Sample MBA Leadership Recommendation Letter

As part of the admissions process, most MBA programs ask students to submit recommendation letters from a current or former employer. The admissions committee wants to know more about your work ethic, teamwork capability, leadership ability, and work experience. This information helps them to determine whether you would be a good fit for their business program. Tips for a Great MBA Recommendation Letter The  best MBA recommendation letters  support the rest of your business school application by providing details about your work experience, leadership, and personal qualities. They can push borderline candidates into the acceptance stack. Choose your recommenders wisely.  Business schools would rather see professional recommendations than academic recommendations, preferably from your current supervisor. Your MBA recommenders should be able to speak in detail about your qualifications, supporting the points you made in your essays.  If you dont know many people who can do this, start cultivating some. Prepare your recommenders well.  While its not advised to write your own recommendations for others to sign, you should provide your recommenders with the necessary background information to write compelling letters.  This should include: The resume you plan to submit with your application.A statement of purpose indicating how you’re presenting yourself in your application. If you havent written it, provide a rough outline of what you plan to say.Talking points. Remind them of projects you managed that they can use to highlight your skills.A list of schools to which you are applying.A list of deadlines.  Ask for recommendations well in advance of deadlines.Instructions for how to submit letters, through  the school’s online system or by mail. If your schools require mailed letters, include envelopes and postage. Send a thank-you note.  Send it two weeks before the deadline, which will also provide a gentle reminder if the recommendation  hasnt been written. Once you get your decisions,  let your recommenders know how it turned out. Sample Leadership Recommendation Letter This sample letter of recommendation was written for an MBA applicant. The letter writer made an effort to discuss the applicants leadership and management experience. To Whom It May Concern:Janet Doe has worked for me as a resident manager for the past three years. Her responsibilities have included leasing, inspecting apartments, hiring maintenance staff, taking tenants complaints, making sure common areas look presentable, and keeping track of the property budget.During her time here, she has had an amazing impact on the appearance and financial turnaround at the property. The property was near bankruptcy when Janet took over. She turned things around almost immediately. As a result, we are expecting our second year of profit.Janet is highly respected by her co-workers for her willingness to help anyone anytime she can. She has been instrumental in helping institute new companywide cost-saving procedures. She is very well organized, diligent in her paperwork, easily reachable, and always on time.Janet has real leadership potential. I would highly recommend her for your MBA program.Sincerely,Joe SmithRegional Property Manager Source How to Get A Great MBA Letter of Recommendation. The Princeton Review, TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC, 2019.

How Video Games Affect The Minds, Behavior And Health Of...

How do video games affect the minds, behavior and health of children and teens? This article will discuss this matter to inform people about the dangers of this type of entertainment. Ever since video games have become more advanced, this problem has come up countless times, ranging from government officials to the parents of these children. Parents should take this into consideration with their children when playing video games: too much exposure to violent video games can lead to aggressive behavior, poor grades in school, and changes in physical appearance. Past or current medical conditions in children also will be affected by video games. While calling video games dangerous, it may also be beneficial or have no effect whatsoever on children. This will all be explained using other scholarly sources and my own observations to help me come to a conclusion and consensus on the matter. It is commonly assumed that videogames cause violence. But, what do video game violence studies say about this? Are teenagers and adults affected by violence in video games? What can we say about how violent video games affect children in the real world? Despite three decades of research on the effects of violent video and computer games on children, there seems to be as much confusion as ever. Do video games lead to increased aggression and violence? Do video games cause violence, or do those already with a propensity for violence choose to play games with aggressive themes? If you are aShow MoreRelatedVideo Games Affecting Youth1177 Words   |  5 Pages The violence that children execute in today’s modern time could have a new factor that parents could not even imagine. Many children today spend most of their time playing video games and this could reflect a negative role in a child’s bad behaviors. Nearly all children, especially in the United States, have or have had a video game console or some type of electronic device that contain video games. Video games in general are not to be blamed but a certain category that majority of the gamers playRead MoreVideo Game And Violent Video Games1574 Words   |  7 PagesAlong with the rapid development of the internet in recent years, game and violence game have become companions of young people. We could not deny the fact that video game already has strong attraction for many people. Especially in today’s society, when work pressure is growing, gaming is an effective solution to relieve tension, dispel feeling of fatigue, anxiety. Playing the normal video game, which it not include any violence scenes, plus regulatory reasonable playing time can help players relaxedRead MoreMedia s Effect On Society1286 Words   |  6 Pagesto â€Å"influence opinion and belief, change habits of life, and actively mold behavior.† Unfortunately, media affects the public in a way that it could control what a person does or thinks. More and more people see in media the preferable image that they w ant to be themselves. As viewers see this pastime to be designed for enjoyment, media greatly affects the audience’s morality, security, and health. Many children and teens are exposed to sex and violence while watching television. That is why manyRead More Children, Media, and Violence Essay1431 Words   |  6 PagesThe evidence is overwhelming. To argue against it, the link between media violence and teen violence is like arguing against gravity, said Jeffrey McIntyre, legislative and federal affairs officer for the American Psychological Association. As children are exposed to acts of violence in the media through television, video games, music, movies, etc. alarming results are occurring. The main negative effect being an increase in aggression among youth who are regularly exposed to the media and anRead MoreMultimedia Violence : A Grave Threat Of Teens Of The New Generation. Craig A. Anderson1585 Words   |  7 PagesMultimedia Violence : A Grave Threat to Teens of the New Generation Craig A. Anderson, an eminent director of the Center for the Study of Violence at Iowa State University, commented on multimedia violence saying, â€Å"Exposing children and adolescents (or ‘youth’) to violent visual media increases the likelihood that they will engage in physical aggression against another person. By ‘physical aggression’ we mean behavior that is intended to harm another person physically, such as hitting with a fistRead MoreThe Influence of Pop Culture on our Teenagers1419 Words   |  6 PagesAt a young age, the minds of teenagers are easily influenced by pop culture. They are easily misguided by the portrayals in pop culture as well as the media. Both pup culture and media use this to their advantage to manipulate their young minds. Teenagers are notorious for mimicking violent activities as shown in video games. This violence transmits from videogames to the top story on the local news. Equally important, alcohol portrayals in pop cu lture are generally positive as they direct teenagersRead MoreVideo Games And Its Effects On Children924 Words   |  4 PagesM for Mature Video games have come a long way since first becoming popular in the 1970s. Electronic gaming has become one of the most common forms of entertainment among kids today. The games marketed to younger audiences are becoming less family friendly then when they were originally introduced. While many games are rated to be played by those eighteen and older many parents allow their children to take part in such games. From running around with a gun shooting everything in sight to survivingRead MoreVideo Game Addiction Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesabout video game addiction. Life is full of many stages and milestones that everyone must encounter one of the largest and most important ones is the teenage stage of people’s life. During our teen years we usually figure out who we are and who we want to be. Do you want to be the gamer who stays home all day and play video games or go out with friends? Some people would rather spend a beautiful weekend inside playing video games instead of going out. Just like most other things video games can affectRead MoreViolent Video Games Are Numbing the Minds of Children Essays1986 Words   |  8 Pages Violent video games are undoubtedly a legalized drug to children and teens, numbing their thoughts and reprogramming their minds. Like a drug, it desensitizes them, and makes them more prone to violence. This idea of violent video games was not a phenomenon until the later 20th century, and evolved from racing into enemies, to free-for-all drug abuse and sexual/physical violence that most youth know and play today. These games have a detrimental impact on teens, making them eat more, become moreRead MoreThe Affect of Censorship Essay993 Words   |  4 PagesMore literature and media should be censored for the public’s eyes. Children of recent years have been subjected to crude television that isn’t properly censored and could potentially influence them to act in unacceptable manners. Censorship is the act of suppressing unacceptable parts of literature and media. It is very often that censorship is used with literature or media because many people see parts of them that are inappropriate in their perspective. When people see them, they are disgusted

Case Study Report Corporate Social Responsibility

Questions: 1. Using the example of the chosen company, assess the 3 Corporate Social Responsibility factors that influence corporate activities of your chosen company in the area of ecological sustainability. They are: economic, ethical and discretionary (week 3 reading) 2.Based on Readings (Weeks 1 to 10), design a sustainability plan for that company (for example you can focus on clean technology, sustainability vision, pollution prevention, product stewardship, etc). While creating the plan remember to include aims, objectives, strategies, tactics and evaluation. If the company already has a clear sustainability portfolio, analyse it according to the above criteria and suggest possible improvements for each. 3. Examine the possible advantages and difficulties in integrating your sustainability portfolio into the companys strategy. Answers: PART 1 Pacific Brands Limited is an age old company which started its operations by manufacturing just Dunlop Bicycle tyres. Since then it has come a long way and today it is a big brand having its offices in Australia, New Zealand, China, United Kingdom and Indonesia. Its brand mark is enough to attract customers to buy their products. The company is listed in the Australian Stock Exchange and has discharged its corporate social responsibilities diligently and with utmost dedication and priority. The three Corporate Social Responsibility factors , economic, ethical and discretionary influence the corporate activities undertaken by Pacific Brands in the area of ecological sustainability (De Broeck, 2009). Pacific Brands Limited is well applauded by the people for discharging their duties towards ethical , financial as well as sustainable business practices while keeping in mind the responsibility towards meeting higher standards of corporate social responsibilities. The company works on this belief only that success can be achieved only if the end users are highly satisfied after using their products and services and thus this is the most apt and acceptable method of conducting a business. The companies CSR policies basically focuses on reduction of negative impact on the environment and addressing the socio economic issues of the areas in which the company operates. The three CSR factors have affected the activities to be undertaken by the company. The same is enumerated as under: It is the companys discretion to ensure that its employees are provided a good and a stable environment to work. The company aims at working as a team and for the same it is very important to work for the people also within the company. The company eyes upon the health and safety standards of its employees as a priority. It has an integrated system within the working area which helps to work in a more defined and strategic manner along with an aim to improvise upon its acts on a continuous basis. It has been conducting and participating into various health and safety related programs and also encouraged its employees to be a part of it as well. Pacific Brand has incorporated the employees benefit activities into its corporate social responsibility agenda very comprehensively. It has conducted annual influenza vaccination programs, employees insurances in private hospitals at discounted rates, free health check ups within the organization and accessibility to the internal SOS support for employees who are travelling so that they can get emergency medical help. Addressing environmental issues is a top priority for Pacific Brands Limited. It has an environmental management system which is certified within the ISO 14001. The company thrives upon one notion i.e. to reduce the impact on the environment due to its manufacturing, packaging , handling processes, reuse and recycle the waste and replacement of the existing processes with more environmental friendly process. It has taken steps to address its responsibility towards protection of the environment keeping in mind the corporate activities simultaneously. It has been continuously focussing upon working with the various environmental partners so as to reduce the waste and utilize it for the betterment of the environment it caters to. It has been committing to the Australian Packaging Covenant that the effects of the packaging work will be least on the environment. The company has been judiciously utilizing the natural resources and has also been in talks with the external suppliers for usin g rail transport over and above the road transport. The company is always on the wheels in meeting the social responsibilities and adhering to ethical ways and means and complying to various labour laws, safety rules and environmental protection strategies. The policy is simple that governing the complex supply chain is difficult hence focus is shifted towards inculcating the ethics within the internal processes which would allow the company to address its external factors as well. The company has ensured that the animals as a sourcing material is to be used by its suppliers only if it is a by product and does not lead to live plucking. So as to ensure its applicability the company has stopped using rabbit angora fibre in its products. Another very crucial step taken by the company is the ban on the usage of cotton supplied from Uzbekistan as it uses child labour. Even though the raw material is not used directly in the manufacturing process even then it has showed its strong resistance to the suppliers for the usage of Uzbekistan cot ton (www.pacificbrands.com, 2016). Thus Pacific Brands Limited is appreciated worldwide because it undertakes the corporate social responsibility not only as an embossed duty by the government but a self imposed responsibility. Thus it aims at performing its corporate activities keeping in mind the ecological sustainability. PART 2 Pacific Brands Limited has been suffering huge losses from the past four years now. This 120 year old company soon needs to design a sustainability plan else it will lead to the dissolution of the same. The new CEO John Pollaers strategies are simple. It believes in creating a company which thinks out of the box and aims that becoming known amongst the masses for its innovative techniques and designs. The company has mainly eyed upon costs reduction more than being a profit oriented entity. Although news and the other agencies state that the new CEOs strategies and vision will definitely enable to drive the company back to its older state of affairs and profits yet it needs to design a sustainability plan setting out its aims and objectives clearly and communicating the same internally as for any company to succeed it needs to motivate and regain the lost confidence of its employees to work as a team. The companys sustainability plan should dig into areas such as the cleaner technolo gies, pollution free environment and product stewardship (Maltzman, Shirley, 2010). Clean technology aim at using such a technology in the production, manufacturing and packaging process which calls for minimal usage of the non renewable sources of energy as well as produces lesser waste products. For any entity to fall under the cadre of a sustainable business approach and practice it is very much required to shift its views from the native processes to a more developed process which addresses some of the urgent issues such as pollution control, reduction in emission of wastes into the environment, optimum utilization of the resources as well as earn profits. The said technology will enable to produce environment friendly products at lesser costs and thus help to build a greater brand in the eyes of the public(www.McKinsey.com, 2015). The communities have spelt out clearly that they are interested in products which are not produced as a result of any harm caused to any community in the society. Pacific Brands Limited has been able to address this issue to some exte nt. Its environmental policy which includes four basic ideas of reduce, reuse, recycle and replace has gone a long way in addressing the clean technology issue. Also it redresses the environmental impact across all stages of a product life cycle by supporting the Australian Packaging Covenant. It has stated clearly in its policies that all the wastes generated in the organization should be reused as far as possible. The possibilities of using the waste products again is explored across its varied business lines on a continuous basis (Hart, 1995). The present plan that it has in vogue is accredited to ISO 14001. The company on a regular basis collects data related to the energy consumption and the waste that is let out, measures and monitors its performance from the previous results and strives to improve further. The employees and the management are trained on a regular basis and issues regarding the environment and ways to resolve the same is discussed in an open forum within the organization. It has a National Environment Sustainability Committee that meets six times in a year to address these issues. The companys vision is to excavate deeper and greater chances of recycling within the organization , hence it has various programs and training sessions for the employees (Walter, 2013). Pacific Brand as always known to adhere to the directives of the countries with which it works. Such as the company exports in Europe wherein it adheres to its directives of recycling of packaging products and produce minimum of wastage (Siegel, 2013). The company has changed its suppliers or have asked its suppliers to provide raw materials which are more environmental friendly and in way harm any part of the living being or the niche. Thus it has clearly imbibed the formula that competitive advantage can be attained only by bridging the gap between the internal capabilities of the firm and the changing external circumstances (Mitchell, 2015). However even though Pacific Brands Limited is adhering to various stances of using a cleaner technology, pollution preventive methods and has a long vision of sustaining in this environment focussed scenario yet it is suffering losses simply because its products are being manufactured off shore. This even though would give the company an edge towards cost reduction yet the brand loyalty as per the consumers is taking a hit. Also the company has always concentrated on one geographical area of the globe, Australia. Further the company should enlarge its sustainability vision and try to explore other areas by managing the dollar fluctuations (Gareis et al. 2013). Thus the company should try to improve on the various areas so as to ensure that its sustainability plan is a success. It should concentrate on using a cleaner technology and continue with its policy of reduce, reuse, recycle and replace, yet following the policy blind-folded will not achieve anything. The cost involved cannot be ignored and the same is required to be inculcated in the prices of the products produced . This in turn would lead to decreasing profits if the consumers are not made aware of the technology used and how the same is benefitting the entire civilization on the whole. A brand loyalty is increased if the products are more and more manufactured indigenously. Pacific Brands Limited has expanded its manufacturing units across the globe which has led to a negativity amongst the Australians with regards loyalty towards the brand. Although a more developed process is being used yet the cost factors are not being addressed carefully which is posing a threat to the sust enance of the company (Belaluddin et al. 2008). Thus it should ensure to take into consideration the various foreign factors which is affecting the companys bottom line. The awareness about the consumer and environmental friendly products as well as the cost involved should be marketed in a better manner so as to drive the sentiments of the consumers. The companys vision and mission towards the society is clear but the formula to cover the gap between the increased cost yet maintaining the brand value in the eyes of the end users needs to be formed in a stronger manner. The medium used for conveying the message is not strong enough to shake the masses towards buying the products offered by Pacific Brands Limited. Thus its marketing strategies needs to undergo a revolution (www.pacificbrands.com, 2013). PART 3 The possible advantages and difficulties in integrating the sustainability portfolio into the strategies of Pacific Brand Limited is manifolds. No path is a smooth one hence it offers both advantages as well as disadvantages of integrations. The advantages are enumerated as under: Integration of sustainability portfolio would enable to bring universality in the ideas, experiences, expertise and goals. Uniformity can be achieved which would in turn enable us to achieve economies of production, thus reducing the costs and increasing the margins. Further the company also fails to address the growing competition which would then be addresses maturely. The said integration will enable the entities to maintain a growing pace with the changing needs of the consumers. The company operates in a mature environment hence this would enable it to come out of isolation and adapt new methods of production and distribution thus cutting out the competitive edge easily (Mohr. Et. al. 2001). The employees become highly motivated and dedicated towards their work. The company provides adequate training so as to update the employees with the changing circumstances. Also it incorporates in its corporate social responsibility the health and safety standards for the benefit of the employees which also give adequate advantage to the company (Rogers, 2016). Proper integration will always help in adequate implementation of theories and policies designed by any entity. Thus once the sustainability portfolio is well integrated within the system of the company, implementing changes and action plans will give fruitful results. The efficiency and the efficacy of the workers and managers at all the levels of Pacific Brands Limited will increase more than the standards set out. It will help the company to gain economically also (Bonini, Swartz, 2014). The difficulties in integrating the sustainability portfolio into the strategies of Pacific Brands Limited howsoever cannot be ignored in total. The same is enlisted below: The outcome is felt at a very latter stage by the companies which may give an upper edge to its competitors in the short term and affect their own bottom line. Implementing integration in all sectors can be a costly affair for the company. If it poses restrictions on its supply chain and tries to dominate as to what kind of products they should supply, the composition of the product supplied should be changed as per standards , then this may end up putting the company in a disadvantageous position (Bonini, Gorner, 2011). There is still an unclear vision with regards the value addition that such an integration does to the shareholders value. Quantification of benefits derived via such a process is still at a developing stage. Thus until and unless the same is addressed their is always a resistance from the promoters and owners of the company who ultimately are concerned about the return on their respective investments in the company. The inculcation of this concept has made a forced shift of the vision and mission of entities while trying to inculcate the same within their organizational process. Lack of any set practice and theory in place has led to struggle amongst the entities in imbibing the same in its supply chain and relevant budgets. Thus this is one of the main difficulties that Pacific Brands Limited has been facing. It has addressed to the issues of environment and safety standards but while concentrating on these areas, there has been a significant shift in the actual vision and mission of the entity. It has left behind the fact that it is a profit oriented entity and its main goal should be maximization of shareholders wealth (Carroll, 1991). Thus in a nut shell it can be concluded by stating that the integration of sustainability portfolio in Pacific Brands Limited strategy will give it an upper edge across its competitors but at the same time integration should be done at such a level so as not to divulge it from its main goals and mission. References: Belaluddin, M., Hassan, M.R., Tarique, K.M., 2008, Three dimensional aspects of Corporate Social responsibility, Daffodil International University, Journal of Business and Economics, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 199-211 Bonini, S., Gorner, S., 2011, The Business of Sustainability : McKinsey Global Survey Results, viewed on 08th June 2016.survey-results Bonini, S., Swartz, S., 2014, Profits with Purpose: How Organizing for sustainability can benefit the bottom line, viewed on 08th June 2016. Carroll, A.B., 1991, The pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility : Toward the Moral management or Organizational Stakeholders. Gareis, R., Huemann, M., Martinuzzi, A., 2013, Project Management Sustainable Development Principles , Project management institute : New Town Square. Hart, S.L., 1995, A Natural Resource Based View of the Firm, Academy of Management Review, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 996-1014. Maltzman, R., Shirley, D., 2010, Green Project Management, CRC Press: USA.

King Naram-Sin V. King Narmer in Art History free essay sample

King Narmer In this essay we’ll discuss the similarities and differences between two pieces of art from different civilizations. One difference that we’ll take note of beforehand is that the Stele of Naram-Sin is an Akkadian piece while the Palette of King Narmer is Egyptian. Now just because they’re from different cultures, you’d be surprised what they have in common. And thus, we start with the similarities of both pieces. Both the Stele and Palette were narrative relief sculptures that depicted the kings beheading someone, whether it was an enemy or . The people were depicted in composite view (head in profile view, body in frontal view) so that we’d see the most human features only. Hierarchy of scale was applied so that the king would be the first figure you look at in both works. The gods of the two cultures are also present, being associated with the rulers. We will write a custom essay sample on King Naram-Sin V. King Narmer in Art History or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Both kings are depicted with crown-like structures on their head, standing on ground lines. Lastly both works were made in the River Valley Civilization Era. Even though the both had ground lines and hierarchy of scale you could find yourself staring bottom to top or top to bottom at the Stele of Naram-Sin because it depicted soldiers marching up a slanted ground line with some landscape shown. The Palette’s lines were more flat and split the piece into three registers. Naram-Sin was shown as the only king but there are actually two kings shown in the Palette of Narmer (King Narmer and the king of lower Egypt), showing a union between two sides of the country. The gods in the Stele were depicted as stars whereas the Palette’s gods and the king himself were shown as bulls. The Palette of Narmer also had the long necked lions that signified the union between upper and lower Egypt. All in all it can be said there are about as many similarities as there are differences. For two separate cultures, some parts were very alike when narrating the king’s life and other parts were different, like how the kings were depicted. It’s obvious that both civilizations held their kings in high respect as well as their gods, who influence the rule some way or another. And since these civilizations are so close, it makes you wonder if trade was happening for art styles to affect nearby regions (something to consider).

Free Essays on Impact Of The Puritan Setting Upon The Characters In The Scarlet Letter And The Ministers Black Veil

Impact of the Puritan Setting Upon the Characters in The Scarlet Letter and The Minister's Black Veil This essay will examine the thematic relevance to the Puritan setting and its impact upon the characters and their development in both "The Scarlet Letter" and the short story, "The Minister's Black Veil." These two texts detail an accurate portrayal of what I assume the Puritan community to represent. This is partly because of the Puritan background within the works, but also considering that the main characters of these are deeply rooted within the Puritan faith and are, in different ways, in the public eye and are under separate scrutiny as a result of such. Mr. Hooper, being a minister, is considered a beacon and an exemplar of faith and righteousness in his community. One bright Sunday morning, Reverend Hooper dons a black veil to his congregation and lectures on sin and its appearance, or lack thereof. His congregation is outraged but intrigued by his use of the symbolic sheath. Since his sermon focuses on the "secret sin" of his parishoners and the entire community, they are d rawn to assume that Mr. Hooper, himself, carries with his a "secret sin" which he is hiding from underneath his veil. Now Hawthorne titles this short story as a parable which leads one to conclude that the veil is used a not only a symbol of "secret sin" but a paradox. His congregation is so concerned and obsessed with his personal sins that they forget about their own; this was the intent of Mr. Hooper's veil: to cause them to reflect upon their own spiritual status and to confess their sins. But the Puritans, notorious for their pride within practice and fallacy within faith, ignore this allegorical costume and sensationalize his message. Because, after all, Mr. Hooper must be hiding SOMETHING underneath that veil of his... The second character under scrutiny by their community and this English major is Hester Prynne, a young wom... Free Essays on Impact Of The Puritan Setting Upon The Characters In The Scarlet Letter And The Minister's Black Veil Free Essays on Impact Of The Puritan Setting Upon The Characters In The Scarlet Letter And The Minister's Black Veil Impact of the Puritan Setting Upon the Characters in The Scarlet Letter and The Minister's Black Veil This essay will examine the thematic relevance to the Puritan setting and its impact upon the characters and their development in both "The Scarlet Letter" and the short story, "The Minister's Black Veil." These two texts detail an accurate portrayal of what I assume the Puritan community to represent. This is partly because of the Puritan background within the works, but also considering that the main characters of these are deeply rooted within the Puritan faith and are, in different ways, in the public eye and are under separate scrutiny as a result of such. Mr. Hooper, being a minister, is considered a beacon and an exemplar of faith and righteousness in his community. One bright Sunday morning, Reverend Hooper dons a black veil to his congregation and lectures on sin and its appearance, or lack thereof. His congregation is outraged but intrigued by his use of the symbolic sheath. Since his sermon focuses on the "secret sin" of his parishoners and the entire community, they are d rawn to assume that Mr. Hooper, himself, carries with his a "secret sin" which he is hiding from underneath his veil. Now Hawthorne titles this short story as a parable which leads one to conclude that the veil is used a not only a symbol of "secret sin" but a paradox. His congregation is so concerned and obsessed with his personal sins that they forget about their own; this was the intent of Mr. Hooper's veil: to cause them to reflect upon their own spiritual status and to confess their sins. But the Puritans, notorious for their pride within practice and fallacy within faith, ignore this allegorical costume and sensationalize his message. Because, after all, Mr. Hooper must be hiding SOMETHING underneath that veil of his... The second character under scrutiny by their community and this English major is Hester Prynne, a young wom...

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Status of His Dream Today

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Status of His Dream Today On August 28, 1963, a quarter of a million people, mostly African Americans, gathered at the National Mall for The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. They came to express their discontent with the persistent racism of the nation, particularly that of the southern states where Jim Crow laws maintained racially separate and unequal societies. This gathering is considered a major event within the Civil Rights movement, and a catalyst for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, for subsequent protests that followed, and for the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This day is most well remembered, though, for a spontaneous description of a better future given by The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during his famous I Have a Dream speech. Prompted by Mahalia Jackson, who urged him to break from his prepared words to tell the crowd about his dream, King said: I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.  I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.  I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.  I have a dream today.  I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, w ith its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. The Philosophy and Practicalities of Dr. Kings Dream Dr. Kings dream of a society no longer plagued by racism reflected the one he and other members of the Civil Rights movement hoped would be the result of collective efforts to end systemic racism. Taking account of the many initiatives that Dr. King was a part of, and leader to, during his life, one can see the components and bigger picture of this dream. The dream included an end to racial segregation; an unimpeded right to vote and protection from racial discrimination in electoral processes; equal labor rights and protection from racial discrimination in the workplace; an end to police brutality; an end to racial discrimination in the housing market; minimum wage for all;  and economic reparations for all people hurt by the nations history of racism. The foundation of Dr. Kings work was an understanding of the connection between racism and economic inequality. He knew that Civil Rights legislation, useful though it would be, would not erase 500 years of economic injustice. So, his vision of a just society was premised on economic justice writ-large. This manifested in the Poor Peoples Campaign, and his critique of government funding of wars instead of public services and social welfare programs. A virulent critic of capitalism, he advocated for a systemic redistribution of resources. The Status of the Dream Today: Educational Segregation More than fifty years later, if we take stock of the various aspects of Dr. Kings dream, it is clear that it remains largely unrealized.  Though the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed racial segregation in schools, and a painful and bloody process of desegregation followed,  a May 2014 report from The Civil Rights Project at the University of California-Los Angeles found that schools have regressed to racial segregation over the last couple of decades. The study found that most white students attend schools that are 73 percent white, that the percentage of Black students in mostly minority schools has risen over the last two decades, that Black and Latino students are mostly sharing the same schools, and that the rise in segregation has been most dramatic for Latino students.  The study also found that segregation plays out across both race and class lines, with white and Asian students primarily attending middle-class schools, while black and Latino students are relegated to po or schools. Other studies show that black students face discrimination within schools that leads to them receiving more frequent and harsher discipline than their peers, which disrupts their educational process. The Status of the Dream Today: Voter Disenfranchisement Despite voter protections, racism still prohibits equal participation in democracy. As A. Gordon, a civil rights attorney wrote for The Root, passage of strict voter ID laws in 16 states are likely to bar many Black people from voting, as they are less likely to have state issued ID than persons of other races, and are more likely to be asked for ID than are white voters. Cuts to early voting opportunities are also likely to impact the Black population, who are more likely to take advantage of this service. Gordon also points out that implicit racial bias is likely to impact decisions made by those serving voters when issues of eligibility come up, and noted that a recent study found that legislators in support of stricter voter ID laws were more likely to respond to questions from a constituent when that person had a white name versus a name signaling Latino or African American heritage. The Status of the Dream Today: Workplace Discrimination While de jure  discrimination in the work place and hiring processes has been outlawed, de facto  racism has been documented by numerous studies over the years. Findings include that potential employers are more likely to respond to applicants with names they believe signal white race than those of other races; employers are  more likely to promote white men over all others;  and, faculty at universities are more likely to respond to prospective graduate students when they believe that person is a white male. Further, the persistent racial wage gap continues to show that the labor of white people is valued more than that of blacks and Latinos. The Status of the Dream Today: Housing Segregation Like education, the housing market remains segregated on the basis of race and class.  A 2012 study by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development  and the Urban Institute found that, though overt discrimination is mostly a thing of the past, subtle forms persist, and have clear negative consequences. The study found that real estate agents and housing providers routinely and systemically show more available properties to white people than they do to persons of all other races, and that this occurs across the nation. Because they have fewer options to choose from, racial minorities face higher housing costs. Other studies have found that Black and Latino homebuyers were disproportionately directed to unstable subprime mortgages, and as a result, were  far more likely than whites to lose their homes during the home mortgage foreclosure crisis. The Status of the Dream Today: Police Brutality In terms of police violence, since 2014, nationwide attention has turned to this deadly problem. Protests against the killing of unarmed and innocent black men and boys prompted many social scientists to revisit and republish data that show unequivocally that Black men and boys are racially profiled by police, and arrested, assaulted, and killed by officers at rates that far exceed those of other races. Critical work by the Department of Justice has brought improvements to many police departments across the nation, but the unending news of police killings of Black men and boys shows that the problem is widespread and persistent. The Status of the Dream Today: Economic Inequality Finally, Dr. Kings dream of economic justice for our nation is equally unrealized. Though we have minimum wage laws, the shift in work from stable, full-time jobs to contract and part-time work with minimum pay has left half of all Americans in or on the brink of poverty. The nightmare that King saw in the discrepancy between spending on war and spending on public services and social welfare has only gotten worse since then. And, instead of economic restructuring in the name of justice, we now live in the most economically unequal time in modern history, with the richest one percent controlling about half of all the worlds wealth. Black and Latino people continue to lag far behind white people and Asian Americans in terms of income and family wealth, which negatively impacts their quality of life, health, access to education, and overall life chances. We All Must Fight for the Dream The resurgent black Civil Rights movement, operating under the slogan Black Lives Matter, seeks to raise awareness of and combat these problems. But making Dr. Kings dream into a reality is not the work of black people alone, and it will never be a reality so long as those of us who are not burdened by racism continue to ignore its existence and consequences. Fighting racism, and creating a just society, are things for which each and every one of us bears responsibility- especially those of us who have been its beneficiaries.

The Poor and Vulnerable in the Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Poor and Vulnerable in the Society - Essay Example The above examples illustrate how much God cares for the poor. Christians have the responsibility to emulate these examples because they represent God on earth. Justice in the society is measured by how the poor and vulnerable are treated. If they are sidelined or treated as second citizens, it is because such a society lacks morals and the ethical responsibility needed for fairness to reign. However, when the poor are given a voice, justice flows. Therefore, Christians should be in the forefront defending the rights of the disadvantaged in society, as this is what is meant by true religion. People blame the poor and vulnerable for their states. These societies equate wealth with hard work. The affluent are praised for their possession. They are considered as superiors because of the material gains they have. On the other hand, the poor are treated as inferior because they do not have wealth acquisitions (Sellers 124-127). They are regarded as worthless or given difficult tasks to perform because they do not have any other option. However, with such treatment, the rich secure their future while worsening matters for the poor (Ark 55-59). It becomes difficult for the poor to break the cycle of poverty because they are overloaded with work for little pay. Their condition is prolonged not because they are lazy, but because they are not given equal opportunities as their fellow wealthy counterparts. They have to struggle to survive yet the rich glide through life. However, when chances are provided equally for all, the poor get the opportunity to improve their circumstances. The elite has the advantage to better education. Knowledge puts them ahead in life. It provides them the probability of securing a well-paying job. It puts them ahead in the corporate world. In third world countries, a good education is a huge privilege for many. Illiteracy has been a huge cause of poverty. However, there are countries that have abolished  school fees in public schools. In such institutions, the class turns up is high.  

What Are The Implications For Social Workers In Combating Re-Offending Dissertation

What Are The Implications For Social Workers In Combating Re-Offending Among Children And Young People - Dissertation Example The view is holistic in approach which excavates the theories and situations and how social workers are working on curtailing re-offending among that section of the society. It is understood that the report is meant to analyze these details and intends to continue the work of social workers in the field of re-offending among delinquents and young people. The report mainly relies on the handbook of Social Exclusion in U.K brought out by the Government of U.K. And the journal article of the National Association of social Workers. Many books have been referred to which deals with abnormal psychology and portrays criminal behavior as a clinical problem. The report intends to problem-atize every bit of the topic and proposes to find a solid solution to it. Introduction: To begin with re-offending among children and the youth, one must thoroughly study crime in the first place. Every man born into the society is always penetrated with societal norms through rigorous socialization. Norms are the set of ideas and rules which members of the society must abide by. The next concept is of sanctions. Social norms are mostly accompanied by sanctions to foster conformity and more than that, protect against non-conformity to facilitate social binding.norms are mostly accompanied by sanctions to foster conformity and more than that, protect against non-conformity to facilitate social binding. Positive and negative sanctions have different forms. Punishment is a big form of negative sanction. Sociology has time and again come up with newer theories to explain crime and deviance and mostly juvenile delinquency. As mentioned earlier, socialization helps to make every human being settle in the society with ease and comfort, by abiding the social rules and norms. But many despite being socialized to follow these rules and norms decide to not follow them or rather deviate from them. These elements are usually known as sociopaths – impulsive, judgmental and usually lack insight unlike criminals whose deeds have a planned character. Most children on their path to socialization often take up deviant methods. Anything that is unusual, queer or abnormal is termed as deviant. And the character to deviance differs from each other (Quinn, 2004). Offending is a social term more than legal. But our topic clearly deals with re-offending or repetition of crime may be of the same or different character. Crime and delinquency is the subject we are dealing with. Now both these terms have a strong legal tinge to it. The concept of delinquency differs with the Penal code of different states and countries. Criminal tendency or the inclination to commit a crime is seen not only in adults but also in children. There is entire genre in literatu re dealing with sibling rivalry, dealing with infinite instances of juvenile delinquency. Young offenders are therefore criminal minors. These young people deviate from the cultural norms and commit grievous offences extending from murders to thefts, drinking to brutal sexual activities and so on. The foremost social reason for offending among children and the youth is due to a lack of proper socialization. Socialization happens both from home and peer group. Children often commit crimes under the influence of peer groups; impulsively just to try out something for fun. Or mostly as many social workers have pointed out, it happens due to

Milk - Cheese Essay Example for Free

Milk Cheese Essay Milk contains all the food, including protein, fat, sugar, and other nutrients, a young mammal requires for a long period of time. Milk comes from sheep, cows, and goats. Milk is good for us because we grow up healthy and have a strong body; we have sharp teeth and have energy. Everybody needs milk, for example: babies, toddlers, sick people, children, and elderly people. In various parts of the world, goats, reindeer, donkeys, yaks, water buffalo, and sheep are domesticated and milked. In most countries, however, dairy cows provide milk. Milk and milk products are drunk and eaten in many forms, including buttermilk, cheese, yoghurt, and butter. Milk can be reduced to powder, concentrated in a thick liquid, and used in cooking. Fresh milk sours quickly, but, when changed into forms such as cheeses, it can be kept for a long time. People consume milk in fresh, dried, and condensed forms. Fermented-milk products, such as buttermilk, sour cream, and yoghurt, are also available. Milk is used to make food products such as butter, cheese, and ice-cream. Under normal conditions, the milk of mammals is the only food necessary for the health and growth of that mammal’s young for certain period after birth. Cow’s milk can be substituted for human milk in feeding babies only if the proportions of water and sugar to other components are increased. Milk is composed largely of water; cow’s milk, for example, is approximately 87 percent water by volume. The main nutrients, food elements are: proteins, the principal proteins in milk are casein and albumin. They contain all the essential amino acid for building tissues, blood and hormone substances. Casein is found only in milk and gives milk its whiteness. Carbohydrates, the fat of the milk is called butterfat, or milk fat, and is the part of milk from which butter is made. It is an important source of energy and rich in vitamin A. Minerals, milk are one of the best natural sources of calcium and phosphorus. Its other minerals include iron, copper, sodium, potassium, magnesium, sulfur and iodine. Vitamins, milk contains all the known vitamins, but only four-riboflavin, vitamin B2, thiamine, vitamin B1, niacin and vitamin A in significant amounts. Milk is an excellent source of riboflavin; it contains only a little less than does an equal amount, by weight, of lean meat. Microorganisms that Disease-causing organisms present in the cow can be passed on to the milk. Contamination can occur when the milk is obtained, stored, or transported. Milk is pasteurized to kill and prevent growth of microorganisms. Milk products: raw milk is natural, fluid milk. Pasteurized milk is milk that has been heated to 63 degrees.

Cheetahs :: essays research papers

For my vertebrate animal I chose the Cheetah. The Cheetah or Acinonyx Jubatus is an endangered species. They were once found throughout Africa and Asia, but are now only scattered throughout Eastern Africa and a small region of Southwestern Africa. Cheetahs are threatened by increasing loss of habitat, decline in prey, and increased poaching for fur trade. The Cheetah has a tawny coarse coat with round black spots or â€Å"tear stripes† from the corner of the eyes down to the sides of the nose. They are slender and long legged, and their claws are non-retractable. They also have small heads with high set eyes and small ears. Cheetahs average 44 to 53 inches in length, with an additional tail length of 26 to 33 inches. The Cheetah’s average weight is 86 to 143 pounds. Male Cheetahs are slightly larger than females. The Cheetahs flexible spine, oversized liver, enlarged heart, slender muscular body, and unique claws make it the swiftest hunter in Africa, and the fastest animal on land. A Cheetah can reach speeds of up to 60 mph. In the grassy plains and dense bush females live alone, except when raising cubs. Males live alone or with a small group of brothers from the same litter. Cheetahs hunt in late morning and early evening. They stalk their prey first, until they are within 40 to 90 feet before the chase begins. Chases last from twenty seconds to one minute, and only about half are successful. If the Cheetah does catch its prey it suffocates it by biting it underneath the throat. Then the carcass is dragged of to a safe place to be eaten. Cheetahs prey on animals such as Gazelles, Wildebeest calves, impala, and other hoofed animals weighing up to 88 pounds. A Cheetahs sexual maturity is reached in about 20 to 23 months. Mating can occur any time of year. Gestation lasts 91 to 95 days. Litter size can be 1 to 8 cubs, but the average is 3.

Tomorrow When The War Began

That ‘Evil is a human invention'. And I agree with her. When the dragonfly eats the mosquito, the hermit and when Elli blows up the lawn mower are all excellent point which I will be discussing and arguing about throughout this essay . The first point is when the dragon fly eats the mosquito. Elli makes the point that when the dragonfly eats the mosquito it is in reality nature but humans seem to take this simple act of life and turn it into something evil and dark. To make this mint more clear and defined, here is a line from the book. He was eating it alive. Bit by bit the mosquito, still struggling wildly, was munched up. † If someone else was in Else's position they may have even killed the dragon fly because they thought it was that evil. My second point is the Hermit. The Hermit is one of the side stories in the book they don't get that deep into the story but they give up just enough details to make a point out of it. The hermit in the book is considered to be evil by everyone in Wearied. But when Elli discovers the Hermits den she finds old documents and photo's of his family.If he was so evil why would he keep them. Personally I think that he was putting his family out of their misery by shooting them, and he stayed away from everyone because he could not stand being judged. My third and final point is when Elli blows up the lawn mower. After doing so she starts to question herself throughout the book and cannot make clear decisions because of this. She keeps asking herself the question ‘ am an evil person. Her friend tell her that she had to do it or her friends may have been killed and that makes her wonder ‘is evil a human invention.If this was the animal kingdom and she was a lioness and a hyena was trying to eat her cubs there is no doubt that the lioness would fight the hyena. That again would not be evil in reality, in reality that would be nature. In conclusion I think that evil is a human invention and that Elli try's t o fight this fact and also tries to embrace it. This becomes more bold when she blows up the lawn mower, Discovers the Hermit is real and when the dragonfly eats the mosquito. In the end I think and will continue thinking that evil is a human invention. Tomorrow When The War Began That ‘Evil is a human invention'. And I agree with her. When the dragonfly eats the mosquito, the hermit and when Elli blows up the lawn mower are all excellent point which I will be discussing and arguing about throughout this essay . The first point is when the dragon fly eats the mosquito. Elli makes the point that when the dragonfly eats the mosquito it is in reality nature but humans seem to take this simple act of life and turn it into something evil and dark. To make this mint more clear and defined, here is a line from the book. He was eating it alive. Bit by bit the mosquito, still struggling wildly, was munched up. † If someone else was in Else's position they may have even killed the dragon fly because they thought it was that evil. My second point is the Hermit. The Hermit is one of the side stories in the book they don't get that deep into the story but they give up just enough details to make a point out of it. The hermit in the book is considered to be evil by everyone in Wearied. But when Elli discovers the Hermits den she finds old documents and photo's of his family.If he was so evil why would he keep them. Personally I think that he was putting his family out of their misery by shooting them, and he stayed away from everyone because he could not stand being judged. My third and final point is when Elli blows up the lawn mower. After doing so she starts to question herself throughout the book and cannot make clear decisions because of this. She keeps asking herself the question ‘ am an evil person. Her friend tell her that she had to do it or her friends may have been killed and that makes her wonder ‘is evil a human invention.If this was the animal kingdom and she was a lioness and a hyena was trying to eat her cubs there is no doubt that the lioness would fight the hyena. That again would not be evil in reality, in reality that would be nature. In conclusion I think that evil is a human invention and that Elli try's t o fight this fact and also tries to embrace it. This becomes more bold when she blows up the lawn mower, Discovers the Hermit is real and when the dragonfly eats the mosquito. In the end I think and will continue thinking that evil is a human invention.

Eddie and Beatrice Essay

During the dance between Catherine and Rodolpho, Marco has a short conversation with Eddie and Beatrice. Eddie becomes jealous when Marco brags how well Rodolpho can cook.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"We eat very well on the boat – especially when Rodolpho comes along; everybody gets fat†.  Eddie outbursts with jealousy towards Rodolpho saying he â€Å"can’t cook, he can’t sing and he can’t make dresses†.  Beatrice and Marco realised that whilst he was saying all of this that Eddie was twisting a newspaper into a tight roll. Eddie then goes on taking pity on himself.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"If I could cook, if I could sing, if I could make dresses†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  As Eddie goes on he gets more and more frustrated and agitated, eventually the newspaper snapped in half. Eddie mentions boxing to Marco. Marco felt uneasy due to the fact he knew Eddie was frustrated. Eddie soon gets to his point across he wants to teach Rodolpho boxing. knowing full well that what he had in mind. Beatrice asked  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What’s he got to learn that for?†Ã‚  As she tries to come up with a reason not to teach him boxing.  Eddie begins to teach Rodolpho how to lead with his left hand and to block. After all this Eddie temps Rodolpho to hit him. â€Å"Come on kid, put sump’m behind it†Ã‚  Rodolpho swings aggressively at Eddie’s jaw and grazes it. This heats up the tension even more. The audience expects a fight as Eddie should react to the blow. Eddie however does react but pretends that it is an accident but you can see that this is not the case. The effect of Eddie’s punch on Rodolpho was so fierce that the other characters was totally disgusted by it an knew that it was necessary. Catherine runs to Rodolpho’s aid and Marco rises and Beatrice tells Eddie,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"That’s enough.†Ã‚  The audience might have expected this part of the scene to result in a big fight due to the unnecessary force Eddie used. They were stunned to see Rodolpho smirk and say,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I was only surprised.† Marco then challenges Eddie. This was a test of strength in which Eddie does not win.  Marco displays his strength to all of the characters. Marco show off his strength and also warn off Eddie using a glare of warning which quickly reverts to a smile of triumph.  This makes the audience feel sorry for Eddie because Marco was now the superior strength in the Carbone household. The audience were left in the dark as the scene ends with Marco holding a chair above Eddie’s head. Arthur Miller has created the dramatic scene ending.  The instant difference between the end of Act I and the end of Act II is that at the end of Act I Marco proves his stength.

The Jim Crow Era

The Jim Crow Era The Jim Crow Era in United States history began towards the end of the Reconstruction Period and lasted until 1965 with the passage of the Voting Rights Act. The Jim Crow Era was more than a body of legislative acts on the federal, state and local levels that barred African-Americans from being full American citizens. It was also a way of life that allowed de jure racial segregation to exist in the South and de facto segregation to thrive in the North. Origin of the Term "Jim Crow" In 1832,  Thomas D. Rice, a white actor, performed in blackface to a routine known as â€Å"Jump Jim Crow.†Ã‚   By the end of the 19th Century, as southern states passed legislation that segregated African-Americans, the term Jim Crow was used to define these laws In 1904, the phrase Jim Crow Law was appearing in American newspapers. Establishment of a Jim Crow Society In 1865, African-Americans were emancipated from enslavement with the thirteenth amendment. By 1870, the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments are also passed, granting citizenship to African-Americans and allowing African-American the right to vote. By the end of the Reconstruction period, African-Americans were losing federal support in the South. As a result, white legislators on state and local levels passed a series of laws that separated African-Americans and whites in public facilities such as schools, parks, cemeteries, theaters, and restaurants. In addition to barring African-Americans and whites from being in integrated public areas, laws were established prohibiting African-American men from participating in the election process. By enacting poll taxes, literacy tests and grandfather clauses, state and local governments were able to exclude African-American from voting.   The Jim Crow Era was not just laws passed to separate blacks from whites. It was also a way of life. White intimidation from organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan kept African-Americans from rebelling against these laws and becoming too successful in southern society.  For instance, when  writer Ida B. Wells began exposing the practice of lynching and other forms of terrorism through her newspaper, Free Speech and Headlight, her printing office was burned to the ground by white vigilantes.   Impact on American Society In response to Jim Crow Era laws and lynchings, African-Americans in the South began participating in the Great Migration. African-Americans moved to cities and industrial towns in the North and West hoping to escape the de jure segregation of the South. However, they were unable to elude de facto segregation, which barred African-Americans in the North from joining specific unions or being hired in particular industries, purchasing homes in some communities, and attending choice schools. In 1896, a group of African-American women established the National Association of Colored Women to support women’s suffrage and fight against other forms of social injustice. By 1905, W.E.B. Du Bois and William Monroe Trotter developed the Niagara Movement, assembling more than 100 African-American men throughout the United States to aggressively fight against racial inequality.  Four years later, the Niagara Movement morphed into the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to fight against social and racial inequality through legislation, court cases, and protests. The African-American press exposed the horrors of Jim Crow to readers throughout the country. Publications such as the Chicago Defender provided readers in southern states with news about urban environments- listing train schedules and job opportunities. An End to the Jim Crow Era During World War II the wall of Jim Crow began to slowly crumble. On the federal level, Franklin D. Roosevelt  established the Fair Employment Act or Executive Order 8802 in 1941 which desegregated employment in war industries after civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph threatened a March on Washington in protest to racial discrimination in the war industries.   Thirteen years later, in 1954, Brown v. Board of Education ruling found the separate but equal laws unconstitutional and desegregated public schools. In 1955, a seamstress and NAACP secretary named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus. Her refusal led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted over a year and began the modern Civil Rights Movement. By 1960s, college students were working with organizations such as CORE and SNCC, traveling to the South to spearhead voter registration drives.  Men such as Martin Luther King Jr. were speaking not only throughout the United State but the world, about the horrors of segregation. Finally, with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Jim Crow Era was buried for good.

The New LinkedIn Recommendations Section What You Should Know

The New LinkedIn Recommendations Section What You Should Know You might have noticed that a few weeks ago, chaos reigned with LinkedIn Recommendations. You could request a recommendation, but the intended recipient did not receive the request. You could accept a recommendation, but you couldn’t ask for a revision – and the recommender could not submit a revised LinkedIn recommendation. Yes, this happened to me. All of it. Thankfully, these issues have been resolved with the new LinkedIn Recommendations section – well, mostly resolved. My new edition of How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile will have all the updated information that you need. Here are the basics of how LinkedIn Recommendations works now. There’s more in the book! The New LinkedIn Recommendations Interface From anyone’s profile, you will now find the option to request or offer recommendations by clicking on the â€Å"More† button, or (depending on your version) on the three dots in the upper right-hand corner of the person’s top information box: If you want the person to recommend you, choose â€Å"Request a recommendation† and you’ll be brought to this screen: Or, scroll down to the Recommendations section of your profile and click on the Ask to be Recommended button:    Write a friendly note to the person and ask if she would be willing to write you a recommendation. If you havent been in contact for some time, be delicate. Maybe start with a phone call. And at some point you might want to remind the person of something that will refresh their recollection of your skills and accomplishments. Then ask your recommender to tell a clear, specific story or two about you. Accepting or Revising Recommendations Once you receive a recommendation, you should be notified in your inbox. You can also check your pending recommendations by clicking the link in your Recommendation section: Or visit this direct link: https://www.linkedin.com/recs/received You’ll have the opportunity to accept or dismiss the recommendation. If there is an error or something youd rather that someone say differently, you can ask your recommender to correct it, which I encourage you to do if what they wrote is not exactly the way you want it! Most people are very cooperative when you make a request for a replacement. Unfortunately, LinkedIn eliminated the feature that allowed the recipient to request a replacement recommendation, so if you need a revision, youll have to Dismiss the original recommendation and request a new one. Accompany your request with a copy of the original recommendation and your suggested changes so your recommender does not have to start from scratch. Recommendation Challenges Here are some issues that commonly come up with people seeking LinkedIn Recommendations: 1.   I havent talked to my recommender in 5 years I would be so embarrassed to ask! In this situation, think about how you would respond if the tables were turned. Wouldnt you be happy to hear from someone who did good work for you or who was a great boss or colleague 10 years ago? I say it’s always worth asking if you think they will say something valuable! 2. My recommenders arent on LinkedIn. In this situation, there are at least three options that can address the issue: Invite the person onto LinkedIn. It might be just the nudge your recommender needs to join the millions of LinkedIn users! Attach your recommendation under the relevant job as a link or file. Include the recommendation in the summary or experience section of your profile. 3. My previous company has a policy against recommendations. If your past supervisors are precluded from recommending you due to company policy, you might have hit a dead end- but your coworkers might still be able to write a recommendation; and keep track of those supervisors, as they might move to a new company and be freed up to write a recommendation for you. Pay attention to the daily emails you receive with updates and look for news about potential recommenders! Show or Hide LinkedIn Recommendations You can display the LinkedIn Recommendations you choose at any given time. To show or hide your recommendations, click on the pencil icon: If you do not want to display a recommendation, click the Show slider to change it to Hide and the recommendation will be hidden (see example below). Giving Recommendations I encourage you to recommend people as well as to request recommendations. Here’s how: If you want to recommend Nancy, go to her profile and click â€Å"Recommend Nancy.† You’ll be brought to this start box: Tracking Your Recommendations Want a quick run-down of all your received and given recommendations? Scroll down in your profile and here’s what you’ll see: Or, want to see all the recommendation requests people have sent you? Go to https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendabernstein/detail/recommendations/requests/?view=received Looking Good in Your LinkedIn Recommendations Section By accumulating recommendations, you will gain the trust of potential employers, clients, and whomever else you want to impress on LinkedIn- trust that can translate into business or into a job. I have had many people choose to work with The Essay Expert based on the strength of the recommendations posted on my LinkedIn profile. Imagine, if you are a business or sales person, having clients come to you already having decided youre the person they want to work with! Recommending people can also get attention from recruiters. It’s a little-known fact that recruiters search on the recommendations you’ve given, not just on the ones you receive! In summary, the strength of your recommendations can get you your next client or your next job. What are you waiting for?

Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Diversity - Essay Example CEI is an indication of zero tolerance to discrimination in the workplace, especially with reference to the LGBT community. The rating of corporations in terms of their CEI displays to the public companies with good and ethical practices in terms of their corporate cultures. For a company to appear in the list of top ten LGBT companies, it has to exhibit maximum CEI. This compels potential employers of LGBT community to develop their organizational cultures with gender orientation in mind. Consequently, the 100 percent CEI requirement is a good initiative of checking workplace discrimination on LGBT community in a work environment crippled by dearth of LGBT workplace protection law. Human rights must be protected from all dimensions. Every member of the society deserves to enjoy protection against discrimination of whatever kind. Consequently, it is difficult to object the demand by Diversity Inc’s requirement of 100 percent CEI for companies listed in their website, which is a public exhibition of companies that are socially responsible and zero tolerant to workplace

Personal Statement of Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Statement of Ethics - Essay Example When I was a child, my concept of ethics has been confined in being good and right to the people within my small circle. However, as I grew older and exposed to the realities of this world, I begin to learn that ethics is more than just pleasing the people which are around me. I realize that in order to maintain my integrity and credibility as an individual, I should be able to establish my own ethical standards backed by what I believe to be morally excellent. As I go about making my own stand, I learn that upholding my ethical beliefs is a struggle where I need to battle with the conflicting ideologies of the people around me. I begin to understand that what my parents taught me are quite shallow compared to what I learn with my various experiences yet they provide a good foundation of how to decide whether something is acceptable or not. My definition of ethics goes beyond what is socially acceptable as right. Looking at the current world situation, it now appears that our society have tolerated and absorbed previously unethical behaviors and added them into our value system. For instance, I strongly assert that gay marriage is not ethically because it destroys the original purpose of a woman's creation that is, to be the completeness of a man.

Global Connectvity and Cyberwarfare Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global Connectvity and Cyberwarfare - Assignment Example Increasing interconnectivity through World Wide Web and easy availability of cyber warfare tools makes it difficult to differentiate between domestic or foreign source of cyber warfare. Our adversary has the ability to change multimedia files or change public thinking by digitally manipulating the information (O’ Hara 4). The cyber warfare is never relaxed and the war remains on for 24 hours in a day. Traditional way of intelligence gathering is outdated for this sort of warfare. The same way analysis can not be carried basing on the information. Current intelligence organizations can not gain such information in cyber warfare (O’ Hara 4). This warfare does not have any boundaries. No warning for intentions and attack can be obtained before a cyber crime actually happens. Coalition can be established easily with other countries because the technical experts of other nations may not be able to handle warfare and secure own system as well (O’ Hara 5). The cyber warfare is not useful until it physically damages the target. Cyber warfare operations are not stealth operations. Countries with more advanced technologies can detect and trace the destination of cyber crime. Cyber terrorism is more pronounced because the attacker attacks and vanishes after getting the desired information. Such attack can be traced and sometimes it can not be traced (Billo & Chang 17). Billo, Charles & Chang, Welton. Cyber Warfare an Analysis of the Means and Motivations of Selected Nation States. Institute for Security Technology Studies at Dartmouth College, 2004. Accessed 30 April 2012.

Spirituality And Mental Illness Psychology Essay

Spirituality And Mental Illness Psychology Essay Spirituality is a part of human experience. It often stands as one integral aspect of ones cultural or religious orientation. Likewise, spirituality may also represent ones individual choice, belief, and behavior. Both in terms of traditional and conventional healthcare, there are three aspects of human well-being that should be taken care of: physical, mental, and spiritual health. Physical is for the body, mental is for the mind, and psychic health is for the spirit (Jeitschko et al., 2005). However, in the present idea of healthcare, the thrust of healthcare efforts is given to physical health. However, the other two components also play integral roles in the achievement of humans overall (external and internal) well-being. Oftentimes, these two are overlooked. Although courses of religion and spirituality are common in most medical schools and pastoral care is provided in some hospitals, health policies and insurance in mental healthcare is severely restricted in ways that physical healthcare is not and moreover, to emphasize, very little healthcare is provided for the spiritual healthcare (Jeitschko et al., 2005). Yet, Jeitschko et al (2005) claimed that spiritual claim has repeatedly observed to be an important factor and correlated for the health of both body and minds health. In this paper, we look into the importance of spiritual health as a prerequisite towards mental health improvement and maintenance- to prevent and to treat mental illnesses. First, we describe a brief overview of the situation concerning mental disorders and illnesses as a global phenomenon. Third, we define and contextualize spirituality as a prerequisite to overall spiritual health. Lastly, we discuss how spirituality has been used to 1) prevent a vast array of mental illnesses and 2) treat various cases of mental disability and other psychiatric ability. Mental Illness: A Situation Overview While each is a separate aspect, spirituality and mental well-being are viewed as closely-related, if not dependent to each other. This may be because both are internal mechanisms that may not be measured by medical apparatuses, may not diagnosed via single medical procedure, and cannot be treated by measurable doses of medicine. Rather, these are brought about by internal mechanisms that exist along a continuum of attitudes and behavior. Mental health and mental illness exist along a continuum of attitude and behavior. This covers a wide array of mental diagnostic categories, from mild conditions like depression to more serious cases such as schizophrenic disorders (OBrien, 2003). The main components of looking into mental disorder are: internal psychological dysfunctions, unexpected response to a social phenomenon, and differentiation from deviant behavior. Nonetheless, the universal component of mental illness is the dysfunction of some internal psychological mechanism. Examples of these dysfunctions occur in systems of cognition, thinking, perception, motivation, emotion, language, and memory (Horwitz, 2002). Millions of people all over the world suffer from mental illnesses and adverse mental health. As of 2002, 154 million suffer from depression, 50 million from epilepsy, 25 million from schizophrenia, and 24 million people suffer from Alzheimer and other dementias. It was also observed that 25% visiting healthcare services suffer from mental, neurological and behavioral disorders but most of these cases are not diagnosed and treated. Moreover, people with these disorders are oftentimes subjected to social isolation, decreased quality of life, and increased mortality (WHO, 2010). Barriers of effective mental treatment can be traced into two factors: 1) lack of recognition of the seriousness of mental illnesses among patients, and 2) lack of understanding about the benefits of having cost-effective mental illness treatment. This alleviated by the fact that in most middle and low income countries devote less than 1% of their budget to mental health (WHO, 2010). Defining Spirituality Before going farther in this paper, it is necessary to first define spirituality and to bring forth its importance. Spirituality is defined first by differentiating the concept with that of religion. Religion is strictly linked to formal religious institutions. On the other hand, spirituality does not depend on formal institutions but comes from initiatives of an individual. The similarities of spirituality and religion both focus on belief, sacred, divine entities, and the resulting behaviors and practices and spiritual consciousness. However, this arbitrary definition does not provide comprehensive delineation of the two concepts (George, 2000). National Institute of Healthcare Research (NIHR) defined spirituality as the feelings, thoughts, experiences, and behaviors that arise from search for the sacred. In this definition, search encompasses identifying, transforming, and maintaining. Terms such as knowing, understanding, and embodying can be used as synonyms to search based on this context. Sacred refers to divine being, higher power, and ultimate truth as perceived by the individual collective reinforcement and identity. Hence, from this definition of spirituality, the distinctive characteristic of religion is collective reinforcement and identity (George, 2010). Another comprehensive definition of spirituality came from Murray and Zenter (1989): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦spirituality dimension, a quality that goes beyond religious affiliation that strives for inspiration, reverence, awe, meaning and purpose, even in those who do not believe in God comes essentially into focus in times of emotional stress, physical and mental illness, loss, bereavement and death. From these definitions, spirituality can be summarized in three elements: comes from within an individual and not collective affiliations; goal-oriented: search, inspiration, well-being, and embodiment of belief; come in times of emotional stress and mental distress. Spiritual Healthcare The idea that spirituality is an initiative of an individual comes with the expectation that there is a wide array of spiritual healthcare procedures depending on how individuals perceive its importance and the procedures encompassing it. Hence, to take care of spiritual health, the individual should be able to have the following skills: being able to create peaceful state of mind, ability to stay alert, attentive, and mentally focused in present circumstances, develop above average empathy and to grieve appropriately and then let go afterwards. Moreover, spiritual values include kindness, compassion, generosity, tolerance, creativity, wisdom, honesty, humility, and patience (Culliford, 2002). Some of the elements of spiritual care include: environment of purposeful activity; feelings of safety and security, dignity, belonging and acceptance; having opportunities and encouragement to express feelings and thoughts; and to receive permission, encouragement to develop relationship with God or Absolute and to receive place and privacy for prayers worship, and spiritual education; and to derive meaning from illness experiences (Culliford, 2006). Spirituality for Prevention and Cure of Mental Illness Throughout history, mental illness was closely related to religious faith, demonic possessions and magical enchantments. In a very long time in history, mental illness was misunderstood and misinterpreted and people suspected to have mental disorders were subjected to cruel procedures. In prehistory mental illness perceived to come from supernatural and magical spirits that disrupt minds. Shamans tried to cure mental illness through performing rituals, casting spells, and using mind-altering drugs. Trepanning, or drilling a hole on patients skull to release or exorcise bad spirits. However, fossils show that new bones grew to cover the holes and high survival rates were observed (Thomson, 2007). Ancient Egyptians were the first to implement a form of mental healthcare and the first to cure a patient identified to have mental illness. Temples and temple complexes served as mental hospitals. Mental treatment procedures include: psychiatric texts, rites, rituals and prayers. Egyptians were also able to decipher that mental illness that time was caused by loss of money and status; hence, they suggested that talk therapy will be an effective treatment procedure (Thomson, 2007). However, due to advances in technology, rapid evolution of the society and paradigm shifts in terms of mental illnesses, spirituality becomes a forgotten dimension of mental healthcare (Culliford, 2002). Spirituality, as prevention and treatment for mental illness, was included in the identified misunderstanding of ancient people towards mental disorders. Spirituality was forgotten as an important tool for physical and mental health and spiritual health was also overlooked as a part of overall human well-being. This neglect is attributed to secularization and science-based discipline of psychiatry (Culliford, 2007). Now, importance of spirituality is gradually being rediscovered because of two reasons. First, mental illness patients report spirituality; spiritual beliefs and practices are their major sources of personal strength. Second, there is increased attention in academic and scientific research and psychiatric treatment and practices (George, 2000). In the field of psychiatry, a trending practice is to achieve first, spiritual history of the patients before addressing their mental needs. Spiritual history includes details of the patients religious antecedents, practices, beliefs or the lack or absence of these. Reasons for taking spiritual history include (Culiford, 2007): The field recognizes that nature of spirituality as a source of validity, motivation, and sense of belonging and acceptance which are beneficial for the patients. There is a also a long historical relationship between spiritual healthcare and medicine. Spirituality is oftentimes part of patients needs and wishes. The influence of spirituality and religion to the attitudes and decisions of the staff. Moreover, spirituality is now recognized as an integrating force for various dimensions of human life including physical, biological, psychological, and psychosocial. Although it is acknowledged that spirituality may also have negative effects on mental well-being, there is a growing confidence for mental, and even physical health of spiritual belief and practices. In a wide review of researches on spirituality and mental health, 20% showed negative effects while 80% observed positive results (Culliford, 2007). Some of the negative accounts on spirituality as a beneficial tool for curing mental illness include the studies cited by Fallot (2003). In terms of diagnosis and psychiatric rehabilitation programs, DSM-IV diagnosis involves assessment of spiritual experiences. In a symptom-oriented nosological system, the focus is directed to spiritual or religious behavior of the patient. In DSM-IV, two scenarios may occur: First, spiritual concerns may be problematic and may also be attributable to the actual mental disorder. In cases of severe mental disorder, psychiatric disorder is considered primary while spiritual expression is secondary. There are cases when spiritual experiences disappear, the primary or psychiatric disorder is treated adequately. Second, spiritual issue is problematic but may not be attributed to the mental disease. Patients with severe mental illness are still capable of spiritual activities such as struggles for searching meaning in life, conflicting and confusing relationships with the sacred, and challenges to long-hel beliefs. These further leads to prolonged psychiatric difficulties, problems in understanding religious experiences, loss of hope and demoralization However, Fallot (2003) argued that there is positive spiritual coping that will be beneficial for mental illness patients. Still on a lager scale, patients tend to turn unto religion not just as a significant resource but also as a coping mechanism that is helpful. Spirituality and religion can serve as possible mechanisms with positive impacts of mental health and rarely are the cases in which both pose negative impacts on mental health (Fallot, 2003). Specifically, spiritual well-being is associated to reduce likelihood of anxiety disorders, depression, and substance abuse that lead to addiction and other mental disorders. Likewise, there is also positive association between spirituality undertaking and recovery from mental disorders such as depression and substance abuse (George, 2002). Mental Healthcare Practices Involving Spirituality This section discusses some mental healthcare treatment practices that are used to emphasize the role of spirituality to mental health (Fallot, 2003). Spiritual Assessment. This refers to understanding of content and the functions of a patients spiritual beliefs and practice. This approach is useful on a diverse religious experiences and cultures. The definition of spirituality can both be broad and inclusive. This approach goes beyond symptom-oriented orientation but rather explore potential significance of spirituality to the patient and his recovery. Spiritually informed groups. The group provides therapeutic context of examination of consumers religious beliefs and traditions. The role of this group is to provide a positive connection between spirituality and the present conditions of the patients. In spite of religious diversity, patients may find it helpful to share and listen to others search for meaning and purpose of life. It will not exacerbate symptoms of mental health but will rather support and clarify ones purpose in life which shall give sense of worth, value, and trust to themselves. Individual psychotherapy. Psychotherapeutic approaches coming from a wide variety of religious beliefs such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam and others attuned the present approaches for individual psychotherapy. Aside from overview of religious interventions, this approach can also be used to specify roles of meditation and mindfulness, prayer, and other spiritually and cognitive-behavioral techniques. This approach is also integrated in counseling relationship. Relationships with faith communities. One important factor for treating mental illness is to restore social supports and relationships. Religious or faith communities can offer empowerment, sense of acceptance and belonging to the patients. However, it should be taken into consideration that the patient shall not feel any sense of rejection from the community. How Does Spirituality Prevent and Treat Mental Illness Empirical analysis regarding the effects spirituality to mental health is continuously studied. Researchers and mental health practitioners continue to seek means by which spirituality will prevent and facilitate treatment, if not completely treat mental illnesses. Nonetheless, for the present studies, the following two mechanisms were attributed as the factors by which spirituality is helpful to mental health: First is the ability to establish social support. Spiritual participation may be one major avenue for developing social bonds and other social support. People with high religious participation have larger social networks, higher interaction with social network, receive more assistance from others, and have higher levels of satisfaction of the social support they receive. This is important as rejection is one of the major causes of disturbed mental health and acceptance is one of the best recovery apparatus. Second is the coherence spirituality offers. Through coherence within the group, patients tend to understand their role in life, their purpose, and to develop courage to face sufferings. Moreover, coherence with others is also an effective buffer to stress on mental health. As a conclusion, it can be acknowledged that in spite of the gaps between the benefits of spirituality and mental health, it can still be safely implemented as a tool to prevent and facilitate cure of mental illnesses through the approaches and because of the mechanisms mentioned in the later part of the paper.

Racial Discrimination :: essays research papers

Racial Discrimination "KAFFIR". When you see or hear this word, what runs through your mind? Do you picture a man with skin the color of the midnight sky, do you see him bending his muscular body down to the dry earth to pick cotton from thorn-ridden plants? Can you feel the heat of the sun beating down on his charred back? Perhaps you can even taste the beads of sweat swelling from his forehead and arms. Or maybe you are more inclined to visualize a dark-skinned woman with creases in her forehead made by many years of hard work and endless worrying. You watch her as she puts the breakfast dishes on the table and addresses her owners with a "yes sah" or "yes ma'am". There is nobody to cater to her needs. She spends each day taking care of everyone but herself. Pain. Sorrow. Anguish. Agony. Is this what comes to your mind when you hear the word "KAFFIR"? Well, it shouldn't because the word "kaffir" has nothing to do with the color of your skin. The word "kaffir" is just that; a word. It is a term that sprouted out of ignorance and continues to be used to this day exclusively by ignorant people. A kaffir isn't a slang term for an African; it is a word that describes the person that uses it. This type of person is one who feeds his ego by dehumanizing those around him when he feels they are not equal to him. He may regard those of different races or nationalities as "bad" or "dirty" because they do not have the same skin color as he does or they may cherish beliefs that are contrary to the ones by which he lives his life. These qualities describe the man who tells his son that it is okay to make fun of people who are different because differences are bad. A child who is repeatedly told such things will believe them because "mom and dad never lie". This idea, inculcated in them as children, is like a grain of sand caught in the clutches of an oyster. It eats away at their minds until it becomes part of them. Instead of forming into a pearl, it creates a whole new individual that is as ignorant as the parents who raised him. And so this vicious cycle of ignorance continues. Children need to be taught from infancy that people of other races and nationalities are human too. They think like the rest of us. They have feelings, hopes, and aspirations. They are intelligent.

Literary Review: Philippine Fashion Essay

Introduction: For this research paper, I decided to dig deeper into my Filipino heritage. The history of the Philippines has been an up and down roller coaster. From being colonized by the Spanish for 300 years in 1565, to being captured by the British in 1762, to being in Japanese hands, to being under the power of the United States, the Philippines eventually established their independence on July 4, 1946. Considering the Philippines is somewhat â€Å"new†, their government system hasn’t had nearly enough time to advance and develop like other countries in the world. One third of the Filipino population lives below the poverty line. This lack of independence has had a huge effect on the Filipino economy. Their economy is based solely on their agriculture. The Philippines has a very tropical climate with a long rainy season, and an incredibly mountainous landscape. Important crops include rice, corn, coconut, sugarcane, abaca, and tobacco. The Philippines also have an endless list of tropical and tasty fruits. Although the Philippine islands have been through a more than complicated time, the people inhabiting the land have stayed strong and taken advantage of their land’s newly gained independence . After gathering this general information, that was when I developed my thesis: How has the unstable history of the Philippines affected their overall fashion and textile industry? I chose this topic because not only does it give me a chance to expand my knowledge in textiles and fashion, but it also allows me to further educate myself in my own personal ethnic background. Methodology: When I first began my research process, it wasn’t very difficult to get started considering the abundance of resources FIDM provides us with. My first step to developing a stable basis of sources was to sit at the  computer in the FIDM library and gather as much material as possible using the help they give us such as EBSCO, the Berg Fashion Library, Culture Grams, and of course books from the shelves themselves. The first source I found that initially helped me develop my thesis was an article I found using the Berg Fashion Library entitled â€Å"‘Ukay-Ukay’ Chic: Tales of Second Hand Clothing Fashion and Trade in the Philippine Cordillera†. This was the source that helped me make the decision to center my paper around Filipino fashion. Not only was this source credible due to the process I used to find it, but it was also extremely beneficial. Once I knew exactly what I would be writing about, I knew that I needed to dig deeper into the history of the Philippines. I initially started by using Culture Grams, which helped me gather some information, but I needed more. That was when I came across the article â€Å"Nation Building and the Crafting of a Usable Past in the Philippines† using the EBSCOhost database. This source really came in handy because it gave me an incredibly detailed and dramatic breakdown of everything the Philippines went through, and how being tossed around by other countries for hundreds of years has had an effect on the land today. Next, I wanted to learn more about the people of the Philippine’s, and their lifestyle and values. I had no luck finding this using the library sources, so that was when I switched to google. I found a website called contriesquest.com. After browsing the information the site gave me, and relating a lot of it to information I had seen before, I decided that it was a credible source to use. The section I used was called â€Å"Population, Way of Life†. This brief article really helped me understand how a regular Filipino person lives. It covered everything from the food they eat the the sports they play. The next source I found was more specifically about the history of filipino fashion. I found the article using the Berg Fashion Library. The was when I came across the amazing article â€Å"Snapshot: Revival of Pià ±a Cloth and Dress: Southern Luzon and Central Philippines†. This was one of my favorite articles because I learned about an amazing way that the people of the Philippines used their natural resources to create a beautiful fashion trend. For my last source, I decided to use the most credible source of all,  a book. The book I chose is entitled the Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. I flipped to the section entitled Asia, Southeastern Islands and the Pacific: History of Dress. I used this source to get a breakdown of the development of filipino fashion throughout the years. 1. Milgram, B Lynne, â€Å"‘Ukay-Ukay’ Chic: Tales of Second Hand Clothing Fashion and Trade in the Philippine Cordillera.† Summary: This article focuses on the new and upcoming bargain shopping trend in the Philippines called â€Å"Ukay-Ukay†, which when translated means secondhand clothing. The Philippine’s have been receiving exports of used goods and clothing from America, and Europe since the 1990’s. Milgram, the author of this article, talks about how the people of the Philippine’s have brilliantly taken these exported used goods and repurposed them to their own advantage. The article also discusses how this new shopping trend has benefitted the sales women of the Philippines, and has helped modernize their way of consumerism and trade. The article then expands on Ifugao, an area in the Grand Cordillera mountains, the area in which the people of the Philippines decided to set up their â€Å"Ukay-Ukay† system. The author tells us that this setting was chosen due to its economic activity. Considering that agriculture is the main component of the filipino economy, Ifugao is unable to produce many crops due to its climate and landscape. Instead, the people inhabiting this area focus on producing other sorts of goods such as crafts for the tourist market, operating dry goods stores, and now engaging in the sale of second hand clothing. The next section of this article focuses on the process in which the exported clothing is distributed from the hands of clothing brokers, regional suppliers, to the citizens of the Philippines. The last part of the article talks about the people who make a living off of the sales of second hand clothing, and how the market is slowly beginning to get more and more competitive. Critical Evaluation: This article is an incredible source of information for my essay. The author of the article convinced me that she was very educated in the topic by using personal examples, facts and statistics, pictures,  quotations, and citations throughout the article of other sources she collected material from as well. Another thing that really made this article easy to break down was that the author put a notes list at the bottom of the document. This contained a list of words and terms that were mentioned throughout the article that a person that wasn’t well aware with filipino slang could find the english translations. The sole purpose of this article was to break  down and educate the reader on an amazing and rapidly growing fashion trend in the Philippines and the world behind it. 2. Hazard, Elizabeth. â€Å"Nation Building and the Crafting of a Usable Past in the Philippines†. Summary: This article provides me with a detailed breakdown of the history timeline of the Philippines. This paper examines the uses of history in the Philippines over the past century as it was enlisted to serve varying social and political agendas. In the first part of this article, the author discusses the long awaited time when the Philippine’s finally gained their independence. Hazard elaborates on the celebratory ceremonies that took place, and the development of the Centennial Commission. The centennial commission is a group of elected filipino people with one mission-to revive the love of the country, and true appreciation for the filipino identity. The article then continues on to discuss the background of its current weak economic state. The author makes sure that we know that the Philippines took a very hard beating throughout the years. The author then goes on to breakdown the confusing history of the Philippines before they gained their independence. She covers the 300 years they were under the rule of Spain, the Japanese occupation in 1943, and when the Americans granted autonomy in 1946. The second purpose of this article was to focus on how the history of the Philippine’s is being displayed today. The author focuses on the textbooks that students in the Philippine’s are given, and states that the authors of these textbooks are excluding important details. This article is a good source of information that discusses the brutalities that the  Philippines went through, and their eventually gained independence. Critical Evaluation: I believe that this is a very reliable and educational source to use for informational purposes for this essay. Although I am focusing my essay on fashion, the history behind the Philippines is equally as important. Considering how intense their history is, and the state that their never ending battle left them in, it is safe to say that this has had a direct effect on their fashion industry. This was a very credible source. Not only did I find it using one of the search engines that the school provides us with, but it was actually a conference paper written for the University of Maine. The author wrote this essay to persuade the listeners and readers to have hope that the Philippine’s can be restored and modernized. The author provides us with lots of statistics and factual information. She also gives us direct quotes from people that she talked to personally, and for those reasons, I decided that this article would help improve my essay. 3. â€Å"Population, Way of Life†. Summary: This website was full of small paragraphs about every single aspect of the Philippines. I decided that I wanted to gather more information on the daily life of a Filipino person, so I chose this section to use for my paper. This section gives us a straightforward description of their society. The author starts off by mentioning Filipino’s emphasis on on family and building a strong community. Filipino’s are very big on traditions. They use the traditional concept of â€Å"utang na loob†, the concept in which voluntary acts of kindness towards others creates an obligation in which the receiver must reciprocate. The article goes on to discuss how the concept of â€Å"utang na loob† is what shapes almost all Filipino relationships. The article then continues to talk about important Filipino values such as respect for the elderly, loyalty, and trust. Paragraph two talks about the average Filipino living conditions. In tradition Philippine villages, houses are mainly constructed of bamboo or wood. Excluding rural areas, most houses are equipped with standard electricity and plumbing. In the more modern parts of  the Philippines, it is mentioned that there is a very obvious Western influence. The standard Philippine diet consists of fish, rice, veggies, fruits, and ground corn. They also have a drink called tuba, which is a fermented coconut wine. The next part of the article talks about how most people in the Philippines work as farmers and fishers. Middle class citizens in more urban cities usually work as teachers and small business owners. The last part of the article focuses on certain sports that Filipino people participate in such as arnis (similar to fencing) and (much like volleyball). Critical Evaluation: I was unsure about the credibility of this source at first, because I couldn’t find an author or any sort of publishing information to begin with. Then, after I clicked on the â€Å"Privacy† link in the bottom corner of the page, I learned that the website was published by Microsoft as a sort of search database for information on different parts of the world. Knowing that it was developed by such an elite corporation made it much more credible. This website provided me with well-defined information on the Philippine’s and made it very easy to understand. When I went to the homepage of the website, I learned that you could click on any region you want and it would give you a list of sections on that area that you could click on. For these reasons I felt like it was an appropriate source. I was also able to relate a lot of the information I found on this website to prior research I did with other sources. 4. Milgram, Lynn. â€Å" Snapshot: Revival of Pià ±a Cloth and Dress: Southern Luzon and Central Philippines† Summary: This article focuses on pià ±a, filipino cloth woven from the fibers of the leaves from a pineapple. It is believed that the pineapple, a very popular fruit found in the Philippines today, was brought over by Spanish settlers in the 16th century. Pià ±a cloth first started producing when the spanish realized that philippine artisans were already skilled at utilizing other local resources, such as the banana, and making into cloth. This was when pià ±a weaving began to spread. The main items of dress tailored from  pià ±a cloth include the baro (woman’s blouse), worn with a detachable paà ±uelo (shawl collar), the saya (skirt), the barong Tagalog (man’s shirt), and handkerchiefs. The next paragraph of this article discusses when pià ±a production reached its peak in the early 19th century when people started realizing that it had a similar appearance to luxury lace. People then began to realize that there were cheaper garments out there that looked similar to pià ±a, which was very expensive due to its complex weaving process. Pinà £ began to fade away and become a smaller business again. The next paragraph discusses the labor inducing process of extracting the pineapple fibers and weaving the pià ±a cloth. The next paragraph talks about the development of â€Å"pià ±a-seda†, the use of silk yarns in the weft instead of pià ±a in order to meet growing demand. Filipino’s also incorporated pià ±a cloth in religious garments. Critical Evaluation: I found this source using the Berg Fashion Library, so its credibility is easy to prove. Not only did the author use accurate historical information, but she also mentioned popular Philippine designers. This source educates the reader on such an interesting and beautiful  invention developed by the Philippines, and really shows you how resourceful they really are. This author also proved her credibility by citing her sources at the bottom of the page, and including pictures to give you a visual of what a pià ±a garment really looked like. I also noticed that the author Lynne B. Milgram is the author of numerous articles found using the Berg Fashion Library. The author makes this article fun, and educational at the same time by relating the art of pià ±a to the early ages of the Philippines. The article was published in the year 2010, but considering it is about a topic that was developed in the 16th century, I don’t believe that needs to be taken into much consideration. 5. Arthur, Linda. â€Å" Asia, Southeastern Islands and the Pacific: History of Dress† Summary: This article focuses on the evolution of fashion garments throughout the years. It starts by mentioning the earliest fashion staple, the bark cloth. The bark cloth was made from the bark of a mulberry tree,  and originated before Spanish settlement. As years continued, Philippine dress transformed due to multicultural influences from the portuguese, the dutch, the spanish and more. When the spanish settlers came, they were shocked by the philippine people’s lack of clothing, and helped them develop the modesty they have in their dress today. The article then continues to mention the names of certain garments worn by regular philippine people such as the baro’t saya, an ensemble of a loose, long-sleeved blouse over a wide skirt that fell to the floor. This article mainly focuses on the impact that westernization had on their clothing. The author mentions that the Spanish also taught filipina women embroidery, cutwork, and threadwork. The use of pià ±a cloth, hand loomed using the fibers of pineapple leaves and jusi cloth, machine made using the fibers of pineapple leaves, were also mentioned as the favorite choice of fabric throughout the 20th century. Critical Evaluation: I found this information in a book called The Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Considering all of my other sources were found using credible databases provided by the school, a book found on the library shelves has to be 100% credible, especially since it came from an encyclopedia. The encyclopedia covers almost everything in the fashion world from ancient egypt, to famous runway moments, to the technology behind design, to the worlds most  admirable designers today. Not only does the author of this section, Linda Arthur, provide us with the evolution of traditional dress in the Philippines, but she also mentions the other westernized areas such as the rest of asia, the southeastern islands, and the asian pacific islands. She covers as early as the beginning of the 16th century before the Spanish colonized the Philippines, all the way up to the 20th century and present day traditional dress. This source was a definite contributor to my research because the author provided me with fascinating facts and terms that have helped me further my understanding and knowledge of Filipino fashion. Although this encyclopedia was published in 2005, the time period the text covered was large enough to extract information from. Conclusion: Before I began breaking down the information I needed to gather to form my thesis, all I knew was that I wanted to relate this essay to my Filipina heritage in some way. Once I began my literature review research, I began to develop the desire to focus my paper more specifically on the Filipino fashion. When I had the main structure of what I wanted to write my essay on, I thought that I would just travel through the years and discuss the fashion evolution. As my research continued, and the FIDM databases provided me with more and more information, I realized that that the Philippines have been through so much throughout centuries, and have advanced and developed so much, that I had to focus on more than just the fashion itself. Before the Philippines gained their independence, they were under the rule of multiple different countries. From each and every one of those countries that the people had to abide to, the Philippines adopted small aspects of their cultures, and ways of life. How has the unstable history of the Philippines affected their overall fashion and textile industry? After writing this Literature review, and expanding my knowledge on the aspects behind this topic , I feel as if I am prepared to answer that question. Works Cited Arthur, Linda B. â€Å"Asia, Southeastern Islands and the Pacific: History of Dress.† Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Ed. Valerie Steele. Vol. 1. Detroit: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2005. 93-97. Print Hazard, Elizabeth. â€Å"Nation Building And The Crafting Of A Usable Past In The Philippines.† International Studies Association. EBSCO, 2004. Web. 3 Aug. 2014. Milgram, B Lynne â€Å"Snapshot: Revival of Pià ±a Cloth and Dress: Southern Luzon and Central Philippines.† The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, Sept 2010. Web. 3 Aug. 2014. Milgram, B Lynne, â€Å"‘Ukay-Ukay’ Chic: Tales of Second Hand Clothing Fashion and Trade in the Philippine Cordillera.† The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, 2004. Web. 4 Aug. 2014. â€Å"Population, Way of Life.† Countries Quest. Microsoft Corporation, 2004. Web. 4 Aug. 2014