Disintermediation in Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Disintermediation in Tourism - Essay Example The effects of disintermediation are different. It has affected the movement and the travel industry essentially. The gracefully chain of movement and the travel industry includes visit administrators, travel offices, trip specialists and others. Customarily prospects and individuals have been relied upon these go betweens to a great extent for their data and booking needs. Advancement of web innovations helped the specialist organizations in movement and the travel industry, for example, aircrafts, vehicle rentals, inns and others to offer their administrations and data through their site. In the picture underneath (Image 1) of WTO 2001 report on E-Business for Tourism, it plainly presents the quantity of mediators which are supplanted by the Internet. Be that as it may, it is obvious that these delegates exist together with the web even in the nations where the web clients are high in number. The utilization and development of site administrations rely upon the quantity of components like number of web clients, mechanical stages accessible and numerous others. There are different reasons of disintermediation in the travel industry. The essential explanation is the improvement of mechanical stages offering substitutes to the conventional intermediates. The other explanation is the cost decreases because of the expulsion of intermediates. The Internet offers a stage where tickets can not exclusively be reserved online yet different the travel industry bundles can be modified more successfully than the customary strategies. It makes the commercial center exceptionally serious as data accessible to the shoppers just as the choices accessible to them is various. More goal decisions, there nitty gritty data including recordings and accessibility of an intuitive stage, for example, web benefits the client gatherings. The specialist co-ops can offer administrations at the lower cost as the commissions and charges required for the intermediates are decreased.

The Hangi Essays - Physics, Heat Transfer, Thermodynamics

The Hangi How does the development of the Hangi cook the food with it? Presentation: The Hangi is a conventional Maori technique for preparing food. Food from a Hangi is cooked underground by super hot volcanic shakes and steam, which consolidates onto the food, in this way cooking it. To make a hangi , a heap of wood is lit under the ground, warming up the light and simple to warm volcanic stone super hot. In present day Hangi , wire bins loaded up with food are put inside the ground alongside the volcanic shakes and secured with a wet material and soil uncovered starting from the earliest stage. The hot steam made underground with the food has no other method of getting away, so it dense onto the food, moving its warmth onto it. Following 3 hours, the food ought to be totally cooked. Passage 1: Construction of Modern and Traditional Hangi Prior to the Introduction of metals and wire, the Maori just had Hangi to prepare their food. In customary Hangi , the food is spread out onto bark, huge leaves, clean sticks, enormous leaves and different sorts of vegetation. These techniques convey an entire scope of employments including keeping the food clean, diminish consuming, and to keep direct contact with the super-warmed rocks to a flat out least. A few clans utilized a cut wooden bowl called Kono to prepare food by setting their food inside, at that point putting hot shakes on a fluid base to warm up the fluid, subsequently cooking the food within it. The conventional Hangi prepared an assortment of food, for example, fish, flying creatures, other land creatures, and vegetable leaves, for example, Puha , Kokihi and Kohetake . This technique for preparing food was not anyway for the most part utilized for preparing food yet additionally preferred by Tohunga (Expert Practitioners) for making drugs and cures by warming up leaves, bark and other natural issue. The presentation of cooking vessels, for example, pots and skillet finished the day by day utilization of Hangi to prepare food. This is on the grounds that Hangi take a great deal of time, arrangement and wanting to go into it, while the utilization of a pot or container can make that procedure much faster.In present day Hangi , the leaves that were utilized are probably going to be subbed with aluminum foil and metal bins made of wire. The bushels arranged with food wrapped with aluminum foil are painstakingly positioned inside the stones, with cabbage leaves on the base of the container to forestall the bin and aluminum foil from consuming. The food is then secured on the top with a wet fabric, at that point showered with water to make additional steam for the Hangi to cook on. At that point a hill of Earth is set on the Hangi is a way which traps the steam and warmth from getting away. The food is then cooked and prepared to eat in 3 to 4 ho urs. The cutting edge Hangi , as I would like to think, is better that the conventional Hangi for various reasons. Right off the bat, the conventional Hangi utilizes material they find in the hedge, for example, leaves, bark and sticks to put their food over. This may be a wellbeing peril to the individuals that eat the food as soil and different garbage, for example, debris from consuming items like wood, or the earth figuring out how to get into and defile the food. Additionally, individuals may get consume really taking shape of the fire, particularly in the exceptionally hot conditions inside and close to the Hangi . An advanced Hangi Machine is accessible for buy and it is an a lot more secure approach to prepare food. With this Hangi machine, you can cook kai effectively, with less readiness and peril. Yet, I accept the Hangi Machine subverts the entire customary food some portion of the Hangi . Passage 2: Types of Heat Transfer and Open and Closed Systems Fluids and Gases grow when they are warmed. This is on the grounds that the particles in the fluids and gases vibrate quicker and quicker as they get more sweltering, making them move. They likewise lose vitality when they are cooler, easing back the vibration of the particles down, which makes the particles more slow than when the fluid and gases are

Edward Thorndikes Contribution to Psychology

Edward Thorndike's Contribution to Psychology History and Biographies Print Edward Thorndikes Contribution to the Field of Psychology By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Updated on August 12, 2019 Bettmann Archive / Getty Images More in Psychology History and Biographies Psychotherapy Basics Student Resources Theories Phobias Emotions Sleep and Dreaming Edward Thorndike  was an influential psychologist who is  often referred to as the founder of modern educational psychology. He was perhaps best-known for his famous puzzle box experiments with cats which led to the development of his law of effect. Thorndikes principle suggests that responses immediately followed by satisfaction will be more likely to recur. The law of effect also suggests that behaviors followed by dissatisfaction or discomfort will become less likely to occur. Best Known For The Law of EffectOften called the father of modern educational psychologyAnimal researchTrial-and-error theory of learning Birth and Death Edward Lee Thorndike was born on August 31, 1874, in Williamsburg, Massachusetts.He died on August 9, 1949. Edward Thorndikes Early Life Edward Thorndike was the son of a Methodist minister and grew up in Massachusetts. While he was a very successful student, he initially disliked his first psychology course. Like many other psychologists of his time, Thorndikes  interest in psychology grew after reading the classic book The Principles of Psychology by William James. When he graduated from Wesleyan University in 1895 with a bachelor of science degree, Thorndike then enrolled at Harvard University to study English and French literature. During his first semester, however, he took a psychology course taught by William James and soon decided to switch his study concentration to psychology. He later moved on to Columbia University where he studied under the guidance of psychologist James McKeen Cattell. After earning his Ph.D. from Columbia in 1898, Thorndike briefly took a position as an Assistant Professor of Pedagogy at Case Western Reserve University. In the year 1900, Thorndike married Elizabeth Moulton. He then took a job as a psychology professor at the Teachers College at Columbia University where he would continue to teach for the rest of his career. Edward Thorndike’s Work and Theories Thorndike is perhaps best-known for the theory he called the law of effect, which emerged from his research on how cats learn to escape from puzzle boxes. According to Thorndikes law of effect, responses that are immediately followed by a satisfactory outcome become more strongly associated with the situation and are therefore more likely to occur again in the future. Conversely, responses followed by negative outcomes become more weakly associated and less likely to reoccur in the future. As you might imagine, this principle had a strong influence on the development of the behavioral school of thought. B.F. Skinners operant conditioning process relies on this principle, as behaviors followed by desirable outcomes are strengthened while those followed by undesirable outcomes are weakened. Edward Thorndikes Contributions to Psychology Through his work and theories, Thorndike became strongly associated with the American school of thought known as functionalism. Other prominent functionalist thinkers included Harvey Carr, James Rowland Angell, and John Dewey. Thorndike is also often referred to as the father of modern-day educational psychology and published several books on the subject. Thorndike was elected president of the American Psychological Association in 1912 and became one of the very first psychologists to be admitted to the National Academy of Sciences in 1917. Today, Thorndike is perhaps best remembered for his famous animal experiments and for the law of effect. Selected Publications by Edward Thorndike Educational Psychology (1903)Introduction to the Theory of Mental and Social Measurements (1904)The Elements of Psychology (1905)Animal Intelligence (1911)The Measurement of Intelligence (1927)The Fundamentals of Learning (1932)

Gender Roles And Norms Of The Movie Bros Before Hos, The...

Whether we recognize it or not, our everyday actions and ideas are directed by the â€Å"normal† actions of our gender. Although the last century has been the most revolutionary in terms of gender rights, gender norms and roles still continue to push back and damage every aspect of society. Both Michael Kimmel, author of the story â€Å"Bros Before Hos, The Guy Code† and Junot Dà ­az, author of the essay â€Å"How To Date A Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie† illustrate that gender roles and norms are incredibly detrimental to everyone in society. As a result, both texts implicitly explore how gender roles damage everyone regardless of gender as well as every aspect of society, result in separation rather than unification, and actively change our†¦show more content†¦Our idea of gender norms shape not only how we act around others, but how we treat others as well. Diaz utilizes the narrator s point of view and imagery to demonstrate how gender n orms let us quickly judge others, often not for the best. He states, â€Å"A local girl will have hips and a nice ass but won’t be quick about letting you touch her. She has to live in the same neighborhood as you do. She might just chill with you and then go home. She might kiss you and then leave. Or she might, if she’s reckless, give it up, but that’s rare. Kissing will suffice. A white girl might give it up right then. Don’t stop her. She’ll take her gum out of her mouth, stick it to the plastic sofa covers, and then move close to you. You have nice eyes, she might say† (Diaz 650). Diaz describes what his character believes is the â€Å"norm† for the girls he is attempting to have sex with. Rather than actually get to know a girl and have a relationship, the author chases after the norm of flirting around and as a result ends up objectifying the very women he is trying to impress. As demonstrated in the text, masculinity and being â€Å"the man† are the most important ideas in the minds of some men and as such, cause men to not only disregard their own feelings and ideas, but to also ignore and condemn the individuality of others. By putting these expectations and limitations on both women and men, we

Is Forgiving Student Loan Debt A Good Idea - 1227 Words

The education correspondent for Time magazine, and undergraduate at the University of Washington, concentrating on journalism and political science, and the owner of the graduate degree at Northwestern University, specializing in new media, Kayla Webley, in her essay â€Å"Is Forgiving Student Loan Debt a Good Idea?† states Robert Applebaum’s solution for student loan debt is a â€Å"radical and wildly unfeasible solution both economically and politically. Applebaum’s proposal is to â€Å"provide a one-time bailout of student debt†¦as a way to stimulate the still-limping economy.† However, Webley counters that the solution has to have â€Å"the purported benefited and fairness of a one-time student loan bailout.† In Webley’s essay, in the sixth paragraph she mentions the average debt total of the graduate students. Students who have six-figure debts are only one percent of the overall college graduate students, Webley said, â€Å"the a verage debt total at graduation is a much more reasonable—yet still significant—$27,500.† This evidence is irrelevant to her essay topic of stating a reason why there should not be a one-time bailout of student loan. This information is not relevant to the rest of the essay because her point related to how much the student borrowed. Also, she did not provide the information where she got the statistic of as little as 1 percent. She needs to relate this claim back to her thesis. With the amount of money that is vanishing, it would not simply be back into the economyShow MoreRelatedIs Forgiving Student Loan Debt A Good Idea?1009 Words   |  5 Pagesnew media, Kayla Webley, in her essay â€Å"Is Forgiving Student Loan Debt a Good Idea?† states Robert Applebaum’s solution for student loan debt is a â€Å"radical and wildly unfeasible solution† in both economically and politically. Applebaum’s proposal is to â€Å"provide a one-time bailout of student debt†¦as a way to stimulate the still-limping economy.† However, Webley counters the solution has to have â€Å"the purported benefited and fairness of a one-time student loan bailout.† In Webley’s essay, in the sixthRead MoreIs Forgiving Student Loan Debt A Good Idea?970 Words   |  4 PagesMONEY In the article â€Å"Is forgiving student loan debt a good idea† by Kayla Webley, a writer for Time, Webley feels that from a human standpoint forgiving student debt holds some appeal (2). Kayla Webley refers to Robert Applebaum who started a petition in 2009 with a petition of nearly 670,000 signatures. The comments from persons posting the petition are quoted as â€Å"guessing this will never happen but it can’t hurt to sign on† (1). Burdened with an estimated $88,000 in debt, Applebaum’s proposal isRead MoreIs Forgiving Student Loan Debt A Good Idea?972 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of Is Forgiving Student Loan Debt a Good Idea Many people would love to have their student loans debt forgive but do not believe it will happen. So Kayla Webley decided to write an article about student loan forgiveness, at the time Webley wrote the article she was the education correspondent for Time magazine. Now she is currently a staff writer for the same magazine. In her article, she claims that the student loan dilemma that is facing a lot of Americans is a problem for your countryRead MoreForgiving Student Loan Debt Essay examples822 Words   |  4 Pagesamount of student loan debt have an effect on the economy? If so would forgiving student loan debt help lower the national debt or would it just increase it? According to Mary Claire Fischer, a writer for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, â€Å"two-thirds of students who receive bachelor’s degrees leave college with debt in tow† (Fischer). Among these students, the average amount owed is twenty-six thousand dollars (Fischer). There is a six month grace period after graduation to allow the student timeRead MoreStudent Loan Is A Terrible Idea1308 Words   |  6 PagesStudent loan forgiveness is a terrible idea. Sure, in an idealistic world it would be great if the country could forgive all student loan debt and thus bring relief to all students across the nation. Realistic? Not necessarily! Instead of the fairytale notion of student loan forgiveness being the answer to all the problems, America would fair better in taking the initiative in making reforms to the educational loan system that are a bit more realistic. Student loans are a massive predicament in theRead MoreEssay on Student Loan Debt Should be Forgiven1256 Words   |  6 PagesDoes the amount of student loan debt have an effect on the economy? If so would forgiving student loan debt help lower the national debt or would it just increase it? According to Mary Claire Fischer, a writer for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, â€Å"two-thirds of stu dents who receive bachelor’s degrees leave college with an average debt of twenty-six thousand dollars† (Fischer). This means that the average student debt has doubled since 2007 (Ross 24). The total student loan debt is $1.2 trillionRead MoreStudent Loan Loans Should Not Be Forgiven938 Words   |  4 Pages Should student loan borrowers be forgiven for their debt? The cumulative total of student loan borrowing has already reached $1 trillion dollars already make up more than half of what Barack Obama is pushing to cap the amount any borrower must pay back and forgive outstanding debt after 20 years, even so calling to forgive some or all of the debt that is escalating. Robert Applebaum, the Author behind the Student Loan Forgiveness Act, believes that student loan should be forgiven to highlight anRead MoreIn The Short Essay, â€Å"Is Forgiving Student Loan Debt A Good807 Words   |  4 PagesIn the short essay, â€Å"Is Forgiving Student Loan Debt a Good Idea?† by Kaya Webley, she illustrates through validations that student debt is a problem, but Applebaum’s proposal brings about political and economic problems. One of her validations is that most people can afford their student loans. She also states that only a small handful of graduates leave school with an unbeara ble student debt. Webley touches upon programs that are already in place to help pay off college debt. Another one of her validationsRead MoreShould Student Loan Debt Be Forgiven?1344 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Student Loan Debt: Should We Forgive? EN1123 Most Americans would agree that higher education is important. Compared to years ago, when a high school education was acceptable in most jobs, a college degree is now required in the majority of positions. But what if you can’t afford to get a degree? What then? For many, student loans are the only way to finance one’s education. Paying out of pocket simply isn’t a reality for most, so they rely on state and national government to provide them theRead MoreStudent Loan Debt Has Become A National Problem With No Solution2311 Words   |  10 PagesIntroduction: According to CNN, â€Å"Almost 19% of student loan borrowers owe more than $50,000.Only 6% of borrowers had that much in 2001.† (Gillispe, 1). Why has student loan debt increased so much? Student Loan debt has become a national problem with no solution. Many students are borrowing more money to keep up with the rising cost of tuition in universities, leaving themselves with thousands of debt after graduation. Students after gaining this debt, have to find jobs to support it which can come

Kinetic sculptures; phenakistiscope Free Essays

Artwork creations consisting of continuous moving parts or sounds are examples of kinetic sculptures. Windmills, wheels, mobiles, lava lamps and water all may be considered kinetic sculptures. Paintings giving illusions of continuing into the unknown, such as towers leading and combining into another item of the painting use kinetic elements. We will write a custom essay sample on Kinetic sculptures; phenakistiscope or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sculptures containing motion are most commonly referred to as kinetic art. Artists use many scientific elements creating kinetic sculptures. Persistence of vision is a common element used in kinetic sculpturing. Persistence of vision means the human brain fills the blanks between sequential images seen in rapid succession creating an illusion of continuous motion† (Barsamian, July 3, 2006). Film, television and even stage acting adopt persistence of vision techniques making their productions come alive. Often art museums depend on outside affects such as lighting, strobe lights, external lighting, wall coloring and even other artwork to accent the kinetic sculptures. â€Å"Through the use or rotating mechanical armatures and synchronized strobe lights, three dimensional objects move horizontally and vertically and change their shapes in real time. The inspiration for this strange and wonderful world are animation techniques that predate the film such as the zoetrope, flip book and phenakistiscope, all of which are based on the persistence of vision, in other words, after image† (Barsamian, 2006). Moving kinetic sculptures originate with very simple lines, shapes, rectangles, and circles everyone learned before pre-K. Phenakistiscope is a spinning disk reflecting images. The wheel continuously spins as the viewer looks into slits of continuous moving reflections. The symbology of images is left up to what the viewer interprets, incorporating the persistence of vision concept. How to cite Kinetic sculptures; phenakistiscope, Papers

Reform And Fundamental Change In The Political Essays - Texas

Reform and Fundamental Change in the Political Economy and Government of Texas The political economy and government of each state in the United States are different. James W. Lamare discusses Texas politics in his book Texas Politics: Economics, Power and Policy. In the last chapter of the book, Lamar discusses reform and fundamental change in the political economy and government of Texas. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss Lamare's view and give my own opinions of his views. Lamar argues that the economy of Texas is controlled by a relatively small number of corporations. Wealth is socially accepted as a sign of success. Many of the dominant businesses in Texas are economically interconnected. Also, he talks about elections in Texas and he says that substantive competition in elections is rarely found in Texas. This is why voter turn out is extremely low. Moreover, the organizational design of Texas government enhances the political power of well-organized interest groups. Also, Lamar remarks that the overall tax system in the state is very regressive (cutting more into income of middle- and lower-class than into the earnings of the wealthy.) However, people face high prices for petroleum products, electricity, and insurance. The state lacks strong unions, does not have full government protection for all employees, and assumes only limited responsibility for unemployed or injured workers. For these reasons, Texas businesses operate in a labor environment that allows maximization of profits. I believe that it is true that the economy of Texas is controlled by elite. People in Texas accept these small elites and support them because they think that these businesses provide more job opportunities. Also, I believe that voter turn out is extremely low; moreover, thinking about low voter turn out leads us to the fact that the majority of Texans are worker class. The lake of income makes it much harder for them to think about politics more than thinking about paying their bills and their life expenses. Consumer needs are getting more expensive every day, but the average salary has not increased as much as consumer needs even though Texas is a rich state compared to the other states because of the large amount of gas and petroleum it has. In Texas, people pay extremely high prices for gas, electricity, and insurance. It is true that people in Texas pay less for these products compared to other state but we don't look at it in this way. We need to look at it as how much profit a re those companies making. They are making much profit in Texas than they do in other states even those companies do not need to chip it far away from it's original source. Being a rich state is not helping people in any way. It is only enriching the rich and making the poor poorer because rich are making more profit and poor paying much more for products. More over, Texas workers are not fully protected by the government. The unemployment number has been increased lately and the number of poor kids in the state of Texas has been extremely increased. Indeed, businesses in Texas make a huge profit. Lamar suggests in his book that implications for political changes in Texas could be done by changing the close relationships between corporate and political power. There are two ways to change that. One involves a fundamental change in the economic system. The other is less extreme; it emphasizes opening the political system to more voices and interests, thereby making it more pluralistic. First, I agree with him on the first part. [We should change the economic system fundamentally to make the economic system more accessible for the people rather than strength the power of the political parties.] Therefore, we can open the political system to more voices and interests. We can reach our goals by dividing the big companies to small ones so that power can be controlled by average citizens. This will benefit all people and not only a few or another approach is to have business condoled by governmental bodies so all people can benefit from that profit. Lamar stated these changes are unlikely to occur for some reasons; most Texans are quite content with corporate control of their state's

Portrait of Friederike Maria Beer essays

Portrait of Friederike Maria Beer essays In the portrait, I see many vivid colors, reds, yellows, greens, and blues mostly. The lines are very scattered. There are so many it is hard to follow, in places such as her dress, where there are heavy patterns. The texture is soft and blotchy, almost like a watercolor. The woman in the foreground is standing very still, and the people in the background are showing movement, as they are fighting. It is 2 dimensional. There are many shapes that are rounded, and soft. There are even flowers on the ground below the womans feet. It is like she is on a stage, with a small border around it. You see lots of circles. There are no obvious shadows, except some basic shading of the people to make them look dimensional. The lady in the center has on a wild outfit, which consists of several different colors, and shapes. Her puffy pants and heavy fur-trimmed coat contradict the green grass and spring flowers. Gustav Klimt painted this in 1916. This painting is oil on canvas, and approximately 168 x 130 cm. He is said to be living in Weissinbach at the time he painted this particular painting. Even though he moved around so much. It consists of a heavy woman in the foreground, and several fighting men in the background. The woman looks tired and unhappy. It seems that the men are of a different race than her. Maybe it symbolizes the war that was going on at that time. They are holding swords, shields, and have angry faces. I think that it serves the romantic perspective of art. It is very complicated, strange, mysterious, emotional, and rebellious. He uses repetition, which is the source of his splendid decorative effects. He was once described as a pornographer, because of the overly erotic content of many of his paintings. Klimt once said, I am more interested in other people, above all women. The artists intent was romanticism. His emphasis on ...

Laos Facts, History, and More

Laos Facts, History, and More Capital: Vientiane, 853,000 population Major cities: Savannakhet, 120,000; Pakse, 80,000; Luang Phrabang, 50,000; Thakhek, 35,000 Government Laos has a single-party communist government, in which the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party (LPRP) is the only legal political party. An eleven-member Politburo and a 61-member Central Committee make all laws and policies for the country. Since 1992, these policies have been rubber-stamped by an elected National Assembly, now boasting 132 members, all belonging to the LPRP. The head of state in Laos is the General Secretary and President, Choummaly Sayasone. Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong is the head of government. Population The Republic of Laos has approximately 6.5 million citizens, who are often divided according to altitude into lowland, Midland, and upland Laotians. The largest ethnic group is the Lao, who live mainly in the lowlands and makeup approximately 60% of the population. Other important groups include the Khmou, at 11%; the Hmong, at 8%; and more than 100 smaller ethnic groups that total about 20% of the population and comprise the so-called highland or mountain tribes. Ethnic Vietnamese also make up two percent. Languages Lao is the official language of Laos. It is a tonal language from the Tai language group that also includes Thai and the Shan language of Burma. Other local languages include Khmu, Hmong, Vietnamese and over 100 more. Major foreign languages in use are French, the colonial language, and English. Religion The predominant religion in Laos is Theravada Buddhism, which accounts for 67% of the population. About 30% also practice animism, in some cases alongside Buddhism. There are small populations of Christians (1.5%), Bahai and Muslims. Officially, of course, communist Laos is an atheistic state. Geography Laos has a total area of 236,800 square kilometers (91,429 square miles). It is the only land-locked country in Southeast Asia. Laos borders on Thailand to the southwest, Myanmar (Burma) and China to the northwest, Cambodia to the south, and Vietnam to the east. The modern western border is marked by the Mekong River, the regions major arterial river. There are two major plains in Laos, the Plain of Jars and the Plain of Vientiane. Otherwise, the country is mountainous, with only about four percent being arable land. The highest point in Laos is Phou Bia, at 2,819 meters (9,249 feet). The lowest point is the Mekong River at 70 meters (230 feet). Climate The climate of Laos is tropical and monsoonal. It has a rainy season from May to November, and a dry season from November to April. During the rains, an average of 1714 mm (67.5 inches) of precipitation falls. The average temperature is 26.5 °C (80 °F). Average temperatures over the year range from 34 °C (93 °F) in April to 17 °C (63 °F) in January. Economy Although the economy of Laos has grown at a healthy six to seven percent annually almost every year since 1986  when the communist government loosened central economic control and allowed private enterprise. Nonetheless, more than 75% of the workforce is employed in agriculture, despite the fact that only 4% of the land is arable. While the unemployment rate is only 2.5%, approximately 26% of the population live below the poverty line. Laoss primary export items are raw materials rather than manufactured goods: wood, coffee, tin, copper, and gold. The currency of Laos is the kip. As of July 2012, the exchange rate was $1 US 7,979 kip. History of Laos The early history of Laos is not well-recorded. Archaeological evidence suggests that humans inhabited what is now Laos at least 46,000 years ago, and that complex agricultural society existed there by about 4,000 BCE. Around 1,500 BCE, bronze-producing cultures developed, with complicated funeral customs including the use of burial jars such as those on the Plain of Jars. By 700 BCE, people in what is now Laos were manufacturing iron tools  and had cultural and trade contacts with the Chinese and Indians. In the fourth to eighth centuries CE, people on the banks of the Mekong River organized themselves into Muang, walled cities or petty kingdoms. The Muang were ruled by leaders who paid tribute to more powerful states around them. Populations included the Mon people of the Dvaravati kingdom and proto-Khmer peoples, as well as forebears of the mountain tribes. During this period, animism and Hinduism slowly mixed or gave way to Theravada Buddhism. The 1200s CE saw the arrival of ethnic Tai people, who developed small tribal states centered on semi-divine kings. In 1354, the kingdom of Lan Xang united the area that is now Laos, ruling until 1707, when the kingdom split into three. The successor states were Luang Prabang, Vientiane, and Champasak, all of which were tributaries of Siam. Vientiane also paid tribute to Vietnam.   In 1763, the Burmese invaded Laos, also conquering Ayutthaya (in Siam). A Siamese army under Taksin routed the Burmese in 1778, placing what is now Laos under more direct Siamese control. However, Annam (Vietnam) took power over Laos in 1795, holding it as a vassal until 1828. Laoss two powerful neighbors ended up fighting the Siamese-Vietnamese War of 1831-34 over control of the country. By 1850, the local rulers in Laos had to pay tribute to Siam, China, and Vietnam, although Siam exerted the most influence.   This complicated web of tributary relationships did not suit the French, who were accustomed to the European Westphalian system of nation-states with fixed borders. Having already seized control of Vietnam, the French next wanted to take Siam. As a preliminary step, they used Laoss tributary status with Vietnam as a pretext to seize Laos in 1890, with the intent of continuing on to Bangkok. However, the British wanted to preserve Siam as a buffer between French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos) and the British colony of Burma (Myanmar).  Siam remained independent, while Laos fell under French imperialism. The French Protectorate of Laos lasted from its formal establishment in 1893 to 1950, when it was granted independence in name but not in fact by France. True independence came in 1954  when France withdrew after its humiliating defeat by the Vietnamese at Dien Bien Phu. Throughout the colonial era, France more or less neglected Laos, focusing on the more accessible colonies of Vietnam and Cambodia instead. At the Geneva Conference of 1954, the representatives of the Laotian government and of Laoss communist army, the Pathet Lao, acted more as observers than participants. As a sort of afterthought, Laos has designated a neutral country with a multi-party coalition government including Pathet Lao members. The Pathet Lao was supposed to disband as a military organization, but it refused to do so.  Just as troubling, the United States refused to ratify the Geneva Convention, afraid that communist governments in Southeast Asia would prove to correct the Domino Theory of spreading communism. Between independence and 1975, Laos was embroiled in a civil war that overlapped with the Vietnam War (American War). The famous Ho Chi Minh Trail, a vital supply line for the North Vietnamese, ran through Laos.  As the US war effort in Vietnam faltered and failed, the Pathet Lao gained an advantage over its non-communist foes in Laos. It gained control of the entire country in August  1975. Since then, Laos has been a communist nation with close ties to neighboring Vietnam and, to a lesser degree, China.

The American Experience from 1865 to 1945 Assignment - 1

The American Experience from 1865 to 1945 - Assignment Example With the deprived agriculture in the South, the industrial North became powerful and dominate both politically and economically. Although the North played a vital role in slave freedom, the problem came in the readjustment of vanquished South and victorious North politically and economically. Reconstruction process which focused in states returned in full status passed in four stages such as the appointment of Andrew Johnson as president, Freedmen Bureau which was active in helping refugees, setting employment contract of freedmen. Thirdly, came Radical or Black Reconstruction whereby Republic coalition governed the states under President Ulysses Grant and in fourth stage Redeemer won political control in most states which made all federal troops withdraw, hence the collapse of Republican state governments. "Congressional Radicals strongly disagreed with Andrew Johnson over securing the place of African-Americans in American society." (J.W. Davidson, W.E. Gienapp, C.L. Heyrman, M.H. Lytle and M. B. Stoff, Nation of Nations, Vol I, Chapter 17, 2001). Moderate Republicans who fought for black rights were overpowered by Presidential vote in alliance with radicals.Reconstruction came to an end in 1868 after Rutherford B. Hayes elected as President who withdrew all federal troops which led to Southern states. Black Americans struggle did not end with the collapse of reconstruction, racism and white resistance took charge which led to the loss of land for some of Black American to white farmers. The vivid example is in 1878 when Benjamin Montgomery the first ex-slave to purchase land lost it to Jefferson Davis. White Southerners designed laws to keep blacks uneducated, propertyless but agricultural laboring class. Racism became rampant whereas in Jim Crow's legal codes segregate blacks from whites. The code forbade blacks from mingling with whites; furthermore, due to racism blacks could not compete and secure most jobs. The problem was aggravated by the lack of education and skills for most black Americans and no rights to the legal system. The black American struggle had undergone several obstacles and with the collapse of reconstruction, the philosophy of protecting black rights, subjected them into more racial segregations. Racial segregation did not recede, and despite the fact that male blacks were granted voting freedom, women were not allowed to do so. Blacks now were not permitted to board third class in the trains which were the main transportation after the war. Despite the good documentation of black struggle history in Nation and Nations book, such events were not mentioned. Supreme Courts passed laws that made blacks to have separate accommodations and not mingle with whites accommodations and public schools for blacks and whites.

Constitutional & Administrative Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Constitutional & Administrative Law - Essay Example he first being that the parliament may legislate upon any subject-matter; secondly that Parliament could not be restricted by a predecessor not restrict the powers of a future Parliament; and finally the validity of Acts of Parliament cannot be challenged. Under the legal theory Parliament is entitled to pass law on anything once it has been passed by the House of Commons, House of Lords and receives Royal Assent and such would be held to be legally valid. The limits that have been listed down are those that have been laid down by the democratic process. Thus theoretically the powers of the parliament are absolute and so an Act can extend beyond the territory of the United Kingdom. Furthermore, Parliament can legislate with the Act having retrospective effect. As far as international law is concerned it cannot have effect unless implemented by the Parliament by introduction of an Act. As far as Parliament being bound or being able to bind its successor is concerned importance has been placed on the Act of Union with Scotland 1707, whereby it was suggested that intention of the Act was that it cannot be repealed; however, it is important to mention that there have been amendments that have been made. In Attorney General for New South Wales v. Trethowan2 the Privy Council found the Parliament to be bound by a previous Act while citing the reason that the earlier Act had to be repealed first and so if it was not repealed then the Parliament was bound by it. As far as the new view of sovereignty is concerned Sir Ivor Jennings and Professors Heuston, Marshall, Mitchell and de Smith have stated that Parliament can bind its successor, by redefining itself or by setting out ‘ manner and form’ provisions which need to be followed. A recent example in respect of the procedural requirements is that of Northern Ireland Act 1998 whereby it stated that the Northern Ireland would remain a part of United Kingdom unless done to the contrary by means of a referendum by the

Prejudice and Racism in Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

Racism in Heart of Darkness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Joseph Conrad develops themes of personal power, individual responsibility, and social justice in his book Heart of Darkness. His book contains all the trappings of the conventional adventure tale: mystery, exotic setting, escape, suspense, and unexpected attack. Chinua Achebe concluded, "Conrad, on the other hand, is undoubtedly one of the great stylists of modern fiction and a good story-teller into the bargain" (Achebe 252). Yet, despite Conrad's great story telling, he has also been viewed as a racist by some of his critics. Achebe, Singh, and Sarvan, although their criticisms differ, are a few to name. Normally, readers are good at detecting racism in a book. Achebe acknowledges Conrad camouflaged racism remarks, saying, "†¦ Conrad chose his subject well - one which was guaranteed not to put him in conflict with psychological pre-disposition..." (Achebe, 253). ***CAN YOU TELL US SPECIFICALLY WHAT THIS MEANS? THE READER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT PSYCHOLOGICAL PRE-DISPOSITION IS*** Having gone back and rereading Heart of Darkness, this time reading between the lines, I discovered some racism Conrad felt toward the natives that I had not discovered the first time I read the book. Racism is portrayed in Conrad's book, but one must acknowledge that in the eighteen hundreds society conformed to it. Conrad probably would have been criticized as being soft hearted rather than a racist in his time. Conrad constantly referred to the natives, in his book, as black savages, niggers, brutes, and "them", displaying ignorance toward the African history and racism towards the African people. Conrad wrote, " Black figures strolled out listlessly... the beaten nigger groaned somewhere" (Conrad 28). "They passed me with six inches, without a glance, with the complete, deathlike indifference of unhappy savages" (Conrad 19). Achebe also detected Conrad's frequent use of unorthodox name calling, "Certainly Conrad had a problem with niggers. His inordinate love of that word itself should be of interest to psychoanalysts" (Achebe 258). Conrad uses Marlow, the main character in the book, as a narrator so he himself can enter the story and tell it through his own philosophical mind. Conrad used "double speak" throughout his book. Upon arriving at the first station, Marlow commented what he observed. "They were dying slowly - it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now, nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation lying confusedly in the greenish gloom" (Conrad 20).

Poverty in America: A Global Epidemic

A Global Epidemic Ben Sims Sociology 445: Contemporary Social Problems Professor Shannon Sellers August 2, 2014 Of all the social problems that exist within America today, poverty Is undoubtedly the most prevalent . The stigma of poverty Is no longer solely the plight of third world countries, but rather an epidemic that has vigorously manifested itself in the united States at an alarming rate. Yes, in America, the country teeming with an abundance of natural resources and the patents to the most pioneering technological advances f modern time, Indisputably faces an unprecedented burden of poverty.It is estimated that more than 46 million Americans live in poverty in the US (Tighten 157). American families are increasingly finding themselves struggling to make ends meet, and with the continuing rate of unemployment and the rapid increases to the cost of living more and more families are left to choose between the very basic necessities of life such as food, shelter and healthcare. Po verty has also had a profound impact on education and crime, predominantly in inner-city communities where the wealth inequality is most apparent.With all the carnage caused by poverty being distinctly obvious In America why Is nothing being done about It? Does anyone care? Sadly, the most egregious aspect of the epidemic of poverty in America is that it doesn't have to exist at all. The US ultimately has the resources and means to eliminate poverty altogether, if only it was placed as a high enough priority. To truly comprehend the profound impact that poverty has had on America, there must first be an understanding of what poverty essentially means and how It was caused.Webster dictionary describes poverty as â€Å"the state of one who lacks a usual 1 OFF Dictionary). The textbook however, offers a more in-depth perspective on the term stating that poverty is â€Å"a standard of living below the minimum needed for the maintenance of adequate diet, health and shelter† (Tigh ten 181). This definition implies that the poverty threshold is based on those who can make the minimum amount of money required to maintain a decent level of life and those who cannot. Although these particular descriptions of poverty are not necessarily wrong, they are also not entirely accurate.When most people think of poverty the assumption may be that the core percentage of those actually living in poverty are the homeless or unemployed, but relative to popular belief most of the people living in poverty actually work. They are classified as the working poor. According to US Census data over 2. 6 million full-time workers lived below the poverty line in 2010 (Tighten 161). How is this possible? First and foremost, the federal minimum wage requirement in the United States is $7. 25. So for an employee who works 40 hours a week their total monthly salary would be $1 , 165. 0 before taxes. Now let's analyze how much it would cost for an average American earning a minimum wage sal ary to pay for the 3 most Asia necessities in life: food, shelter and health care. The average percentage that Americans pay in housing costs is approximately 28 to 35 percent of their take home pay (Curmudgeon, 2010). 28 percent of $1,160. 00 is $324. 80. According too 2010 survey conducted by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Americans spend roughly $1 51. 00 a week on food, equaling a whopping $604. 00 a month (Mended, 2012).If we add the average monthly cost of healthcare under Beam's Affordable Care Act, which is $328. 00 (Persuade, 2014), the total monthly expenses for Just the basic necessities alone is a staggering $1 ,256. 0. The basic necessities alone total more than the average worker, earning minimum wage, in America makes in a month and that figure still doesn't account for utility bills, transportation and other miscellaneous expenses. Not to mention the addition of a spouse or children. It is important to understand that poverty is a very complex social dilemma, with a variety of unfounded stereotypes that persist about its causes.One of the most common misconceptions about poverty is that the poor inherently cause their own poverty, alluding to the poor having a lack of drive and ambition necessary to change heir financial status. This perception is often referred to as the person-blame approach . This means that social problems such as poverty are the result of the pathologies of individuals (Tighten 163). Although this notion is credible, in this particular instance, it is slightly off kilter due to that fact that even though 2. Million people go to work and log over 40 hours a week they still won't surpass the threshold of even half of the nation's median salary. And therein lies the problem. The issue is not whether members of society are willing to work, because not only are a majority f the poor willing and able to work hard, they do so when given the opportunity. The real root of the problem is the minimum wage requirement in the US and the lack of access to adequate education and training necessary to acquire better-paying Jobs.The system-blame approach is more fitting in this instance because there is no shortage of people willing to work but rather a shortage in the amount that is being paid out for said work. There is also no shortage in people willing to procure and utilize the sufficient training and education needed to attain better employment but underprivileged. Although the government has in fact tried to implement programs to solve the problem of poverty in America, many of these programs contained crucial flaws and in many cases made the predicament worse. Welfare is the most notable of these programs.Welfare was established to assist underprivileged families and individuals get out of poverty (Tighten 165), but have ultimately led to a disturbing rate of dependency. Instead of assisting families welfare had essentially enabled them in many ways, with a vast majority of recipients not feeling the need to work. Provisions thin the program even made it easier to stay on welfare than to seek employment and encouraged unmarried woman to have children. Thus, the enactment of the Welfare Reform Act of 1996. This bill was established to reduce the number of families and individuals dependent on government assistance.These institutional changes helped to reduce welfare dependency by mandating that recipients actively seek work while receiving government assistance, increasing the level of accountability for those in need of financial aid. The government also developed several other programs in an effort to curve poverty such as the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANK) which provides financial assistance to low-income families but also requires them to work at least 20 hours a week to receive benefits (Saddler, 2012).Addition services such as Medicaid, Food Stamps and WICK were all established to essentially assist low-income families achieve financial stability while pro gressively becoming independent of all government aid. Although these programs and institutional amendments have been extremely valuable in assisting the poor and underprivileged maintain a sustainable level of life, unfortunately they haven't been enough to end or even cut the poverty level in Alfa.These programs have ultimately helped sustain the global threshold of poverty in many ways by serving to only assist low-income families get through financial difficulties instead of helping them get out. The only way for members of the underprivileged society to rise above poverty is to provide the means to earn more than the nation's median income. This goes back to the need for programs that assist individuals in acquiring the knowledge and training necessary to acquire higher paying Jobs and also for the government to raise the minimum wage requirement.Perhaps the most compelling explanation for the persistence of poverty is the remarry of private profit. The basic principle of capit alism is – who gets what is determined solely by private profit rather than collective need (Tighten 173). By private corporations emphasizing the theory of maximizing profits they ultimately end up endorsing poverty. This is done by companies paying their workers the minimum amount possible including benefits and pocketing the wealth that was created by laborers and distributing it among the owners instead of the working class.Primacy of profit also endorses poverty by employing a bevy of uneducated and desperate laborers who are eager to work for low wages. Many of these laborers are illegal immigrants and don't view having benefits as a necessity. This in turn makes it extremely profitable for owners of businesses and large corporations to hire these workers because of the amount of money that they will be able to save while still being able to employ laborers full time.Poverty is supported and maintained through my belief that the US government has made attempts to curve the impact of poverty, I believe that the United States has the power to end poverty all together. This can be accomplished by making poverty a top priority. The United States spends roughly 712. Billion dollars of our nation's defense each year (Tighten 177). A percentage of that figure can be deducted and contributed to combat poverty without Jeopardizing our nations' defense at all.This extra money could be used to provide adequate schooling and fund programs that promote academic advancement in inner-city communities. Those funds could also be used to provide training seminars for individuals with limited education who seek higher paying Jobs and wish to be more competitive candidates in today's Job market. Most importantly however, those funds could be used to raise the federal minimum wage requirement to a level that allows ore people to earn above or at least earn wages comparable to the nation's median salary.

Five Myths About Multiracial People in the U.S.

When Barack Obama set his sights on the presidency, newspapers suddenly began devoting a lot more ink to the multiracial identity. Media outlets from Time Magazine and the New York Times to the British-based Guardian and BBC News pondered the significance of Obama’s mixed heritage. His mother was a white Kansan and his father a black Kenyan. Mixed-race people continue to make news headlines, thanks to the U.S. Census Bureau’s finding that the country’s multiracial population is exploding. But just because mixed-race people are in the spotlight doesn’t mean that the myths about them have vanished. What are the most common misconceptions about multiracial identity? This list both names and dispels them. Multiracial People Are Novelties What’s the fastest-growing group of young people? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the answer is multiracial youths. Today, the United States includes more than 4.2 million children identified as multiracial. That’s a jump of nearly 50 percent since the 2000 census. And among the total U.S. population, the number of people identifying as multiracial spiked by 32 percent, or 9 million. In the face of such groundbreaking statistics, it’s easy to conclude that multiracial people are a new phenomenon now rapidly growing in rank. The truth is, however, that multiracial people have been a part of the country’s fabric for centuries. Consider anthropologist Audrey Smedley’s finding that the first child of mixed Afro-European ancestry was born in the U.S. eons ago—way back in 1620. There’s also the fact that historical figures from Crispus Attucks to Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable to Frederick Douglass were all mixed-race. A major reason why it appears that the multiracial population has soared is that for years and years, Americans weren’t allowed to identify as more than one race on federal documents such as the census. Specifically, any American with a fraction of African ancestry was deemed black due to the â€Å"one-drop rule.† This rule proved particularly beneficial to slave owners, who routinely fathered children with slave women. Their mixed-race offspring would be considered black, not white, which served to increase the highly profitable slave population. The year 2000 marked the first time in ages that multiracial individuals could identify as such on the census. By that point in time, though, much of the multiracial population had grown accustomed to identifying as just one race. So, it’s uncertain if the number of multiracials is actually soaring or if ten years after they were first permitted to identify as mixed-race, Americans are finally acknowledging their diverse ancestry. Only Brainwashed Multiracials Identify as Black A year after President Obama identified himself as solely black on the 2010 census, he’s still garnering criticism. Most recently, Los Angeles Times columnist Gregory Rodriguez wrote that when Obama marked only black on the census form, â€Å"he missed an opportunity to articulate a more nuanced racial vision for the increasingly diverse country he heads.† Rodriguez added that historically Americans haven’t publicly acknowledged their multiracial heritage due to social pressures, taboos against miscegenation and the one-drop rule. But there’s no evidence that Obama identified as he did on the census for any of those reasons. In his memoir, Dreams From My Father, Obama remarks that the mixed people he’s encountered who insist on the multiracial label concern him because they often seem to make a concerted effort to distance themselves from other blacks. Other mixed-race people such as the author Danzy Senna or the artist Adrian Piper say that they choose to identify as black because of their political ideologies, which include standing in solidarity with the largely oppressed African-American community. Piper writes in her essay â€Å"Passing for White, Passing for Black†: â€Å"What joins me to other blacks†¦is not a set of shared physical characteristics, for there is none that all blacks share. Rather, it is the shared experience of being visually or cognitively identified as black by a white racist society, and the punitive and damaging effects of that identification.† People Who Identify as â€Å"Mixed† Are Sellouts Before Tiger Woods became a tabloid fixture, thanks to a string of infidelities with a slew of blondes, the most controversy he sparked involved his racial identity. In 1997, during an appearance on â€Å"The Oprah Winfrey Show,† Woods declared that he did not view himself as black but as â€Å"Cablinasian.† The term Woods coined to describe himself stands for each of the ethnic groups that make up his racial heritage—Caucasian, black, Indian (as in Native American) and Asian. After Woods made this declaration, members of the black community were livid. Colin Powell, for one, weighed in on the controversy by remarking, â€Å"In America, which I love from the depths of my heart and soul, when you look like me, you’re black.† After his â€Å"Cablinasian† remark, Woods was largely seen as a race-traitor, or at the very least, someone aiming to distance himself from blackness. The fact that none of Woods’ long line of mistresses was a woman of color only added to this perception. But many who identify as mixed-race don’t do so to reject their heritage. On the contrary, Laura Wood, a biracial student at the University of Maryland told the New York Times: â€Å"I think it’s really important to acknowledge who you are and everything that makes you that. If someone tries to call me black, I say, ‘yes — and white.’ People have the right not to acknowledge everything, but don’t do it because society tells you that you can’t.† Mixed People Are Raceless In the popular discourse, multiracial people are oft characterized as if they’re raceless. For example, the headlines of news articles about President Obama’s mixed-race heritage often ask, â€Å"Is Obama Biracial or Black?† It’s as if some people believe that the different racial groups in one’s heritage cancel each other out like positive and negative figures in a math equation. The question shouldnt be whether Obamas black or biracial. He’s both—black and white. Explained the black-Jewish writer Rebecca Walker: â€Å"Of course Obama is black. And he’s not black, too. He’s white, and he’s not white, too. ... He’s a lot of things, and neither of them necessarily exclude the other.† Race-Mixing Will End Racism Some people are positively thrilled that the number of mixed-race Americans appears to be soaring. These individuals even have the idealistic notion that race-mixing will lead to bigotry’s end. But these people ignore the obvious: ethnic groups in the U.S. have been mixing for centuries, yet racism hasn’t vanished. Racism even remains a factor in a country such as Brazil, where a wide swath of the population identifies as mixed-race. There, discrimination based on skin color, hair texture, and facial features is endemic—with the most European-looking Brazilians emerging as the country’s most privileged. This goes to show that miscegenation isn’t the cure for racism. Instead, racism will only be remedied when an ideological shift occurs in which people aren’t valued based on what they look like but on what they have to offer as human beings.