A Very Brief Look at the Crusades - 1269 Words

On the 27th of November in the year 1095, Pope Urban II issued a decree to a council of the Church at Clermont in the French Auvergne saying Whoever for devotion alone, not to gain honour or money, goes to jerusalem to liberate the Church of God can substitute the journey for all penance (Tyerman 27). As the Pope declared a first crusade against the Muslims, he used forgiveness from sins as a false incentive to get knights to join in his fight. In his letter of instruction, Urban says that a barbaric fury has deplorably afflicted an laid waste the churches of God in the regions of the Orient, referring to the turkish muslims that had destroyed many of the churches in asian minor (Krey 42-43). The Turks would invade the churches and desecrate and overthrow the alters, (Munro 5-8). The Seljuk Turks invaded the lands of the christians, torturing and killing the Christians in ways that were despicable. For example, they would cut the abdomen and tie the entrails to a stake, then make them walk until all organs were out of the body (Munro 5-8). These Muslims took a tract of land from the Greek Empire that would have taken two months to walk across (Munro 5-8). Pope Urban II questioned everyone, asking Whose duty is to avenge this and recover that land, if not yours? in his speech at Clermont, declaring a jihad, or holy war against the Muslim Turks (Munro 5-8). As Urban finished his speech to the Council at Clermont, all who were in attendance shouted Deus lo volt!Show MoreRelatedWhy Were The Crusades?1389 Words   |  6 Pages WHY WERE THE CRUSADES STARTED SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR C. PAUL KING CHHI-301-B06 LUO BY KEVIN SCOTT WILLIAMS JUNE 29, 2015 â€Æ' Why Were the Crusades Started Most have heard of the crusades of the middle-ages or at least heard of some famous people such as Pope Urban II, Richard the Lionheart or others. Whether you see the crusades as events that tried to promote Christian values in a pagan territory or of you see the crusades as chivalrous knights fight for a valiant cause one will stillRead MoreEssay on The Crusades: Significance for Christianity Today1728 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Give a brief account of The Crusades. What significance do they still have for Christianity today? What should contemporary Christians learn from them? In this essay, this writer will give a brief account of The Crusades, demonstrate the significance they still have for Christianity today and what lessons contemporary Christians should learn from them. The Crusades were a series of Holy Wars launched between 1095 and 1291 by the Christian states of Europe against the Saracens who were MoslemsRead MoreHow The Glass Booth Should Be Integrated Into The Museum1745 Words   |  7 Pagesas in the legend of the seven sleepers. In brief summary of the legend, seven noblemen of the Roman Empire converted to Christianity and prayed for the lord’s protection from persecution. They were in a cave and the lord put them into a deep â€Å"sleep† and they awoke two centuries later during the reign of Theodosius II . It is believed that they died in the cave and were then resurrected by the lord when it was safe. This piece was created during the crusades and demonstrates an important message toRead MoreFive Best Search Engine Optimization Tools Essay1245 Words   |  5 Pagesbuilding. It optimizes your site and improves your site performance. This tool is best for bloggers or little entrepreneurs who need assistance dealing with th e numerous points of interest of a SEO campaign. Pros †¢ Super easy to use †¢ Dashboard is very clean †¢ You can directly link more than 25 social media sites †¢ You can run 25 projects at a time Cons †¢ It does not have professional competitive research tool Link: https://www.advancedwebranking.com/ #Number 6: Traffic Travis It is an online-basedRead MoreEssay about Billy Graham : Man and Ministry5476 Words   |  22 PagesGrahams ministry to this day, even while Graham is now slowed by Parkinsons disease. A look at the man in relation to the decade reveals some interesting facets of the national attitude in the fifties, and his reaction to the issues strongly shows what was on the minds of the people. As instrumental as he was in shaping the moral outlook of the era, a look at the issues of the fifties would not be complete without a look at this preacher to the nations, Billy Graham. Train up a child in the way he shallRead More Critique of Movie The Insider Essay1016 Words   |  5 Pagesblame on anyone but themselves. I think social security is a safety net for the financially irresponsible. I thought The Insider was a great movie from a strictly entertainment perspective (dont get ahead of me on this one!), and I enjoyed it very much. Russell Crowe is Jeffrey Wigand, a Brown and Williamson VP of Research and Development whose conscience compels him to blow the whistle on the industry. He claims that Big Tobacco has been covering up scientific research that proves nicotineRead MoreAnti Semitism As A Conflict Of Religious Identity And National Identity1963 Words   |  8 Pagesultimately helped pave the path for the Holocaust. Medieval Anti-Semitism took place during the time where the Jews lived under the dominant religion of Christianity under the Roman Empire in Europe. The Jews during this period suffered from the crusade, blood libels, and hatred from the Christians. This then transitioned into National Anti-Semitism, which took place during the Enlightenment. Many people during this time were almost â€Å"Patriotic† people believed highly in loyalty to their nation,Read MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight1586 Words   |  7 PagesMiddle Age romance stories. The story depicts the ethical orientation a nd the social context of Arthurian Romance and the ideology of English chivalry. Chivalry (chevalerie) is a French term that means â€Å"Skills to handle a horse,† but after the first crusades chivalry became more of an honor code to an ideal knight. Sir Gawain and The Green Knight is not only an adventurous tale but is also a test for Gawain’s character and a test of his adherence to the knight’s code of chivalry. The Code of ChivalryRead MoreSOPA: A Righteous Cause or a Piracy Crusade? Essay1355 Words   |  6 PagesSOPA: A Righteous Cause or a Piracy Crusade? To better understand the act, one needs to first examine what â€Å"SOPA† is and means. First and foremost, SOPA is the Stop Online Piracy Act. This act is essentially an extension of another bill that was sent through shortly before it. The name of this bill is the PROTECT IP act, which stands for Protecting Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property. Both these names are essentially very fancy names for an anti-theft law toRead MoreAtheism, Evolution And Secular Humanism Masquerading As Science Against The Bible And Creation1095 Words   |  5 Pagesarticle on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest Expert Author Richard Ruhling Science depends on research. Consider our limited opportunities--our lives are brief; our vision is limited; and we can make huge mistakes, when it comes to events we think were before Bible history. Here are a few examples: How often the supposed deductions from some scientists are revised or cast aside; With what readiness the assumed

Alvin Ailey Cry Essay - 1153 Words

Alvin Ailey: Cry When Alvin Ailey’s Cry premiered in 1971, Judith Jamison was praised for her tour-de- force 16-minute solo. An original New York Times review expressed that â€Å"She looks like an African goddess†. Cry - originally a gift for Ailey’s mother - was dedicated to â€Å"all black women everywhere, especially our mothers†. This work, one of Ailey’s greatest successes, evokes an emotional journey, as the performance depicts the struggles of African American women suffering the extraordinary hardships of slavery. Through self- determination, these women overcome their tribulations to attain justice and emancipation. [insert argument here] Alvin Ailey (1931-1989) grew up in a time of racial segregation, discrimination and violence against†¦show more content†¦Despite the importance of the movement vocabulary, Ailey expresses that â€Å"Cry is about the dance and the dancer†. Therefore, the expression and emotion that Deborah Manning projects are equally important to facilitate the audience’s reception of the full significance of the work; The difficult time of emotional and and physical struggles for the African Americans. The journey of Cry is driven by three expressive intentions. The accompaniment in Cry is divided into sections that complement the A,B,C formal structure. For example, section one creates images of slavery, hardship and the struggle that the African American women experienced. Ailey has incorporated a length of fabric into the work to create symbolic meaning and imagery. Section one starts with Manning standing, overlaid with her white leotard and skirt, holding the while fabric to the sky. Manning slowly lowers the fabric, holding it out in front of her as she walks toward the front of the stage to place the fabric center front on the floor. Manning the tosses one end of the fabric to the side then sharply contracts to the side with her arm bent over her head, to then gently caress the material. This is then repeated on the other side. This change in dynamics and sharp angles shows her pain and fatigue as she is forced into labour. Manning creates images with the material as she scr ubs the floor and ties herself down, standing on the ends of the material with it wrappedShow MoreRelatedCry - Alvin Ailey Essay780 Words   |  4 PagesCry Alvin Ailey ‘Cry’ is a dance choreographed by a very talented and well-recognised choreographer named Alvin Ailey. This was created in 1971. Ailey has created many incredible works but I must say that ‘Cry’ was one of his most outstanding works of art. The dance’s intent is to portray the struggle strength of the African American women who were in the slave trade; how women so enslaved trapped can still manage to be so free. Everything in this piece was thought of in specific detailRead MoreLangston Hughes Research Paper25309 Words   |  102 Pagesrestaurants, theaters, and trains. If blacks were permitted to enter a facility, they had to use a separate entrance and sit in a separate section. Langston became an avid reader. His favorite magazine was Crisis, published by W.E.B. Du Bois, whose essays urged African Americans to preserve their heritage and to reject integration into the white community. Langstons favorite newspaper was the Chicago Defender, which published stories about racially motivated lynchings and other injustices. His favorite

Asian Financial Crisis

Questions: 1. Subprime mortgage crisis is an example of a financial crisis that affected global markets worldwide. Give another example of a financial crisis in your discussions below. Discuss the possible causes of the financial crisis. Discuss the impact of the financial crisis on financial institutions and businesses elsewhere including your own country. Explain how the financial crisis affected the economies of different countries. 2. NAB Ltd current share price is $30 and it has just paid a $1.50 dividend. Dividends of NAB are expected to grow at the rate of 5% per year. A) What is an estimated return that shareholders of NAB expect to earn? B) NAB Ltd also has preference share outstanding that pays fixed dividend of $2.30 per share. If preference stock is currently priced at $25, what is the return that preference share holders expect to earn? C) Five years ago NAB Ltd issued 15 year bond with face value of $1000 and coupon rate of 9%. The price of these bonds is currently is $950. What is NABs pre-tax and after-tax cost of debt? D) NAB Ltd has 5000,000 ordinary shares outstanding and 1,500,000 preference shares outstanding, and its equity has a total book value of $50,000,000. Its liability has a book value of $25,000,000. If NABs ordinary and preference shares are priced as in parts (A) and (B) above, what is the market value of NABs assets? E) What is weighted average cost of capital (WACC) F) If NABs liability increase by 100%. How the increase in liability will affect WACC of NAB. Explain. Tax rate is 30%. Answers: 1. Introduction:- From the period beginning from July 1997, Asian countries suffered financial crisis. This crisis was known as Asian financial crisis. Asia is the largest continent in the world. In this continent worlds largest economies such as China, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc resides. Asia is the biggest market place for all the countries in the world. Any multinational company will want to have its presence in Asia. So any crisis in this continent will affect countries around the world. Impact of Asian Financial Crisis:- This crisis began from East Asia. It raised fears that it may impact whole of the world by creating an economic meltdown. It was Thailand from where the crisis began. The currency of Thailand is Thai bhat. The government of Thailand was facing shortage of foreign currency. At a time there was no currency left with the Thailand government to exchange for Thaibhat. The value of Thai bhat started declining. Further financial institutions and the government of Thailand had outstanding debts borrowed in foreign currency. Slowly and gradually the currency collapsed. There was no money left in foreign currency to pay interest as well as principal amount for borrowed loans. The government of Thailand became bankrupt even before the currency of their county i.e. Thaibhat could fall. The countries which impacted badly were Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand. Ratio of Foreign debt to GDP got increased to 167% and it went to 180% afterwards. IMF known as International Monetary Fund took initiative and stepped in to save the economies from falling down. It announced a $40 billion program. The objective of the program was to stabilize the currency There are many causes leading to this crisis and some are debatable. The economy of Thailand became an economic bubble. Economic bubble happen when the currency or any stock is traded in large quantities and that too at a rate which is different from intrinsic rates. This leads to a situation where the value of a stock or currency suddenly drops. The drop is not just a drop, it is a crash. That is why it is called bubble. The other reason was hot money. Hot money is known as arbitrage gain. This can happen when there is a flow of money from one country to the other. The objective behind this flow is to earn short term profit. The profit is earned on interest rate differences or the changes in exchange rates. This creates market instability. This bubble kept on growing and the hot money kept on flowing. The flow and production of money became highly uncontrollable. In all the major countries of Asia such thing started happening. The reasons for this crisis were not restricted just to the fall in the value of currency instead but something happened before the crisis period. During the period1990s, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia had very large deficits in private current account. Further to maintain the rates of fixed exchange, outside borrowings got encouragement and which led to foreign exchange risk exposurein corporate as well as financial sectors. The Chinese currency renminbi started declining. United States Federal Reserve Bank increased the rate of interest at which it grant loan to banks of foreign countries. The rates were increased because the country was recovering from recession. In such a situation this country became an optimum place to attract investment for all the countries in the world. Many economi sts blamed Chinese government for this economic crisis because the country started importing as much as it can. The value of currency started declining. It was becoming costlier to pay for the imports. Some economist blamed the speculation taking place in China as the reason for economic slowdown. Some economists were of the view that the crisis happened in Asia were not the result of psychology, market or technology; the actual reason is the policies which had distorted the lender and borrower relationship. As a result huge credit in the form of loans flew into the corporate companies of Asian countries. At the end these corporate defaulted resulting into bankruptcy. Impact of Asian crisis on United States of America:- In the last months of January 1998, Asian currencies and stock markets of Asia showed a decline by 50% or more compared to the values of mid 1997. Some economists looked at the crisis positively coming with more potential benefits for interest of US in economic reforms and pressures for democratization. The most optimistic economists agreed that the crisis will bring positive changes to the US economy in long term. There found a steep decline in car sales. The crisis impacted US as well foreign car manufacturers badly. The three big companies market share in the industry declined by 70%. These three companies stopped their production in many factories to lower down the production. Due to shut down of the factories for some time, the people employed in those factories lost their jobs. General Motors rotated their production into many other companies. 416,000 citizens of US who were in employment, lost their jobs due to this severe crisis. To pay for the health care of the employees, these three major companies asked for financial help from certain institutions in September 2008. Their plants were in Nepal and Australia too. Automobile industry was safe in Nepal. Nepal remained unaffected by the crisis on automotive industry. However, there was a big fall in the manufacture of vehicles produced and sold. The demand in Australia for automobiles also decreased to a great extent. Rise in fuel prices were the reason of decline in the demand of automobiles. Luxurious vehicle stopped giving a good mileage. Therefore, it was tough to maintain the vehicle. To cope up with the crisis, Jaguar asked for %1.5 billion loan to fight against the crisis. Impact of Asian Crisis on China and India:- To protect the industry and to increase the sales of vehicle, Chinese government decreased the taxes on the SUVs. Indian automobile sector affected due to the crisis. State bank of India decreased the interest rates on loans for automobile sector. Indonesia was very far from the crisis in June 1997. Indonesia still had a not much inflation, it had a trade surplus of around $900 million, reserves of foreign exchange were also around $20 billion as well as banking sector of Indonesia was also remained unaffected, which was unlike Thailand. But there were borrowings in US dollars by big number of Indonesian Corporations. The levels of debt and financing costs decreased as the value of local currency rose up. This happened because Rupee value strengthened compared to the dollar in the preceding years. These step worked so well for the corporations. Indonesian monetary authorities increased their rupee trading band to 12% from 8% in July 1997. In August, the rupee value suddenly fired back. Free floating exchange rate in 14th August, 1997 replaced the managed floating exchange. The value of rupee against dollar again declined. The big demand of dollars and increased corporate debts as well as increased sales of rupee sunk the rupee value and the IMF came up with a help package of 23$ billion. In the early September, the rupee and the Jakarta Stock exchanges fell down heavily. Indonesias long term debt to junk bond downgraded due to Moodys. The corporate balance sheet showed up some positivity due to the effect of summer devaluation in November, while the rupee crisis began in July and August 1997. PresidentSuhartosackedBank IndonesiaGovernorJ. Soedradjad Djiwandono in February 1998, but this was not even sufficient. In May 1998, Suharto resigned under public pressure and Vice PresidentB. J. Habibiewas elevated in his place. The exchange rate between the rupiah and the dollar was roughly 2,600 rupiah to 1 U.S. dollar, before the crisis. Conclusion:- The Asian financial crisis taught every economy a lesson to learn from in order to make the economy healthy. Most of the countries learned a lot from this crisis and raised big amount of reserves of foreign exchange as a safety pack against future attacks. Another crisis pushed to introduce Pan Asian Currency Swaps. Many East Asian Countries copies Japanese model to weaken their currencies, to restructure the economy for the purpose of creating current account surplus to make vast the foreign exchange reserves. This way Asian Financial Crisis affected many countries positively as well as negatively. References:- Frontline, 1997, Impact of the panic, viewed on 27th January 2015, available at https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/crash/etc/cron.html Charles W.L.Hill, ND, The Asian Financial Crisis, viewed on 27th January 2015, available at https://www.wright.edu/~tdung/asiancrisis-hill.htm ANON, N.D., Effect of Asian Financial Crisis on US industry, Accessed on 3rd February, 2015, https://www.nyfedeconomists.org/research/epr/00v06n3/0009harr.pdf ANON, N.D., Asian Financial Crisis, Accessed on 3rd February, 2015, https://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/asia_crisis_2007_08.pdf ANON, N.D., Asian Financial Crisis, Accessed on 3rd February, 2015, https://www.fas.org/man/crs/crs-asia.htm 2. Finance:- A. Market Price $30 Current Dividend $1.50 Growth Rate 5% Next Dividend $1.58 Expected Return 10.25% B. Preference Share Dividend $2.30 Market Price $25 Expected Return 9.20% C. Cost of Debt Pre Tax Term of Bond 10 years Face Value $1,000 Rate 9% Redemption Price $950 Interest Before Tax $90 Cost of Debt 8.72% Post Tax Term of Bond 10 years Face Value $1,000 Rate 9% Redemption Price $950 Interest After Tax 63 Cost of Debt 5.95% D. Equity Shares $5,000,000 Face Value $10 No. of Equity Shares $500,000 Market price per share $30 Market Capitalization $15,000,000 Preference Shares $1,500,000 Face Value $10 No. of Preference Shares $150,000 Market price per share $25 Market Capitalization $3,750,000 Book Value of Equity $50,000,000 Book Value of Liability $25,000,000 Net Book value $25,000,000 Equity $15,000,000 Preference $3,750,000 Total $18,750,000 E. WACC Cost of Capital Weight of Equity 0.8 10.25% 0.08 Weight of Preference 0.2 9.20% 0.02 $0 0.10 WACC 10% F. There is no liability present in the question. The cost of debt is given in the question but the amount of debt is not given so in such a case there will be no change.

Prohibition Essays (338 words) - Prohibition In The United States

Gabrialle Mijares U.S. history Brondan Stone 24, September 2015 Prohibition on june 16, 1920, the Volstead Act was passed. The Volstead Act controlled the sale, production, and drinking of an alcoholic beverage containing more than 0.5 precent alcohol. The prohibition act was set up because the crime rate was very high. Many people blamed alcohol for the problems. With the prohibition act in place, many thought that it would lower crime. Supportets of prohibition believed that it would also lower poverty and death rates and reduce the number of rats in the streets. They also believed that it would raise the economy and the quality of life. In all actuality, prohibition caused more problems that it solved. The law proved to be unedforceable . There was the creation bootleggers. Bootleggers made there own alcohol and sold it. With the creation of bootleggers there was also the creation of the black market and organized crime. Organized crime groups would open their own saloons and sell the homemade alcohol. During the prohibition time period there where many deaths from alcohol poisoning. This was because the alcohol that was very potent. Prohibition actually raised the crime rate, death rate, poverty, and destoryed society. work cited Barbour, John "Prohibition revisited: The dry-wet spell". Arizona Republic 4Dec. 1983: Rpt. in Alochol 3. Ed. Eleanor Goldstein Boca Raton: Social Issues Resources Series, 1995 Bragg, Roy " Days of the moonshine wars." Houston Chronicle. 8 May 1988: Rpt. in Alochol 4 Ed. Eleanor Goldstein Boca Raton: Social issues Resources series, 1995. McNutty, Timothy J. " Alcohol gets a sober 2d look." Chicago Tribune. 22 June 1986. Rpt. in Alcohol 3. Ed Eleanor Goldstein Boca Raton: Social Issuses Resources Series, 1995 Prohibition Gary "Beer it's been around a long time" Richmond Times Dispatch 24 Oct. 1982 : Rpt. in Alcohoal 3 Ed. Eleanor Goldstein. Boca Raton : Social Issuses Resources Series, 1995 Smith Christopher J. " The Geography of Drinking" Focus Winter 1986:Rpt in Alcohoal 4 Ed Eleanor Goldstein Boca Raton Social Issues Resources Series 1992

Free Essays on Racism

RACISM Racism is a certain kind of prejudice, based on faulty reasoning and inflexible generalizations toward a specific group. The word prejudice comes from the Latin noun praejudicium, which means a judgment based on previous decisions formed before the facts were known. If a person allows their prejudiced beliefs to block the progress of another, it is discrimination. Those who exclude all members of a race from certain types of employment, housing, political rights, educational opportunities, or a social interactions are guilty of racial discrimination. Racism is an undeserved fear or dislike of a people because of their ethnic heritage. When color is not a reason, other reasons such as language, religion, nationality, education, sex, or age become the reason of prejudice. Sociologists, historians, anthropologists and archeologists believe racial discrimination happens more often and most harshly when two groups with different skin colors and unique physical features come into contact with each other and the two compete for the same thing. History shows that all attempts at a racial dominance result in conflict and avoidance. But, some communities without disturbed racial conflict can take advantage of all its citizens potential and move toward elimination. The most effective way which I believe this issue can start to be stopped is by talking it out rationally without involving racism at that point in time and bringing everybody together as equal as the next. Not being able to defend yourself against the hurt that people can put a person through, can scar you for life. We need to see what the world is doing to each other and instead of turning to violence or some other kind of defense to get even. It would be easier if we just come together as one and help the people who are discriminated against in understanding that they are not what people say they are. From birth to about age twelve, children collect information a... Free Essays on Racism Free Essays on Racism Throughout the history of the country, America has been considered a fairly racist union. Undoubtedly the greatest injustice in the United States to this day is the white’s treatment of African-Americans, specifically slavery. The vast majority of non-black people of that time believed that blacks were not equal to other races. White Americans of the slavery period specifically held this view. It was nearly impossible for a black to live free in America, and it was even more difficult for a black to find a job. As time passed, however, many people began to change their views on race relations in America. After slavery was abolished, fewer and fewer people believed that they were supreme over the African-American race. Not only were blacks free, they were becoming accepted as people in our society. They were even becoming accepted in the workplace. Many employers were no longer bothered by giving a job to an African-American. America seemed to finally be turning around for the better. After all, African-Americans only asked for equality, and they were getting closer and closer to that goal with each passingday. Suddenly, however, some people began to lose sight of the mission they set out to accomplish. Instead of just trying to make America equal, they felt that they should attempt to make up for the times when it was not. Many places in society, such as the workplace, the court system, and the entertainment industry, seem to have shifted to being easier for blacks to advance themselves in than whites. The intent, to improve race relations in America, was good. The problem that comes about, however, is that it begins to enter people’s minds that it is better to be black than it is to be white. African-Americans should certainly feel confident with themselves, but they should not be given a reason to feel superior, either. Nobody should be able to feel superior to another person simply because of race. Everything that this country ha... Free Essays on Racism Where do thoughts come from? I don’t think there is really one specific answer for this question, but I have often found myself looking for one. It usually happens when I’m at school, volleyball practice or sometimes while thinking quietly to myself that my mind begins to wander off and ends up in a place I never thought it would be. Immediately I am puzzled about how and why I arrived at this point. I then try to retrace the steps of my thought process in an attempt to discover how, for example, I am so affixiated on what shoes I wore two days go in the middle of taking a math exam. This process of â€Å"spacing out† is similar to thought I process I had when choosing a topic for this paper. Although I have never read Richard Wright’s novel Native Son, while reading the introduction for this novel, I began to think about the origin of racism. Not just when racism began during the days of slavery or the Holocaust, but actually where the word race ca me from and why it was associated with the discrimination of people. I began to think about the word’s true definition. The concept of race is by no means a new concept, and is one that has come up recently in many of my classes. On the first day of my American Studies 185 class my professor wrote the word language on the blackboard. My professor then defined it as loaded, having baggage and carrying many different meanings. Never having heard language described in this way, my professors’ statement intrigued me. I thought about not only the many different languages which are spoken right here in America, but how within one language a single word can and does have many different meanings. Such meanings go beyond the definitions found in a dictionary because a word in any language is assigned a different meaning each time it is spoken and heard. A word becomes either negative or positive based on the tone in which it is said or the way in which it is perceived. It is ... Free Essays on Racism Racism: The Disease of the Land â€Å"Racism has been to human relationships what cancer has been to human existence. It is a disease that eats away at the very fabric of humanity itself. Rather than ending in the death of a mortal being, it usually culminates in war. A war of Nations Against Nations, People against People,† Oscar Peterson. Racism is something that has been a part of our world since the beginning of time. Many of us may think that it has really gotten better. The question is has it really gotten any better? I personally feel that no one has a reason to be racist. I am writing this essay to help people understand that there are people of all different races and colors, but we are all the same. Whether people realize it or not, the number one reason most people are racist is skin color. There are also those people who are still dwelling on the past, during the time of slavery. Although many may feel they have a good reason to be racist, there is no good reason t o hate a group of people. One of the main causes of racism is pride in one’s own race. For some reason, many racist people tend to think that there is something different between the different races. I think it is not only just the color of the skin that is the problem but the fact that there was once a time when they ruled just about everything. They owned blacks as slaves and now we are free and are able to live as they do. Some people can not adjust to that. In addition, they think if they put blacks down it would make their race stronger. Racism is but one of the largest problems in our society. It is used in so many different ways that many people are not aware. When will there be an end to this, many of us may wonder. In my opinion, it will go on forever. There does not seem to be too many people who really want to put an end to this controversy. Most of us do not realize how serious racism is and what it is doing to our society. In addition, if people do no... Free Essays on Racism Social Unjust Cause and Effect Paragraph How can the color of someone’s skin, rely on who they are and how they should be treated? The color of blood is the color of life, and red is the color that everyone shares, no matter what ethnicity they belong to. Martin Luther King states, â€Å"An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the Moral Law.† In society, an example of a social unjust that is of the past and present is racism. Racism is more prominent in the past than the present, but it all roots back to slavery. Rich, white, American farm owners would go to Africa and take Africans back to their farms and use them for labor. The farm owners would mistreat them just because of the color of their skin. The problem was mostly in the south, but even through slavery has been abolished, racism is still a problem. During the time of Martin Luther King’s letter, blacks had practically no rights in America. Segregation was a very common thing, and it was also an unjust law. America had mad e a law saying that all public facilities would be separated, one marked â€Å"white† and the other marked â€Å"colored.† One of the reasons that racism is still very common today is from adults teaching racism to children. During that time, even teachers had separated black children from white children in the classrooms. The white children would grow up feeling a sense of inferiority towards blacks. The white man’s opinion of blacks would be taught to his children and the cycle would go on. Since initially the cause of racism was slavery, there have been long-term effects that still linger on to this day. The effect of segregation, today, is the displacement that people have towards people of color. There has been a predisposed stereotype given to children from their parents, and they are raised thinking that people of color are always of a lower status. Racism today especially in the northern part of America has calmed down qu... Free Essays on Racism According to the chain of life the lion is known as the â€Å"King of the Jungle†. This hierarchy starts at the top with the lion; superior to all; and ends at the bottom with the smallest, the teeny insect. This chain of life seems natural and harmless. However, it is different for humans; that is Racism! Racism is the belief that human beings can be divided in to races and one race is inferior to another. One who believes in racism is racist. Because racists believe they above or superior, they feel they deserve special rights and privileges. Racism is a belief. There is no known fact, or scientific evidence support, agree, or back up the claims of superiority. Racism is worldwide and it has caused major problems. Due to the belief of racism, racial superiority: discrimination, prejudice, apartheid, segregation, racial profiling, slavery and genocide have resulted. Many people do not look for the same qualities in other groups that they admire in their own. Even so, they don ’t recognize the different yet impartially worthy qualities that other groups have. Racism has walked a long road; its form and face have changed as well. Racism is not the hierarchy of the jungle, it is the division of man. To accurately pinpoint the origin of racism, would be ludicrous. However, one of the most influential thinkers of racism was Joseph - Arthur Comte de Gobineau. In the middle of the 19th century, Arthur published a four volume Essay on the Inequality of Human Races. He taught that superiority of white race over all others. Many others also followed this racist claim: Lathrop Stoddard, Houston Stewart Chamberlain, Ludwig Woltmann, and Madison Grant. Their belief excluded many by status, family, religion, or nation. Gradually, the terms â€Å"race† and â€Å"class† became interchangeable. As this approach became popular, â€Å"races† were characterized by skin or hair type. Also accompanying characteristics of intelligence, physical ability, sexua... Free Essays on Racism Most of these feelings towards another of a different skin color are deeply rooted in our minds from previous generations. Many, many years ago, African-Americans were used as slaves. The slave owners treated them badly. The owner’s own children then grew up with the same ideals and passed them on to the new generation. Through the years, people have spoke out about these ill-conceived ideas making the ominous threat of racism more discreet than ever before. While in a search online, I discovered a numbered list of Klu Klux Klan, Aryan, Skinhead, and many other white supremacist groups. I was shocked when I saw how many this one list had. It listed over 800 different groups. I know that number is not nearly accurate because there are many smaller groups that have not yet made themselves known publicly. Even people that do not belong in these racially biased groups perform some acts of racism. Racial profiling- the discriminatory practice by police of treating blackness (or brown-ness) as an indication of possible criminality. "Driving While Black (or brown)" is a campaign started by the American Civil Liberties Union because a study showed that minorities only make up 16% of all drivers, yet they are 74% of all drivers stopped and searched. Generally, only 12 to 13 percent of the U.S. citizens are African American, although Black inmates make up 40.29 percent of death row's population. As of 1996, there have been 232 citizens executed under the death penalty since 1977. Only one white person has been put to death for the murder of a black person. One perfect example of true racial profiling and discrimination is this next story. Danny Glover, a famous African-American actor, was in New York City. It was late at night and he was trying to hail a cab. None of the cabs would stop and pick him up because of the fact that he was an African-American male. Stereotypical views like those of the cabby’s are not rare. When a black perso... Free Essays on Racism PERSUASIVE WRITING Topic: Racism The basis of all racism is ignorance and ignorance knows no country or colour. Is it possible that outward appearance or â€Å" looks† are what we judge people by? The evolved, apparently modern and superior Western world is actually backward and primitive; how could intellectual, profound, clever people discriminate and categorize others by beliefs, physical aspects, nationalities or sex ? Remember the holocaust. Take a moment to reflect on how many people were killed, a whole society demolished, and who authorized it ? Who tried to stop it ? How many people rebelled ? How many had the guts to risk their own lives in order to save a population ? Very few. The evolution of our world has caused us to become spoilt, unappreciative and selfish, our main priority is personal privileges and profits: anything or anyone who is different from us, unfamiliar, is considered wrong, unacceptable â€Å" less worthy†. What kind of social philosophy is that ? Unfortunately one that dominates the Western world and causes people to live in harsh, depressing and completely unfair conditions with limited possibilities of succeeding in life, simply because the so called cultured society decided that they don’t fit into the restricted categories of idealistic perfection which in fact, ironically enough we ourselves don’t belong to either. Racism is reinforced and perpetuated through the media in subliminal ways: lyrics of songs, poems, movies, literature, these are all means of communication which influence the public and fortify negative thought patterns by glorifying racist behaviour. Racism has been alive throughout our history from the Ku- Klux clan in the 1900’s who persecuted and murdered blacks and Catholics, to slavery, right up to present day with conflicts between different beliefs. After the tragedy on September 11th that occurred in America but effected the soul of the entire world, and left... Free Essays on Racism Racism (according to Webster’s Dictionary) is an excessive and irrational belief in or advocacy of the superiority of a given group of people or nation on racial grounds alone. Racism in this country has been a problem since the beginning of civilization in America. Although not all people have a prejudice to others it still has affected our culture and equality dramatically. Frantz Fanon, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Langston Hughes are some of the people that spoke and fought for the â€Å"All men are created equal† vision. Unity is the pillar and foundation of our struggle to end the misery, which is caused by the oppression which, is our greatest enemy. This repression and the violence it creates can not be ended if we fight and attack each other. Racism bloats and disfigures the face of the culture that practices it. Racism belongs in a characteristic whole: that of the shameless exploitation of one group of men by another that has reached a higher stage of technical development that legitimizes racism. The habit of considering racism as a mental quirk, as a psychological flaw must be abandoned. Fanon argues that racism is a singularly important consequence of colonial rule, a result of the â€Å"shameless exploitation† of one group by another. Fanon speaks with the understanding that racism generates harmful psychological constructs that both blind the black man to his subjection to a universalized white norm and alienate his consciousness. A racist culture prohibits psychological health in the black man. Fanon states that â€Å"If culture is the combination of motor and mental behavior patterns arising from the encounters of man with nature and with his fellow man, it can be said that racism is indeed a cultural element. There are thus cultures with racism and cultures without racism†. In his Letter from Birmingham City Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. stated that â€Å" Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice ever... Free Essays on Racism RACISM Racism is a certain kind of prejudice, based on faulty reasoning and inflexible generalizations toward a specific group. The word prejudice comes from the Latin noun praejudicium, which means a judgment based on previous decisions formed before the facts were known. If a person allows their prejudiced beliefs to block the progress of another, it is discrimination. Those who exclude all members of a race from certain types of employment, housing, political rights, educational opportunities, or a social interactions are guilty of racial discrimination. Racism is an undeserved fear or dislike of a people because of their ethnic heritage. When color is not a reason, other reasons such as language, religion, nationality, education, sex, or age become the reason of prejudice. Sociologists, historians, anthropologists and archeologists believe racial discrimination happens more often and most harshly when two groups with different skin colors and unique physical features come into contact with each other and the two compete for the same thing. History shows that all attempts at a racial dominance result in conflict and avoidance. But, some communities without disturbed racial conflict can take advantage of all its citizens potential and move toward elimination. The most effective way which I believe this issue can start to be stopped is by talking it out rationally without involving racism at that point in time and bringing everybody together as equal as the next. Not being able to defend yourself against the hurt that people can put a person through, can scar you for life. We need to see what the world is doing to each other and instead of turning to violence or some other kind of defense to get even. It would be easier if we just come together as one and help the people who are discriminated against in understanding that they are not what people say they are. From birth to about age twelve, children collect information a... Free Essays on Racism The focus of this paper is the inequality involving racism. Racism exists because of a combination of prejudice and discrimination. Racism is a social problem that still occurs today, against entire ethnic groups in most cases. Causes, examples and wide ranging effects of racism will be examined in this paper. What contributes to racism? The first thing is prejudice, which is an unjustified prejudgement about a group of people. Having a prejudice attitude, which usually tries to make one group better than another group. Prejudice exists against many groups, especially blacks and jews. Members of these groups are often stereotyped, which is an ignorant action against these people. McIntyre argues that â€Å"Prejudice is a negative and persistent judgement based on scant or incorrect information about people in a group. Prejudice involves beliefs and attitudes. More technically, we might define it this way: prejudice is a negative or hostile attitude towards a person who belongs to a group, simply because he or she have the objectionable qualities ascribed to the group.† (1999 : 222) Yet, the functionalist perspective on prejudice states that prejudice must be developed, because it is necessary for solidarity, and to distinguish between groups. The second thing that contribut es to racism is discrimination, which involves behavior, instead of attitudes and beliefs. Yet there is no evidence that prejudiced attitudes will become discriminatory behaviors, as Allport (1954) argues that what people actually do in relation to groups they dislike is not always directly related to what they think or feel about them. Two employers, for example, may dislike jews to an equal degree. One may keep his feelings to himself and may hire jews on the same basis of any workers– perhaps because he wants to gain goodwill for his factory or store in the Jewish community. The other may translate his dislike into his employment policy, and refuse... Free Essays on Racism The sizzling streams of sunlight were just beautifully glimmering down on the crisp green school yard. Such a wonderful day that was. Nothing could have ruined it. Little Jimmy, since it was such a wonderful day decided to go to the corner store and buy himself a little treat. As little Jimmy started walking over to the store, clouds flocked over the dazzling sun and the sudden pitch dark meant no trouble. On the other side of the road were three white boys from Jimmy's same school. Upon recognizing Jimmy, the boys ran over the street to where he was. "Hey Negro, what's up?", one of the white Boy said. "Did your mamma pack you enough to eat to-day?", another hooted. "Just leave me alone.", Little Jimmy said "Oh no, Jimmy's really getting pist off!?", the first boy retaliated. "Just shove off and let me be," Jimmy answered. It is like this everyday, everywhere, and everytime, people suffer discrimination. All because they have differences amongst each other. Different beliefs, differe nt cultures, different skin colour, all of these act like building blocks to help construct what we know as Racism. Racism has become one of the many burdens amongst multi-cultural worlds like Canada and the States. Racism is a part of each and every one of us. No doubt, we are all racist, but this the term racism has been used too loosely. Racism has been mutated to such an extent that it could be a reason for war, a symbol of terrorism, and even an excuse for neglecting. Is that all there is to it? No, actually it is just the beginning. Racism is just like warfare in which there is no shelter and nobody is neutral. Nobody is exempt from this demon. He has haunted us with a bitter curse. On one occasion I remember, nobody would play with me at school. I would walk around by myself and ask people if we could play together. Everywhere that I went, like the process of induction, everyone would avoid me. Like two inducted poles with the same polarity, they ... Free Essays on Racism Racism is the most important and persistent social problem in America and in the world today. It is on the rise in increasing ways. Whether we are talking about ethnic cleansings, group hatred or retraction of equity laws under the guise that these are unfair, the underlying issue is the same. One group, threatened by the perceived loss of power, exercises social, economic and political muscle against the other to retain privilege by restructuring for social advantage. Such actions and efforts call for an understanding of the basic concepts of prejudice and racism, and how to lessen their destructive effect. It is a normal human response to racial, social, sexual and other forms of differences, because all human beings tend to prejudge others on the basis of limited knowledge, especially if they are different from us. Most of what passes for prejudice in society is the result of ignorance of other groups and their way of life and social condition. Because of the way American society is presently structured, most Whites have almost no conceptual idea nor first-hand experience of life in the African American and Latino communities. This is because the prevailing norms of separation and segregation that prevent people of different racial/ethnic groups from interacting with each other in a meaningful and positive way perpetuate this ignorance of groups, which in turn gives rise to attitudes of prejudice. What we have in American society is the problem of maintaining stereotypes and actions of discrimination which dehumanize, and in many ways make less of human beings. We must stop seeking to mold people after distorted human images and allow them the right to be born into the beautiful image of God, thereby bringing about a divine corrective to a dehumanized and dehumanizing world. It is then and only then, that we will have some semblance of a chance to end prejudice and racism. White people are often ones to be racist agai... Free Essays on Racism The issues of race and ethnic identity have always been central to American society, yet at the same time our American identity as a â€Å"melting pot† has in part been forged by denying this as the principal basis of our identity. Racism has been a pervasive and disturbing reality throughout American society. How do we respond morally to the fact that racism exists in our society and to the role that it has played in our history? One response suggests, â€Å"we owe compensation to those who have been wronged in the past†(CMI P.258). Compensation programs seek to determine who has been wronged in the past and to make up for it in the present and future. An example of a program aimed to provide some kind of special support, consideration, or advantage to groups that have previously been discriminated against is Affirmative Action. Instead of monetary compensation for the injustices women and minorities have endured throughout history, Affirmative Action seeks to en sure that these groups are not discriminated against in the work force or in education by establishing racial quotas for firms and universities. It also creates more diversity at the work place and at colleges and universities. On the other hand, many will argue that preferential treatment promotes racism. It is often referred to as reverse discrimination. Many argue the fact that Affirmative Action maximizes the likelihood that blacks hired for a job, or admitted to a university, will be less capable than the whites beside them. The most common objection to Affirmative Action is that the job should go to the most qualified candidate. Why should a person who is less qualified for a job get hired over a better-qualified person just because that company has to meet a certain racial quota? Another argument is that such programs have created resentment and animosity among non-minorities, especially white males. In addition, Affirmative Action programs have sti... Free Essays on Racism The history of the United States is one of duality. In the words of the Declaration of Independence, our nation was founded on the principles of equality in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Yet, long before the founders of the newly declared state met in Philadelphia to espouse the virtues of self-determination and freedom that would dubiously provide a basis for a secessionary war, those same virtues were trampled upon and swept away with little regard. Beneath the shining beacon of freedom that signaled the formation of the United States of America was a shadow of deception and duplicity that was essential in creating the state. The HSS 280 class lexicon defines duality as â€Å"a social system that results from a worldview which accepts inherent contradictions as reasonable because this is to the believer’s benefit.† The early years of what would become the United States was characterized by a system of duality that subjugated and exterminated peoples for the benefit of the oppressors. This pattern of duality, interwoven into our culture, has created an dangerously racialized society. From the first moment a colonist landed on these shores, truths that were â€Å"self-evident† were contingent on subjective â€Å"interpretation.† This discretionary application of rights and freedoms is the foundation upon which our racially stratified system operates on. English colonists, Africans, and Native Americans comprised the early clash of three peoples. Essentially economic interests, and namely capitalism, provided the impetus for the relationships that developed between the English colonists, the Africans, and the Native Americans. The colonialization of North American by the British was essentially an economic crusade. The emergence of capitalism and the rise of trade throughout the 16th century provided the British with a blueprint to expand its economic and political sphere. The Americas...

9 Strategies to Handle Difficult Behaviors in Children

9 Strategies to Handle Difficult Behaviors in Children The first step in dealing  with inappropriate behavior is to show patience. This often means taking a cooling period before saying or doing something one might regret. This also might involve having the child or student sit in a time out, or remain alone until their teacher can deal with the inappropriate behavior. Be Democratic Children need choice. When teachers are ready to give a consequence, they should allow for some choice. The choice could have to do with the actual consequence, the time when the consequence will occur, or input as to what follow up should and will occur. When teachers allow for choice, the outcomes are usually favorable, and the child becomes more responsible. Understand the Purpose or Function Teachers have to consider why the child or student is misbehaving. There is always a purpose or a function. The purpose could include getting attention, power, and control, revenge, or feelings of failure. Its important to understand the purpose to support it readily. For instance, knowing a child is frustrated and feeling like a failure will require a change of programming to ensure that he or she is set up to experience success. Those seeking attention need to receive attention. Teachers can catch them doing something good and recognize it. Avoid Power Struggles In a power struggle, nobody wins. Even if a teacher feels like they have won, they havent, because the chance of reoccurrence is great. Avoiding power struggles comes down to exhibiting patience. When teachers show patience, they are modeling good behavior. Teachers want to model good behavior even when they are dealing with inappropriate student behaviors. A teachers behavior most often influences a childs behavior. For example, if teachers are hostile or aggressive when dealing with various behaviors, children will be too. Do the Opposite of What Is Expected When a child or student misbehaves, they often anticipate the teachers response. Teachers can do the unexpected when this happens. For instance, when teachers see children playing with matches or playing in an area that is outside of the boundaries, they expect teachers to say Stop, or Get back inside the boundaries now. However, teachers can try saying something like, You kids look too smart to be playing there. This type of communication will surprise children and students and works frequently. Find Something Positive For students or children who regularly misbehave, it can be challenging to find something positive to say. Teachers need to work at this because the more positive attention students receive, the less apt they are to look for attention negatively. Teachers can go out of their way to find something positive to say to their chronic misbehaving students. These children often lack belief in their ability and teachers need to help them see that they are capable. Dont Be Bossy or Reflect Bad Modeling Bossiness usually ends up with students seeking revenge. Teachers can ask themselves if they like being bossed around, in consideration, as children do not enjoy it either. If teachers employ the strategies suggested, they will find that they wont need to be bossy. Teachers should always express a strong desire and interest to have a good relationship with the student or child. Support a Sense of Belonging When students or children dont feel they belong, they often act out inappropriately to justify their feeling of being outside of the circle. In this scenario, teachers can ensure the student has a strong sense of belonging by praising the childs efforts to get along or work with others. Teachers can also praise attempts to follow the rules and adhere to routines. Teachers may also find success in using we when describing the behavior they want, such as, We always try to be kind to our friends.   Pursue Interactions That Go Up, Down, Then up Again When teachers are about to reprimand or punish a child, teachers can bring them up first by saying something like, Lately youve done so well. Ive been so impressed with your behavior. Why, today, did you need to be involved with a hands-on? This is a way for teachers to deal with the issue head-on. Then, teachers can end on a note like, I know it wont happen again because youve been so good up until this moment. I have great faith in you. Teachers may use different approaches but should always remember to bring them up, take them down, and bring them up again. Strive to Create a Positive Learning Environment Research shows that the most important factor in student behavior and performance is the teacher and student relationship. Students want teachers that: Respect themCare about themListen to themDont yell or shoutHave a sense of humorAre in a good moodLet students give their opinions and their side or opinion Ultimately, good communication and respect between teachers and students are effective in maintaining a positive learning environment.

Feudalism in Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Feudalism in Europe - Essay Example During the early feudal system, a network of favoritism dominated the allocation of economic resources. The segregation of resources to loyal parties contributed to economic inequalities and unequal development. The changes that occurred from the early to late systems reformed the methods of resource allocation. The system discouraged a unified system of governance. Resource allocation was by individual lords to subjects lower in the hierarchy. Subjects signed the oaths to remain loyal to and serve their lords. The system discouraged trade among the various European societies. Trade was not a priority since there were no organized trade units. The changes from the early to late feudalism boosted trade. This was advantageous in promoting economic growth. Development of infrastructures promoted trade between different regions, for instance. Closed-state development was characteristic of the feudal systems. The changes eliminated the closed-state development of the economy (Czinkota and Ronkainen 31). Because of the changes, the existence of a unified government unit promoted trade and the economy of the regions. Despite the lack of a central government during the feudalism, the societies (serfs), while operating as units, were stable (Whelan and Laden 325). The creation of the financial stabi lity in stable societies (serfs) was relatively easier than it was after the change. The change, in this regard, was

Marketing and Strategy Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing and Strategy Analysis - Assignment Example Strategic decisions are concerned with the issue of setting a direction for the organization to move or the course the organization will follow. Though very crucial, yet preparing 'strategic moves' for future often is not always based on hard fact, but on presumptions as well. It involves past experience, forecasting and 'surround-effect'. Reckitt Benckiser has over the year successfully implemented the strategy of building strong brands across all its key categories like surface care, fabric care, dishwashing, home care, health and personal care and food. If Lysol is a leading brand in disinfectant cleaning, Calgon holds the number one market position in fabric care in Europe. Similarly placed are the major categories like Vanish (fabric care), Veet (cosmetic depilatories), Mortein (pest control) and Airwick (air fragrance). This strategy has paid rich dividends for the company with its top 15 brands consistently accounting for a majority of the company's revenues, from 40% of total revenues in 2001 to about 56% in 2005. such a brand creation in different categories allows Reckitt to; The consumer products business is mainly driven by three basic demographic factors: population growth, household formation and household income growth. Reckitt Benckiser has been consistently on the lookout for such a market in order to register strong growth in many such developing markets. Increasing focus on the developing markets like India and China are part of this strategy. The strategy of Brand building in such a market helps in deep penetration of the product reach. This way the investment in brand building is more than compensated by the market revenues. Reckitt Benckiser has made strategic moves with the help of the management comprising of young as well as experienced with careful selection of team from different nationalities in order to solicit contributions from them in good measure which helps in devising marketing strategies for different markets. Bart Becht, Chief Executive Officer, a Dutch national leads the pack. He has served many good companies in various capacities. Bart is followed by five Executive Vice Presidents with Javed Ahmed (a Pakistani), Freddy Caspers (a German), Rakesh Kapoor (Indian), Alain Le Goff (French national) and Elio Leoni-Sceti (Italian). Company has segmented its market broadly in three categories worldwide; North America & Australia, Europe and Developing markets. This helps the company in gaining a broader outlook about different markets. PESTLE analysis for Reckitt Benckiser PESTLE stands for political, economical, socio-cultural, technological, legal and ecological factors. Political: The range of products that Reckitt Benckiser is in, doesn't make it too controversial and unpopular with any government or society. The company has committed itself to the health, safety and welfare at work of its employees; complying with applicable health & safety legal requirements; and, the continual improvement of its health & safety control arrangements and performance. The products too are categorized as safe and great emphasis is laid in understanding all the issues involving safety associated with its products. Keeping high standards of safety saves it from the ire of the political classes as

Compilation Report Essay Example for Free

Compilation Report Essay We have compiled the accompanying balance sheet of Proli Footwear, Inc. as of December 31, 2014, and the related statements of income and retained earnings and cash flows for the year then ended. We have not audited or reviewed the accompanying financial statements and, accordingly, do not express an opinion or provide any assurance about whether the financial statements are in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and for designing, implementing, and maintaining internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements. Our responsibility is to conduct the compilation in accordance with Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The objective of a compilation is to assist management in presenting financial information in the form of financial statements without undertaking to obtain or provide any assurance that there are no material modifications that should be made to the financial statements. Management has elected to omit substantially all of the disclosures and the statements of cash flows required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. If the omitted disclosures and the statements of cash flows were included in the financial statements, they might influence the users conclusions about the Companys financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Accordingly, these financial statements are not designed for those who are not informed about such matters.

Obesity in America Essay -- Overweight Americans

How is it that a nation so obsessed with counting calories, cutting back carbs, and going on diets is so incredibly overweight? The United States is by far the heaviest country in the world. Almost two thirds of Americans are overweight and one third are obese (â€Å"Statistics†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). That’s a lot of fatties in a land of 281,421,906 people (â€Å"Question†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). On the surface, it’s simply bewildering as to why America is in such a state because this country is made of people from the rest of the world. However, eastern and western Europeans, Asians, Africans, South Americans, and Australians aren’t faced with even half the number of weight-related health issues that Americans encounter every day. Other countries aren’t nearly as overweight as America: 5% of people in France are considered overweight or obese (â€Å"ObEpi 2003:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ), in Germany less than half of the population is overweight and only 11% obese (â€Å"Quickfacts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ), in Japan about 20% are considered overweight (â€Å"Criteria†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) and in England, 20 percent are overweight (â€Å"Tackling†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). So why are Americans so large? I can think of a number of reasons as to why this is the case. First and foremost, Americans care too much about too many unimportant things. They care so much about swim suits, fitted clothes, and losing weight to look good, that they lose sight of the real problem, their health. Fad diet followers are faced with a tough realization that they are no better off than before they started Atkins, South Beach, what-have-you, and oftentimes their packing more pounds than in the beginning. Sprouting from American obsessive-compulsive eating habits is a number of disorders and conditions: diabetes, high blood pressure, high c... ...ureau. 3 August 2004. . â€Å"Quick Facts: Society.† German Embassy, Washington D.C.. 4 August 2004. . â€Å"Statistics Related to Overweight and Obesity.† NIDDK Weight-Control Information Network. 1 August, 2004. . â€Å"Tackling Obesity in England.† House of Commons – Public Accounts – Ninth Report. 4 August 2004. . Worley, Mary Ray. â€Å"Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance.† 28 July 2004. .

Rapp Is Poetry Essay

Over the past several years, hip-hop’s/music standing has been tumbling. Criticizers of the genre often arguably point at the extreme cursing, degradation of women, and adoration of the â€Å"gangsta† lifestyle as major flaw in rap songwriting. However, it is important that these characteristics only describe a small section of hip-hop. Most rap songs are actually very poetic, as they feature the rhythms and verses, poetic devices, and themes that are crucial elements of traditional poetry. Many rappers use the rhythms and rhyme schemes that are characteristic of poetry in their songwriting. Today’s generation expresses of love, death, self-expression, personal, political, and social issues, poverty and riches, and life involvements. They entwine these thoughts artistically and creatively within strong rhythms and captivating tunes that capture the minds of the listener. The mind-set of today’s adolescence can be found within the lyrics of the music that they listen to. Both rappers and poets write about the same subjects. For example the rap unit NWA, and the poet Alice Walker, both talk about the topic of being from a compression race. Alice Walker writes in one of her poems that â€Å"there is no planet stranger than the one Im from†. What she is saying is that the world is strange because people judge others by their skin color. The method NWA takes is a more arrogant one, but still expressive. In one of there most notorious the songs â€Å"Fuck Tha Police†, NWA says † Young nigga got it bad cuz im brown, And not the other color so police think, they have the authority to kill a minority†. Another common subject between poets and rappers is â€Å"ghetto life†. Allot of African American rapper and poets come from a life of struggle that they channel into their writing and poetry. When it comes to poets and rappers, the biggest similarities are their appeal to transfer a message. The substance may different, but the need to enduce an emotional response is the same. It’s naturally focused by their view of the world or society and craving to show their point-of-view. There is repeatedly the use of metaphors in poetry and rap to express their message and some are written that allows readers or listeners to make their own analysis. Song and poetry, They both express emotions or a message in some way, And they both use a very similar method. The difference between rap and poetry is really just the message and the type off message. You will never here Shakespeare talking about â€Å"bitches and hoes† and you will never hear a song from Tupac about â€Å"comparing thee to a summers day†. So really, there is no difference between the two beside the content. At times music is viewed adversely because of the strong language and ideas. Nevertheless, there is a message fixed within that gives voice to the brilliances and troubles of the surrounding society and community in where we live. The musicians of today reproduce and repeat the works of famous legendary poets past and present mentioning on some of the same political and social issues that are still applicable today. Once these poetic pieces are researched and explored, any one can determine whether the message is relevant and effects change, good or bad, for the listener. Using poetic plans and litraure, one could create expressive and perceptive poetry that reflects their personal thoughts and thoughts and beliefs of their generation, which is what’s being done in todays music. This has been done perfectly by Accomplished Rappers such as Public Enemy, Lauren Hill, Queen Latifah and Tupac Shakur. Almost every rapper puts his soul into his work. They rap about their own original verses with their own style and they say it with passion that connects with audience. Most rappers freestyles and songs are unique, but some take lyrics from other artist so not all rap/hip hop is creative. Rap/Hip Hop is a Poetic art form that came up on new york street corners and ghettos, to what it is now. Most old school raps were just poetry with a beat behind it that gave it a flow. Just people Talking about their lives, poverties, loves, hobbies, and of course its evolved into just raw emotion and whatever was on their minds. Some people use it to write down their genuine secrets or desires, instead of just keeping them inside, or to let out some form of emotion like love for one another, love for a woman, anger, heartbreak, this showed who those people really are/ or who they want to be, dreams of being larger than life. To Some people poetry is an expression of a dream that is condensed in a method comprehensible and enjoyable to others and so likely to arouse close emotions. For others it’s a written expression of emotion or ideas in an arrangement of verses most often rhythmically. How can hip hop not be reflected as poetry? Beat, rhymes, metaphors, similes, economical use of language to get a point across. all poetic devices, all used in hip hop. Some of the famous poet Robert Burns most well loved poems were originally written as songs, but they’re still loved as poems. Every poem can be a good melody but every melody can not be a poetry. Song is built on the group of musical voices that would lead the auditors to forget the environments and even himself where the poem is based on the expressive letters and words, that would proceed information to the readers and is spread through educated people. Songs are worldwide that anybody can enjoy but poetry is bound to be for the educated. Most rap songs are actually very poetic, as they feature the rhythms and verses, poetic devices, and themes that are crucial elements of traditional poetry.

Revenge Tragedy: Hamlet Essay

For a play to be considered a revenge tragedy, revenge has to be a prevalent theme throughout. Revenge needs to be intertwined in character interactions, and have a strong hold on the driving force of the plot. The desires of Hamlet, Laertes, and young Fortinbras each exhibit how the plot of Hamlet, by William Shakespeare revolves entirely around theories of revenge. The theme of revenge starts off very early in the play, when Hamlet speaks with the ghost of his deceased father. When the ghost tells Hamlet how Claudius murdered him, Hamlet is infuriated and overtaken with feelings of responsibility to right the wrong that has been done; to murder Claudius. The effects of this experience on Hamlet are portrayed clearly in the following quote, â€Å"And so I am revenged. That would be scanned: A villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, d this same villain send to heaven;† (p. 161, 3.4). This quote clearly exemplifies Hamlets feeling toward this event. Being his fa thers only son, he feels completely responsible for his fathers vengeance. Revenge has caused the downfall of many a person. Its consuming nature causes one to act recklessly through anger rather than reason. Revenge is an emotion easily rationalized; one turn deserves another. However, this is a very dangerous theory to live by. Throughout Hamlet, revenge is a dominant theme. Fortinbras, Laertes, and Hamlet all seek to avenge the deaths of their fathers. But in so doing, all three rely more on emotion than thought, and take a very big gamble, a gamble which eventually leads to the downfall and death of all but one of them. King Fortinbras was slain by King Hamlet in a sword battle. This entitled King Hamlet to the land that was possessed by Fortinbras because it was written in a seal’d compact. â€Å"†¦our valiant Hamlet-for so this side of our known world esteem’d him-did slay this Fortinbras.† Young Fortinbras was enraged by his father’s murder and sought revenge against Denmark. He wanted to reclaim the land that had been lost to Denmark when his father was†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Now sir, young Fortinbras†¦as it doth well appear unto our state-†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦ †¦to exact revenge for his father’s death. Revenge can be an invaluable tool to amass success and wealth, or it can be a fatal flaw that guarantees immanent death. It is a dangerous emotion, which can easily consume, however it can be used to great satisfaction. Perhaps it is these qualities that lead us to allow ourselves to act on its impulses. The lessons learned by both Hamlet and Laertes are something that should be remembered. Revenge is not to be taken lightly. When acted on this is one emotion that can definitely come back to haunt you.

Bloody Sunday and the Fight for Voting Rights in Selma

Bloody Sunday and the Fight for Voting Rights in Selma On March 7, 1965- the day now known as Bloody Sunday- a group of civil rights activists were brutally attacked by members of law enforcement during a peaceful march across Edmund Pettus Bridge. The activists were attempting to walk 50 miles from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama, to protest voter suppression of African Americans. During the march, local police officers and state troopers beat them with billy clubs and threw tear gas into the crowd. The attack against these peaceful demonstrators- a group that included men, women, and children- sparked outrage and mass protests throughout the United States. Fast Facts: Bloody Sunday What Happened: Civil rights activists were beaten and tear-gassed by law enforcement during a peaceful voting rights march.Date: March 7, 1965Location: Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, Alabama How Voter Suppression Led Activists to March During Jim Crow, African Americans in Southern states faced severe voter suppression. In order to exercise their right to vote, a black person may have been required to pay a poll tax or take a literacy test; white voters didn’t face these barriers. In Selma, Alabama, the disenfranchisement of African Americans was a consistent problem. Activists involved with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee were trying to register the citys black residents to vote, but they kept running into roadblocks. When they protested the situation, they were arrested- by the thousands. Making no headway with smaller demonstrations, the activists decided to step up their efforts. In February 1965, they began a voting rights march. However, Alabama Governor George Wallace attempted to suppress the movement by prohibiting nighttime marches in Selma and elsewhere. Wallace was a politician known for being hostile to the Civil Rights Movement, but the demonstrators didn’t call off their collected action in light of his ban on nighttime marches. On February 18, 1965, a demonstration turned deadly when State Trooper James Bonard Fowler fatally shot Jimmie Lee Jackson, a civil rights activist and church deacon. Jackson was killed for intervening when police hit his mother. Losing Jackson was devastating, but his death didn’t stop the movement. Spurred by his killing, activists met and decided to march from Selma to Montgomery, the state capital. Their intention to reach the capitol building was a symbolic gesture, since it was where Gov. Wallace’s office was located. Jimmie Lee Jackson was killed by a state trooper during a voting rights march that inspired the demonstration that took place on Bloody Sunday.   Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Selma to Montgomery March On March 7, 1965, 600 marchers began making their way from Selma to Montgomery. John Lewis and Hosea Williams led the demonstrators during this action. They called for voting rights for African Americans, but both local policemen and state troopers attacked them on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The authorities used billy clubs to beat the marchers and threw tear gas into the crowd. The aggression caused the marchers to retreat. But footage of the confrontation sparked outrage across the country. Many Americans did not understand why peaceful protesters were met with such hostility from law enforcement. Two days after Bloody Sunday, mass protests unfolded across the nation in solidarity with the marchers. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led marchers on a symbolic walk across Edmund Pettus Bridge. But the violence wasn’t over. After Pastor James Reeb arrived in Selma to accompany the marchers, a mob of white men beat him so badly that he sustained life-threatening injuries. He died two days later. Two days after the events of Bloody Sunday, other demonstrators set out to make the march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama. Bettmann/Getty Images Following Reeb’s death, the U.S. Justice Department requested an order to stop the state of Alabama from retaliating against civil rights activists for participating in demonstrations. Federal District Court Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr. upheld the rights of the marchers â€Å"to petition ones government for the redress of grievances.† He explained that the law is clear that citizens have the right to protest, even in large groups. With federal troops standing guard, a group of 3,200 marchers began their walk from Selma to Montgomery on March 21. Four days later, they arrived at the state capitol in Montgomery where supporters had expanded the size of demonstrators to 25,000. The Impact of Bloody Sunday Footage of police attacking peaceful protesters shocked the country. But one of the protesters, John Lewis, went on to become a U.S. Congressman. Lewis is now considered a national hero. Lewis has discussed his role in the march and the attack on the protesters. His high-profile has kept the memory of that day alive. The march has also been reenacted several times. On the 50th anniversary of the incident that took place on March 7, 1965, President Barack Obama delivered an address on the Edmund Pettus Bridge about the horrors of Bloody Sunday and the courage of those brutalized: â€Å"We just need to open our eyes and ears, and hearts, to know that this nations racial history still casts its long shadow upon us. We know the march is not yet over, the race is not yet won, and that reaching that blessed destination where we are judged by the content of our character- requires admitting as much. President Barack Obama commemorates the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images President Obama also urged Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act, which first passed in 1965 in the wake of the national outrage about Bloody Sunday. But a 2013 Supreme Court decision, Shelby County vs. Holder, removed a major provision from the act. States with a history of racial discrimination related to voting no longer have to inform the federal government about changes they make to voting processes before enacting them. The 2016 election stood out as the first in 50 years without checks and balances in place to prevent discriminatory voting practices. A number of states have passed strict voter ID laws and other measures that disproportionately affect historically disenfranchised groups, like African Americans. And voter suppression has been cited for costing Stacey Abrams the Georgia gubernatorial race in 2018. Abrams would have been the first black woman governor of a U.S. state. Decades after Bloody Sunday occurred, voting rights remains a key issue in the United States. Sources â€Å"How We Can Restore the Voting Rights Act.† Brennan Center for Justice, 6 August, 2018. Taylor, Jessica. â€Å"Stacey Abrams Says She Was Almost Blocked From Voting in Georgia Election.† NPR, 20 November, 2018.Shelbayah, Slma, and Moni Basu. â€Å"Obama: Selma marchers gave courage to millions, inspired more change.† CNN, 7 March, 2015.

Be Sure to Check Your Sources

Be Sure to Check Your Sources Be Sure to Check Your Sources Be Sure to Check Your Sources By Maeve Maddox A reader recently wanted to know if I could corroborate my reflections on certain idioms (Lying in State: Changing Perceptions Change Language). Considering the half-digested information and deliberate hoaxes that abound on the web, the question was a valid one. I know just what kind of thing has made that reader suspicious. A year or so ago, a colleague of mineaware of my areas of expertisesent me an email shed received, wanting to know if the facts presented in it were true. The text purported to explain the origin of various common expressions by linking them to supposed medieval activities. Some of the explanations sounded plausible, but had nothing to do with historical fact. As far as I know, the spurious email is still out there in cyberspace, spreading misinformation. The articles I write for Daily Writing Tips are not made up out of whole cloth. Some of what I write is a matter of opinion and when it is, I say so. Whenever I offer information about grammar or diction, I consult standard works on the subject. When Daniel launched DWT earlier this summer, I wrote my first articles more or less blindly, with little notion of whom I was writing for. Thanks to readers comments, I now know that the site is attracting a wonderful cross-section of English speakers and writers who have questions and insights relating to every aspect of the language. Knowing that my articles are being read gives me great pleasure, but it also keeps me on my toes. I dont want to be guilty of circulating faulty information if I can help it. So far Ive been relying on my considerable experience as a student and teacher of English. Sometimes Ill throw in a literary example from memory, but if I have any doubts about the instructional content of an article, I check with acknowledged printed authorities. Here are the desk references I reach for first: The Oxford English Dictionary (unabridged) Websters New Collegiate Dictionary Modern English Usage by H.W. Fowler English Pronouncing Dictionary by Daniel Jones A History of the English Language by A. C. Baugh Higher English by F. J. Rahtz A Dictionary of Modern American Usage by H. W. Horwill Language: Its Nature, Development, and Origin by Otto Jespersen When I need more specialized information, I go to my nearby university library. TIP: Whether youre gathering information for your latest writing project, or asking questions to improve your craft, it never hurts to double- and triple-check your sources. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point ArcTry to vs. Try andConfusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns

Journalism - Media Representation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Journalism - Media Representation - Essay Example But upon the age of industrialization when the printing press went out in the market, the fray for information and various data that printed matter can provide started. The use of the airwaves soon contributed to the evolution of mass media as radio became portable and mass produced. The forms of entertainment also expanded to fill the void that news, opinion and information left for listeners and their anchormen. Television also provided a turning point, not only for the media industry but for world history. It became a milestone invention and product that every home had to own. And more than that, every room of a home need to feature like a basic commodity. Today, mass media encompass many other forms but the latest phenomenon has become the computer and its peripheral products and services courtesy of the information and communication technologies (ICT). This paper will discuss and analyze media representation in a specific article â€Å"Liking Is for Cowards. Go for What Hurtsâ €  by Jonathan Franzen published in May 28 at New York Times print and online editions. It is an adaptation from a commencement speech he delivered on May 21 at Kenyon College. Discussion Media representation refers to the various direct and indirect messages conveyed to the audience or reader of any form of communication. In a certain page, whether a magazine, a newspaper, or a website, various messages are delivered across the audience. These messages are dependent on several factors that have been intentionally or unintentionally provided by the media entity. Media entities are the various imprints, sites, stations, competing publications or publishers, or products of a media conglomeration. The messages provided by the media may reflect their representation. Conway (65) discussed the danger of representation where journalists were left on their devices and decision-making on how to interpret a memorandum issued by their supervisor. At length, Conway noted that: â€Å"The que stion of who represents whom is politically fraught, especially when it is journalists who make the decision. In their coverage of the constitutional debates in 1991 and 1992, for instance, CBC and Radio-Canada journalists followed identifiable professional norms when choosing representatives to speak on behalf of the groups identified by McQueen, the end result being that they favored certain speakers while leaving others out. In other words, through their exclusions they failed to meet the task McQueen had set for them.† (65). She was referring to the task given by McQueen as head of the news and current affairs of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to her staff to provide their viewers a chance to hear the point of view of various groups affected by the debate. Representation in this manner was limited by the inadequacy of the media personnel to identify objectively their sources of information. There are various ways that representation may be interpreted. This paper will p roceed to discuss and analyze a New York Times article with regards to its media representation and messages imparted. Media Article: Political Commentary Jonathan Franzen’s (1) commentary begins with the popular trend of technological consumerism. He narrated how he, too, was a gadget user who fell for the hypes and commercial aspects of products specifically the PDA Blackberry series. He soon went on to point out the

Management of a patient withan allergic rhinitis Essay

Management of a patient withan allergic rhinitis - Essay Example Allergic rhinitis is also known as hay fever and is supposed to be mediated by type-I hypersensitivity which is an extreme response of immune system against foreign bodies by build-up of antibodies. General nursing process begins with assessment of patient’s health history which involves their personal and family history (Burns, 2007). Secondly, an allergy assessment is performed by examining obvious symptoms and state of patient before these symptoms became apparent. Thirdly, occurrence of these symptoms is examined with relation to seasonal changes and related physical mental and physical problems. In the last stage of assessment, nature of antigen causing allergy is identified (Denise and Scandale, 2010). A patient is said to have this allergy when an ineffective breathing pattern and continuous sneezing is observed when encountered with triggers. Ineffective coping of chronic disorders is often followed by need for changes in environment of the patient. Possible problems e ncountered during management of the disorder include anaphylaxis, disturbed breathing pattern and failure to follow suggested therapy. The goal of interventions used for treating this patient were to restore normal breathing pattern, identify causes and control them, improve coping mechanism and avoid any complications. 2. History of the Patient A patient’s history must be comprehensive enough to provide information regarding onset and duration of the symptoms being experienced by the patient along with possible triggers. In addition to that, co-morbidity, family history of allergies, environmental exposure, and quality of life also play an important role in diagnosis. After preliminary form filing, the patient complained about seasonal flu in last five years which showed persistence despite usage of OTC medication without prescription. This was the first incident where patient entered into medical settings. The patient complained of frequent episodes of sneezing with large p roduction and exhalation of clear mucus. Since some of the symptoms mentioned later were similar to Sinusitis therefore discharge of mucus and drainage were observed to identify if the patient has Sinusitis or allergic rhinitis. Furthermore, localized itching also confirmed it. 2.1 Response to Allergens Patient complained of 10-15 paroxysms when experiencing sneezing along with nasal congestion leading to breathing through mouth. The symptoms grew severe in the springs and especially near plantation. Patient also mentioned having episodes of atopic eczema. It is important to note that patients with atopy are at risk of developing allergic rhinitis (Burns, 2007). Lara also complained of reduced energy level and fatigue especially in late winters and spring while experiencing this state. Lara further complained of itchy nose which made her rub her nose repetitively and a crease was visible in the middle of her nose (Lang, n.d; Plaut and Valentine, 2005). Furthermore, she mentioned tha t the sneezing and itching is more aggressive right after waking up and in the morning. Out of symptoms defined by the patient, it was evident that she had experienced sneezing, pruritus, congestion and drainage which are some of the common symptoms of allergic rhinitis (Spector et al., 2003; Harvey, 2012). The onset of pruritus was more evident in palate, nose and throat leading to aggressive coughing. In addition to these conditions, Lara also complained about sleep apnea, overbiting and episodes of asthma. She also mentioned that her mother

Remote Access Computer Trojan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Remote Access Computer Trojan - Research Paper Example RATs are broadly defined as the malevolent computer programs which are entered into the victim’s computer in order to gain access to his confidential information and general activities. These are usually attached to some gaming program or anything else which is often executed by the victims. Once the Trojan is ready to perform its task the intruder is immediately informed through an e-mail. In some cases, the hacker is able to use victim’s IP address, while in case of corporations the financial transactions or other business operations are usually intervened. Let’s consider an example of China where 72 organizations including government offices, corporations and non-profit companies were infected by Remote Access Trojan. This violation was a typical criminal attack in order to leak out confidential information and also to interrupt various financial transactions. However, hunger for country secrets is considered less threatening than financial loss according to M acAfee investigation report covering this breach. Shady RAT, which is a latest Remote Access Tool, was used in this particular cyber-crime. MacAfee detections reveal that Shady RAT specifically slows down the computer system and hence it is generally known as â€Å"low and slow† cybersecurity attack. Experts could not identify the real culprits of this case with complete authenticity however, few individuals were seriously suspected. Initially, the RAT attack was identified in 2009 by the MacAfee officials while investigating a defence contractor.se contractor [Mat11]. Thereafter the MacAfee team identified spear-phishing attack which implies that the breach had occurred through entering the command in HTML comments on the web links. MacAfee investigated that the Shady RAT attack had actually initiated in the mid-2006. These attacks were then expanded to 38 Chinese organizations by 2008 [Mat11]. Losses of confidentiality, integrity and availability Much of the confidential information held by the government offices was lost in addition to financial statements. Moreover the intruders were able to penetrate different business operations over a longer period of time and hence it became a matter of

How Effective Is The Child Protection System?

How Effective Is The Child Protection System? Literature highlights some of the challenges for social workers assessing and making decisions about African children and families whose cultures differ from the majority of the white population in United Kingdom. The critical evaluation of knowledge and research in child protection and prevention of child abuse in black African children is important to the forming of social work policy, services and appropriate intervention. This is because there is need to provide appropriate intervention services which are culturally sensitive but at the same time preventing child abuse. It is important that black African children perspectives form part of policies and legislation. Several authors have critically analysed the evidence on service provision for black families in general. A pathologising approach to black families may lead to unnecessary coercive intervention and on the other hand a cultural relativist approach may lead to a non-intervention when services are required (Dominelli 1997 , Chand 2000). The purpose of the review is to explore if the child protection system is effective in preventing child abuse in black African children and their families. By child protection, the review will be referring to all the agencies and services involved in protecting and preventing child abuse. By relating to theory and research, there is hope to uncover gaps, themes and debates and also, raise questions which can be useful for future research. The literature review starts by setting the parameters that is, defining the terms that will be used, such as, child protection and child abuse. The literature review goes to set the historical and theoretical context because it is important to know how long literature and research has existed on the topic and what has been happening including research on culture differences, poverty, power issues and child protection. The review goes on to address the theoretical perspectives on the topic to analyse the theories that form the knowledge base in rese arch. The review goes on to look at the major findings in research and literature by exploring the key themes such as factors that impact African children that can result them in being involved in the child protection system for example, child rearing practices, poverty and limited knowledge in cultural practices by social work professionals. Finally the review will look at the anti-discriminatory practice and user-involvement to show how professionals can work sensitively and provide culture appropriate services. The literature search Child protection system aims to prevent situations that can result in a child or young person aged sixteen and under experience abuse that puts them in danger of not developing appropriately or losing their life (Save the Children UK, 2008). The abuse can fall under the category of child abuse which could be in form of neglect, emotional, physicals and sexual, (Woolfson et al 2009). The search involved these terms. After establishing the specific area to be reviewed; the focus was on black African children and the child protection system. The area of child protection and black African children is a controversial area that has been neglected in literature and research and there is need to analyse themes and identify gaps in literature. The sources selected were journals, books, government records and articles. Electronic search engines were used because they provided a readily available wide range of literature and research articles which have been accepted for publishing. These sourc es were used as evidence and source of information because they had been accepted for publishing hence they would not provide with false information. Review of the literature Historical Context In setting the historical context, the most important development in child protection is the formulation of the Children Act 1989 which was influenced by the public inquiries of the 1970s and 1980s child deaths, for example, the Maria Cowell. The Act stressed that the Local Authoritys duty is to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. However, research into how the Children Act was being put into action found that the child protection system was still focusing on single incidents of child abuse rather than planning to meet the wider requirements of children in need (DoH, 1995a). The studies also noted that many children and families received little or no support, the assessment of risk was low (Stevenson, 1998) and ignored the influences of poverty, unemployment and poor housing. This meant that a new way in thinking was needed about working with families. The result was publication of the Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (DoH et al, 2000) and Wo rking Together to Safeguard Children (DoH et al, 1999). A Common Assessment framework was also developed to promote more effective earlier identification of childrens additional needs and improve inter-agency working. A review into previous deaths of children indicates failures to listen to children, sharing of information, follow procedures and recognising indicators of abuse. The main response to the deaths of children due to local authorities failures has been to seek bureaucratic solutions such as introducing new guidelines, laws and procedures (Ferguson, 2005). However, the Laming 2003 enquiry into the tragic death of Victoria Climbie in 2000 is particularly significant because it pointed out the inter-agency approach established after Maria Cowells death in 1973 was not followed and it considered implications for the whole of the child protection system (Batty, 2003). Laming (2003) highlights the misjudgements made on the Climbies case based on cultural assumptions that led to a tragedy. However, Garret (2006) argues that the Laming report (2003) appears to detach a childs race from core assessments and this was echoed in the Every Child Matters which appears to mention very little about the needs of children from other races. After the Victoria Climbie enquiry there has been recent death of children known to social services such as, baby P (2007) and Khyra Ishaq (2008). This begs the question, where is the child protection system going wrong? There are debates on how to provide social work interventions and family support that are culturally sensitive and competent to African children and their families who are at risk of significant harm (Stobart, 2006; Holland 2004, Robinson 2007; Mama 2004). This was highlighted in the Laming Progress Report (2009) which set out challenges faced in safeguarding children such as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ there is still need to improve knowledge and skills to understand children and their family circumstances. Also the laming report noted that despite the progress in inter-agency wor king there are still problems of day to day reality of working across organisational boundaries and cultureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ , Laming Progress Report (2009). When reviewing literature it is important to note that there is a sparse of research on black African children and the child protection system in the Britain hence it is difficult to set out the historical and theoretical context. Where research and literature exists, the data is still not plausible because it is mixed with other research data from minority ethnic populations and their experience differs widely. Theoretical and research perspectives that shape knowledge Different theories and perspectives inform knowledge base in literatures surrounding African children and the child protection system. When researching this area there is need to look at experiences of African people and their involvement with child protection hence researchers can use the black perspective which is based on the notion of common experiences that black people share. The black perspective criticises repressive research and theories that are likely to oppress black people, (Robinson 2007). African families will always refer to their culture as frame of reference to their parenting capacities (Bernard and Gupta, 2008) and understanding and acknowledgement of the black frame of reference will enable social workers to come up with accurate and comprehensive assessments of African black children involved with the child protection system, (Robinson 2007). Other literature is based on the ecological perspective and highlights the importance to analyse the impacts of social ex clusion, poverty and immigration on black African children and their families, (Gibbs and Huang 2003). However, Robinson 1998 argues that there is a danger of over-generalising and stereotyping because individual members from the same culture can behave differently from the pattern that is typical of that culture. However, other researchers argue that postmodern theories have gained popularity in social work, (Pease and Fook 1999; Leonard 1997). Researchers have argued against postmodern theories who want a better understanding of identity, combining personal with structural elements of living (Dominelli 2002; Graham 2002), drawing on the idea of what holds people together, (Badiou 2001). The lack of appropriate preventative support services which are culture sensitive often result in social work operating against the interests of black children involved in child protection, (Barn 1993, Graham 2002). Social work has operated within a problem oriented framework which is characterised by deficit and dysfunctional theories of black families (Robinson 2008). Major finding in literature and research Research agrees that black African children and their families are disproportionately represented in child protection (Graham, 2006; Barn et al 1997; Bernard and Gupta 2008). When looking at experiences of black African children and their families and how best to offer them appropriate intervention it is important to acknowledge background in terms of religion, culture, language and beliefs (Bernard and Gupta 2008; Gibbs and Huang 2003; Robinson 2007). Research shows that black African families may experience oppression and discrimination within the child protection system (Chand, 2008). A lot of literature appears to draw attention to the parenting in African families and how their culture is neglected in a lot researches and there is little empirical evidence especially about African parenting in Britain (Bernard, 2002; Graham 2006). Parenting by African families is entwined into an already debate of what constitutes child abuse (Francis, 1993; Chand 2000). Barn, 2002 argues that c hild abuse is a socially constructed phenomenon and most of literature surrounding child abuse is based on western societys views and middle-class. This can lead to discrimination and stereotypes towards African families rearing practices and lead to unwanted intervention and social care involvement. There is well documented literature focused on how culture influence parenting of African families involved with child protection system, (Brophy et al 2003, Bernard, 2002; Graham 2006). However, the empirical research is limited but the little data that exists poses the notion that cultural practices appear to play some part in African children being involved in the child protection system, (Mama, 2004). Literature suggests that African families practice harsh punishment for children, however, Barn et al 2006; Thoburn et al 2005; Nobes and Smith 1997, challenge such stereotypes and in their study, they found no significant differences between ethnic groups with regard to physical punis hment. However, these studies cannot be generalised to African families easily because the majority of the participants where white parents. There is gap in research on the parenting by black African families and a recurrent theme in literature is the need to acknowledge cultural and social contexts of parenting and experience of African black families to make sense of child abuse and provide appropriate intervention for children and families involved in the child protection system, (Holland 2004, Robinson 2007, Stobart 2006). A focus on ethnicity or identity, preclude issues of power and oppression operating in the everyday experiences of childrens lives to be appreciated, (Graham, 2007). Research found that most black African families live in poverty and social exclusion and how this impacts on parenting, (Bernard and Gupta 2008; Gibbs and Huang 2003; Robinson 2007; Platt, 2007). A study of more than 7,000 children looked after by 13 Local Authorities found that children who were not of the white origin where more likely to be put into care due to poverty (Sinclair et al, 2007). Sinclair et als study is very important b ecause it is a comprehensive qualitative study which focuses on the needs of children in care systems involving their perspectives and investigates the outcomes for children. The study also suggests how the care system should function and managed which is important to social work professionals and policy makers. However, data produced cannot be easily generalised to the entire population of African children because their experiences varies. There has been research critically examining the treatment of asylum seeking children and the child protection system and there is argument between the Children Act 1989 and immigration legislation and policy and Jones (2001) argues that social work profession singularly failed to provide critical scrutiny on the status and relationship of immigration and child care law and the erosion of childrens rights. Other researchers agree with Jones, that vulnerability of asylum seeking children has emotional and legal aspects, (Woodcock, 2003; Chase, 2009). Kohli 2006, argues that legislation obstruct the provision of preventative services to vulnerable children and their families. Research has highlighted the fragility of African children who claim asylum such as having suffering trauma due to their circumstances that led them to claim asylum such as war and torture, (Hodes, 2000, 2002; Ehntholt and Yule, 2006; Dyregrov and Yule, 2006). Research shows that there is a gap in research on asyl um seeking children and social work to inform practice, (Kohli and Mather 2003; Okitikpi and Aymer 2003). Rustin 2005, states that there is a complicated interaction between social workers knowledge in asylum seeking children and the existing stereotypes regarding these groups of service-users, (Bernard and Gupta 2008; Robinson 2007; Barn 1993; Owen and Statham 2009). Bernard and Gupta (2008) go on to cite other factors that affect African children such as asylum seeking, AIDS, loss and separation and this is important because when providing intervention to African children there is need to comprehend their background to offer appropriate services which do not discriminate them any further. Young (1990) states that black children often experience multiple-oppression for example, they suffer from stereotypes from society and also they are invisible to the child protection system. Graham (1999) goes on to argue that intervention with African families is at the centre of wider debates and conflict; and evidence from research continues to show over-representation of African children and their families in child protection. The debates seem to focus on power imbalances and how to involve African families to gain control over their lives, (Graham, 1999; Young, 1990). Other researchers highlight the issues of language in child protection and the provision of appropriate intervention services, (Chand 2000, Ahmed et al, 1982). The use of children as translators in sensitive child protection issues is unethical and inappropriate, and also the use of an interpreter can distort the assessment process, (Chand, 2000). Bernard and Gupta (2008) go further to look at other factors that affect black African children that other literature seems to neglect such as how gender norms place women in an inferior position within African cultures and this can limit mothers to protect their children in the environment of domestic violence, however Owen and Statham (2009) argues that the is limited evidence to maintain or challenge this notion. Nevertheless, in Masson et al (2008) study, domestic violence was evidenced as a cause of concern in the court files of half the children of Black African mothers implicated in their study of care proceedings. Research and evidence from Climbie enquiry propose that social work professionals involved with black and minority ethnic families might not act in child abuse cases because of fear of being regarded as a racist (Scorer, 2005; Bernard and Gupta, 2006). Nevertheless, literature and research fail to provide a large amount of evidence to support this notion for example, Gordon and Gibbons (1998) in their study found no differences between ethnicity in terms of children being placed on the child protection register and factors such as parents mental health problems, criminal activities or the child not fitting in a reconstituted family were the reasons for involvement than ethnicity (Williams and Soydan, 2005). However, Selwyn et al 2008 found that social work professionals were more uncertain and occasionally puzzled regarding how best to promote the needs of ethnic children and they felt further self-doubting in their assessment. Recurring themes in literature is the significance of so cial work professionals to build up on culturally sensitive work with black and ethnic families (Gray et al., 2008; Sue, 2006; Laird, 2008; Stirling et al., 2009; Hodge, 2001). Anti-discriminatory perspectives and the incorporation of knowledge from service users Thompson, (2008) states that anti-discriminatory practice has been used in Britain to account for good practice in social work to counter structural disadvantages however, Graham 1999, argues that anti-discriminatory practice fails to provide a knowledge base for social work that is engaged in the collective development of the black community. Professionals can indirectly oppress African children and their families through practice for example, by imposing their personal values or power, (Dominelli 2007). Research and literature talks about the child protection providing cultural sensitive services and training social work professionals have the knowledge and skills in working with different cultures. However this can actually create further oppression and social divisions. The majority of the workers will have dominant Eurocentric views which encourage further social divisions for example, excepting the view that African families live in poverty and not fight and challenge this view by providing services that help families to counter these structural inequalities in society. Dominelli (2007) argues that there is need to address the systems that reaffirm racist dynamics rather than challenging them. Dominelli (1992) argues that black children and families are over-represented in the controlling aspects of social work and under-represented in the welfare aspects of social work. Problems with communication and working in partnership have been highlighted in literature. Chases (2009) study found that young people described complex relationships with social workers and other social care professionals and were also more mistrustful of the interplay between social care and immigration services. There is limited research that incorporates service user involvement (Buchanan 2007; Bernard 2002) taking in their lived experiences however, an important study by Chase 2009 found that young people often described complex relationships with social workers and other social care professionals and were also more mistrustful of the interplay between social care and immigration services. Recent policy has tried to enforce advocacy as a way of promoting social justice and incorporate disadvantaged groups views on the services that are appropriate for them. In Bowes and Sims (2006) empirical study, they found that black and minority ethnic communities gave support to advocacy s ervices, however, they were still marginalised by the services they were already using. There appears to be a need of qualitative research and literature that includes an extensive study of black African childrens perspectives and experiences, (Graham 2007) which forms a value base to inform practice in social work. Relevance to policy and practice Using the ecological approach the Framework For Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (DoH, 2000), places a requirement on social work professionals to take account of cultural background and socio-economic positions of families paying attention to power imbalances in relationships, (Dalrymple and Burke, 1995). Dalrymple and Burke (1995) argue that an understanding is needed of the association between personal experience and structural realism of inequality. Therefore service users perspectives should form part of policies and legislation respecting and literature highlights that childrens rights may still lack from policy and legislation, therefore, these notions challenge professionals to take childrens views seriously and appreciate their contribution to research, (Aubrey and Dahl 2006). Lots of research appears to focus on empowerment through cultural knowledge inviting new thinking about the challenges faced by black communities, (Aubrey and Dahl 2006). The complex s ocial circumstances experienced by many African families pose challenges for social work professionals working to safeguard and promote childrens welfare. In order to safeguard and promote welfare of African children acknowledgement of sources of discrimination and oppression, a commitment to human rights and social justice must be met. Several authors have critically analysed the evidence on service provision for black families in general. A pathologising approach to black families may lead to unnecessary coercive intervention and on the other hand a cultural relativist approach may lead to a non-intervention when services are required (Dominelli 1997, Chand 2000). Either way appropriate intervention is not provided for black and ethnic minority children. The quality of services in black communities is a focus for debate and raises important issues about the lack of policy initiatives based upon needs and aspirations of local communities (Graham, 2002). By drawing on strengths perspective professionals can illuminate how parents draw on cultures as a resource to parents in circumstance of adversity whilst not excusing behaviour that is harmful to children. Conclusions There is gaps in research on child protection and black African families and a recurrent theme in literature is the need to acknowledge cultural and social contexts of parenting and experience of African black families to make sense of child abuse and provide appropriate intervention for children and families involved in the child protection system, (Holland 2004, Robinson 2007, Stobart 2006). Research shows that there is a gap in research on asylum seeking children and social work to inform practice, (Kohli and Mather 2003; Okitikpi and Aymer 2003). There is need for research centred on black African children and there is also need to involve them in forming of policies, challenging the notion that only ethnicity causes the experiences faced by African children. This is because by having cultural sensitive intervention, there can be reinforcement of stereotypical services and discrimination ignoring other things such as gender, age and class.