my paintings are Surrealist or not, but I do know that they are the most frank expression of myself. † (Kahlo). Thus, in cutting of her hair (presumably he loved long haired women) she is making a claim of self identity away from her cheating husband and thereby the painting becomes transformed into a woman losing hair, into a woman gaining her identity. The top of Kahlo’s painting even states as much in saying, â€Å"†Look, if I loved you it was because of your hair. Now that you are without hair, I don’t love you anymore. â€Å"† Lichtenstein’s portrait of a woman who is also in the bad end of love also has a small bit of this identity. She states that she would rather die than have Brad come and help her, but the viewer wonders, why doesn’t the woman try and save herself? The depth that is lacking in the field of vision with Lichtenstein’s work is replaced by a depth into personality of the woman. A psychologist might argue that the woman has an Ophelia complex (from Hamlet) in which she would rather die than live without her lover. In either instance, it is clear that both artists are trying to depict an emotional state in which love is the cause of the effects. Lichtenstein’s work is predominately innovated through DC comics (a panel of which inspired The Drowning Girl). His use of Benday dots emphasize a stylistic approach. Kahlo’s art is more surreal in nature and symbolic in style as is evident in Self Portrait with Cropped Hair. In surrealistic style, Kahlo allows the interchange of gender to play a dominate role in the painting. The figure, Kahlo herself, is dressed in men’s slacks and a shirt, thus allowing the short hair to almost define her in a masculine capacity. In Lichtenstein’s work the gender of the painting is quite clear with the woman showing attributes a helpless woman drowning in the water as well as in love. This woman relinquishes her control over her fate in a rather docile component of femininity (the viewer is reminded of the big bosomed females in horror movies who run from the monster in drastic steps only to fall in their high heels and be destroyed by their pursuer). In Kahlo’s painting, perhaps because of this gender bending idea, the woman becomes like a man, that is, able to survive, or, in comparison, she becomes the pursuer and thereby strong. In opposition to the bible story then, Kahlo does not in fact become weak in losing her hair, but rather the painting is meant to suggest that she becomes strong in this shedding of hair, and husband. In either painting it is clear that both artists are interested in the psychology of their subject. In the DC comic world by which Lichtenstein gained inspiration, women were somewhat helpless creatures in the 1960’s only gaining a feminine stance in the 1980’s or so. His vision of women through his portrait gives the viewer the idea that without love, a woman does not have an identity, and thus, death is a logical substitute to not having a ‘Brad’. In Kahlo’s painting the same may be deciphered; she allows her femininity to surround her on the ground in the form of her hair, and her transformation into a man makes her stronger. It is then interesting to note the decades which lie between either painting – it may be said that Kahlo was progressive with her painting style and her representation of women (perhaps taking note of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening in which the protagonist cannot live in a man’s world and thus drowns herself in an act of freedom). It is clear that in both artworks there are strong emotions which propel the subjects into the places they stand before the viewer. The emotional journey has come to an end in either painting or the female figures either claim their identities (in the case of Kahlo) or they become submerged in a world where they cannot live without love (in the case of Lichtenstein). The psychology of the main characters becomes evident through the artists’ rendering through the use of space, script, and symbolism. Works Cited Alloway, Lawrence, Roy Lichtenstein, N. Y. : Abbeville, 1983 759. 1 L701A Claudia Bauer, Frida Kahlo, Munich: Prestel Verlag, 2005. Frida Kahlo, ed. Elizabeth Carpenter, exh. cat. , Minneapolis: Walker Art Center, 2007 759. 972 K12FR Gannit Ankori, Imagining Her Selves: Frida Kahlo’s Poetics of Identity and Fragmentation, Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2002. Hayden Herrer, Frida Kahlo: The Paintings, N. Y. : Harper Collins, 1991. 759. 072 K12H Lobel, Michael, Image Duplicator: Roy Lichtenstein and the Emergence of Pop Art, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002. Pop Art: A Critical History, Steven H. Madoff, ed. , Berkeley: Univ. of California Press, 1997 709. 73 P8242 Waldmann, Diane, Roy Lichtenstein, exh. cat.. , N. Y. : Guggenheim Museum, 1993. 759. 1 L701WAL Whiting, Cecile, A Taste for Pop: Pop Art, Gender and Consumer Culture, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Power Influence in the Workplace Essay

The concept of organizational power is a highly important concept in defining the scope of the functionality in the organizational activities. By its definition, power is the probability with which a person within the context of an institution has the ability of doing his/her will despite any form of resistance from the environment. This is to imply that, power provides the basic ability with which a person secures the basic compliance provided by other people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Within an organization, the source of power is broadly classified into three facets. The coercive power implies the use of force by whoever is in power to those under his/her capacity so that such could comply with his/her wishes. Perhaps, a case of a prison provides a god example for this source of power. Either, utilitarian power may be a basic source of organizational power. This is where an organization use a system of power in which the use of punishment or even rewards ensures the functionality of the organization. This could be through the use of rises in basic payments, dismissal threats, promotions and motivations for the different workers of the organization. Elsewhere, informative power is the power belief that the various members within such an organization have the powers in exercising the rights of governing their different behavioral dispensation. This is perhaps functional and application in religious dimensions. (Wilf, 2007)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Essentially, the choice of utilitarian power within an organization would perhaps be an essential tool of creating basic adequate functionality of an organization. This is from the basic view that, the behavior of a person defines the scope of the reward or elsewhere punishment of such an individual. Due to the basic implication of this power, individual tend to develop the most adaptable organizational behavior which could provide them with rewards and abstain from what could lead to punishments. Due to the crave for reward benefits, the functional status of the business is brought out to stronger defense for a standard that proclaims organizational comparative advantage.   Utilitarian power tends to provide a positive challenge in developing positive organizational behavior as well as increasing the productivity of the organizational output.   (Wilf, 2007) Reference. Wilf, H (2007) Organizational Power. Retrieved on 12th April 2008 from, http://www.geocities.com/athens/forum/1650/htmlpower.html

Summary of Becoming Human’s Interactive Documentary

This is a documentary by Donald C. Johanson, a paleoanthropologist. It discusses about the evidences that prove where humans did originate. The story starts in Africa where our ancestors are believed to have first stood up and eventually continued to evolve and spread out across the globe.Insights of our ancestors In Johanson’s trip to Hadar Ethiopia in 1973, he made a discovery that firmly placed this geographical location as one of the most significant hominoid fossil sites in the world.He discovered bones of a hominid, which they called Lucy. Johanson called her Lucy because when her fossils were being examined, the song â€Å"Lucy† of the Beatles was playing on the background. He suspected it to be a female because of the skeleton’s petite stature. This discovery opened a major opportunity for the study of human origin. Kaye Reed, a paleoecologist, said that Hadar Ethiopia was a place full of trees three million years ago so it was a good place for animals to live in, more importantly there was enough food for hominids to eat.In line with this, the long arms of Lucy helped her to climb trees and get away from these predators and survive. There were also fossils in Saddaman, which were probably Lucy’s species, whose foot prints proved them to be hominids for they are bipedal. The brain size and body size of the fossils also prove that they are hominids. The Homo neanderthalensis are closely related to Homo sapiens, the genus for modern humans.One paleoanthropologist thinks that Homo sapiens succeeded to survive and Neanderthals went on being extinct without contributing to the modern human gene but another one thinks that modern humans have Neanderthal genes. The culture of man’s ancestors can be seen in Australia where human expression is visible through writings. It was also conducive for aboriginal artists to paint on. Reference: Institute of Human Origin (2008). Becoming Human. Retrieved May 16, 2010, from http://www. b ecominghuman. org/node/interactive-docume