HR Strategy for DeVry, Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HR Strategy for DeVry, Inc - Essay Example Wal Mart is a typical US success story. Founded in 1962 as the vision of a single man, Sam Walton, the super stores today symbolize American entrepreneurship. Wal Mart has consistently been regarded as one of the best Fortune 500 companies in the United States over the years. This has been feasible because of the unflinching commitment of the management to the customer and its focus on people including its employees denoted as associates. Wal Mart is a global company with more than 1.3 million associates, 5000 stores and wholesale clubs in over 15 countries. It is the most admired retailer and generated over $ 256 billion in global revenue with an increase in $ 26 billion in sales in 2004. The company has consistently delivered high levels of growth and benefits to customers as well as share holders. On the basis of its overall vision and culture, Wal Mart has based its personnel selection, development and growth strategies on the principles of transparency, equality of opportunity, diversity and effective use of automation. Growth is attained by providing personnel opportunities for aptitude and career alignment, training and continuous objective feed back. This achieves loyalty, affiliation and continuity for the company. The policy of diversity enables effective alignment of the associate with the customer base which is derived from all communities. The detailed nuances of the personnel development policies of Wal Mart in relation to the above facets are being covered herein:- (a) Non Discrimination in Selection. The company follows non discriminatory policy of hiring and selection of its Associates which is the first tier of employees. Wal Mart's HR Strategy comprises of development of effective processes for all its systems such as hiring, selection and so on.

Evolutionary Biology Essay Essay Example for Free

Evolutionary Biology Essay Essay Check’s article â€Å"How Africa Learned to Love the Cow† explores the studies and research of Sarah Tishkoff on genetic mutation and evolution of, more specifically, the gene that codes for lactase and lactase persistence within individuals in Africa. The frequency with which these genes occur fluctuates dramatically, which is noted in Tishkoff’s study on African populations, and account for tolerance and intolerance of lactose within humans (Check). It is interesting to see that environment may affect genetic mutation within individuals as well. Tishkoff’s research on lactose tolerance within humans in Africa is a revolutionary prospect, which allows others to study the issue of lactose intolerance in adult humans and view evolutionary trends in varied populations of humans, bringing new information and proof of evolution to the table. Only certain individuals from certain populations can tolerate milk as adults due to various factors, such as the presence of the gene that codes for the production of the enzyme lactase, natural selection, and vertical gene transfer. Lactase is essential for breaking down lactose, a sugar within cow milk that would otherwise pass through a human’s digestive system undigested (Check 1). Within adult humans, the gene that codes for the production of the enzyme lactase is sometimes inactive or missing, which causes the intolerance of milk and causes lactose to have â€Å"unpleasant results† (Check 1) if ingested by an individual. On the other hand, if this gene is present, there are multiple reasons as to why these individuals have it. According to anthropological studies in the 1960s, humans who tended and reared cattle for a living generally had tolerance for milk as adults (Check 1). This could be due to the workings of natural selection and vertical gene transfer. It is possible that the ancestors of these humans, who could tolerate milk and could take advantage of its nutritional benefits, had a higher survival rate than the individuals who could not tolerate milk; since diarrhea, which is a common result of lactose indigestion, â€Å"exacerbates dehydration† and can prove fatal during a famine or drought (Check 3). This would then lead to vertical gene transfer, which refers to the transfer of genes to offspring from sexual reproduction. If an individual with favorable genes were to mate, his genetic code could possibly be transferred to his offspring, which explains lactase persistence within humans at present. It is interesting to note that the existence of this â€Å"lactase gene† that has such specific, easily identifiable purposes, and frequency of appearance in unrelated individuals are strong indicators of convergent evolution (Check 1). The Homo Neanderthalensis is an extinct species that mainly survived on the hunter/gatherer lifestyle, scavenging for sustenance and hunting animals for food; with this in mind, it is highly possible that these individuals were lactose intolerant. Since the Homo Neanderthalensis were hunter/gatherers who relied on other methods of surviving than rearing and domesticating cattle, the idea of drinking milk from cattle rather than immediately killing it for meat was most likely foreign and is telling evidence that they most likely were lactose intolerant. This can be inferred due to the research presented earlier; that adult individuals with more exposure to cattle rearing were generally had a higher chance of lactase persistence than those who did not raise or domesticate cattle for survival. Judging by past research and Tishkoff’s study in Africa, if a population was to stop drinking milk for a prolonged period of time through multiple generations due to the introduction and increased availability of other foods and resources, that population may develop a lactose intolerance that was not present before. This is due to the idea that extended experience with milk results in a higher frequency of the gene that codes for lactase production. This effect is magnified with the presence of other evolutionary and genetic trends that occur naturally such as vertical genetic transfer. Today, lactose intolerance within adults remains a widespread issue. With the advent of lactose-free milks such as soymilk, the problem may have been somewhat appeased for lactose intolerant milk lovers. However, the fact remains that many adults still cannot tolerate milk. With the research of numerous anthropologists, geneticists, and Tishkoff, we can make sense of why this is still an issue and present educated inferences about our history.

Essay --

Cassidy Eidse Mr. Pickett Language Arts 3rd Period March 12 2014 Gandhi â€Å"You must be the change you wish to see in the world†-Gandhi.Gandhi changed the world not by violence but by a nonviolent method that changed the way, not just India but, the whole world treated people. Gandhi always tried to attain equality and peace for the people of India. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1937, 1938, 1939, and 1947,but never got it. Some believe because he was a politician was the reason he did not receive it, while others believe that the work Gandhi did was not universal just in India was the reason He did not get the award("Mahatma Gandhi"). Gandhi was the fourth and last child born into his family. Gandhi’s childhood and adulthood were very different from this generation because we do not have segregation. Gandhi’s influence on the civil rights movement and his death had a big impact on the way we live today. Gandhi was born October 2, 1869 in Portbandar India. Gandhi’s full name was Mohandas Karmchand Gandhi("World Biography").Some of his nicknames later on in his life were Mahatma, father of the nation and Bapu which means, father. Gandhi’s mother was a strong hindu. His mother’s name was Purtlibai. Gandhi’s father was Karamachand Gandhi Gandhi’s father was a prime minister to a lot of Indian princes. He was born into Hinduism,and was also a vegetarian("Mohandas Gandhi").His father wanted him to study law, so Gandhi went to England to study law in 1888. Gandhi became a lawyer in 1891("World Biography"). Gandhi finished high school after getting married. Gandhi was married at the age of 13 due to his families religion. Gandhi was married to Kasturbai who was about the same age as him. Child marriage was part of Hinduism.... ... to Gandhi’s ideas. Nathura tried, but failed to shoot himself after the assassination. For the ceremony Gandhi was wrapped in a sheet and laid on a pyre of wood and burned. His ashes were scattered on lake Jumna’s waters.(Trumbull, Robert.) Gandhi’s life was different from ours because we do not have higher and lower castes. Gandhi’s impact on the civil rights movement and assassination changed the way we live our lives today.Gandhi’s childhood and early life lead up to his desire for better treatment for the people in India. Gandhi’s life had an important impact on how the people in India were treated. His influence on the civil rights movement helped the leaders of the civil rights movement become inspired. His assassination was a hard time for the people in India. Gandhi inspired a lot of people not just in India, but all over the world as well.

Examples of Good an Bad Essays

Student Essays Going for the Look |On-Demand Writing Assignment | |You will have 45 minutes to plan and write an essay on the topic assigned below. Before you begin writing, read the passage carefully and plan| |what you will say. Explain Cohen’s argument and discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with his analysis. Support your position, | |providing reasons and examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.Your essay should be as well-organized and carefully | |written as you can make it. | |â€Å"Retailers defend the approach to hiring based on image as necessary and smart, and industry experts see the point. ‘In today’s competitive | |retail environment, the methods have changed for capturing the consumer’s awareness of your brand,’ said Marshal Cohen, a senior industry | |analyst with the NPD Group, a market research firm. ‘Being able to find a brand enhancer, or what I call a walking billboard, is critical. |Itâ €™s really important to create an environment that’s enticing to the community, particularly with the younger, fashionable market. A guy | |wants to go hang out in a store where he can see good-looking gals. ’† | |Explain Cohen’s argument and discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with his analysis. Support your position, providing reasons and| |examples from your own experience, observations, or reading. | The sample student essays that follow reflect the EPT Scoring Guide’s criteria.Sample student essay with a score of 6: Portable Posters In today’s society, marketing is being taken to new heights. Not only do companies spend a majority of their money on advertising, they also use their employees as portable posters. If employees are supposed to be â€Å"walking billboards,† then most people would agree that not everyone will be eligible for that particular position. Discrimination is defined as showing favor unjustly. What some corporations are doing today is clearly unjust. People cannot control their appearance completely.Therefore, I must agree with Steven Greenhouse, the author of â€Å"Going for the Look, but Risking Discrimination. † Mr. Greenhouse has clearly shown in his article that only hiring certain people that â€Å"look great,† is definitely discrimination and should not occur. That is why I disagree with Mr. Cohen’s analysis. It is a known fact that one cannot sell everything by appearance alone. Mr. Cohen is a senior industry analyst with the NPD Group, a market research firm. He said, â€Å"Retailers defend the approach to hiring based on image as necessary and smart, and the industry experts see the point. I thought that people were supposed to be hired based on their ability. In fact, Stephen J. Roppolo, a New Orleans lawyer who represents many hotels and restaurants, said â€Å"I tell employers that their main focus needs to be hiring somebody who can g et the job done. † Hiring for looks must be fairly risky from a legal standpoint because even lawyers that represent the businesses are saying that they should hire based on merit so that they do not get into trouble with the law. I have seen some first hand examples of questionable hiring practices.Many of the restaurants near my home are excellent examples of hiring based on appearance. At the restaurants, I have noticed that the servers are usually Caucasian and that the bus-boys and chefs tend to be Mexican-Americans. I have also noticed that the Chinese restaurants in my area only have Asian-Americans as waiters and waitresses. I thought that America was on the way to becoming a place full of equal opportunity. Apparently, we are taking a step back, instead of moving forward. Is hiring based on how attractive people are illegal?No, there is not a specific law saying that businesses cannot. Just because it is not illegal does not mean that it should be done. I feel that Mr . Cohen’s analysis is not correct. If a company had an extremely innovative and sought after product due to its wide range of uses and quality, the company would not need to stoop to such discriminatory hiring practices. The product would simply sell itself. After all, every company would love to get by without spending one dime on advertising. Imagine a world where everyone was hired based on merit.Productivity would increase everywhere because people would be doing what they are best at instead of just standing around and â€Å"looking great. † Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guide’s criteria for a score of 6. The superior response indicates that the writer is very well-prepared to handle college-level reading and writing. †¢ The writer understands and focuses clearly on the topic raised by the quotation in the thesis, â€Å"†¦ only hiring certain people that ‘look great,’ is definitely discrimination and should not oc cur. † †¢ The summary of Cohen’s argument is clear and accurate, and the paraphrasing is effective. The writer analyzes the issue of hiring for looks thoughtfully and has developed an insightful response focused on the legal implications of the practice. †¢ The essay is coherently organized and developed with a body paragraph of analysis and a paragraph citing the example of hiring on the basis of appearance in ethnic restaurants, which extends the response beyond that which is provided in the reading passage. The conclusion makes a strong case for hiring on the basis of merit. †¢ The writer demonstrates a strong command of language and syntactic variety, alternating fluent, longer sentences with short sentences to make a point. The essay is virtually error-free and reflects the writer’s command of the conventions of incorporating the words and ideas of others into the writer’s response to an argument. Sample student essay with a score of 5: Discrimination Vs Wealth One of the biggest problems causing separation in today’s society is discrimination based on looks. Our morality is constantly decreasing due to greed and selfishness. At one point in time we focused on the well being of every human being no matter their race, color or gender; looks meant nothing while love and friendships meant everything.On the contrary to Marshal Cohen’s statement that a â€Å"brand enhancer† or a â€Å"walking bill board† is critical, hiring people based on looks is not morally correct, and morality should be held above money and reputation. Hiring by looks can cause numerous amounts of issues, both at the governmental level and the emotional level. As Olophius Perry stated in the article, Going for the Look but Risking Discrimination, â€Å"If you’re hiring by looks, then you can run into problems of race discrimination, national origin discrimination, gender discrimination, age discrimination, and e ven disability discrimination. (Greenhouse 1). Our country specifically was founded on equality and equal opportunity for all. When businesses start hiring based on looks and/or gender, our country’s morals begin to slip slowly through Uncle Sam’s fingers. Discrimination of any sort may also cause a person great emotional damage. Perhaps a hard working, well-kept, person was turned away from a job because of his or her un-attractive face, that person could be so hurt that they commit suicide; while one person gets richer because of this life changing decision they made, another person’s sanity is lost.This type of discrimination is not worth the pain and suffering of one human being in return for fame and money. Young men and women are used as sex symbols in today’s twisted society. Many companies will hire young attractive women based on their beauty with the intention of giving men something to look at as well as giving them an incentive to come into th eir store. As Marshal Cohen replied, â€Å"A guy wants to go hang out in a store where he can see good looking gals† (Greenhouse 3) shows that companies hire these girls only to bring in more profits by using them as an object, rather than a person, that men can drool over.What kind of messages are we sending to our future generations? Is it that girls must learn that they will not receive respect and that they need to weigh 110 pounds with big lips in order to be successful in life? Pressures are enormously overwhelming on today’s young adults to look â€Å"perfect† in society’s eyes. The pressures build up and eventually lead to up to unhealthy alternatives to being skinny, becoming â€Å"built†, or having the exact look being sought. While our society may look better if we allow companies to hire by looks, it is also increasingly becoming unhealthy.In conclusion, hiring based on looks solely to raise profits is ethically and morally wrong. This idea will eventually bring our morality to an end. Health rates will drop and human sanity will continue to be taken away. In order to save our society and its morals, we should ban discrimination, or as some would call it hiring based on looks. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guide’s criteria for a score of 5. The clear competence of the essay indicates that this writer is quite ready to handle college-level reading and writing. The writer understands the topic and accurately summarizes Cohen’s position, using his phrases â€Å"brand enhancer† and â€Å"walking bill board. † The essay’s thesis is clear, but the writer could have sharpened it by refraining from presenting it as a three-part divided thesis. †¢ The essay reflects the writer’s understanding of some of the complexity of the issue. The analysis of the impact of the practice of â€Å"hiring for the look† on young adults’ self-image is thoughtfu l and adds depth, but the assertion that it causes insanity and suicides is unsubstantiated. The essay is well-organized and coherent, with the writer focusing on the legal implications of hiring on the basis of looks in the first body paragraph and the individual implications in the second. Each paragraph is thoroughly developed, and the conclusion presents a strong recommendation. †¢ The essay displays some syntactic variety and facility, with occasional lapses in word choice and sentence construction. †¢ The essay has scattered errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics (e. g. , â€Å"numerous amounts of issues,† â€Å"using them as an object, rather than a person, that men can drool over†). Sample student essay with a score of 4:Beauty = Money Marshall Cohen’s argument is basically that beautiful women sell, and I strongly agree. It’s true that guys want to hang out in places where there are beautiful women. It’s also true that these wom en represent an image and that if that image is pleasing to the eye then other women will want to emulate it. Being a guy, I know the power women have over us as a gender; especially the good looking ones. The fact is that businesses know this and exploit it. Last year alone I must have spent a good 300 dollars because a cute girl would ask me to donate to the charity, or that I looked good in a pair of pants she wanted me to buy.Also, it’s how most guys decide on things. Take for instance if there were two restaurants that served similar food. We would almost always end up going to the one with the good looking waitresses. Guys are suckers for cute girls and will spend great amounts of time and money just to the around them. However, men aren’t nearly as bad as women. When the average girl sees a super model or Britney Spears wearing Abercrombie and Fitch they think the key to being beautiful and popular is to match their wardrobes. They feel that if they dress like t heir idols they’ll be more important in the public eye.I have a friend that buys every outfit she sees Mandy Moore wear on television. It’s already cost her over a thousand dollars, but she doesn’t mind just as long as people make her feel important. In the end using beautiful people to advertise your product translates to one thing: money. The equation is simple, the better the girl looks the more money you make, and as long as the public sees beauty as only skin deep this will always be true. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guide’s criteria for a score of 4.This adequate response to the topic suggests that the writer should be able to handle college-level reading and writing. †¢ The writer demonstrates a generally accurate but somewhat simplistic understanding of the passage, summarizing it as â€Å"beautiful women sell. † The writer accepts this argument on the basis of his own experience and develops his response accordin gly. †¢ The essay maintains a clear focus on the point. It is organized around the assertion that both men and women are attracted to businesses that â€Å"hire for the look. † However, it never acknowledges the legal or moral counter-arguments to this position. The personal examples support the writer’s position and are developed in some detail, but the essay would have been strengthened by more analysis of the issues. †¢ The language is fluent and often colloquial (â€Å"Guys are suckers for cute girls†), in keeping with the writer’s personal approach to the topic. However, some sentences are not formed correctly (e. g. , â€Å" . . . because a cute girl would ask me to donate to the charity, or that I looked good†¦. †; â€Å"Take for instance if there were two restaurants that served similar food. †) †¢ The essay generally demonstrates control of grammar, usage, and mechanics.Sample student essay with a score of 3: Goi ng For the Look There are three types of people in the world when it comes to style. There are the fashionable, who care what they look like and what other people think. There are the unfashionable, who think they are fashionable but do not run with the trend. Then there are the people in between. They could care less what others think. To try to get people to buy their products, a producer will look at all three types of people and chose the one that best fits the product. So the Gap would choose someone who looks good in their product.There are certain clothes that fit certain bodies certain ways. People do not want to see a fat, ugly person in tight pants and a short shirt. A place like Hot Topic wants to draw in a punk rocker crowed so they will hire people that look as if they are punk rockers. These people will have many piercings and tattoos that are visible to the public. Only certain people do not think that that stuff is not attractive and Hot Topic wants to bring them int o the store. Thrift stores and hand me down stores would hire the last type of person. People who shop at those stores do not care what they look like or cannot afford to shop anywhere else.These people cannot choose what the person selling their clothes looks like. In conclusion, there are three types of people in the fashion industry. Some are shoe-ins for certain jobs just from what they look like. Others cannot get those jobs if they tried. Cohen’s statement is correct. Now a day people hire for looks not skill. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guide’s criteria for a score of 3. Although the essay suggests a developing competence, it is flawed in significant ways that suggest the writer’s need for additional practice before being ready to succeed in college-level reading and writing. The writer does not explain Cohen’s argument, instead writing an essay about style. †¢ The thesis, â€Å"There are three types of people in the wor ld when it comes to style,† does not focus on the issue of â€Å"hiring for the look. † The writer addresses the issue in the body of the essay by saying that Gap and Hot Topic hire people who look good in the company’s clothes, while thrift stores have no choice in who they hire; however, the writer directly addresses Cohen’s argument only in the final sentences. †¢ The body paragraphs are series of assertions that lack effective transitions. Most of the sentences lack variety (e. g. , the series of â€Å"There are . . . † sentences in the introduction), and word choice is imprecise (â€Å"that stuff†). †¢ The essay has an accumulation of errors, especially in spelling and punctuation. Sample student essay with a score of 2: Going for the Look Cohen’s argument expresses his oppions and his only the may not matter in the sites of other people. I don’t agree or disagree with his argument. I hold this position because of three reasons, for starters is the retailers choice who he or she wants to hire not his.And for there businesses to expand and to grow then they must hire whoever appeals to the consumer. Last his argument may or may not be true and tell complete truth, so I’m not going to base my facts or opions on him because sometimes you should keep them to your self. As I Said before it is the retailers choice who they want to hire and if you must ensist on talking bad about these people then you must have problems with yourself maybe your jellous, just because your not in the positon to hire whoever you want doesn’t mean the people that do make those choices wheather they are right or wrong.The retailers must hire the right personel to appeal to the consumer if that means only hireing whites, just blacks or purple, green, yellow it does not matter because that is what they have to do to sell there product. My third and final reason is that I don’t really want to agree or disagree baed on the facts that he is giving me are more better things to worry about then I some stores have racial issues that is there business not yours. To conclude Cohen argument expresses his own oppions that might be better kept to himself. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guide’s criteria for a score of 2.The serious flaws here indicate that this writer will need considerable additional practice before being ready to succeed in college-level reading and writing. †¢ The writer demonstrates a basic understanding of the passage but is unable to respond meaningfully to the topic, instead resorting to a personal attack on Cohen. †¢ The writer fails to respond to Cohen’s argument with a focused thesis. The sentence â€Å"I don’t agree or disagree with this argument† suggests a failure to understand the need to take a position and provide evidence to support it. †¢ Although the writer attempts three body paragraphs, they are severely underdeveloped. The writer lacks basic control of syntax and vocabulary. †¢ The writer has serious and persistent errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics that severely interfere with meaning. In particular, the sentence boundary errors and serious spelling errors obscure the meaning. Sample student essay with a score of 1: Their many methods of hiring people. Many markets know hire just because of the image of a person. In my opinion I agree and disagree to a certain point. Their could be certain stores that have people who have expirence, no experience, and just for the look.When you have a pearson who has experience you could expeted from them to accomplished their job. They would always be on time or even earlier. You would not hear bad comments about that person Their very reasponsible and would not complain about geting their job done Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guide’s criteria for a score of 1. The fundamental deficiencies of thi s essay clearly indicate that the writer needs much additional practice to be ready to succeed at college-level reading and writing. †¢ The writer indicates only a slight understanding of the passage and fails to refer to Cohen’s argument. The essay seems to be about qualifications for jobs, with one qualification being â€Å"the look. † However, the relationship of the thesis to the topic is not clear. The sentence, â€Å"In my opinion I agree and disagree to a certain point† suggests a serious lack of focus. †¢ The essay appears to be incomplete, with the second and third body paragraphs and the conclusion implied by the thesis but unwritten. †¢ The writer lacks basic control of syntax and vocabulary. †¢ The writer has serious and persistent errors in mechanics that severely interfere with meaning. Spelling and verb form errors are pervasive.

Politics In Middle East Essay

Promotions of women’s rights and empowering women have been central components in the search for democracy in the Arab world. The participation of Arab women in the political and economic arena remains among the lowest in the world. This is evident from the low percentage of women in parliament, cabinet and the workforce. Many times the women have been portrayed as veiled, oppressed, and invisible (Sadiki, 2004, 253). This is true in reality though in most cases it is unconstitutional. Sadiki argues that women’s participation in political and economic issues in Arab countries is dependent on the socio-economic and political forces in the history of the country (Sadiki, 2004, 267). Thus the problem of women’s rights is not reflective of Islamic region rather it can be explained by the patriarchal nature of the society. Men have been the ones predominantly reading and interpreting the Quran. This has led to women not being allowed work or socialize publicly. (Sadaki, 2004, 285). The economic and social position of a family also influence the rights available to a woman; for instance in Iraq, a wealthy family is more likely to educate its daughters than a poor family. Islamic religion does not relegate the woman to a position below the man, rather it points out that she is a ‘twin’ to the man and promotes inclusiveness in all issues, economic, political and social (Sadiki, 2005, 266). In an interview with Lubabah-ul-Fadh, a Muslim woman activist, Lubahah states that because she is Muslim and Islamist she is free from injustice and despotism. She therefore supports democracy that empowers women economically and politically (Sadiki, 2004, 284). She however is of the view that Muslim women’s foremost role is that of being a moral educator for the younger generation to ensure Muslim culture and religion are adhered to. For her, giving up parliamentary positions so women can pursue this goal is worthwhile (Sadiki, 2004, 284). This illustrates the effect of certain Islamist movements in Arab countries. Different alliances among female Islamists has resulted in little consensus on women’s participation in the Islamic Action Front. Western influence has to some degree enhanced authoritarian form of government in Arab countries. The focus on oil in Arab countries has led to sidelining of the issues of women rights as governments try to meet demands for oil and amass wealth for the regime in power. This however has also been used to influence decisions made by Arab country governments for example by placing embargoes on their oil so that conflicts can be resolved (Sadiki 2004, 283). Western influence therefore has not been entirely negative. Positive outcomes of western influence include improvement of family status laws resulting from incumbent governments in Arab countries wanting to show their zeal for reform which has been influenced by international pressure. The women in Iraq during Saddam’s military dictatorship experienced more human rights freedoms than during the period of Bush’s Administration Democratic Iraq. The US led occupation therefore has not benefited the struggle for women’s rights especially because it favors an extremist interpretation of the constitution. Arab women have been moving forward in the struggle for empowerment. Some of the developments include the appointment of more women to parliament in Jordan and Egypt by the Arab government. The United States is working through the MEPI to provide training on political issues to female political candidates so as to raise the number of women legislators. The Beijing Fourth World Conference in women led to other conferences which aimed at canvassing the recommendations of Beijing conference of a 30 percent quota for women in parliamentary representation. These include the Egyptian women and Democratic transformation and the Jordanian woman and Electoral Law conferences. (Sadiki, 2004, 269). In Tunisia the rigorous push for gender equity in policies led to the creation of councils for women and development to advice government departments regarding policy formulation and also the creation of a Ministry of Women and the Family and a National Observatory for Women. (Sadiki, 2004, 283). Participation of women in political and economic so far has not had an effect of changing the policies that are made. It has however helped to improve children’s welfare, the personal lives and economic power of Arab women. It however has not had much impact on the political systems of the day in Arab countries and will most likely not have much effect since in most Arab countries the political structure is such that changes in the position of women can be absorbed. This is true for countries like Egypt, Jordan and Morocco where authoritarianism and limited democratic freedoms co-exist. Islamist movements have had a negative impact on the struggle for women empowerment; fundamentalist activists consider women’s rights issues and the participation of women in the public to be ‘western’ and aimed at degrading the morals and culture of traditional Islamic region. Some women activists see that the more important role of a woman is maintaining Islam tradition and so women can until this is achieved give up involvement in political issues (Sadiki, 2004, 285). Religion has had a significant role in shaping the beliefs, policies and behavior of people in the Middle East region. Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are important points of focus as far as religion is concerned, and also in the case of Jerusalem, a significant center of conflict. The Arab-Israel conflict is not the only source of instability in the region, as evidenced by a history of conflict long before the existence of the Jewish state, Israel and also presence of conflict not related to Israel clashes between Iraq and US (Cleveland, 2004, 222-224). The departure of Britain and France from the Middle East in the 1950s, the formation of the Israel state and the importance of the oil industry all contribute greatly to the conflict in the Middle East. As a result, the US became increasingly involved in Middle East issues becoming a great force in the oil industry and a source of stability. The Soviet Union sought to open new areas for the Cold War and formed alliances with Egypt (under Nasser) and Iraq. These regimes failed to deliver on their promises leading to Arabic despotism and embracing of Islamism among counties like Iraq and Egypt. With the fall of the Soviet Union these countries (Egypt, Algeria, Syria, and Iraq) embraced Arab nationalism. This later led to Iran-Iraq war invading Kuwait and in the 1990s and the US intervened by evicting Iraq from Kuwait with the help of allies like Egypt and Saudi Arabia leading to US military occupation of the Persian Gulf, a source of great offence to Muslims. (Lewis, 2005, 2-5). The current situation is one that is of continued conflicts especially Arab-Israeli conflict. Anti western regimes in Arab countries seek to destroy Israel, and defeat the US. The portions of land given to the Jews after World War II are surrounded by Muslim countries, this land and other portions that have been taken over by Israel during wars against Arab countries have continued to fuel the conflict between Palestinians and Israeli. East Jerusalem is a part of Israel, considered holy for Muslims. Palestinians see Israelis as invaders of their nation; as such they have built a military network that attacks innocent Israeli civilians. Israelis protect themselves from these attacks by using military force to control Palestinians, these involves having checkpoints for Palestinians between cities. Most of the water supply is controlled by Israelis who give Palestinians little access to water compared to their needs increasing the humiliation and sense of abuse felt by the Palestinians. (Cleveland, 2004, 22-224). Attacks by Israeli soldiers has led to destruction of much of the Palestinian government because of destruction of records, equipment, electricity supplies, roads, electricity supplies and other infrastructure. The continued construction of settlements in Palestinian territory is seen as a reason for further increase in conflict between Israel and Palestine, ruining any chances of peace in the region. (Lewis, 2005, pp2, 3). Demands of Palestinians that Palestinian refugees be allowed to have their land back have not been solvable because if Palestinians reoccupy their land, Israel as a Jewish state will end because Israel then would have more Palestinians than Israelis. As such this is not an option Israelis want to consider. Both Palestinians and Jews have been forced to live in exile at some point in their histories. The Jews have faced much persecution wile many Palestinians are misused by depots of the Middle East who have their own narrow domestic agenda. Western foreign policy, a strong Israel state and a decline in the stabilities of nations with unfriendly regimes have maintained the conflict in the Middle East. The conflict in the region is likely to continue mainly because of the nature of leadership. Despotism and autocratic rule have become part of the system so much that this remains a major obstacle to development of democratic institutions that would be more inclined to control and stop the conflict (Lewis 2005, 2-3). The information revolution is also destined to affect the present situation in the Middle East. The availability of information from various media influences the security dynamics. Television programs have been known to propagate untrue information that leads to escalation of conflict, but television has also allowed the people of Middle East to see vibrant democracies in action (like in Israel) which is unheard of in most Arab countries. This increases the likelihood for people to push for and embrace democracy that allows uninhibited disagreement and argument of ideas in an orderly manner. Pressure from the international community for political reform is likely to increase stability in the region leading to more demands of equitable distribution of resources. Political reform is slow with a greater focus on liberalization rather than democratization since liberalization allows more openness and discussion while the government of the day retains power (Benched and Byman, 2003, pp55). Slow political reform is more likely to maintain stability compared to rapid political reform. However, if the reforms do not continue at a steady pace frustrations by the people are more likely to increase causing conflict that could even lead to regimes being overthrown (Bensahel and Byman, 2003, pp55). Works Cited Lewis B, 2005 Freedom and Justice in the Modern Middle East, council on Foreign Affairs retrieved from www.foreignaffirs.org/20050511faessay84305.p50/bernard-lewis/freedom-and-justice-in -the-modern-midle-east.html Cleveland WL 2004 A history of he Modern Middle East, 3rd Ed Westview Press ISBN 0-8133-4048-9 pp 222-255 Sadiki L 2005 The Search for Arab Democracy, Columbia University Press ISBN 023112581X Bensabel N and Byman D, 2003 The Future Security Environment In The Middle East: Conflict, Stability and Political Change, RAND Corporation ISBN 0-83303290-9

An Introduction to the Interquartile Range

An Introduction to the Interquartile Range The interquartile range (IQR) is the difference between the first quartile and third quartile. The formula for this is: IQR Q3 - Q1 There are many measurements of the variability of a set of data. Both the range and standard deviation tell us how spread out our data is. The problem with these descriptive statistics is that they are quite sensitive to outliers. A measurement of the spread of a dataset that is more resistant to the presence of outliers is the interquartile range. Definition of Interquartile Range As seen above, the interquartile range is built upon the calculation of other statistics. Before determining the interquartile range, we first need to know the values of the first quartile and third quartile. (Of course, the first and third quartiles depend upon the value of the median). Once we have determined the values of the first and third quartiles, the interquartile range is very easy to calculate. All that we have to do is to subtract the first quartile from the third quartile. This explains the use of the term interquartile range for this statistic. Example To see an example of the calculation of an interquartile range, we will consider the set of data: 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9. The five number summary for this set of data is: Minimum of 2First quartile of 3.5Median of 6Third quartile of 8Maximum of 9 Thus we see that the interquartile range is 8 – 3.5 4.5. The Significance of the Interquartile Range The range gives us a measurement of how spread out the entirety of our data set is. The interquartile range, which tells us how far apart the first and third quartile are, indicates how spread out the middle 50% of our set of data is. Resistance to Outliers The primary advantage of using the interquartile range rather than the range for the measurement of the spread of a data set is that the interquartile range is not sensitive to outliers. To see this, we will look at an example. From the set of data above we have an interquartile range of 3.5, a range of 9 – 2 7 and a standard deviation of 2.34. If we replace the highest value of 9 with an extreme outlier of 100, then the standard deviation becomes 27.37 and the range is 98. Even though we have quite drastic shifts of these values, the first and third quartiles are unaffected and thus the interquartile range does not change. Use of the Interquartile Range Besides being a less sensitive measure of the spread of a data set, the interquartile range has another important use. Due to its resistance to outliers, the interquartile range is useful in identifying when a value is an outlier. The interquartile range rule is what informs us whether we have a mild or strong outlier.  To look for an outlier, we must look below the first quartile or above the third quartile.  How far we should go depends upon the value of the interquartile range.

Beer industry essays

Beer industry essays Australia is the sixth-largest credit card market globally. Credit cards represent an attractive method of payment for Australians as most domestic cards are linked to frequent-flier schemes. The Visa card is probably the most widely known credit card in the world with around 21,000 member financial institutions globally. A study made by Interbrand, an international research firm, revealed that Visa ranked 14th internationally in terms of brand recognition behind corporations such as Coca-Cola and IBM. Visa is more than just a credit card. Visa provides customers with the most secure and flexible forms of payments that presents an opportunity to make a money transfer at anytime, around the world. Visa itself does not issue cards, but there are more than 600 channels of distribution, that are Visa member financial institutions(www.visa.com.au). In Australia and Asia, there are a broad selection of Visa payment products including credit and debits cards, corporate, purchasing and busin ess cards, Travelers Cheques and Visa Travel Money. All these products provide customers with a high level of security, reliability and convenience. One of the main environmental influences that is currently impacting Visa organization is information technology. Visa has introduced many innovative technologies to further enhance their service contribution to the market. For example, network is critically important to the membership of thousands of financial institutions that jointly establish rules, standards, and interchange fees(De La Llana, 1998). Several of the business practices in using the credit card network include no-surcharge and non-discrimination rules, collective determination of interchange fees, honor-all-card provisions(www.visa.com.au). Another improvement in information technologies is that 4,000 are the maximum transactions Visa can handle per second. Last year the Visa system handled approximately 37 billion transactions, with a tota...

SAT French Subject Test Information

SAT French Subject Test Information Bonjour! Êtes-vous qualifià © pour parler franà §ais? Bilingualism is a trait that may set you apart on your college application if the decision is tight whether or not you make it in. Here, youll find out what this test is all about. Note: The SAT French Subject  test is not part of the Redesigned SAT Test,  the popular college admissions exam. The SAT French Subject test is one of the many SAT Subject Tests, which are exams designed to showcase your particular talents in all sorts of fields. And if your talents extend into the French realm, then this exam can help you showcase it to your future alma mater. SAT French Subject Tests Basics Before you register for this test, here are the basics about how youll be tested: 60 minutes85 multiple-choice questions200-800 points possible3 different types of French questions: Vocabulary in context, Fill-in-the-blank, and Reading comprehension questions SAT French Subject Test Content Vocabulary in Context: Approximately 25 to 26 questionsWith these questions, youll be tested on vocabulary used in various parts of speech. You will also need to know a few basic French  idioms.Structure: Approximately 25 to 34 questionsMany of these fill-in-the-blank questions will ask you to read a slightly longer passage and select the best choices for the blanks. Your knowledge of French sentence structure is tested.Reading Comprehension: Approximately 25 to 34 questionsHere, youll be given a multi-paragraph passage and asked reading comprehension questions about the passage to gauge your true comprehension of the language. The passages can be drawn from fiction, essays, historical works, newspaper and magazine articles, and everyday materials such as advertisements, timetables, forms, and tickets. Why You Should Take the SAT French Subject Test In some cases, you will need to take the test, especially if you are considering choosing French as a major in college. In other cases, its a great idea to take the French Subject Test so you can showcase that highly sought-after skill of bilingualism. It shows the college admissions officers that you have more up your sleeve than your GPA or wonderful SAT or ACT test scores. Taking the test, and scoring high on it, demonstrates qualities of a well-rounded applicant. Plus, it can get you out of those entry-level language courses. How to Prepare for the SAT French Subject Test To ace this thing, youll need at least two years in French during high school, and youll want to take the test as close to the end of or during your most advanced French class you plan to take. Getting your high school French teacher to offer you some supplementary materials is always a good idea, too. Plus, the College Board offers free practice questions for the SAT French Test along with a pdf of the answers, too. Sample SAT French Subject Test Question This question comes from the College Boards free practice questions. The writers have ranked the questions from 1 to 5 where 1 is the least difficult. The question below is ranked as a 3. Si tu faisais du jogging tous les jours, est-ce que tu te -mieux? (A) sentiras(B) sentirais(C) sentais(D) sens Answer: Choice (B) is correct. Sentences introduced by si express hypothetical situations when the verb in the clause introduced by si is in the past tense (imparfait). When this is the case, the verb in the main clause must be in the conditional. Choice (B), sentirais (would feel), is the conditional form and therefore the correct answer. Choice (A), sentiras (will feel), is in the future tense; choice (C), sentais (felt), is in the past tense (imparfait) and choice (D), sense (feel), is in the present tense.

Balanaced Scorecard and Performance Measurements Case Study

Balanaced Scorecard and Performance Measurements - Case Study Example 2007). The scorecard is effectively utilised in measuring the utilisation of resources in seeking to achieve the objectives stipulated within the context of the organisational vision and mission statement. The balanced scorecard for Otago Museum makes consideration of the companys objectives as compared to the various stakeholders within the organisational structure. The various stakeholders within the organisation need to be able to measure the performance in relation to the objectives of the organisation. As a non-profit organisation, effective functioning of the internal systems is essential in ensuring the stakeholders are focused in performing their responsibilities within the organisation. A consideration of the organisational vision enabled transformation of the objectives into operational goals, which become the fundamental responsibilities for the various stakeholders. The understanding of their responsibilities enables the stakeholders to identify instances when operations are not within the desired outcomes. This enables the stakeholders to adopt measures for making corrections in seeking to ensure the operations remain within the expected standards. These are the stakeholders who have continuously ensured the organisation remains operational. Their fundamental function is the coordination of resources towards achieving the identified outcomes of the organisation. These individuals are involved in the development of the organisational strategies in seeking to ensure delivery of the strategic objectives. Many of the developed strategies remain based on the organisational objectives, which are derived from the vision. The management functions and leadership provided by these stakeholders has remained fundamental in ensuring continued operation of Otago. These stakeholders need to be constantly informed about the modern trends within the business in order to integrate them within the context of Otago operations. The strategic

Ethnography and the interpretation of cultures Essay

Ethnography and the interpretation of cultures - Essay Example being studied However, for a social scientist the laboratory is the culture being studied and it is impossible to manipulate parts of it without destroying the culture itself. Furthermore to gain insight into the whys of cultural practices researchers must often ingratiate themselves with the people studied. However the argument is that too much emotional attachment can affect the researcher’s objectivity and thereby call into question his research conclusions. This article traces the history of changes in anthropological approaches to ethnographic studies over the years. At first blush this is a confusing phraseology, but as I understand it from the author’s explanation, the difference is that in participant observation the researcher participates in the culture’s practices but observes for study only the culture’s symbols, status relationships, norms, values, etc. to determine their significance in relation to how the culture functions (Tedlock, B. 1991) On the other hand under â€Å"observation of participation† the researcher is also more aware of the effect his participation may have on the culture and therefore tries to broaden his observations to himself as well as the culture being studied. In other words in an effort to achieve a greater degree of scientific validity he attempts to be more aware of for example any notions of cultural superiority which might color his perceptions and make him appreciate less how the practices he observes play roles in enabling the culture studied to function effectively in the context in which it operates. The author makes the point that that the recent broadening of the pool of recruits doing ethnographies to include both genders, different races and socioeconomic levels, etc. are more likely to study cultures objectively in context in th â€Å"observation of participation† methodology than their largely male, white, upper class forerunners many of whom had the â€Å"baggage† of considering themselves as members of

Communityy service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Communityy service - Essay Example The backdrop of this medical camp is that there were lots of refugees as a result of the war with Armenia and we had to ensure that they were properly looked after. I have made an effort to list down all the activities that I performed in my interaction with the refugees and their relatives and the kind of medical assistance that we provided for them. One of the most important things to come out of the medical camp was the fact that I learnt a lot personally about the human conditions in refugee camps and the kind of medical assistance that needs to be provided for them. The team from Kyunhee University was very helpful and eager to work in the various departments of the medical facility. A point to be noted is that we conducted the medical camp after extensive interaction with the local hospital and then we ensured that all of them get the medical assistance that they needed. The next sections describe each of the activities in detail and the summary of my experience is also provide d in the last section. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan that killed 30,000 people and created one million refugees supposedly ended 13 years ago with a ceasefire in 1994 -- but the countries are still at war over Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory in Azerbaijan controlled by ethnic Armenian forces. Ordinary citizens are now caught in the middle. Azeri farmers living along the borders of the war zone dodge bullets as they attempt to sow vegetables and graze cattle; their irrigation water is blocked by Armenian forces and a lake that used to feed into six local villages has dried up. Traveling across the war zone to visit the nearest town six kilometers away requires a special pass, American and European efforts to resolve the issue diplomatically have failed, and the president of Azerbaijan is threatening a new war if the Armenians do not give up the occupied territory. The government of Azerbaijan also refuses to recognize the results of an upcoming

Personal journal entry 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal journal entry 4 - Essay Example However, the court identified that this kind of relationship can contain important traits of family that symbolizes the changing social situations. It is clear that the number of individuals that qualify to be a family under the law has expanded2. The case clearly demonstrated that due to the changing modern beliefs the two men living together were ‘family’. During the case, the court researched and confirmed a wide role meaning of ‘family’. The idea is a collection of combined attributes that can be looked at independently or as an entity. The meaning of family can be confirmed when one analysis the supposed roles discharged in the relationship3. The judges in this legal resolution held that a difference could not be seen by a same-sex couple staying together and the opposite sexes couple, in terms of affection and love4. In this case, Mr. Fitzpatrick succeeded on the basis of ‘assured’ tenant and not statutory tenant because he did not qualify as a spouse5. In addition, the ruling was made in consideration of the characteristics defined by the 1920 Act that were satisfied by Mr. Fitzpatrick and his partner that fell under the term

Just answer a question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Just answer a question - Essay Example Secondly, secondary pollutants that from the combination of several gases in the atmosphere to form compounds. To test this hypothesis, researchers need to delve into the history and collect information with industrialization as the focus. Undeniably, industrialization has contributed to air pollution through various ways. This research is not observatory in nature but involves the researcher’s opinion supported by other researchers who have participated in the same research before. For instance, compared to the past decade, statistics reveal a rise in growth in industrialization (â€Å"World resources Institute,† n.d). Therefore, a researcher has to check all developments that go with increased industrialization. There is increased use of energy to process and increased use of automobiles to carry processed products. This means that researchers have to evaluate the type of energy used by industries and their effects on air. Additionally, the researcher will evaluate the effects automobiles have in the atmosphere. For example, automobile in America life and society offers infor mation on the effects automobiles have to the environment in the history of America. Finally, the researcher will make a conclusion based on the management of industrial emissions to support

Marketing - Joss AMD Distribution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing - Joss AMD Distribution - Essay Example We aim to bridge the gap that exists between the manufacturer and the customer by ensuring that we coordinate well enough to provide the customer with the product as soon as the demand arises. Focusing on commitment, sincerity, quality of work and vibrant growth; we pursue a set of values, derived from supreme client service, a widespread dealer web, professional staff and priority to the needs of our business partners. At the same time, we believe in devising distribution strategies in a way that would lead us to produce tangible results as well. With the above mentioned flair and potential in our stock, we wish to be the distributor for the products of the prestigious Creative Nail Design (CND) Company. It would be an honor for us if we are appointed as the distributors of Spamanicure and Spapedicure products, which are wonders of the modern era. As stated in (CND, 2011), The Spamanicure – Citrus and Almond products along with the Spapedicure – Marine, Earth and Home products are world-class products which are proving to be a boon for the salon and spa professionals. To work as a distributor for such high quality skin care products would be a thrilling experience for our company. We believe that we possess the attributes and components to be assigned this challenging task. With prior concrete experience in this regard and also the fact that out of the 132 beauty salons in New York City, to which our company presently distributes Sedal products; 59 are nail salons - would make it easier for us to find immediate clientele. It would be our duty to ensure that the distribution process of these prominent CND products takes place in a smooth manner in the markets of the New York City. We would also make sure that the relationship between CND company and the consumers reaches new heights of mutual trust and reliability by acting as a means of linkage between the two parties. Our marketing strategies have been successful since the time we started our co mpany, and if appointed as CND products’ distributor, we would incorporate our running successful market strategies with further innovative measures and tools to ensure that the sensational CND products not only reach to our current 59 nail salon clientele but also appeal to the other major nail salons in the city. For this purpose, we have a very energetic workforce that is willing to work and commit itself to the task. We also consider organizing seminars to educate people about the CND products and their use. We are well aware of the fact that CND company believes in reliable products, empowering education and practical business building tools. We also appreciate that it pursues excellence and its products are carefully researched and tested before they are planned to sold, depicting the culture that prevails at CND, consisting of principles of honesty, integrity, respect, communication and accountability (CND, 2011). We assure that we would not only respect these consider ate values but would also incorporate them into our working relationship. We would like to briefly summarize how we plan to function as a distribution channel for CND products. Our company believes in doing the basics right, so we always give priority to gaining as much market information as possible. Market research and intelligence plays a great role in becoming aware about the current situation of the market and thereby developing or adjusting plans, in a way, that would yield best results. We would

Just answer a question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Just answer a question - Essay Example Secondly, secondary pollutants that from the combination of several gases in the atmosphere to form compounds. To test this hypothesis, researchers need to delve into the history and collect information with industrialization as the focus. Undeniably, industrialization has contributed to air pollution through various ways. This research is not observatory in nature but involves the researcher’s opinion supported by other researchers who have participated in the same research before. For instance, compared to the past decade, statistics reveal a rise in growth in industrialization (â€Å"World resources Institute,† n.d). Therefore, a researcher has to check all developments that go with increased industrialization. There is increased use of energy to process and increased use of automobiles to carry processed products. This means that researchers have to evaluate the type of energy used by industries and their effects on air. Additionally, the researcher will evaluate the effects automobiles have in the atmosphere. For example, automobile in America life and society offers infor mation on the effects automobiles have to the environment in the history of America. Finally, the researcher will make a conclusion based on the management of industrial emissions to support

Effects of Ongoing Migration Issues in Greece Essay

Effects of Ongoing Migration Issues in Greece - Essay Example According to the report in the post World War II period, Greece was in a hard situation where two factions were competing for its control. This in effect initiated the Greek civil war that between the prodemocracy and procommunist movements. The prodemocracy faction ended up achieving victory and turning Greece in to west learning country of sort. This made Greece resistant to soviet War. The post World War II period has witnessed a huge migration out and in of Greece. Firstly, the country has witnessed emigration to other European countries with expanding industrial economies. However with the stabilizing of the economy of Greece after the World War II period, the immigration in to Greece turned in to a huge unmanageable phenomenon. Albeit being one of the less developed countries of the European Union, in the 1990s, Greece received comparably the highest number of immigrants in relation to the size of her labour force.This paper stresses that  Pakistan, India and Former Soviet Un ion were gaining entry in to Greece. Even more, people from Iraq, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and North Africa immigrated into Greece. The population increase that was witnessed in Greece between 1991 and 2001 was greatly impacted by the immigrants.  Among the European Union member states, Greece tops the list of the countries with the highest number of immigrants to national population ratio today.  The migratory phenomenon in Greece is rather engendered and ethnically distinct.

Poverty Porn Essay Example for Free

Poverty Porn Essay Fundraising is a noble and selfless deed. However, an ethical issue has risen concerning the process of raising funds for poverty-stricken communities. Often, visuals of the harsh lives people in poverty face are portrayed when raising funds. The exploitation of such visuals to increase donations or support a cause is known as poverty pornography (Collin, 2009). Poverty pornography is effective in raising funds but it is incorrect due to the unethical way it is carried out that degrades the poverty-stricken communities. Poverty pornography is widely used by charitable organisations because it is an effective method of collecting donations. Research has shown that negative stimuli which evoke emotion can easily capture an individual’s attention (Murphy, Hill, Ramponi, Calder Barnard, 2010). Images of children as well as those which bring about negative emotions also tend to generate more donations (Burt Strongman, 2005). Thus, the disturbing visuals of dying children and women as well as their harsh living conditions portrayed in poverty pornography is effective in grabbing attention and generating feelings of sympathy. These feelings are then converted into actions whereby donations are increased. Therefore, poverty pornography plays a role in helping poverty-stricken communities as it easily grabs people’s attention and encourages them to increase their donations. However, its method of exploiting visuals that degrade the poverty-stricken communities makes poverty pornography unethical. The exploitation of biased visuals depicts poverty-stricken communities in a negative manner. Common examples are severely malnourished African children staring at the camera, waiting to be â€Å"saved† (Osa, 2010). While it is true that there are malnourished children, there are healthier children too. However, poverty pornography is biased as it does not represent this side of poverty-stricken communities. Although taken for a good cause, a distorted image of them is painted (Opoku-Owusu, 2003). This is unethical as the partial representation degrades them, leaving the impression that they are helpless individuals, waiting for their lives to be taken away and unable to do anything. On the other hand, some charitable organisations try to incorporate positive images into their advertisements by showing the after-effects of our donations. For example, they may show visuals of happy, smiling children as a result of our aid. However, such images indirectly degrade the communities as it gives us the impression that without our assistance, they are unable to survive. In 2001, a poll conducted in United Kingdom discovered that 74% thought that â€Å"Developing countries depend on the money and knowledge of the West to progress† (Voluntary Service Overseas, 2002). From this, we can deduce that many have the perception that poverty-stricken communities are weak and vulnerable as they are highly dependent on our help. However, this may not be true because in reality, they are the most â€Å"strongest willed, most tenacious people one could hope to meet† (Cowdroy Evans, 2010). Thus, the misrepresentation creates a false impression that poverty-stricken communities are weak and cannot survive without our aid. This false impression may also create an environment of self-pity which may lead to self-fulfilling prophecies. The self-fulfilling prophecy, introduced by Merton (1948), refers to circumstances whereby an initial false claim later turns into reality. The exploitation of negative visuals pertaining to the lives of poverty-stricken communities has led to a stereotype that they are â€Å"uneducated, incapable of freeing themselves from poverty, lacking in competence, and miserable† (Clark, 2004). This stereotype may cause people to hold negative expectations on the poverty-stricken communities (Madon, Jussim, Eccles, 1997). Although these negative expectations may not be true initially, the poverty-stricken communities might adhere to them thus leading to a self-fulfilled prophecy. Therefore, the use of poverty pornography to assist them may backfire as incorrect claims can become true. Nevertheless, many organizations unremittingly use poverty pornography. Does this make poverty pornography a necessary evil? Poverty pornography is definitely not a necessary evil. It is unethical to degrade or stereotype the poverty-stricken communities, even if it is for a noble cause. Moreover, poverty pornography can instead contribute to the  poverty cycle as the negative assumptions about the poverty-stricken communities may become self-fulfilling prophecies. Thus, instead of eradicating poverty, it may worsen the conditions of poverty-stricken communities. However what other methods can we adopt to increase awareness on the needs of the poverty-stricken communities without degrading them? Instead of exploiting biased images that generate feelings of sympathy, programmes that create feelings of empathy and responsibility can be created. One such event is the inaugural 30 Hour Famine Camp in Singapore held by World Vision. In this camp, youths are given a feel of life in poverty by taking part in activities that simulates lives of children in poverty. The youths also make a stand to end global poverty by fasting for thirty hours. This camp generates empathy which encourages youths to not only donate but also to think of more ways to assist by allowing them to realise that they have the ability and responsibility to help end poverty. To portray full representation of their lives, some have embarked on projects like ‘Perspectives of Poverty’ which â€Å"expose[s] this bias [poverty pornography] and present people in a light of dignity† (McNiholl, n.d). Even though it may not help in raising funds, by presenting poverty-stricken in a better light, it balances off how degrading poverty pornography has been and slowly alters people’s perception on poverty-stricken communities. This can help remove stereotypes on them thus avoid self-fulfilling prophecies. Poverty pornography has proven to be effective. However, its unethical methods have undermined the usefulness of helping poverty-stricken communities. Instead of assisting, it strips them of their dignity, their ability to help themselves and contribute to the poverty cycle. Even though poverty pornography cannot be eradicated in the near future as it is widely used, the two methods presented above are examples of how we can slowly break away from poverty pornography. People in poverty are human beings too. Thus, in the process of assisting them, we must create a full representation of them and treat them as dignified human beings. To achieve this, poverty pornography must be eradicated. REFERENCES Burt, CDB. Strongman, K. Use Of Images In Charity Advertising: Improving Donations and Compliance Rates. International Journal of Organisational Behaviour, 8(8) 1, Retrieved from http://www.usq.edu.au/extrafiles/business/journals/HRMJournal/InternationalArticles/Volume%208/Burt%20Vol%208%20no%208.pdf Clark, D. J. (2004). The production of a contemporary famine image: The image economy, indigenous photographers and the case of Mekanic Philipos. Journal of International Development, 16, 693–704. DOI: 10.1002/jid.112 Collin, M. (2009). What is ‘poverty porn’ and why does it matter for development? Retrieved 16 July 2011 from Aid Thoughts website: http://aidthoughts.org/?p=69 Cowdroy, J. Evans, H. (2005), Poverty Pornography. Retrieved 16 July, 2011 from The Global Poverty Project website: http://www.globalpovertyproject.com/blog/view/238 Madon, S., Jussim, L., Eccles, J. (1997). In search of the powerful self-fulfilling prophecy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72(4), 791-809. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.72.4.791 Merton, R.K. (1948). The self-fulfilling prophecy. The Antioch Review, 8(2), 193-210. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Murphy, F. C., Hill, E. L., Ramponi, C. C., Calder, A. J., Barnard, P. J. (2010). Paying attention to emotional images with impact. Emotion, 10(5), 605-614. DOI: 10.1037/a0019681 Opoku-Owusu, S. A. S. (2003). What can the African diaspora do to challenge distorted media perceptions about Africa? London: AFFORD. Osa, E. (2010). The starving baby syndrome is hurting Africa’s image. New African, (501), 72-73. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Scale E. (2010), WaterAid UK And Poverty Porn. Retrieved 16 July, 2011 from The Global Poverty Project website http://www.globalpovertyproject.com/blogs/view/262 Voluntary Service Overseas, (2002). The Live Aid legacy: The developing world through British eyes – A research report. London, UK: Voluntary Service Overseas.

Liposuction Essay -- essays research papers

Liposuction is the most popular cosmetic procedure in the United States. It came to North America in 1982. At first, the doctors used it on thighs, buttocks, and the torso. Now it can be used almost all over the body. The number of liposuctions performed increased by 386 percent from 1992 to 2000. More than 350,000 liposuctions were performed in 2000. Women aren’t the only ones worried about their looks. Last year more than 99,000 men signed up for liposuction and other cosmetic procedures. The most controversial category of new patients is teenagers. Last year, 1,645 teenagers 18 years old and younger had liposuction. The best candidates fro liposuction are normal-weight people with firm, elastic skin. They should be physically and mentally healthy, with realistic expectations. It can help obese people, but it has a much higher risk of complications when more fat is suctioned out. There are two types of liposuction. The first type is the tumescent technique. First they use local anesthetics to numb the area, unless it’s a large area, then they might use a general anesthetic. They put a saline containing solution with anesthetic to reduce swelling and bruising after the surgery. Through a tiny incision, a narrow tube is inserted and used to vacuum the fat layer that’s deep beneath the skin. The tube is quickly pushed and pulled through the fat layer, breaking up the fat cells and suctioning them out. Fluid is lost along with the fat, and it’s crucial that this fluid be replaced during the procedure to prevent shock. Because of this, patients need to be carefully watched and receive fluids. The other type of liposuction is ultrasound-assisted liposuction. The doctors use a heated probe that produces vibrations. The energy it produces causes the patient’s fat cells to rupture, spilling out their oily content. Then the doctors suction out the oil. After the surgery, the patient will experience fluid drainage from the incisions. The patient will also be fitted with a compression garment to prevent swelling and blood clots. The doctor may also prescribe antibiotics to prevent infections.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Liposuction is a costly procedure. It can cost anywhere from 2,650 to 9,100 dollars. It’s not usually covered by insurance, so patients have to pay full cost. Liposuction is an estimated 700 million dollar a year business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ... ...actions. The following is an example of a liposuction fatality. A mother’s death. No one knows better the Edward Mondeck and his two children, ages nine and eleven. Two years ago, Mondeck’s wife, Rosemarie, 39, decided to have a bit of tummy fat removed with a new procedure called tumescent liposuction. Typically, patients are primed just prior to surgery by injecting large amounts of extremely diluted local anesthetic and epinephrine, a drug that shrinks the capillaries, which reduces bleeding and, many practitioners say, makes it easier to suck out the fat. According to Mondeck and his lawyer, after the drugs were injected, Rosemarie went into cardiac arrest and died. Mondeck sued, and an undisclosed settlement was reached out of court. A lawyer for the physician involved declined to â€Å"get into the issues of the case† because of privacy concerns. â€Å"It was supposed to be a touch-up procedure,† says Mondeck. â€Å"All she had was a fatty area above her bellybutton.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That was just one of many. Judy Fernandes was just 47 years old. She spent ten hours on the table and died. Lisa Marinelli was just 23 years old. She died of a blood clot the day after surgery.

Religion, Slavery, and Democracy in Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Religion, Slavery, and Democracy in Huckleberry Finn This essay will analyze the themes of religion, slavery, and democracy in the book Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. By exploring these themes that lie behind the book’s veneer, we can understand Twain’s objective for writing this book. Religion is sarcastically reflected in Huckleberry Finn by Twain’s sense of storyline and the way his characters talk. A predominant theme, and probably one of Twain's favorites, is the mockery of religion. Twain tended to attack organized religion at every opportunity and the sarcastic character of Huck Finn is perfectly situated to allow him to do so. The attack on religion can already be seen in the first chapter, when Huck indicates that hell sounds like a lot more fun than heaven. This will continue throughout the novel, with one prominent scene occurring when the "King" convinces a religious community to give him money so he can "convert" his pirate friends. Twain’s skeptical take on religion can be elicited because superstition is a theme that both Huck and Jim bring up several times. Although both of these characters tend to be quite rational, they quickly become irrational when anything remotely superstitious happens to them. The role of superstition in this book is two-fold: First, it shows that Huck and Jim are child-like in spite of their otherwise extremely mature characters. Second, it serves to foreshadow the plot at several key junctions. For example, spilling salt leads to Pa returning for Huck, and later Jim gets bitten by a rattlesnake after Huck touches a snakeskin with his hands. Another theme that is dealt with in this book is slavery. In fact, slavery is one of the main topics that has been frequently debated in regards to Huckleberry Finn since it was first published. Twain himself was vehemently anti-slavery and Huckleberry Finn can in many ways be seen as an allegory for why slavery is wrong. Twain uses Jim, a slave who is one of the main characters, as a way of showing the human side of a slave. Everything about Jim is presented through emotions: Jim runs away because Miss Watson was going to sell him South and separate him from his family; Jim is trying to become free so he can buy his family's freedom; and Jim takes care of Huck and protects him on their journey downriver in a very materialistic manner.

Work-Related Project Analysis

Computer designing is a key effective of learning computers are a good educational design. The computer designing has related learning resources went it comes to guidelines. Computer designing guidelines which meet the learning for different types of groups and which are encourage to active and rich learning. The designing can effective the computer based of learning went it come to its environment. The computer has many branch of technology which has information that is security to the computers network. There are many objectives to the computer security that protects the information from any theft and natural disaster which allows information into the computer network. The computer technologies have become unwanted computer behavior and security strategies behavior. The computer technology which has security went it comes to logic. The security primary goals are the computer designing, applications programs with the type of security which most have restrictions to different types of program behaviors. The computer software has to be trusted and be able to security the software and be trustworthy for the database to run. There are some software’s that you cannot trust with a security computer systems software and hardware. Which different types of computer systems that can resulted in many possibility and use it very limited. Because ones approached with computer systems can always lead them to failure. Computer designing which often has hardware techniques are used to effective the security after they are design. The approach of the techniques and using the techniques security systems is having the effective of the design in the computer systems. The technique is to enforce the computer design principle and provide them with the function they need to attack and gain access to the program then need. Which breaking the computer systems up within smaller components can reduce individual components when using techniques that provide the software better access. With learning different types of knowledge and building strategies when it come to computer designing. The computer design should use and defense that way more than a subsystems needs the knowledge of information. The computer designing should become defense in the security which does not provide very many platforms in information. The computer security has many vulnerable that has few risk went it comes to computers and their connected to the network. With the computer network has the internet that computer security can expand gone it especially comes to the internet and using the network? The technical went it come to the computer security is that a represented by someone else has to get authentication or availability to use the network. In some computer system different types of areas can be confidentiality which mean very important file are there and you cannot be their unless you got the password to be there. There could be many confidentiality and privacy and secrecy files that company may not want other people to see. Computer designs to protect their information so hackers can get into personal information. With the computer security database and many other resources and all confidentiality so no one will have access to unauthorized party’s personal information. Many users want to have anything with the registering with the internet site because not very many users trust the internet because people taking their personal information and buying thing with their credit card and debit card. Many users want to feel safe went using the internet and protect their personal information and make sure that no one gets into their files. Some people will say that a person’s information is very important to them like an individual’s how like to collect things or someone wanting to find someone special. Many people don’t like the computer designing electronic format because you never really know if the information that you’re putting is going somewhere else and it already could be in the wrong hand to begin with. But there are many programs with the computer designing to where you can have a set password to where no one can access but you and the person you’re talking in person so that way no can get access to your personal information. There are many designing for computers which can be excellent to keep their servers and other computer protected and equipment which can improve their design on computer properly. The computer designing are responsibility is to making sure that all technology is confidence went it come to the projects. The computer out and input information can refer to communication went a machine or human error. Because the input information and signals which receives by the computer systems. The output which on the other hand can be data or an signal sent by the computer systems. Learning about computers in general encompasses a great deal of information. This information can relate to data input and output and how software and hardware play a specific role, but most can be derived when determining what components go into a computer. A few options exist for converting from a manual to a computer based. The lower end of computer automation would be the use of a general purpose software application package. One example would be Microsoft Office which is similar to the current package in place. This package includes word processing, spreadsheet, database management presentation graphics, and personal information management. The high end would be application specific programming. Computer information systems perform dynamic and significant roles. Whether the information for personal use, small business, or a conglomerate venue the execution and management of the computer information used must work effectively. Placing into operation an informational system allows for accuracy, convenience, and quality of input and output. Installing, maintaining, and upgrading hardware and software will ensure that the operational aspect of the system allows for an extensive radius of personnel and equipment necessities. Distinguishing the storage capabilities and speed of the computer system will further warrant the computers resilience and proficiencies. Data input must be accurate and reliable. Depending on the resource and outlet of the data also depends on the method used. People are living in the age of technology. Everything we do involves some sort of computer activity. Searching for jobs, going to school, communication, games, whatever a person desires they can use a computer to obtain it. Computers use several important components to operate. These components are input and output devices, and storage devices. An input device is a device that allows users to send data or interact with the computer. The most common input devices are keyboard, and mouse. However, in this age of technology other input devices can be game controllers, web and digital cameras, scanner, or a microphone. We use different input devices to conduct our daily lives.

Christian Societies Emerge in Europe Essay

Christian Societies Emerge in Europe, 600-1200 1. What new political systems emerged in Europe after the fall of Rome? How consistent were these systems, and what major variations were there? Byzantine had a continuation of Roman Imperial rule and tradition where it was completely gone in the kingdoms succeeding Rome in the West. Byzantine still used the imperial law intact while the west used provincial form of Roman law. Byzantine combined imperial rule with the political oversight of the Christian Church which led to Christian monarchs, a ruler with supreme religious and political authority. This prevented the empire to divide into principalities like in the East. Imperial authority and urbanization of the Byzantine protected them from population loss and economic reverse of the Western Empire besides from the Bubonic plague. decline. In western Europe, the imperial legal framework of the Roman Empire disappeared and saw to the rise of kings, nobles and chieftains in regions. Family based traditions of the Germanic people persisted and supplied laws of the Roman emperors. A local lord had a castle where peasants could take refuge in times of fear and security. Manorial systems developed which are self-sufficient farming estates consisted of outbuildings, castle, peasant village and surrounding land. Feudalism is the more political term where kings and lords give land to vassals in return for sworn military support. Fear allowed for farmers to give up their land in return for protection. Poorly organized govt. and isolation made them rely on own resources. The lords provided governance and justice while royal govt. involvement is limited. Jurisdiction fell under the clergy of the church, monasteries or nunneries which owned agricultural land. During the revival of Western Europe, 1000-1200, independent cities formed and were governed by communes or groups of leading citizens. Instead of farming these cities turned to manufacturing and trade. Laws made serfs free once they left the countryside for the city. Venice became dominant sea power and competed with Pisa and Genoa for domination of trade with Muslim ports in Africa and Med. Cites in Flanders rivaled Italian cities in prosperity trade and industry (dominated fish and wool trades) Abundant coinage of silver and gold coming from Muslim and Byzantine lands, promoted economic activity 2. How and why did Christianity spread throughout Europe up to 1200 CE? It spread through the Roman Empire which ruled parts of the Europe west of the Rhine and south of the Danube. First when Christianity was not very widely practiced and it was illegal, it spread along urban networks and lower classes. Then emperors started to convert starting with the Byzantine emperors established Christianity as their official religion. Then Christianity started to gain support and patronage. There were a few missionaries sent out of the Roman Empire such as St. Patrick who spread the religion to Ireland. Trade and Christian slaves also spread Christianity more easily to a broad range of places. After the division of the Roman Empire, two –thirds of Christians adopted Muslim faith in Byzantine territories around southern Med. The church and the jurisdiction of the pope remained a huge influence and role model in society. Kings who succeeded Western Europe generally were Christian so they can win the favor of their subjects. There were more missionaries spreading the teachings of Christianity. Monasteries and covenants planted Christianity in new lands. The Poles and other Slavic people in the North accepted the Christianity of Rome, taught by German priests and missionaries, and diffusion from Constantinople. In Kiev Russia, Vladimir married a bride from the Byzantine imperial family and converted to Orthodox Christianity and opened his lands to Orthodox clerics and missionaries†¦ Generally speaking, Christianity spread because of cultural diffusion, missionaries, political contacts such as marriage alliances, and Christian conquests. 3. How does the economic, social, and political structure of Europe compare with the previous era under the Roman Empire? Economically, Byzantine government remained the same in terms of set prices, organized grain shipments to the capital and monopolies on trade goods and luxuries. This may have slowed economic developments. The focus was mainly on Constantinople’s rich, trade, glittering court and cathedrals leaving the poor and the travelers behind which affected other Byzantine cities negatively. There was no moral code to follow so there were many crimes. In Western Europe, Germanic political order cared less about the urban based  civilization of Rome. It lost pop. in most regions and some cities became villages. Roman Roads, abandoned villas and public buildings started deteriorating as wealth, maintenance, and workers decreased. Paying with coins was replaced with the bartering system. Trade declined so they had to rely on local sources. Roman centralization used its wealth and production on the capital, which spread Rome’s cultural traits throughout the provinces. But Germanic territorial lords persisted on their own cultural traditions so literacy and other aspects of Rome declined. The status of women changed. During the Roman Empire, the family was centered on the legally all-powerful father while woman enjoyed freedom in public. Later, after the 7th century, women lived in confinement and hid their faces under veil. They only socialized with males in their family. On the other hand, from 1028-1056, women ruled along their husbands. Some also played prominent roles based on status such as the daughter of Emperor Comnenus by expressing her ideas and point of view. In Western Europe, the Germanic tradition was splitting property among sons. The Manorial system allowed for Nobles and their family to completely rule over the serfs of agricultural workers who worked the land in return for protection and could not leave the manor where they were born into. This limited the freedom and potential achievement for most people except for the nobles. K nights, the primary figure of medieval warfare, regularly answered to calls for military service and there was a growing number of warriors and horsemen which gradually led to an increased status of a mounted warrior, becoming a landowner. Land was the basis of wealth so the more land, the more support for the knight there is. Fiefs or grants of land could be inheritable as long as military service was provided. Noblewomen played key parts in the Feudal system. A man who married the daughter or widow of a lord with no sons could gain control of their property. Marriage alliances affect the kingdom on a whole. Noblewomen had sufficient roles in society such as directing public works. Noble daughters AND sons had little say in marriage matters but issues of land, power, and military service took more importance. Noblewomen could inherit land even when the husband was away at war. Regular women worked with the men, performing agricultural tasks such as raking, stacking hay, shearing sheep, and picking vegetables. They also were skilled artisans so they could weave and sew. Some women lived my monastic rules by seclusion in convent  but very small percentage. Convents provided refuge for widows and for other women in need of protection and spirituality. Byzantine still maintained Roman Imperial rule and traditions. Imperial authority and urbanization of the Byzantine protected them from population loss and economic reverse of the Western Empire. The Bubonic Plague and other epidemics, excluded from this condition, caused decline of pop., elite, and wealth and shifting views of saints. Power in the imperial court was organized by family based aristocracy rather than earlier class based office holdings by 11th century. Territorial losses of prosperous Egypt, Syria, and Tunisia by the Sassanids and invasions of Slavic and Turkish people in the Byzantine Empire led to military weakness and decline. In western Europe, the imperial legal framework of the Roman Empire disappeared and saw to the rise of kings, nobles and chieftains. Family based traditions of the Germanic people persisted and supplied laws of the Roman emperors. Society focused on rural villages and estates (manors) rather than cities. The Church also played a huge part in the political structure in both Byzantine and especially the West where not only did it offer religious guidance, but political jurisdiction as well according to church or clergy property. Three traditions constantly competed with each other; Feudal law from Germanic custom gave supreme power to the king, canon law is the single hierarchical legal institution with jurisdiction over Western Christians, and Monasticism which is living in a religious and secular community following pre-Christian practices such as celibacy, chastity, obedience and poverty. 4. Describe the process by which Christianity diverged into two branches: Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. There were disagreements between the popes and princes of Western Europe that gradually worsened. The patriarchs of Constantinople challenged the jurisdictions of the popes of Rome and some practices of the Latin Church. This formed a schism or split between the Latin Church and Orthodox Church. Christian populations followed the religious guidance of the pope of Constantinople and the pope of the Western Church had similar authority. Missionaries in the East spread Christianity among the Slavs so in the west, they spread Christianity into the British Isles and German lands. In the West, the papacy is the central administration of the Roman Catholic Church of which the pope is the head. Roman nobles lost control of it though eventually and became an international office where councils of bishops set canons or rules to regulate the priest and people not part of clergy. It was hard to unite the church when there were disagreements between regions over church regulations, shortages of trained clergy, political disorder, insecurity, some polytheism, and selling appointments. Because of political fragmentation, the pope needed allies, especially the support of the king. Both considered themselves as absolute authority. In 969, the Holy Roman Empire established loose confederation of German states and principalities. The first emperor had secular political authority over general Christian interests but the law of the church controlled jurisdiction overall church and clergy property while bishops holding land as vassals owed their service to kings and princes. This led to the investiture controversy or medieval struggle between the church and the lay lords to control churc h appointments and popes vs. emperors and kings. 5. What role did technology and improvements in agriculture play in the development of the European economy? Agricultural Europe produced horses for a specific type of warfare in the Roman legion where larger and heavier horses were needed. Farmers practiced shifting cultivation in Kievan Russia where they would burn a section of forest for fertility instead of manorial agriculture system. Between 1000-1200 western Europe transformed from subsistence farming where only basic needs were met for food, shelter and clothing to growing population and agricultural production. The food surplus made the return of a money-based economy and supported larger numbers of workers and traders. Population growth was started by new technologies and the appearance of the self-governing cities of Italy and Flanders devoted to seaborne trade. There were also improvements in central administration, greater control over vassals, and stronger kingdoms. A new plow appeared which cut deep into the soil to turn over land and made it easier to farm heavy soil but took more energy and animals. The horse collar was a harnessing method used to hitch horse to plows and carts more efficiently as they were faster and stronger than oxen. Some areas favored oxen and contributed to the pop. growth as well. 6. How did Kievan Russia develop both in conjuncture with Western Europe and Byzantium yet develop distinct  characteristics? The environment is quite different because of the fact that there is frozen tundra in the north, cold forest zone, then a more temperate forest, mixed forests and steppe grasslands. There is a different culture of the Slavic people who spoke distinct languages. Kievan Russia developed Orthodox Christianity officially like in Byzantine which extended northward which provided a barrier against Latin Christianity. Even though orthodox Christianity was the official religionthere was still distinct cultural traditions such as polytheist designs and beliefs, rejections of Christian burial practices, and traditional Slavic marriage practicing casual and polygamous relations. Besides this, Kievan developed distinct ones as well. Its political power came from trade rather than from landholding like the manorial system of western Europe. Farmers practiced shifting cultivation in Kievan Russia where they would burn a section of forest for fertility. Poor land and short growing season in the very north made food scarce so the focus was more on horse breeding than agriculture.