Our Fractious Foreign Policy Debate - 897 Words

In Fred Baumann s article, â€Å"Our Fractious Foreign Policy Debate† he describes America s unique approach in dealing with foreign countries from the Vietnam Conflict to the War in Afghanistan. In Baumann s opinion, the United States sometimes takes an irrational outlook of issues with other counties and that has gotten the U.S into trouble. He begins by describing the issues that the United States has faced since Vietnam and how we may have made decisions since then based on a conflict that happened over three decades ago. He takes a rather controversial take on our countries foreign policy and by the end of the article questions whether or not our government is making well founded decisions, and I agree with him completely because the United States has made critical errors in judgement over the foreign policy since Vietnam. Baumann starts the discussion on U.S policy by turning his attention to the â€Å"Vietnam paradigm† which describes how our foreign policy controls itself with political suspicions and moral condemnation for the use of nearly any type of military deployment(68). Right-wing conservatives will tell you that what we did in Vietnam was to free the people and allow them to be democratic and no longer under North Vietnamese rule. Baumann believes that when conservatives are in power they tend to fight wars on their tiptoes(68). The American populations interest in foreign affairs and our government has severely declined since times like the 70s and Vietnam. TaylorShow MoreRelatedLee Kuan Yew - Singapore Prime Minister6837 Words   |  28 PagesPRE-INDEPENDENCE – 1959 TO 1965 In the national elections held on June 1, 1959, the PAP won forty-three of the fifty-one seats in the legislative assembly. Singapore gained self-government with autonomy in all state matters except in defence and foreign affairs, and Lee became the first Prime Minister of the state of Singapore on June 3, 1959, taking over from Chief Minister Lim Yew Hock. Lee faced many problems after gaining self-rule for Singapore from the British, including education, housingRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagescolonies after 1870 as a predictable culmination of the long nineteenth century, which was ushered in by the industrial and political revolutions of the late 1700s. But at the same time, without serious attention to the processes and misguided policies that led to decades of agrarian and industrial depression from the late 1860s to the 1890s, as well as the social tensions and political rivalries that generated and were in turn fed by imperialist expansionism, one cannot begin to comprehend theRead MoreThe American Civil War : The United States8725 Words   |  35 Pagessimply called the South, grew to include eleven states, although they claimed thirteen states and additional western territories. The Confederacy was never recognized diplomatically by a foreign country. The states that remained loyal were known as the Union or the North. The war had its origin in the fractious issue of slavery, especially the expansion of slavery into the western territories. After four years of combat, which left over 600,000 Union and Confederate soldiers dead and destroyed muchRead MoreData Analysis And Interpretation On The Cross Sector Between Corporate And Non Corporate Entities10245 Words   |  41 Pages2006, merger occurs when the target company will be brought under common control or ownership by means of acquiring a controlling interest in the oth er party or when one party acquires the ability to control or materially influence the commercial policy of the other. On the basis of the status of the party that absorbs the undertaking, property and liabilities of one or more public companies, mergers can be categorized into mergers by absorption and merger by formation of a new company. As per theRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 PagesIndeed it is possible to argue that the British academic accounting professoriate has played an extremely important role in mediating between the profession and the state, both bringing knowledge to bear on policy issues and providing a cadre of people who can operate effectively in this policy sphere. Michael Bromwich has certainly contributed in this way, advising accounting and competition regulators on complex issues and providing his own intellectual authority to the office of President of the

Essay about Etic vs. Emic Approaches in Anthropology

Adrian Simons-Wilson Working in the field as a cultural anthropologist requires participant observation, interviews, and observation. (Knight) The etic and emic-orientated styles are two different styles that applied anthropologists use in their field work. The etic-orientated approach is a perspective that in ethnography uses concepts and categories for the anthropologists culture to describe another culture. (Ferraro/Andretta) The emic-orientated approach is a viewpoint in ethnography that uses the concepts and categories that are relevant and meaningful to the culture under analysis (Ferraro/Andreatta). There has been much debate on whether the etic or emic-orientated techniques of research should be used in the field. Cultural†¦show more content†¦One will need to look to the humanities to understand the culture. This turn to the humanities is an emic technique used in the field. Emic-orientated investigations succeed because it engages applied anthropologists to live with and live like the people of the culture they are studying. It becomes a personal study under the emic practice. Being personally involved allows one to connect to the culture and why that culture thinks and performs a certain way. Emic-orientated research fails because it gets too personal with its subjects. This can cause one to stop looking at its subjects as research to be analyzed but as people, which they are, to just befriend and not critically think about. One may begin sympathizing with those within the culture and not be able to learn about the culture from an outsider’s point of view. It would be difficult from an emic view to understand why a family may be dehydrated if they are blaming their religious beliefs when they are in fact dehydrated because it has not rained for a month. Religion in this case would be an unreasonable rationale. You cannot understand a culture from just an etic approach; you need emic research methods as well in order to get accurate information to help you understand that culture. Etic and emic investigations both have their pros and cons, and together they compliment and support each other. The subsequent will look at readings that give examples of etic and emic studies. â€Å"Eating Christmas inShow MoreRelatedCultural Anthropology6441 Words   |  26 PagesAnthropology 1A03 Exam Review Week 7 Monday October 18-Thursday October 21 â€Å"Expressive Culture† (Miller Text Chapter 11) Expressive Culture October 18: Expressive Culture is: Behaviour and beliefs related to art, leisure, and play. - linked to other cultural domains such as: Exchange: pot latching art and dance, Bodily modification. Decorations, tattoos Religion: clothing, practices, etc. What is Art? Art is application of imagination, skill and style to matters movement, and soundRead MoreDimensionalizing Cultures. the Hofstede Model in Context11051 Words   |  45 Pagesindividuals are imagined as varying according to some bell curve; the variation between cultures is the shift of the bell curve when one moves from one society to the other. Most commonly the term culture is used for tribes or ethnic groups (in anthropology), for nations (in political science, sociology and management), and for organizations (in sociology and management). A relatively unexplored field is the culture of occupations (for instance, of engineers versus accountants, or of academics from

Compare and Contrast Pi and Chuck Free Essays

Josh Monsi English 12/4 Ms. Rock 29 November 2012 There is not one key to survival; no it’s more like the key ring to survival. The first key I want to talk about is strength, but there is more to strength then just the physical strength there is also a need for emotional strength. We will write a custom essay sample on Compare and Contrast Pi and Chuck or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Its life’s only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. † Martel, Yann. â€Å"56. †Ã‚  Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. 203. Print. This is why the mastery of fear can help you survive. Love which is almost an exact opposite of fear but goes hand in hand with hope; alas there are many forms of love that can bring about the needs to survive, this helps Pi and Chuck near the end of the trials. Knowing you are at the top, or that you are the alpha gives you strength and courage to carry on, both Chuck and Pi need to come to this realization in order to survive. This key ring of characteristics does not stop here; I have only a chosen a select few. Although both Pi and Chuck survived they accomplished this feat using the same characteristics but in a unique way differing from the other. Emotional and physical strength will determine your ability to survive as it did in the stories of Pi and Chuck. â€Å"†¦ without mercy. Not caring if we’re healthy or ill. Hungry or drunk. Russian, American, beings from Mars. It’s like a fire, it could either destroy us or it could keep us warm. †. Castaway. Dir. Robert Zemeckis. Perf. Tom Hanks. 20th Century Fox, 2000. DVD. This quote is from the movie Castaway and in a way explains what the lack of physical and emotional strength can do to you. First the physical side of strength, this characteristic helped Pi and Chuck with the physical challenges they faced. Pi’s first major struggle was with hunger; this burden took most if not all of Pi’s strength. The hunger lead Pi to do things and eat things he would have never done in his life if he were not in this situation where he had no other choice. Chuck had a different first physical challenge, this challenge affected him quite a lot in his story and it was physical injuries; constantly he was getting cut by his tools or getting hurt by things he was trying to build, but in any case he was getting hurt and cutting down on his physical strengths. Though these trials are different they both needed physical strengths to overcome their challenges. Emotional strain can cause a person to lose the will to survive or even the will to live. This is more clearly shown when chick is thinking about suicide, his emotional strength was done he no longer had the will to live. Pi didn’t struggle with the thought of suicide like Chuck but instead he emotionally struggled with death. From the ship that went down with his family to the lifeboat with slaughtered animals this all must have been an emotional shock to a boy who cannot even kill a fish without tears. Though the trials of their physical and emotional strengths were different hey both had the strength needed to survive. Strength played another important role in both of their stories when they needed to step up and be the alpha male. â€Å"I had to devise a training program for Richard Parker’s had to make him understand that I was the top tiger and that his territory was limited†¦ †Martel, Yann. â€Å"58. †Ã‚  Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. 211. Print Pi and Chuck both show the characteristic of being an alpha male, but at the same time show a weakness to something that might be stronger. In the quote above it talks about Pi when he is starting to train Richard Parker the lion, peeing on the boat, and blowing his whistle are a few of the ways that he marks his territory and lets him know he is the alpha. Chuck on the other hand there is not doubt he is alpha, alone on an island he has total control nothing to fear but there is one thing still holding him in place. So in order to survive you need to be an alpha male and both of these characters eventually by the end of survival overcome these two antagonists holding them back. With Pi his antagonist is Richard Parker, but soon he marks his territory and trains Richard Parker and it’s easier sailing from there. Chucks antagonist was the waves; the waves held him back when he tried to escape and left him in fear until he finally had the courage and resources to try again. In both stories the characters survive because they were able to overcome these obstacles and truly be the alpha in their certain situations. A big part that they had to overcome on their path to being alpha was the fear of the task; fear plays an immense role in the story of survival for these two. â€Å"Fear next turns to your body†¦ your jaw begins to gallop on the spot. Your ears go deaf. Your muscles begin to shiver as if they had malaria and your knees to shake as though they were dancing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Martel, Yann. â€Å"56. †Ã‚  Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. 203. Print. The fear that Pi has is the same fear that chuck has, though the fear may come in a different form it is something they both have to overcome. One of the reasons these two are able to survive is because of their fear, the fear of pain, of death, this fear is what helps them to push on and survive. Pi describes fear almost like a disease the way it affects you, this fear almost led chuck to suicide and this fear almost influenced Pi to give up his hope. By being able to surpass this fear and suppress it as well chuck doesn’t give up hope and he is soon rewarded by a piece of trash that will help him overcome and pass through that seemingly impenetrable wall of water blocking his escape. For Pi his fear was of living on a raft with a 450 pound killing machine and with good reason, but by overcoming his fear not only is he able to survive but train the tiger as well in order to survive more comfortable. Fear was a necessary characteristic that these two needed in order to survive, but they needed another characteristic to have a ying and yang effect and help them progress, which was love. â€Å"I just want to love God† Martel, Yann. â€Å"23. †Ã‚  Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. 87. Print, Pi’s love for God helped him understand his trial and that he would just needed to be patient and have hope. I say this about pi to show how love can help you survive; he learned through his love of God to appreciate the little things that did go right and to deal with the big things that went wrong. Chuck had a similar love but this love was for his fiance, he wanted to return to her and he used the wanting to push him to live and to survive. Now fear has the effect for one to be afraid of death or pain; love on the other hand helps a person look at their life and learn to love it. This love of life is just as powerful as the fear of death, these two characteristics make them want to survive and even at the same time help them to survive. This unbeatable mix of characteristics helped Pi stay on a small boat even though death was feet away in striped fur, and it was this same two characteristics that froze Chucks feet in place when he wanted to jump of the cliff and end his life. Even though love may seem like one small key on a big key ring it can help you survive longer than the strongest man without love. This key ring is not complete, I have selected only a few of the keys that Chuck and Pi needed to survive. Their Mental and Physical strength may have faltered at times but they didn’t stop, they didn’t give in to the doubt that filled their minds and they pushed through their trials headstrong. They proved their strength by becoming the alphas; they took the obstacles in their way and faced them head on having the courage to take risk that could end their lives. They feared, they feared the end and were not ready for it to come and they used fear to push them to the limits. They loved thought they loved for different reasons they still loved, Pi with his love of God and Chuck with his love of women pushed through and survived to the end. Although their trials may have been different these two characters utilized the same characteristics to help them overcome their challenges and survive. Knowing that they survived it almost makes you think about your own future and your own set of characteristics, and in a way makes you want to go out there and try to survive and see if you really have what it takes; to be an mentally and physically strong, to be the alpha, to fear death, to love life, but ultimately to survive. How to cite Compare and Contrast Pi and Chuck, Essay examples

International Energy Policy Oil Price in the Worldwide

Question: Discuss the following points.. Declining of Oil Price The Strategies taken by the Non OPEC Countries Improvement of Digging Sites and New Resources? Answer: Introduction: The declining of oil price in the worldwide have became one of the major issues in the global market. The economic conditions of the countries that use to sell the oil have fallen down. This is because the price of the oil in the market is decreasing day by day. The high volatility in the price of the oil has affect to the most of the people in the world. In this research, the research analyst will study the reasons of the recent declining of the oil price in the global market and how it made an impact on the OPEC member via both the oil industry and the economic conditions of the country who produce oil from non renewable energy and sell the oil in the global market. The research analyst also studies that what the steps are taken by the OPEC member to alleviate the impact of OPECs present trends. OPEC means the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Declining of Oil Price: After a long time, the price of the oil went volatile in the global market. For a long time, the price of the oil was stable in the global market but now days, the price of the oil is gradually decreasing in the global market. The oil is the largest traded commodity in the global market. Many countrys GDP growth is based on the price of the oil. The main reasons for declining the price of the oil are the exchange rate of United States Dollar rate is high in the global market. The US dollar has gained almost 3 % in the currency index (Aleksandrov, Espinoza and Gyurko, 2012). After 12 years, the United States Dollar rate has gained almost 3% in the currency index and when the dollar rate of United States of America goes up then the price of the commodities goes down in the global market. This is because the commodity usually traded in the United States dollar rate. Another reason of declining the price of the oil is the nuclear deal done between two countries United States of America a nd Tehran. The oversupply of the oil in the global market is the reason of declining the price of the oil in the world wide. OPEC: OPEC is known as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). It is a Government organization. This organization is founded in the conference of Baghdad on 14th September 1960.The conference is known as Baghdad Conference. The oil production countries are initially the members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The countries involved in the OPEC are Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. In the year 1961, Qatar joined as the member of the OPEC in the year 1962 (Chalabi, 2010). After the joining of Qatar, Indonesia, Libya, UAE, Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador, Angola and Gabon joined as the member of OPEC. The main aim of OPEC is to give synchronization and amalgamation in the policies of petroleum between the countries who are the members of OPEC. OPEC has the rights to control the price of the petroleum and to make the price of the oil stable. The OPEC organization always distributes the oil in the global market with fair amount of p rice. Non OPEC Members: The non OPEC members are the countries who produce the oil in their country but do not take part in the Government Organization. They are not the members of The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. There are almost 30 countries who do not take part in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. The countries who are the members of non OPEC organization are United States of America, Tunisia, Gabon, Trinidad Tobago, Vietnam, Brunei, Yemen, Denmark, Australia, Congo Brazzaville, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Argentina, Colombia, India, Oman, United Kingdom, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Norway, Canada, China, Russia, Malaysia and Azerbaijan. It is observed that 60 percent of the production of oil traded from the Non OPEC members (Challoner, 2012). The Non OPEC countries also have largest demand of petroleum in the global market. The demand of the petroleum gets high in the global market but the supply of the petroleum remains unchanged in the worldwide market. The Strategies taken by the Non OPEC Countries: The Non OPEC Countries follow the rules made by the OPEC countries. In the initial stage, the OPEC countries traded the petroleum in the world wide market as monopoly organization. But recently the production of petroleum has been increased in the countries of Non OPEC members. The OPEC countries always estimate the quantity of petroleum will be produced by the Non OPEC countries. But last time, the production level of petroleum has beaten the estimation take n by the OPEC countries. In the year 2014, the Non OPEC countries has broken the record and produces more than the estimated oil and traded in the global market (Chatterjee, 2011). The Non OPEC countries are competing with the OPEC countries. The performances of Non OPEC countries are much better than the OPEC countries. The Non OPEC countries are trying to improve the process of digging the soil and fracturing the soil and producing the petroleum in the global market. It has been found that the Non OPEC countries are producing almost 2.04 million barrels per day. During the year 2015, the Non OPEC countries increase the production rate of petroleum by almost 0.85 million barrels per day (Dellecker and Gomart, 2011). During the year 2014, the average production rate of petroleum by the Non OPEC countries is 56.33 million barrels per day. The OPEC organization estimated that Non OPEC organization can produce petroleum at an average figure of 57.16 million barrels per day (Blanchet, 2015). But the Non OPEC organization produce more 0.85 million barrels per day. The high rate production by the Non OPEC organization helps the OPEC organization to stable the price of the petroleum in the global market. The OPEC organization shows that the Non OPEC organization raises their production of petroleum by around 18 % during the year 2002 to 2025 in the global market of crude oil. Major productions of petroleum are coming from the Non OPEC countries such as Russia and the African countries who are the members of the N on OPEC Organization. Still it records almost 30 % of petroleum shortage as compared to the demanded quantity of crude oil in the world wide market (Demirel, 2012). The Strategies taken by the OPEC countries: The most popular countries from the OPEC organization for producing the crude oil in the global market is Saudi Arabia. The OPEC organization forcing the Non OPEC organization to cut down the production rate of crude oil. The oil Minister of Saudi Arabia forcing the Non OPEC organization to cut down the production rate of crude oil (Dept, 2013). This shows that the OPEC members have pride on them for the production of huge amount of crude oil from their country. The OPEC countries got scared after observing the production rate in the Non OPEC countries. This causes the OPEC organization to invent new rules for the Non OPEC organization. Opposing the Market Price of Oil in the Global Market: One of the countries of OPEC organization gives threat to the Non OPEC organization that the production rate of petroleum will not be decrease from Saudi Arabia. They may cut down the prices of the crude oil but they will not decrease the production rate of the crude oil (Shihata, 2011). This shows that the OPEC organization do not want the Non OPEC organization to produce crude oil and will not allow trading the crude oil by the Non OPEC countries in the global market. The OPEC countries found that the Non OPEC countries are making huge amount of profit by producing and by trading huge amount of profit in the global market. The United States of America became one of the largest producers of the shale gas in the world wide market. So, the United States of America is giving tight challenges to the OPEC countries by trading the Shale gas in the global market. Canada has become one of the largest producers of petroleum in the global market. All these reasons are creating problem for the OPEC countries (Frick and Laugen, 2012). That is why the OPEC countries are making various rules for the Non OPEC countries. The Non OPEC countries are becoming well known for their crude oil production and this make the Non OPEC countries a little concern. Benefits of OPEC Countries: The countries under OPEC organization have lots of resources of the crude oil. The infrastructure of digging oil from the soil and fracturing the rocks to produce the crude oil is very precious (Schmidbaue and Rsch, 2012). This helps the OPEC countries to produce more oil in less time period. All these reasons for the production of crude oil among the countries of OPEC organization helps them to cut the down the price of oil by maintaining the production rate of crude oil same. The Non OPEC countries are facing this problem as they are not able to cut the price of the crude oil as the production of crude oil is very expensive in the Non OPEC countries (Galpern and Keefer, 2012). This forces the Non OPEC countries to hike the price of the crude oil while trading in the global market. This is the reason why the OPEC countries are ruling the world by producing the crude oil and trading the crude oil in the global market at very cheaper cost. The Non OPEC countries have more improved and developed machines and techniques to extract the crude oil. Improvement of Digging Sites and New Resources: The Non OPEC countries should find out new resources for producing crude oil in their own countries. This will help the OPEC countries to get more petroleum and crude oil, as the crude oil gets depleted from the old resources. The Government of the Non OPEC countries should invest their money to find out the new resources to extract petroleum and crude oil. This will help the countries to earn more profit by trading the crude oil in the world wide market. The Non OPEC countries should also invest their money for the new machines to extract petroleum from the crude oil resources (Hannesson, 2012). If the Government of the respective countries can buy new machines then the extraction process will take less time to extract the crude oil and can extract the crude oil by spending less amount of money. Reduction of Oil Production Cost: According to the Oil Minister of Saudi Arabia, the market price of the production of oil will decrease in North America. This will decrease the supply of oil in the global market by North America but the demand will be low as the price of the crude oil will be increased in the global market (Lewis, 2012). If this situation occurs then the Non OPEC countries will face some serious problems to export oil in the global market and this will lead the OPEC countries to export more crude oil in the global market. So, the Non OPEC countries should decrease the price of oil in the global market to compete with the Non OPEC countries. Non OPEC should build a good rapport with OPEC: To make success in the global market in trading of oil, Non OPEC countries should make a good rapport with the OPEC countries. This will help the OPEC countries to understand the trading process of oil (Mitchell, Marcel and Mitchell, 2012). A good relationship with the OPEC countries will give them a wealthy competition with the OPEC countries. This may help them to make success in the global market by trading crude oil in the global market. Conclusion: OPEC countries are dominating the global market in exporting crude oil. They follow some strategies to be a successful trader of crude oil in the global market. The OPEC countries keep the Non OPEC countries under some rules made by the OPEC countries. But the dominating situation is diminished in little order as the Non OPEC countries are exporting crude oil in the global market more than the estimated quantity. But the Non OPEC countries should improve their drilling sites and their equipments to dig the oil. The Government of the Non OPEC countries should invest more money to improve their man power and their skills to extract oil. If this can be done by the Non OPEC countries then the Non OPEC countries can compete with high profile with the OPEC countries by exporting the crude oil in the global market. Reference List: Aleksandrov, N., Espinoza, R. and Gyurko , L. (2012). Optimal oil production and the world supply of oil. [Washington, D.C.]: International Monetary Fund. Chalabi, F. (2010). Oil policies, oil myths. London: I.B. Tauris. Challoner, J. (2012). Energy. New York: DK Pub. Chatterjee, D. (2011). Encyclopedia of global justice. Dordrecht: Springer. Dellecker, A. and Gomart, T. (2011). Russian energy security and foreign policy. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Demirel, Y. (2012). Energy. London: Springer. Dept, I. (2013). Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC). International Monetary Fund. FOCUS: OPEC members plan capacity increases as Iranian output falls. (2012). Oil and Energy Trends, 37(10), pp.3-6. Frick, J. and Laugen, B. (2012). Advances in production management systems. Berlin: Springer. Galpern, S. and Keefer, E. (2012). Foreign relations of the United States, 1969-1976. Washington: U.S. G.P.O. Hannesson, R. (2012). Does speculation drive the price of oil?. OPEC Energy Review, 36(2), pp.125-137. Lewis, H. (2012). Energy. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. Mitchell, J., Marcel, V. and Mitchell, B. (2012). What next for the oil and gas industry?. London: Chatham House. Schmidbauer, H. and Rsch, A. (2012). OPEC news announcements: Effects on oil price expectation and volatility. Energy Economics, 34(5), pp.1656-1663. Shihata, I. (2011). The OPEC Fund for International Development. Oxon, UK: Routledge. Blanchet, T. (2015). Struggle over energy transition in Berlin: How do grassroots initiatives affect local energy policy-making?. Energy Policy, 78, pp.246-254.

The heritage of the Soviet Union

Two decades ago many people thought the number of democratic countries would increase significantly in Europe. The dissolution of the Soviet Union was regarded as a potent impetus for countries of Central and Eastern Europe to develop into democratic Western-like states. People in Western Europe and North America as well as people of Central and Eastern Europe strived for democratic societies in the post-Soviet regions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The heritage of the Soviet Union specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, now it is evident that Europe has hardly been ‘enriched’ by truly democratic states as countries of Central and Eastern Europe developed in semi-democratic or even authoritarian states. Researchers single out different political, economic, cultural and historical reasons for such trends. The future of these countries is also seen differently. Clearly, apart from political, cultur al, historical and socio-economic factors, geopolitical situation will play an important role in the development of these countries. It is necessary to note that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe have much in common. Roberts (2006) notes that Communist heritage affected the countries in quite a specific way making the states more centralized and people less politically active. At that, cultural peculiarities of the countries and economic factors resulted in different types of democracies which have been developed in this or that country of Central and Eastern Europe. Researchers suggest different classifications of the democracies in the region. However, it is possible to note that all of these classifications are based on the level of authoritarian rule in a country. It is possible to exploit the classification used in in the study implemented by Freedom House (Freedom House 2012). According to this study, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe can be divided into th e following groups: consolidated democracies (Estonia, Slovenia, Latvia, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia and Hungary), semi-consolidated democracies (Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro), hybrid regimes (Albania, Bosnia, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova), semi-consolidated authoritarian regimes (Kosovo and Armenia) and consolidated authoritarian regimes (Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). Thus, to understand the future of these countries, it is important to consider political systems within the countries and define factors which resulted in the development of such regimes. Roberts (2006) analyses the democracies in terms of the variables suggested by Lijphart. One of the variables is centralization of power within democratic powers. Roberts (2006) points out that in the majority of cases democratic states do not have a very strict centralized power. However, when it comes to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, they are all unitary and centralized.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the one hand, centralization cannot be regarded as a negative feature as it is often associated with well-organised structures which cooperate and contribute to the development of countries. Furthermore, post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe are rather small. They are characterised by ethnical homogeneity. Therefore, centralization is but natural for these countries. Nonetheless, centralization which is a characteristic feature of the countries in Central and Eastern Europe leads to negative outcomes. This centralization prevents proper cooperation between different bodies within the state. In federal states, local authorities interact with federal bodies which, in their turn, cooperate with each other. Thus, needs of all stakeholders are addressed to the fullest. Centr alization is deprived of such a comprehensive cooperation which leads to a gap between the power and people. It is important to note that centralization is not only caused by ethnical homogeneity. The Soviet Union was a highly centralised state and the Communist rule can still be traced in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Roberts 2006). Roberts (2006) claims that the countries employ the pattern used in the Soviet Union where centralization was characterised by a variety of negative features. First, there was almost no cooperation among different bodies of the state. Likewise, the countries of the post-Soviet region show lack of cooperation between their institutions. The centre often imposes requirements that should be strictly followed by regions, though the centre often does not have comprehensive information on the matter. Thus, it is possible to note that centralization has become one of distinctive features of democracy in the countries in question. Apart from cent ralization, Roberts (2006) singles out another peculiarity of these democracies. The researcher notes that the countries are highly consensus, i.e. their governments are characterised by: [A] multiparty system, the predominance of minority or surplus majority cabinets, a rough balance between the executive and legislature, a low level of disproportionality in electoral results, and strong corporatism. (Roberts 2006, p. 39)Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The heritage of the Soviet Union specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Notably, the number of parties in these countries significantly exceeds the number of parties in established democracies. Again, there are two sides of this plurality. On the one hand, a lot of different groups can be represented in legislative bodies of the countries. This can be regarded as a positive sign of democracy as needs of larger numbers of people can be met. Therefore, it is possible to state that former Communist republics managed to evolve into democratic states (Rupnik 1999). However, the Communist heritage affected the development of democracies which differ from established democracies of Western Europe. The rule of a single party made people unprepared to the availability of a number of political forces. Thus, this kind of plurality is very negative in nature. The electoral systems of the countries in question are characterised by wasted votes. There are many parties and people often give their votes to countries which have no chances to enter the parliament. These wasted votes are often used by elite groups which obtain more seats in legislative bodies. Furthermore, the abundance of political parties is also associated with people’s unawareness of political agendas of this or that party. This unawareness makes people alienate from politics. It makes them less politically active. It is also necessary to point out that people are somewhat alienated as they still feel distrust towards their governments. Bideleux (2007) claims that the autocratic rule of the Communist Party in the USSR made people see the power as something alienated from people and real issues. People of Central and Eastern Europe did not rely on the support of the political forces and never participated in the political life of their countries as the Communist Party was a single ruling force which did not take into account people’s will and needs. After the dissolution of the USSR, the countries had a very difficult period when political forces were unable to take control over the country’s development. Non-state agents (criminals) had a significant influence which spread to almost all spheres of people’s life. All these factors contributed greatly to development of people’s distrust towards political forces in the country as people have been witnesses of these forces’ inability to cooperate and lead the country. Apart from peop le’s alienation, this kind of plurality is proved to be ineffective as political parties have too different agendas and can hardly cooperate with each other (Way Levitskiy 2007).Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The lack of cooperation and the abundance of political parties as well as people’s alienation can be explained. In the first place, the Soviet Union was a state ruled by a single Communist Party. It is quite natural that after the dissolution of the USSR the former Soviet republics were striving for plurality. The rule of a single force proved to be authoritarian and ineffective. Therefore, numerous political parties focusing on specific groups of people or particular issues have appeared in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Vejvoda Kaldor 2002). People of the countries in question tried to exploit patterns used in Western Europe, but they deemed a greater number of parties would positively affect the development of democracy in their countries. At this point, it is important to pay attention to political struggle in the countries. It is very suggestive. In the countries with consolidated authoritarian regimes (e.g. Belarus or Kazakhstan) there is almost no strong opposition. Interestingly, Levitsky and Way (2010, pp. 183-184) note that â€Å"authoritarian breakdown in Serbia (2000), Georgia (2003), and Ukraine (2004)† can be regarded as a sign of the rise of opposition and development of new â€Å"opposition tactics† and formation of movements which â€Å"toppled non-democratic governments (the so-called color [sic] revolutions)†. Admittedly, these colour revolutions did bring some changes, though they should be seen as a sign of unpreparedness of people of Central and Eastern Europe to exploit effective protest tactics which could have positive results. Clearly, political forces of the new states were unprepared to cooperate and even protest properly as the Soviet rule presupposed strict obedience rather than cooperation (Berg-Schlosser 2007). The years of the Soviet rule show that protests were always suppressed by the Party. People even failed to develop proper protest tactics as all attempts were always suppressed. Roberts (2006) also notes that people are now very hostile to Communist Party especially in the Balkans or in such countries as the Czech Republic or Poland. This contributes to the lack of cooperation among the parties as some political forces in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are still associated with the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Roberts (2006) states that even effective policies are often ignored if they were initiated by parties associated with the Communist Party of the USSR. Besides, Roberts (2006, p. 51) stresses that â€Å"communism had eliminated almost all traces of civil and economic society, the source of the bargaining partners for corporatism†. This leads to the short-lived governments which are unable to follow a particular political trajectory. Another distinctive feature of democracies in Central and Eastern Europe is corruption. The corruption is a result of the unstable political situation in the countries. Clearly, corruption also contributes to the development of distrust to the political forces. Again, the corruption is not only a product of the difficult times of the 1990s, but it is a product of the Soviet system which was also rather corrupted (Levitsky Way 2010). There were some interest groups and certain political elite which made major (or rather all) decisions. Therefore, it is clear that countries of Central and Eastern Europe have developed quite specific democracies due to the Soviet heritage. There are lots of features which are common for the countries. However, there are also many differences. These differences are not based on cultural peculiarities only. Geopolitical factors significantly affected development of the countries of the region. Thus, some countries managed to develop more established democracies whereas some countries made almost no progress since the early 1990s. As far as the most democratic states are concerned, they were established in Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Cze ch Republic, Lithuania, Slovakia and Hungary (Freedom House 2012). There are several reasons for these nations’ success. In the first place, these countries managed to break connections with Russia quite quickly. These countries managed to choose a particular West-oriented trajectory. It is necessary to note that the connections were not very close historically. Therefore, the countries had no difficulties with this process. The choice of these countries was appreciated by such established democracies as the USA, the UK, France, Germany, etc. These countries provided financial aid and other types of support to the new post-Soviet countries which had made the choice. The financial aid enabled countries to develop economically which, in its turn, led to political stability. Admittedly, not all post-Soviet countries enjoyed stability and economic growth. Such states as Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro were not that successful (Freedom House 2012). How ever, these countries failed to develop consolidated democracies due to ethnical strife. Military conflicts led to unstable political and economic situation in the region. Nonetheless, these countries managed to overcome the difficulties and political forces managed to start cooperating. Now these countries are developing quite rapidly. Though, there are various issues to address, it is possible to trace positive trends in the countries’ development. Besides, these countries also obtain support of Western democracies which leads to development of economic and political stability in the region. Hybrid regimes in Albania, Bosnia, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova as well as semi-consolidated authoritarian regimes in Kosovo and Armenia developed due to a number of reasons (Freedom House 2012). For instance, Albania, Bosnia and Kosovo suffered from a number of ethnical conflicts. These conflicts led to the lack of stability which, in its turn, resulted in a slow development. As for Uk raine, Georgia and Moldova, these countries still have quite close connections with Russia, i.e. with the old Soviet model of centralized power where Russia still dictates certain requirements. Notably, Moldova and Georgia are more successful in their attempts to become free from the influence of the former central power. These countries are trying to change the trajectory of their development. These countries also obtain assistance from Western democracies. As for Ukraine, the country is still under a significant influence as Russia still interferes in the home and foreign policy of Ukraine. The country has not still chosen the trajectory and the elements of Western democratic models are intermingled with elements of Soviet-Russian authoritarian regime. Finally, consolidated authoritarian regimes developed in Belarus (as well as in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) due to the fact that these countries still have close connections with Russ ia and still exploit old Soviet models. In these countries a specific elite group is in power. For instance, Belarusian President Lukashenko has been in office since 1994. Lukashenko employs authoritarian ways to rule the country. The country is characterised by the absence of significant protest movements. There were several attempts to overthrow the existing regime, but all attempts failed. The centralization is especially vivid in this state. Notably, economic situation in the country is relatively stable. However, judicial power is a manifestation of the will of the groups in power (Roberts 2006). There are also lots of cases of violation of people’s civil rights. It is also important to note that there are no significant political changes in the state. All these historical facts and contemporary trends can help predict future trajectory change in the post-Soviet countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Clearly, consolidated democracies of the region will continue their c ooperation with Western states. Such countries as Poland can be regarded as a very good example of a country which is developing rapidly. Thus, judicial system of this country is considered to be the best in the world (Roberts 2006). Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Slovakia and Hungary are characterised by a significant change. These countries show traits of democratisation in all spheres. People of these countries have already become politically active. They participate in elections and they take part in the process of decision making. What is more, people of these countries have trust in their government and other political forces. The people of these countries feel they do influence the development of their country (Berg-Schlosser 2007). Of course, this is one of the signs of the democratic state. Notably, development of democratic state will also lead to stability in the country. Furthermore, economic support of the Western countries will help the f ormer Soviet republics become in a row with established democracies of Western Europe. It is possible to state that the future trajectory of these countries is unlikely to change, which will positively affect the development of these countries. As for such countries as Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova and Georgia; the situation in these countries is not that stable and the trajectory of their development can change (Berg-Schlosser 2007). However, this change is also unlikely. These countries show quite definite Western orientation. They employ Western models of development. There are signs of democratisation in all spheres. Remarkably, the power has restored people’s trust which is very important. People start actively participating in the political life of the state. One of the possible hazards to the democratic development of the countries (especially Croatia and Serbia) is still ethnic strife. Economic crises can also cause a change of the trajectory. At that, assistance of Western democracies can prevent both economic constraints and change of trajectory. Even when an economic crisis breaks out in one of these countries, the countries will still remain focused on Western models of development which proved to be effective. Finally, the countries which can change trajectories are Belarus and Ukraine. As far as the former is concerned, there are signs of growing discontent with the present regime. The rising number of protests in the country can be regarded as a sign of an upcoming change. Though there is still lack of such democratic features as free media, people still get to know about the protest movements which can eventually lead to a change. At that, the protest movements are also West-oriented, i.e. protestors require democratic development of the country. Furthermore, tension between Belarus and Russia can also become an impetus to change the political trajectory. Finally, economic decline can lead to the grow th of people’s discontent, which, in its turn, will lead to changes. As far as Ukraine is concerned, the political situation in the country is quite unstable (Berg-Schlosser 2007). The power cannot gain people’s trust. Corruption is another hazard to the democratic development of the country. There is still no cooperation between political forces within the country. The major political forces of the country have quite opposite agendas and orientations. Thus, it is quite difficult to predict which force will gain more power. Upcoming elections can provide some insights into possible scenarios of the country’s development. However, existing trends show that the country is likely to choose the Western model of development and will continue democratic development. In conclusion, it is necessary to point out that the heritage of the Soviet Union is still manifested in the political systems of the post-Soviet countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Many countries of this region still exploit Soviet models of governance. Thus, the countries are highly centralised which is not only a result of quite small size of the states, but is also a product of extremely centralized power in the Soviet Union. Corruption which is a significant issue to be addressed in the region is also a product of the former Soviet rule. The abundance of political parties is another distinctive feature of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. At that, people and political forces of the countries are hostile to the Communist party and parties associated with it. This often negatively affects the process of decision making. The tension between parties within the countries leads to the lack of cooperation which, in its turn, prevents countries from proper democratic development. It is also important to note that the countries of the region in question have certain peculiarities. Thus, some countries are rapidly developing employing Western models. These countries obtain assistance from Western democracies. At the same time, they have almost no connections with Russia which still exploits authoritarian models. However, some countries are developing at a slower pace due to cultural peculiarities. Ethnical strife and economic constraints have prevented these countries from democratization. Finally, there is still the country (Belarus) which employs authoritarian models. However, irrespective of certain factors, it is possible to trace definite trends which show gradual democratisation of the countries in Central and Eastern Europe. More so, it is possible to trace the trajectory chosen by the countries. The vast majority of the countries have chosen democratization and Western models of development. These countries are highly unlikely to change the trajectory of their development. However, such countries as Belarus and Ukraine can change the trajectories. Though, it is also necessary to note that these countries are likely to continue democratization exploiting patterns of established democracies. Therefore, it is possible to state that Central and Eastern Europe can soon (within several decades) consist of democratic countries only. Admittedly, the Soviet rule had a great impact on each country and it still influences the development of these countries. Nonetheless, the countries start exploiting patterns used by established democracies of Western Europe. The former Soviet states of Central and Eastern Europe are gradually becoming well-established democratic countries, therefore, reshaping the geopolitical situation in Europe. Reference List Berg-Schlosser, D 2007, ‘The quality of post-communist democracy’, in S White, J Batt PG Lewis (ed.), Developments in Central and East European Politics, Duke University Press, Hampshire. Bideleux, R 2007, ‘Making democracy work’ in the Eastern half of Europe: explaining and conceptualizing divergent trajectories of post-communist democratization’, Perspe ctives on European Politics and Society 8.2, pp. 109-130. Freedom House 2003, Nations in Transit 2012, https://freedomhouse.org/report/nations-transit/nations-transit-2012. Levitsky, S Way, LA 2010, Competitive authoritarianism: hybrid regimes after the Cold War, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Roberts, A 2006, ‘What kind of democracy is emerging in Eastern Europe?’, Post-Soviet Affairs 22.1, pp. 37-64. Rupnik, J 1999, ‘The postcommunist divide’, Journal of Democracy 10.1, pp. 57-62. Vejvoda, I Kaldor, M 2002, Democratization in Central and Eastern Europe, Continuum International Publishing Group, London. Way, LA Levitsky, S 2007, ‘Linkage, leverage, and the post-Communist Divide’, East European Politics and Societies 21.1, pp. 48-66. This essay on The heritage of the Soviet Union was written and submitted by user Eva Ross to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Baking and Inch Cake Pans Essay Example

Baking and Inch Cake Pans Essay Example Baking and Inch Cake Pans Essay Baking and Inch Cake Pans Essay People like to try many new desserts everyday, which enables them to explore new tastes. Cakes are one of the most intriguing desserts in the world, because they come in various flavors and tastes. Many people do not know how to bake a cake from scratch this will take them through a step-by-step process on how to bake a bubble gum cake. Before I start the baking process I must first pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Next focus on the materials needed, and put those out first.Start by gathering the basics such as milk, eggs, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, shortening, vanilla, and a packet of gumballs. Then get the measuring utensils, measuring cup, mixing bowl, measuring spoons, and the baking pan. The size of the baking pan depends on the amount of cakes I want to make, two-88 inch cake pans or one-913 inch pan. The pans should be deep and round, so the cake can rise while baking. Now I start the process that will lead to baking our cake. Start by measuring the ingredients this way things will move along more quickly.Once I cake is baked both inside and out, remove it from the oven. Cool in pan for ten minutes and turn out onto a cake rack, or serve from the pan. The next step is optional, but I can put icing on the cake, or just leave it be. If I decide to ice I cake, the process to making white icing is very simple. act and precise, or the cake will not taste the same. I will need to measure out 2 ? cup white flour,1 ? cup sugar, 3 teasppons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ? cup shortening, ? cup milk, 1 ? teaspoons vanilla, and ? cup milk.Then I will need two eggs, and a packet of small size gum balls. I are now getting closer to the last step. Pour the mixture into the pan or pans. Then carefully move the mixture around in the pan to evenly cover the pan. Next get the gumballs and start dropping them one by one into the mixture. The gumballs should be approximately ? inch apart from one another. Make sure they are deep enough in the cake so they are baked into the cake and not smeared into one another. Finally,the bubble gum cake is very simple and very nice with wonderfull colour I desire.

Charlie Gordon

Charlie Gordon is the hero of a flower for Algernon. Charlie is a 33-year-old adult with mental retardation. Especially in a family who struggled to adapt to his illness and experienced a very difficult childhood, he wants to be very smart. Charlie has a good attitude towards changing his life and will make every effort to complete his clever job. Charlie underwent surgery to improve his intelligence. It was done only with the mouse, especially the mouse named Algernon. In the book by Daniel Keys' Flower for Algernon there is a chance to become a genius through surgery for the mentally disabled person Charlie Gordon. Charlie Gordon is the subject of the experiment to increase intelligence. The experiment was successful, Charlie Gordon became a genius. However, he has many emotional problems and understands how serious he is receiving. Finally, as he got dull again, could Charlie Gordon get a better surgery? It is not well understood. When Charlie was stupid, he was very happy. He thi nks he has friends, everyone likes him. But when he got better, he noticed his so-called friends were not his friends. He said: When I am late, I have a lot of friends, now I do not have anyone.Oh, I know a lot of people.It is a lot of people.This is my friend I do not mean anything to me, what it means (p.174) Charlie Gordon's brave Charlie Gordon is a hero, regardless of wisdom, for his bravery. Charlie's intelligence is slow, but his courage depends on what he intellects. I said that I was taken care of because I did not have anything, I am very strong and always fine, my rabbit's leg is next to me 11) Author Daniel Case, Charlie's obstacles are shown using misspelled words and highlights

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT - Essay Example This usually happens when the organization is not in a position to manage the human resources or due to the worse business condition or depression in the economy. The termination of the employees from the organization is an emotional event for all the employees who are thrown out of the organization and who are still working in the organization. This is a major problem faced by the people in the economy as due to the worse economic recession. Many reputed firms were forced to put their talent employees due to this reason. This made the employees to lose their trust on the organization and this lead to low productivity in the organization. This also led to the decrease in employee morale. The important measure that has to be taken for this is to make employees aware about the reason for what they are being moved out from the organization. The â€Å"guidelines will help companies handle layoffs in a way that affords dignity to those let go and reassures survivors that the downsizing decision wasnt made arbitrarily† (Robbins, 2009, para.2). This will help in creating a positive attitude among the employees towards the organization. This will create an optimistic approach among the employees and will increase the overall productivity if the employees. Special care has to be given on those employees who still have a fear in their mind that they might lose their job. This fear will decrease the productivity of the employees. It is the responsibility of the organization to remove the fear and make the employees to be productive at his best. Manager should often communicate with the employees regarding the work performance and necessary instructions have to be given for increasing their productivity. â€Å"Discussing and acknowledging the companys position is the first step to keeping people involved — and co mmitted to solving problems they understand† (Robbins, 2009, para.3). When the company realizes that the layoff is important then prior

Imperialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Imperialism - Essay Example Indeed, a critical analysis of available facts indicates that imperial expansion was initially motivated by economic considerations but soon assumed a political rationale. Imperialism was initiated by economic imperatives. By the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a number of British and European companies had begun to expand abroad, chief amongst which was the East India Company (Penrose, 1975). These companies, all of whom represented the economic interest of the British and European elite and ruling classes, were eventually confronted by local and national resistance to their interests. In order to secure the interests of these companies and, in turn, that of the governing elite, Britain initiated the phenomenon of colonialism (Penrose, 1975). Through the economic, political and military domination of foreign territories, Britain position itself to secure and promote the interests of the companies in question. Just as imperialism was instigated by economic imperatives, expansion into Africa was motivated by the bid for economic growth and the accumulation of wealth.

Functionalist Views Essay Example for Free

Functionalist Views Essay Functionalism is a predominant perspective.The functionalists see education as a miniature society, where the individual develops a sense of commitment to the social group; it is a place to learn rules where the individual learns to conform to societies cultural norms and values. The functionalist perspectives of Emile Durkheim are, he believed that the major function of education was the transmission of societies norms and values. This would allow an advanced division of labour, which contributes to the economy. He believed in the process known as socialisation, where cultural norms condition an individual, allowing entry to modern society. The economy greatly relies on educational conditioning, and it is essential that educational achievement is well balanced in the meritoractic society, for role allocation to occur. The individual must be suitably-fitted for his or her post. From a functionalist perspective schools sieve individuals in accordance to their ability for example by tiered examinations. This process in which educational failure is seen positively, aids role allocation. Parsons backed Durkheim s theory. He believed that education fulfils the function of secondary socialisation, thus allowing role allocation to occur. He firmly believed that role allocation was necessary for the functioning of society and the economy. His perspectives encouraged meritocracy, where the individual is rewarded on the basis of merit or ability and not thier background. There are various conflict theories, which give different views regarding the role of education. For example the Marxist perspectives of education argue that the education system imposes values of a higher class origin. In addition, achievement is based merely on social background and therefore makes failure inevitable. They belive that the education system serves capitalism and say that functionalists only look at the positives of the education system. Bowles and Gintis believed that the hidden curriculum benefits only the employer in a capitalist society, whereas a functionalist perspective would argue that without socialisation in educa tion, the individual would not recognise the norms and values of modern society. They believed that there is a strong relationship between capitalism and the educational system. The correspondence theory of Bowles and Gintis illustrates school as entry into a world of exploitive work, where the individual learns to believe in meritocracy. In contrast to a functionalist perspective, Giroux believed that the educational system is a site of ideological struggle, where the enforcement of class differences by aiding the middle class and neglecting the working class from achieving are obvious. Marxists believed that functionalism was to blame for the failure of the educational system, and because individuals are made to conform, they mostly oppose values emposed by schools. The enforcement therefore encourages a counter school culture. A functionalist would argue that bad behaviour, is exactly why individuals need to reform to the cultural norms of a modern day society if they are to succeed at all. Marxist and Functionalist perspectives of the role of education in modern Britain are evidently very different. Functionalism seems to be the main consensus perspective. Analysis of Functionalist views conveys the positive contribution made by education to the social system. Whereas the Marxist theories argue that the education system imposes dominant values of the middle class and neglects the working class. Marxists perspectives also believe that a disproportional amount of lower class individuals will continue to higher education as a result of ideological factors such as class and race. Marxists believed that the myth of meritocracy made the individual feel responsible for his or her own failure in education as opposed to the functionalist factors such as role allocation and the hidden curriculum which are clearly to blame for the inevitable failure of the individual. A Marxists perspective is probably more relevant to my own experience. I have experienced pressure from peer groups from higher social backgrounds of my own, and feel that without dress sense and money we are all able to achieve to similar standards, despite allowances sometimes made for richer more fortunate individuals.

Struggles of African Americans in Langston Hughes’ Poems, Mother to Son

Struggles of African Americans in Langston Hughes’ Poems, Mother to Son and Lenox Avenue: Midnight The experiences, lessons, and conditions of one’s life provide a wellspring of inspiration for one’s creative expressions and ideas. Throughout life people encounter situations and circumstances that consequently help to mold them into individualized spirits. An individual’s personality is a reflection of his or her life. Langston Hughes, a world-renowned African American poet and self-professed defender of African American heritage, boldly defies the stereotypical and accepted form of poetry at his own discretion. Although Langston Hughes is a successful African American poet, he, like many other Harlemites, faces obstacles and opposition along his journey through life; however, Hughes embraces his hardships and infuses his life experiences into poetical works that his fellow African Americans can relate to on some level. In both his poems â€Å"Mother to Son† and â€Å"Lenox Avenue: Midnight† Hughes reveals the constant struggle of a ty pical African American living during the 1920’s. In â€Å"Mother to Son† Hughes expresses the desperation of a mother who is anxious for her son to succeed. In the poem the mother hopes to offer her son encouraging words and impart to him the wisdom and knowledge she gains through persevering. While in the latter poem, â€Å"Lenox Avenue: Midnight,† Hughes reveals the cultural aspects of a city during the Harlem Renaissance and conveys the emotions of a quintessential African American Harlemite based on his own his experiences as an African American poet living in Harlem, NY. Hughes exposes in both poems the true nature, as he perceives it, of life as an African American in 1920’s white America. ... ...g hidden within the words of his poem. Works Cited Harper, Donna. Thomson Gale. 12, March 2003. Hughes, Langston. â€Å"The Harlem Renaissance.† Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 3rd Compact ed. New York: Longman, 2003. 767-769. Hughes, Langston. â€Å"Lenox Avenue: Midnight.† Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 3rd Compact ed. New York: Longman 2003. 760. Hughes, Langston. â€Å"Mother to Son.† Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 3rd Compact ed. New York: Longman 2003. 759. Pinckney, Darryl. â€Å"Black Identity in Langston Hughes.† Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, And Drama. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 3rd Compact ed. New York: Longman 2003. 772-773.

Fashion during the Elizabethan Era

Keeping Up With the Fashion Field â€Å"Clothing and fashion during the Elizabethan Era was complex, complicated, and too dramatic† (Bloom). The Elizabethan Era, was a time period from 1558-1603 when Queen Elizabeth I reigned, and was a period when people expressed who they were through creativity and originality (Black and Garland 16). Some may say that the Era was important, as it was the Golden Age in English history. Fashion during the Elizabethan Era was very extravagant and â€Å"over the top†. Fashion and style were competitive, varied by gender, and also depended on one's social class.Keep up† is a phrase to describe the attitudes toward fashion during the Elizabethan Era. There was always pressure to be up to date. People's attempts to stay in fashion cost them a lot of money (Lace). Land owners felt obligated to entertain the rulers such as the king and queen when they traveled, so they would arrange big parties, and they and their families wore the most expensive clothes. Even the royal court wanted to show off and out-dress everyone. When the royal court traveled, they often made the nobles go broke trying to keep up with their standard of display (Lace).All types of people from land owners to the royal court felt the pressure to keep up. Fashion and style were different for men and women who were not rich. It varied by gender. Women and men both had fashion rules to follow. Men had to wear cheap materials which included sheepskin and wool (Elizabethan Era). They had to wear dull colors such as brown, dull blue and beige. Men wore low, flat hats. They also wore cheap breeches made out of rough materials. Women wore material from sheepskin and wool like men. They also had to wear dull colors. Women wore aprons and bodices. The bodice fronts were often laced up.They did not wear Jewelry or any other accessory. Men and women of working class both had restrictions on clothes, however, the clothes varied by gender. No matter how rich a man or woman was, no one could wear what they pleased. Clothing during the Elizabethan Era was controlled by sumptuous laws. These laws were put in place to keep the class structure strict (Renaissance Clothing for Kids). Clothes defined who a person was and what class they belonged to. Upper classes wore bright colors. Their clothes were made from expensive materials such as velvet, satin, silk, taffeta and lace.They also wore costly Jewelry such as pearls. The upper class women would wear clothes that included several different layers of material, while others women wore thin materials. Typical people such as the working class wore simple clothes as described above. During the Elizabethan Era clothing was associated with rank. There were a variety of colors and choices one could pick from if they were in a high class or had a high rank (Sixteenth- Century Clothing). No one could wear whatever they chose because people's clothing was controlled by laws.In conclusion, the Elizabet han Era as a time period when Queen Elizabeth I reigned, between 1558 and 1603. During the Era, many fields such as poetry and literature grew and flourished. An area that flowered included style and fashion. Some may say that the era was a time when people had the opportunity to express themselves. Others feel that fashion and style during this time was restricted. In today's world, fashion is not as restricted as it was during the Elizabethan Era and both men and women are free to wear whatever they want. Works Cited Black, Anderson J. , and Mange, Garland.

Celebrity Endorsement in India Essay

In India, celebrities are idolized as Gods and marketers have been trying their best to tap on this emotional connect of the people with the celebrities. Today, most of the popular brands are being endorsed by a famous personality either from entertainment industry or sports arena. Strategic brand positioning and effective communication are the keys to success in today’s market where many brands compete in the same category for the market share. Companies are employing their maximum might to promote their brands and occupy a long lasting image in the minds of the consumers. In India, television is the most popular and effective means of the mass communication. There are over three million television commercials being aired every year. However, 80 percent of them are forgotten by the people in a day or two. So, it is imperative for the marketers to ensure that their ad campaign stands out amongst the crowd (Suhalka, n.d.). Since advertising is a highly critical tool for luring customers to make purchases, Indian firms are investing millions of rupees on celebrity advertising (Khatri, 2006). Celebrity endorsements are also an easy option for Indian marketers because of the disparities of the Indian consumer base in terms of religion, ethinicity, value system and most importantly economic variations. Therefore, advertisers in India emphasis a lot on brand recall and customer persuasion for differentiating their ad campaigns from those of the counterparts. It is here that celebrity endorsement provides a tremendous boost (Surana, 2008). For instance, one of the strongest celebrity endorser is cricketer Sachin Tendulkar who is a youth icon and endorses many successful brands like, Pepsi, Boost, Aviva Life Insurance, TVS, Britannia Biscuits, Visa, Airtel etc. Like, Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bac hchan, Kareena Kapoor also have many brands in their kitties. Indians love their celebrities and blindly follow their suit. This has proved to be a boon for the marketers and celebrity endorsement is just getting better by the day. It has now become an indispensible part of the marketing communication strategy. It is a win ?win situation for both the celebrities and the brands. However, the consumers are ones who are least benefitted as they end up paying more for the products and services. References: †¢ Khatri, P., 2006. Celebrity Endorsement: A Strategic Promotion Perspective. Indian Media Studies Journal, 1(1).Pp. 25-37 †¢ Suhalka,G.n.d. Celebrity Endorsers and Endorsements in India- The Rise and the Impact [pdf] Available at: http://www.ndtvmi.com/b4/dopesheets/garima.pdf [Accessed 18 February 2012] †¢ Surana,R., 2008. The Effectiveness of Celebrity Endorsement in India [pdf] Available at: http://edissertations.nottingham.ac.uk/2069/1/08MAlixrs13.pdf [Accessed 18 February 2012] Commentary | Theses | Dissertations | Journals & Articles | Proposals & Synopsis | Essays | Promotional Writing | Press Release Copyright  © 2005 – 2012 Project Guru India. All rights reserved. www.ProjectGuru.in

Free Essays on Democracy For Education

In order to create our own â€Å"dream school†, not only do we need to find out what kind of curriculum to organize, and how we should put it into action, but we must also need to situate what kind of setting the education should take place in. It is essential for any type of school to be comforting and welcoming to a diversity of students in the community. The hallways will be decorated with various signs of the programs of the school and work done by the students themselves. There will be adult supervision among the halls to keep order and maintain a safe environment. The classroom, however, is where the education is specifically taken place in. This is why the classroom arrangement is very crucial for having a comfortable and successful learning atmosphere. The classrooms are required to be adorned with many colorful themes on the walls, such as calendars, seasonal decorations, maps, borders and other bright colorful decorations that will be welcoming for the students. This will bring life to the room and stimulate the minds of the students. Bare walls and a dreary classroom are not motivating for the students. The desks arrangements are critical in the students’ thinking process. Teachers will be required to arrange the desks in different ways such as in groups or in a U shape. This will cause interaction among the classmates, which will help them learn more from each other. They will be able to here other ideas of their classmates and enhance their critical thinking ability. Also, by working with each other and receiving other ideas, their problem solving skill will develop further with the help of each other. Teachers will be allowed to bring the students outdoors for certain lessons. If the students are struggling with a particular lesson, then a change of atmosphere can encourage the students to think more critically.... Free Essays on Democracy For Education Free Essays on Democracy For Education In order to create our own â€Å"dream school†, not only do we need to find out what kind of curriculum to organize, and how we should put it into action, but we must also need to situate what kind of setting the education should take place in. It is essential for any type of school to be comforting and welcoming to a diversity of students in the community. The hallways will be decorated with various signs of the programs of the school and work done by the students themselves. There will be adult supervision among the halls to keep order and maintain a safe environment. The classroom, however, is where the education is specifically taken place in. This is why the classroom arrangement is very crucial for having a comfortable and successful learning atmosphere. The classrooms are required to be adorned with many colorful themes on the walls, such as calendars, seasonal decorations, maps, borders and other bright colorful decorations that will be welcoming for the students. This will bring life to the room and stimulate the minds of the students. Bare walls and a dreary classroom are not motivating for the students. The desks arrangements are critical in the students’ thinking process. Teachers will be required to arrange the desks in different ways such as in groups or in a U shape. This will cause interaction among the classmates, which will help them learn more from each other. They will be able to here other ideas of their classmates and enhance their critical thinking ability. Also, by working with each other and receiving other ideas, their problem solving skill will develop further with the help of each other. Teachers will be allowed to bring the students outdoors for certain lessons. If the students are struggling with a particular lesson, then a change of atmosphere can encourage the students to think more critically....

Chronic deseases of Aborigens of Australia Essay

Chronic deseases of Aborigens of Australia - Essay Example The table below shows disparities between the two populations: The implication of these disparities is that the population has a significant shortage of healthcare services. As such, the Aboriginal society has a number of serious health problems such as obesity, substance abuse, renal diseases, high infant mortality, pulmonary diseases and cardiovascular conditions. In spite of the developments in mainstream Australia, the Aboriginal people are still strongly bound to their traditional societal structures. Their society still holds strong family values and highly values family bonds and ties. The Aborigines still hold strong beliefs in their traditions and spiritual life. As such, the provision of healthcare to such a group should take into consideration various factors including their economically disadvantaged position in society and their strong cultural background (Margereson, 2009). This paper critically evaluates the health condition of Peggy Moloney-an elderly Aboriginal lady from New South Wales aged 62. Though primarily admitted for peritonitis, the evaluation will take a critical review of her medical history and experience as well as these elements to her current health, which plagued by multiple conditions. Therefore, cultural, economic, social, psychological and biological elements will be factored in during the evaluation. The mind map on Peggy’s condition starts by reviewing her medical status in relation to her biological and physiological conditions. The major elements of consideration include her medical history and general status of biological/physiological health. Mrs. Peggy’s medical history shows that she developed renal failure seven years ago after a bout of nephritis. This occurred after a treatment of streptococcus infection on her left leg. After an antibiotic treatment, the legs infection was treated, but her nephritis persisted, and finally caused the damage of both kidneys. Her history presents the following condition s 1) Renal failure (2); peritoneal dialysis (3); diabetes mellitus (4); peripheral neuropathy on both feet (5); intermittent claudication; and a cataract on the left eye. Currently, she presents the following symptoms: fever, a general unwell feeling, clouding of central vision, loss of peripheral vision, shortness of breath, swollen lower legs and ankles as well as cellulitis around her catheter insertion site. In Mrs. Moloney’s case the most probable risk to her immediate admission condition-peritonitis-is peritoneal dialysis. This can be inferred from the occurrence of cellulitis on the area around her catheter (Treves, 2008). However, considering her multiple conditions, old age can be cited as a possible biological contributing factor. Notably, old age is characterized by a general decrease in immunity, muscle mass and strength. The decline in immunity on skin cells in the affected area may be a contributing factor to the infection cited on the dialysis catheter point (L ye, MacLennan & Hall 1993). However, primarily the infection may be a result of handling dialysis insertions. The decline in immunity as a result of aging was shown by the multiple conditions that included nephritis and a streptococcal infection on her leg. The persistence of nephritis coupled with weak immune finally led to renal failure, which could have been a result of general decline in

Alcoholism is a Disease Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Alcoholism is a Disease - Research Proposal Example This paper will attempt to provide a comprehensive alternative account of the hesitance of the alcoholism therapeutic circles to abandon the disease framework through applying Kuhn’s (1996) approach of scientific development in an historical investigation of the disease framework. To substantiate this standpoint, evidence of the surfacing of the disease framework as a model, assumptions about the causes of alcoholism, the elaborate definition of alcoholism by Jellinek in his book entitled ‘The Disease Concept of Alcoholism, and lastly the surfacing of inconsistency followed by difficulty in the alcoholism study and treatment community are included. The disease framework of alcoholism can be traced back more than two centuries ago, and is regarded by many to be the prevailing framework governing scientific investigation and therapeutic models for the greater part of the 20th century. Nevertheless, in the sixties, the disease framework came under assault because of the surfacing of inconsistent scientific and therapeutic findings. Aside from the United States, the disease framework is regarded by countless to have been questioned, and has traditionally been left out in support of alternative frameworks, such as social-learning assumption. However, in the United States, the disease framework and its main treatment objective of self-discipline persist to tremendously prevail over the treatment of alcoholism. Between other accounts, the financial and political interests of the treatment of alcoholism society in the U.S. have been presented to elaborate the reason why U.S. persists to be left out by other nations in moving further t he disease framework. Nevertheless, an alternative justification for the unwillingness of the alcoholism treatment society to give up the disease framework is exposed by applying Kuhn’s approach of scientific development in an historical investigation of the

Chinese history (east asian studies) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chinese history (east asian studies) - Essay Example Leaders in China remain worried about this incident, since the possibility of a popular uprising of a similar kind worries them. This could also lead to a schism in the leadership that would be disastrous for the unity of the nation. Shirk points out the parallel in history that worries the Chinese leadership, the breakup of the Soviet Union, which was the result of widespread discontent. Shirk points to the support of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). In the absence of this support, the possibility of a similar breakup looms large, that worries the Chinese government, which seeks to prevent it through maintaining an authoritarian regime. 3. The evolution of the Chinese foreign policy is something that has caught the eye of various political thinkers and foreign policy analysts. The change from a passive approach to one that actively engages in the political affairs of the world in an active manner signals a change of approach that coincides with the entry of China as a supe rpower in the political arena. It is a change from the erstwhile policy of China that was aimed at attaining the status of a superpower without causing any damage to its internal situation of peace. This shall however, according to analysts around the world, cause a certain kind of conflict between the new and the old power, by which is meant the United States of America and China.

How ICT impacts on me Essay Example for Free

How ICT impacts on me Essay I think ICT impacts me a lot since I first used a computer. It made my life happier but as well as distracting me too much sometimes. When I first used a computer, I was about 8 or 9; it was a must because we all had computer lessons since primary 3 until year 7. Email was the only major thing that made me use computers. By the time goes by, I am getting older, I was told by my younger cousin to play computer games on the internet. Since then, I used computer every day. My mum saw this then she set me a do’s list and a don’ts list. She thought that I was too addicted to the internet for some reason. This probably is one of the handicaps of how ICT impacts on me. On the other hand, teachers taught us how to use email on the internet since we were small, that leaded me communicating with my school friends during holiday. I thought this was very easy for us; we did not have to ring each other very frequently, we could simply send emails. However, we did not use it too appropriately. As the technology is growing year by year, now I know what exactly computers or anything related to ICT help us and influence us. Say about the online banking nowadays, customers will receive a little machine from their bank, which is used for confirming you are the right person when your debit or withdraw money from online banking. This can help with avoiding crime on online banking. For example, customer will need their secure key every time they log on. Secure key is the name of the little machine. It is handy, easy to keep in a safe place. Whenever customers need to log on to their online banking account, the website will ask them for the security code from their secure key. Next, they need to click one of the buttons on their secure key, then a random number or key appear on the screen. This prevents from some people who are trying to hack in others’ accounts. This would also make people feel safer when they do online banking, and getting away from the stress of being stolen a huge amount of money sneakily. This also affects hackers in a bad way; they will not be able to investigate a new way to hack people’s accounts in a period! On the other side of the influence on me, it would probably be computers. Years ago, I was still ‘’writing’’ my prep, nowadays, I go straight to my laptop and ‘’type’’ out my prep and then print them off. We have a various choice for us to prepare and do our paper work on our laptops. Now I use word processer to do my essay-work. Presentation software is for presenting information to a group of people. Spreadsheet is for calculating faster than working out numbers ‘manually’. Database is for holding a massive amount of data and records. This really does help people work more efficiently and spend less time on their work. Correcting words immediately after you find out wrong words is one of the advantages of ICT. Scribbles can be prevented if I work on my laptop. Finally, ICT really affects us in a good way, but there is one main thing that is bad for us. On the social side, some social websites tend to be too distracting to people, this would affect their working motivation and their working force. ICT could be a handicap in some ways. It could lead some teenagers or children over-addicted to computer games or social websites. In conclusion, ICT impacts me well so far. I could do my prep in a faster way and entertainment myself when I am bored or free.

Effect of Gold Nanoparticles on Bilharziasis

Effect of Gold Nanoparticles on Bilharziasis Abstract Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) gained a great attention in biomedical researches and become more applicable in nanomedicine in recent years because they have distinctive physicochemical properties. The current study was planned to assess the effect of the AuNPs with three doses levels on genes expressions, histology and oxidative stress status of Schistosoma mansoni infected mice liver. Inoculation of mice with 100 ÃŽÂ ¼l AuNPs at different doses (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg mice body weight) twice per week on day 46 and day 49 post infection reduced the total worm burden. Meanwhile, it reduced egg load in the liver and reduce the granuloma size. Also, AuNPs were able to significantly decrease the activities of malondialdhyde and nitric oxide as compared to infected untreated group. However, they increased the level of glutathione as compared toinfected untreated group. Concomitantly, AuNPs ameliorate the inflammatory response through decreasing the mRNA expression of IL-1ß, IL-6, TNFʽ ±, IFNÃŽÂ ³, and iNOS. In consistence with molecular, histopathological and biochemical data, AuNPs could ameliorate the infection induced damage in the liver of mice .Our results indicated that, AuNPs are effective anti-schistosomal and anti-oxidantagent.to confirm the role of nanogold as an antischistosomal agent and its mechanism of action, more studies are required to be done in the future. Keywords: Nanogold, Schistosoma mansoni, liver, gene expressions, histopathology, oxidative stress, mice. Introduction Bilharziasis is one of the most common parasitic diseases, which mostly affect the liver causing granuloma formation and hepatic fibrosis. Since, severe morbidity can result of schistosomal infection; the disease is still an important helminthic infection. Schistosomasis excessively affects people who have limited access to potable water and sanitation lived in the tropics and subtropics, approximately 240 million people infected with over 700 million people at risk of getting infected.1 Praziquantel (PZQ) is the known effective anti-schistosomal drug but the reinfection occurs rapidly after massive drug administration, thus, an efficient therapy used is the optimal way, especially in Schistosoma mansoni endemic areas. From a long time, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was have been used for drug delivery into cells.2,3,4Moreover, AuNPs have a strong potential role in cancer treatment and apoptosisinduction.5Accumulation of nanosystems at the targeted site I soften higher than normal drugs and usually leads to reduced systemic toxicity. However, chrysotherapy; gold was used in some diseases treatment smallpox, skin ulcers, syphilis and measles in ancient cultures in Egypt, India and China.2 Gold complexes showed potential antileishmanial and antimalarial activity, which have interesting role against Leishmania promastigotes in culture medium, becoming promising for using as band-aids to treat skin lesions. In addition, the effects of AuNPs as larvicidal for a mosquito vector of malaria have been reported. Thus, the impact of researches on gold for human tropical diseases therapy is considerable.6 The recent interest in using AuNPs in medicine has altered the methods of diagnosis and treatment.2For example, employing AuNPs in PCR has optimized the specificity of this diagnostic method.7Also some researchers have took advantage of AuNPsin transferring drugs into the biological cells, which provided a good basic for nuclear targeted delivery.8 Additional in vivo investigations are wished for the antihelminthic efficacy of AuNPs.9 Therefore, the present work aims to determine the cure rate of three doses of AuNPs against hepatic injury induced by schistosomasis in CD-1 mice . Materials and methods Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) AuNPs have been prepared by chemical reduction method as reported by Turkevich10. A solution of HAuCl4 has been used as Au3+ ions precursor. Sodium citrate has been used as both of mild reducing and stabilizing agent. The color of the solution slowly turned into faint pink color, indicating the reduction of the Au3+ ions to Au nanoparticles. The fabrication of AuNPs were performed with the colloidal reduction process of chloroauric acid (HAuCl4.3H2O) with salt of trisodium citrate (N3C6H5O7) purchased from Aldrich (99% pure) Chemical Co. Ltd and used without further purification. In a typical experiment: 2 mM of HAuCl4.3H2O was dissolved in 100 mL of double distilled water. To this solution, 1% N3C6H5O7 (~3 mM) was mixed. The pH of this solution was measured via pH meter (Cole parmer U.SA.), which was reached to 7.88. The obtained pinkish colored solution was stirred vigorously and refluxed the solution at boiling temperature for 15-20 min. pinkish color was changed to deep red color ed solution of AuNPs. The obtained colloidal solution was stored for the further morphological and other elemental analysis. Characterization Size and morphology of AuNPs were done by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Samples for TEM were prepared using the colloidal solution of nanoparticles. The colloidal sample solution was sonicated for 10 min in a bath sonicator before the observation and dipped in carbon coated copper grid (400 mesh) and dried at room temperature for the morphological analysis.A TEM picture was taken by a JOEL JEM 2000 EX 200 microscope at 200kv. Animals Sixty male CD-1 mice weighing 18-20 g were used in all experiments. The animals were obtained from a closed random bred colony at the Schistosome Biological Supply Center (SBSC) at Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt. Animals were housed in polycarbonate boxes with steel-wire tops (not more than six animals per cage) and bedded with wood shavings. Ambient temperature was controlled at 22  ± 3  °C with a relative humidity of 50 ± 15% and a 12-h light/dark photoperiod. Food and water were provided ad libitum. This study was conducted in accordance with legal ethical guidelines of the Medical Ethics Committee of the Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI), Giza, Egypt (Approval No. 4018/2011). Mice Infection S. mansoni cercariae (Egyptian strain) were obtained from infected intermediate host snails (Biomphalaria alexandrina) maintained at the SBSC. Mice were infected subcutaneously with freshly shed 100 ± 10 cercariae/mouse according to Liang et al.11method. Experimental design Animals were divided into six groups of ten mice each. Group I served as a control (non-infected); the animals were received saline (100 ÃŽÂ ¼l saline water/mouse) by intraperitoneal (ip) injection for 10 days. Group II and Groups III, IV, V and VI were infected with 100 ±10 S. mansoni cercariae. The animals of groups III, IV and V were intrapretonially inoculated with 100 ÃŽÂ ¼l AuNPs at different doses (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg mice body weight) twice per week on day 46 and day 49 post infection respectively. Finally, infected animals of Group VI were orally administered 100  µl of PZQ (600 mg/kg mice body weight) on day 46 post infection at an interval of 24 h for 2 days.12 Study of parasitological criteria Immediately after mice killed by cervical decapitation, hepatic and portomesenteric vessels were perfuse for worms recovery and subsequent counting.13 After perfusion, a piece of liver was used for the determination of the number of ova in liver and the percentage change in egg density was determined. The percentage of eggs at various developmental stages was examined in three samples from each mouse and the mean number of eggs at each stage/animal was determined.14 Sample preparation After dissection, the liver of all groups were immediately removed and divided into three parts, the first part for RNA extraction, the second one for histopathological studies and the third part was homogenized (10% w/v) in ice-cold 0.1 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.4). The homogenate was centrifuged at 2000 ÃÆ'-g for 15 min. at 4  °C and the resultant supernatant was used for biochemical analysis. Histopathological investigations and granuloma size Tissue samples of the liver of all groups were immediately fixed after animal dissection in 10% neutral buffered formalin dehydrated and processed for paraffin sectioning. Sections were then deparaffinized, stained with hematoxylin and eosin stains. To assess the size of tissue granuloma, the mean diameter (ÃŽÂ ¼m) was measured. For each group, 30 granulomas were chosen from different hematoxylin-eosin stained liver sections from different mice. Assessment of oxidative stress markers Estimation of the reduced glutathione (GSH) level GSH level in liver was determined by the methods of Ellman.15 The method based on the reduction of Ellmans reagent with GSH to produce a yellow compound; the reduced chromogen directly proportional to GSH concentration and its absorbance can be measured at 405 nm. Determination of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were assayed through colorimetric tests of the liver homogenates according to the method of Ohkawa et al.16 In this method, TBARS was determined by using 1 ml of trichloroacetic acid 10% and 1 ml of thiobarbituric acid 0.67% which were then heated together in a boiling water bath for 30 min. TBARS which react with the amount of malondialdehyde found in liver homogenate to give a red color were then measured at 535 nm. Determination of nitric oxide level Nitric oxide (NO) level was assayed colorimetrically in liver homogenate according to the method of Green et al.17 The nitrite/nitrate level was determined where in an acid medium and in the presence of nitrite the formed nitrous acid diazotisesulphanilamide is coupled with N-(1-naphthyl) ethylenediamine. The resulting azo dye has a bright reddish-purple color which can be measured at 540 nm. Quantitative PCR Tissues frozen at -80oC were thoroughly grounded with a mortar under liquid nitrogen and total RNA was isolated with Trizol (Sigma-Aldrich). Quality and integrity of RNA were determined using the Agilent RNA 6000 Nano Kit on the Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer (Agilent Technologies). RNA was quantified by measuring A260nm on the ND-1000 Spectrophotometer (NanoDrop Technologies).18 Real time PCR was performed as detailed previously.19, 20 In brief, total RNA freed from DNA using the DNA free kit (Applied Biosystem, Darmstadt, Germany) was used to synthesize cDNA using QuantiTectTM Reverse QuantiTectTM SYBR ® Green PCR kit (Qiagen) was applied for amplifications in the ABI Prism ® 7500HT Sequence Detection System (AppliedBiosystems, Darmstadt, Germany) with gene-specific QuantiTectTM primers delivered by Qiagen (Hilden, Germany). We investigated the genes encoding the mRNAs for the following proteins: interleukin-1ÃŽÂ ² (IL-1ÃŽÂ ²), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFÃŽÂ ± ), interferone-à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ § (IFNà ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). PCR reactions were performed and evaluated as detailed elsewhere.18 Statistical analysis The obtained data were presented as means  ± standard error. One-way ANOVA was carried out, and the statistical comparisons among the groups were performed with Duncans test using a statistical package program (SPSS version 17.0). Pà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤0.05 was considered as significant for all statistical analysis in this study. Results Morphological analysis of colloidal AuNPs The structural morphology and crystalline character of AuNPs were examined via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The obtained images shows the corresponding TEM results, which are shown in figure (1), the low magnified image (Fig. 1A) shows that, AuNPs are spherical in shape within the range of 10-15 nm in diameter. From the observation, its depicted that all the NPs are in definite spherical shape with rough surface and free from agglomeration behavior. Another obtained image represents the high resolution TEM (HR-TEM) image of AuNPs (figure 1B), which shows the lattice difference fringes between two adjacent planes are about 0.235 nm. The obtained lattice difference clearly corresponds to the lattice constant of face centered cubic (FCC) of AuNPs and are analogues with the previously reported information.21, 22 The crystal lattice fringes of HRTEM observation (Fig. 1B), again shows a confirmation of good crystalline nature of synthesized AuNPs and it is consistent with the low magnified image of AuNPs. 21, 22 AuNPs treatment induced a significant reduction in hepatic worm burden at all examined doses (0.25, 0.5 and1 mg/kg) as compared to infected group. The worm burden reduction rate was approximately, 32%, 49% and 64%, respectively (Table 1). Similarly, figure 2 shows that, the three dose levels of AuNPs caused a highly significant reduction on egg density in liver tissues of infected mice, and the highest reduction (69.8 %) was recorded at 1mg AuNPs dose level . Table 2 and figure 3 show the alternation on the liver histology from S. mansoni infected animals, compared with that from control animals. Figure 3A displays a histological section of liver from a control mouse. The center-lobe vein has normal morphological characteristics while figure 3B shows a histological section of liver after 56 days of S. mansoni infection in mice. Cellular alteration was verified on liver. There are leukocyte aggregations near blood vessels and evident vascular congestion. Histological investigation of hepatic tissue sections reveals that S. mansoni infection caused a severe inflammatory response of the liver, as indicated by inflammatory cellular infiltration as well as cytoplasmic vacuolation and degeneration of hepatocytes. In addition, the hepatic sinusoids were dilated and apparently contained more Kupffer cells. Treated livers of S. mansoni infected mice with the three dose levels (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg) of AuNPs as shown in figures 3C, 3D and 3E, resp ectively appeared with moderate inflammatory cellular infiltration. Figure4 showed that, the granuloma size in hepatic tissue showed a marked and a significant reduction in the granuloma diameter at Pas a result of AuNPs treatment to schistosome infected mice at all investigated doses (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg) as compared to untreated schistosome infected mice. Likewise, PZQ gavage induced a significant decrease in hepatic granuloma size infected of S. mansoni versus infected group. Schistosomiasis induced a significant elevation in hepatic levels of MDA and NO (table 3). In the same manner, injection of 3 different doses of AuNPs and PZQ to infected mice increased the levels of MDA and NO significantly as compared to non-infected group. Oppositely, a significant reduction was observed in hepatic MDA and NO levels as a result of AuNPs (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg) and PZQ injection versus infected group. Finally, GSH which involved in the down-regulation of substances formed during oxidative stress has been determined (Table 3). It was striking that GSH was significantly down-regulated by S. mansoni infection but that this effect was largely ameliorated by AuNPs treatment. Moreover, the S. mansoni infected mice revealed a significant up-regulation in mRNA of IL-1ÃŽÂ ², IL-6, TNFÃŽÂ ±, IFNÃŽÂ ³ and iNOs in hepatic tissue; likewise, injection of different doses of AuNPs and PZQ induced significant up-regulation versus control group. On the other hand, treatment with AuNPs as well as, PZQ to infected mice decreased the expression of IL-1ÃŽÂ ², IL-6, TNFÃŽÂ ±, IFNÃŽÂ ³ and iNOs-mRNA significantly as compared to infected group (Fig. 5). 4. Discussion Newly in several fields of nanomedicine; AuNPs have been actively used for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. It has been debated that nanoparticles of gold could be used in nearly all medical purposes.23 Abraham and Himmel24proved the successful usage of colloidal gold in rheumatoid arthritispatients. In addition, AuNPs caused cestode paralysis, which is followed by death; the authors attributed to alterations in cestode enzymatic activity of the parasite.9 Our results revealed that schistosomiasis caused marked and significant histopathological impairments in liver sections, and granulomatous inflammation was recorded. Ameret al.25 reported that S. mansoni induced granulomas which were characterized by concentric fibrosis Ù†¡Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ° the trapped eggs surrounded by many fibroblasts. In addition, Toussonet al.26observed main histopathological injuries in schistosomiasis mansoni such as granulomas, diffuse infiltration of inflammatory cells eosinophils and small mononuclear cells and fibrosis of portal areas and interlobular septa. In the same manner, El- Banhawey et al. 27 cleared that schistosomiasis causes necrotic changes in the liver tissues. On contrary, our treatment with different doses of AuNPs appeared moderate inflammatory cellular infiltration, decreased the granuloma diameter. Moreover, AuNPs reduced the hepatic worm burden as compared the infected group. Dkhilet al.28 deduced that gold nanoparticles treatment to infected schistosome mice improved the histological disturbances of infected brain mice. Schistosomiasis mansoni imbalanced the hepatocellular antioxidant system and liberated the free radicals which are evidenced by decrement in GSH level and increased levels of both nitrite/nitrate and MDA in hepatic tissue. Meanwhile, AuNPs increased hepatic GSH level and decreased the levels of nitrite/nitrate and MDA. It was reported that, schistosomiasis disturbed the levels of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants which impaired liver GSH content of mice and decreased hepatic antioxidant capacity inducing lipid peroxides generation which may act a main role in the pathology associated with bilharziasis.25, 29 Furthermore, S. mansoni caused oxidative stress in different mice organs such as brain. Neuroschistosomiasis induced reduction of GSH level and increased nitrite/nitrate and MDA levels. Otherwise, gold nanoparticles (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg) injection to schistosome infected mice ameliorated GSH level and reduced levels of nitrite/nitrate and MDA in brain.28 In the present study, AuNPs injection (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg) to schistosome infected mice showed a significant down-regulation of IL-1ÃŽÂ ², IL-6, TNFÃŽÂ ±, IFNÃŽÂ ³and iNOs-mRNA expressions in hepatic tissue versus infected mice. IL-1 and TNF-ÃŽÂ ± are the major pro-inflammatory cytokine, they considered as alarm cytokines which secreted by macrophages. IL-1 plays a role in initiation and propagation of the inflammation by stimulating the expression of adhesion molecules on endothelial cells and leukocytes. In addition, TNF-ÃŽÂ ± may aggravate fibrosis and ameliorate the granulomatous reaction results from presence of schistosome eggs. So, in mice lacking of IL-1ÃŽÂ ² gene, characterized by delayed disease development and declined systemic inflammatory responses.30, 31 Moreover, lower expression of IL-6 and IL-1ÃŽÂ ² (pro-inflammatory cytokines) cause a down modulation of granulomatous inflammation and hepatocyte necrosis.32Also, Macrophages could be activate to produce NO and other inflammatory mediators by IFNÃŽÂ ³ is which considered as an important inducer of iNOs. In addition, Abdallahi et al.33detectediNOs mRNA in the liver at the onset of parasite egg laying; the authors cleared that the levels then increased as the eggs accumulated liver.34 However, Mwatha et al.35 reported that increased TNFÃŽÂ ³ is correlated with the development of severe hepatosplenic disease. Khan et al.36 concluded that gold nanoparticles (50 nm) showed a normal level of IL-6 gene expression in hepatic tissue of rat on day 5 of injection meanwhile, IL-1ÃŽÂ ², TNFÃŽÂ ± m-RNA expression was down regulated significantly on day 5. Moreover, nanoparticles of gold have no cytotoxic effect as they decrease the production of reactive oxygen species and do not stimulate secretion of proinflammatory cytokines (TNFà °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¼and IL1-à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ½) making them suitable candidates for nanomedicine.37, 38Gold nanoparticles are not induced apoptosis, moreover, not activated gene expression related to oxidative stress and inflammatory response (TNFà °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¼) while their low reactivity with biomolecules and cells provides a promising medical platform.39 Conclusion Collectively, our investigations suggest that the way in which AuNPs exert their ameliorating effects on Schistosomiasis mansoni promoted oxidative stress may be attributed to its ability to scavenging free radicals , and that this action could find a clinical use in the treatment of hepatic dysfunction in schistosomiasis. Additional studies are still necessary, however, with a view to clarify the exact mechanism of this modulatory effect, and to examine its potential therapeutic effects in more detail.