Is online education a valuable innovation that improves opportunities Essay

Is online education a valuable innovation that improves opportunities for student or is it a poor subsititude for traditional, - Essay Example Technology is here to stay and everyone in an industrialized society needs to learn how to make the best use of it. This paper argues that online classes have numerous advantages over traditional classroom learning such as the following: the internet offers faster feedback, flexibility, and the opportunity to learn at one’s own pase. The case for online learning Online learning can be defined as â€Å"a form of distributive learning enabled by the Internet.† (Volery and Lord: 2000, p. 217). The term distributive learning in turn implies two essential ingredients: â€Å"first, a heavy reliance on technology, and second, self-learning.† (Volery and Lord: 2000, p. 217). It is important to remember that both sides of this equation are equally important: the technology must be there, and able to provide the learning opportunities, and the student must also be actively engaged and able to adopt a high level of self-management and motivation in order to engage in self-l earning. A very strong advantage of the internet over other delivery messages is that it is extremely fast. A student can access almost limitless amounts of information through a few clicks of the mouse or taps on the keyboard. Questions can be entered, and responses appear instantly. There is even the potential to access quizzes and tests, complete them, and submit them for analysis. Feedback, often with grading and tips for improvement is built in and can be received also in an extremely fast turnaround. Human teachers just simply cannot deliver this high speed response because they have to deal with every student’s work consequentially and they are subject to the limitations of needing to eat, sleep and have a private life as well as being professional teachers. The internet is always available, and except in rare cases of technical failure, always reliably fast in its response. From a teacher perspective, online learning also provides economies of time usage. Instead of d elivering information every year to each new cohort of students, the teacher supervising online learning only has to provide the main material once. Thereafter the job of the teacher is to keep the material up to date, and to monitor and support students as they learn. This is a far more effective use of time, and allows the teacher to achieve a much greater effectiveness with less repetition of tasks. Student participation and performance can be logged by the computer system, and this also removes the need for time-consuming administration. Teaching in a classroom usually operates to a defined curriculum with fixed content and clear goals. Online learning does this too, if it is well designed and focused on clear educational goals, but it offers so much more in addition to this core curriculum. The potential for hyperlinks to a vast global library of resources provides extension possibilities at every turn. A student who is not a native speaker of English, for example, can access d ictionary and grammar support alongside the learning materials if required. A a student who struggles with mathematical or statistical concepts can immediately find advice on how to approach these matters. A student who is brighter than average, or one who has a special interest in particular points can undertake further research by using search engines like â€Å"Google† or encyclopedia and reference sites. There is even potential for students to contact other internet

“Religion was more important than politics in the failure of King and Parliament to reach a settlement. 1646-1649”, Assess the validity of this statement Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Religion was more important than politics in the failure of King and Parliament to reach a settlement. 1646-1649†, Assess the validity of this statement Essay â€Å"Religion was more important than politics in the failure of King and Parliament to reach a settlement. 1646-1649†, Assess the validity of this statement. In January 1649, King Charles I was executed after being charged with high treason due to political and religious reasons, some of which contributed to his refusal in accepting the peace settlements given to him by Parliament. Charles’ refusal to compromise was supported by the division that had emerged within Parliament on how to fight the civil war between the Political Presbyterians and Political Independents. The main factors of the failure to reach a settlement were religion, politics, Charles’ intransigence, the New Model Army and the emergence of radical ideas; all of which eventually concluded to Charles’ execution. One of the main reasons why Charles and Parliament failed to reach a settlement was due to religion, especially with the division between the Political Presbyterians and Political Independents. The differences between the two were that Political Presbyterians favoured a negotiated peace with Charles and did not approve of the New Model Army, and were also drawn more closely to the Presbyterian Scots whereas the Political Independents were in favour of a more considerable measure of religious toleration and disliked the authoritarianism of Scottish Presbyterianism. This division throughout Parliament meant that they had failed to reach a settlement negotiating peace terms that was to be decided upon them. In July 1646, the Political Presbyterians had presented Charles with the Newcastle Propositions as their plan for settlement which consisted of severe terms such as Charles was to accept Presbyterianism for three years in England, Parliament was to have control of the militia for 20 years, and the Triennial Act was not to be abolished and to have regular parliaments. Charles rejected these terms of the Newcastle Propositions and instead offered counter-proposals suggesting that the Political Presbyterians would have a three year trial run and reduced parliamentary control over the militia to ten years. Smith1 says that â€Å"there was a good deal of influential opinion† when writing the Newcastle Propositions and was under the impression that Cromwell had expressed his input with these terms. As a result of this, it caused division in the army and more within Parliament as the Presbyterians responded by organising rallies in favour of peace on 26th July. The emergence of radical ideas links with religion as a reason for the failure to reach a settlement in the year 1646 to 1649 as the ideas of the Levellers and Diggers were starting to break through. The Levellers were based in London that needed to gain support by taking advantage of the army’s adjutators movement, which therefore led to their concern that increased within the army, radicalising them. The development of the Leveller movement was the result of economic distress which was cause by the civil war, particularly in London, in a time of political and religious uncertainty. At the end of April 1647, eight cavalry regiments chose men as representatives for the adjutators and met with the senior officers. The Levellers ideas, under their leader John Lilburne, had clearly influenced the policies of Henry Ireton and Oliver Cromwell condemning them as â€Å"grandees†, which expressed them having deceived what people were fighting for in the first place; driving them to accept a less moderate approach to their negotiations with the King in years to come. The Levellers had come up with a pamphlet called the â€Å"The Case of the Army Truly Stated†, which led on to the Putney Debates in October and November of 1647. The Putney Debates had the main focus on the ideas of the Levellers for the extension if the franchise which had provoked a fiery argument between John Wildman and Ireton. Still Ireton spoke for the grandees which did include Cromwell and â€Å"insisted that the franchise should be restricted to those with a permanent fixed interest in the kingdom† as Seel 2 says, and that the vote should go to those who possessed property or there would otherwise be a â€Å"disturbance to a good constitution of the kingdom†. This was seen as important because the views of the religious radicals made settlements more difficult and furthermore increased the tension of division among those in the army and in parliament. The politicisation of the New Model Army also played a significant role in the failure to reach a settlement in the years 1646 to 1649 between Charles and Parliament. What made the army politicised was the concerns of their wages of  £3 million in arrears and the possibility of being faced with the charges of committing offences from the First Civil War, as Parliament had not passed an indemnity act. The army presented Charles with the Heads of The Proposals in 1647, which links back to religious division in parliament, , under Cromwell and Ireton’s influence, putting forward more stricter terms such as religious toleration was to be more effective to a wider degree and that the army was to be controlled by parliament for only ten years instead of twenty, making the army seem like a political force however historian Coward 3 has put forward the argument that â€Å"the army was not apolitical when it was first established.† Despite these terms, Charles still refused to accept them which then led to the Vote of No Addresses in January 1648 and settled that no more future negotiations were to be made with Charles. The importance of this factor was important as the army had felt that they had been pushed to resort to drastic methods and realised that it was most likely that Charles would never accept them. Another important factor that contributed to the failure to reach a settlement was Charles’ intransigence. In July 1646 the Newcastle Propositions were offered to Charles, which still would have granted him much power if he’d have accepted them, but refused to accept them. At the end of December 1647 after refusing both the Newcastle Propositions and the Heads of Proposals, Charles made his escape from confinement at Hampton Court where he would sign the Engagement with the Scots, in which Charles had agreed to allow Presbyterianism in England for three years only if they would grant him a Scottish invasion that would enable him to return back to power. With the possibility of the invasion going ahead, the chances of another civil war had increased. In April 1648 the New Model Army met at Windsor to pray before facing their enemies and declared that Charles was a â€Å"man of blood†, which soon would be one of the religious reasons for Charles’ execution in January 1649. Furthermore another political reason such as the Presbyterians’ offer of the Newport Treaty to Charles, who was now being held captive on the Isle of Wight, was sent to him as a matter of desperation to end the Second Civil War and prevent another one from occurring. However, the army and Ireton were not prepared to allow these negotiations to be undertaken and were forced to act, Kishlansky 4 says â€Å"Ireton had always been the Army’s strategist, the penman who could write the stirring propaganda of the Army’s declaration† and that he demanded a â€Å"purge or dissolution of Parliament and a trial of the King†. For the Newport Treaty to continue, a vote in Parliament took place on 5th December which had 129 for the continuation, and 83 against it, leading Ireton to act immediately and organise the army led by Colonel Thomas Pride who purged Parliament of those who were in favour in negotiating with the King; through this action taken against Parliament, the Rump would take over and conclude that Charles was to be put to trial. In conclusion, the failure to reach a settlement in the year 1646 to 1649 was due to the main religious factors such as the Windsor Prayer meeting of April 1648 where Charles was seen as â€Å"a man of blood†, the religious division in Parliament between Political Presbyterians and Political Independents and his agreement with the Irish which reinforced his support of Catholicism and his defeat in the two civil wars which came across as God’s judgement on his cause. Nevertheless, the main political reasons were down to Charles’ intransigence, fear amongst those in Parliament and the army that Charles would agree to the terms of the Newport Treaty, and fear of him starting another civil war. Overall the main reason for the failure of reaching a settlement was because of religion, although politics became very important in years to come as Presbyterians and Independents became concerned and needed a settlement for the sake of the kingdom.

Gun Control Essays -- Second Amendment The Right To Bear Arms

Gun Control Throughout America there is the constant debate concerning the second amendment or the right to bare arms. One day an innocent kid walking home from school gets shot in a drive by shooting is he just a victim of circumstance or could this of been easily prevented. There are lobbyist for the private ownership of guns and lobbyist for legislation to ban personal possession of guns for good. In this paper I hope that just maybe I can persuade you to think differently on a topic that’s stirring up the nation. First you must look at the obvious problem first and foremost crime. 85% of all violent crimes are committed with handguns(Mosley,104). Some say that yes if these criminals are criminals simple legislation isn’t going to prevent them from getting handguns. I think this couldn’t be more wrong in actuality lots of crimes are committed with guns that kids have taken from their parents. Every day you hear in the news kids killing kids weather it’s a school shooting or gangs and the easy availability of guns is just promoting the cause. If we pass legislation to get rid of these god like life takers then the kids can’t get to them. If you look at it thought it is a trickling down process. If guns aren’t as easily distributed to shops only a few shops would be permitted to carry them. Then of those few shops only under special circumstances could they sell them to some adults then only a fraction of the kids who had access to guns in the home before this legislation ...

Catherine A Mackinnon`s Only Words

Constitutionally protected speech that is Clearly sexual abuse is discriminating and unconstitutional, therefore, must be restricted speech. Catherine A. MacKinnon, in her book Only Words gives persuading evidence that pornography subordinates women as a group through sexual abuse. She says Protecting pornography means protecting sexual abuse as speech, at the same time that both pornography and its protection have deprived women of speech, especially speech against pornography (MacKinnon, 9). MacKinnon argues this bye explaining defamation and discrimination, racial and sexual harassment, and equality and peech. Women are sexually abused for the making of pornography. Torture, rape, hot wax dripping over nipples, and murdering women are the tools to produce a product of evil. Literature is the description of these crimes against humanity (emphasized) and cameras are proof of these crimes. On the assumption that words have only a referential relation to reality, pornography is defended as only words-even when it is pictures women had to directly used to make, even when the means of writing are womens bodies, even when a women is destroyed in order to say it or show it or because it was said or shown. MacKinnon, 12) However, assuming words are only a partial relation to reality would mean we would have to reconsider what reality is. Our wedding vows such as I do would be meaningless and a jury could never return a verdict that is only partial to reality. These words are treated as the institutions and practices they constitute, rather than as expressions of the idea they embody (Mackinnon, 13) Therefore, if these words of pornography are only words, dont they institutionalize rape Since pornography is rape on women. Pornography is protected by the First Amendment as free speech, but why Because he pornographic materials are construed as ideas, and the First Amendment protects ideas. Pornography is commonly brushed of as some product of fantasy for those who buy it. But what about the women who were tortured to make it. Also it is brushed off as simulated. This means that the pain and hurt the women are feeling is just acting. Put a little music and a smile here and there to cover up the pain, and you are portraying to and giving pure pleasure for those who buy the product. Just like fantasizing a death, how do you simulate a death But discarding pornography as a representation is the most frequent excuse. But how can a murder be justified on terms of representation (MacKinnon, 27,28) . When one fantasizes about murdering another person, this is premeditation of murder. If he were to express this idea, he would be heard as expressing a threat and penalized. For the obvious reason, publications that are how to guides on murdering people are not protected speech. I believe Pornography is the catalyst for premeditation of rape. Pornography flicks are how to guides for rape. So why are they legal His idea is protected, and further more is his threat of Im gonna *censored* her, because both are seen as antasy, but why isnt murder seen as fantasy Murder is the loss of ones life, but so is pornography when women have been killed to produce it. Pornography is proven to be addicted. When somebody is addicted to premeditating rape, its only a matter of time before his addiction of premeditation becomes a solid plan. Sexual or racial harassment has been suggested to only be made illegal if only directed at an individual and not a group. The idea seems to be that injury to one person is legally actionalble, but the same injury to thousands of people is protected speech.. MacKinnon, 51) This would be disparate impact which involves employment practices that are facially neutral in their treatment of different groups, but that, in fact, fall more harshly on one group than another and cannot be justified by business necessity. (Lindgren & Taub,167) Pornography is disparate impact on women, because of the sexual abuse, and ironically the disparate impact seems to be the business necessity. Under Title Sevens disparate impact treatment concept, pornography is illegal. I just have to prove it now) Also, is there not easonable harm (Wolgast, 432, Fem Juris) for a women to visit a place where men are watching a porno and premeditating her rape Is she not infringed on her First Amendment right to congregate with equal respect. The idea of pornography (pre meditated rape) does not allow her respect. It does not allow respect for women as a whole, living among men as a whole, who have the idea in their mind. Two groups, men and women, one who is premeditating rape against the other because of a purchased product, pornography, the catalyst to rape. Pornography clearly resembles the theory of Dominance. The important difference etween men and women is that women get *censored*ed and men *censored* women (MacKinnon, 499. Fem Juris) socially and constitutionally. This in turn renders them incapable of an individual self. When protected dehumanizing speech (pornography) is ramped in the market, subordination of women occurs. The more violent speech gets, it seems that more protected it becomes. The more pornography expands, the more protected it becomes. Therefore, the more pornography is produced, the more unequal women become, and there speech is less heard and reduced to Only words.. (MacKinnon) Women are then left to remain silent.

Comparing Rich Points

Comparing Rich Points: Understanding Japanese Languaculture Research Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for graduation with Research Distinction in Japanese in the Department of East Asian Languages & Literature at The Ohio State University by Andrew Gaddis The Ohio State University March 2012 Project Advisor: Professor James M. Unger, Department of East Asian Language and Literature 1 1. Introduction In this thesis, I attempt to show the linguistic and non-linguistic behaviors that are found prominently throughout Japanese society. This paper is divided into two major parts.The first is devoted to describing the prominence of the metaphorical concept LEARNING IS A JOURNEY in the linguistic behavior of Japan. The second describes how the same metaphorical concept is also found throughout the non-linguistic behavior of the Japanese culture. Based on Lakoff and Johnson’s (1979) general theory of meaning, this paper examines a particular instance of the r elationship between Japanese culture and language in detail, namely the Sino-Japanese noun doo ‘road, way’ ? and native noun miti. Lakoff and Johnson argue convincingly that metaphors are not just literary or poetic uses of words separate from ordinary language use.Metaphorical relations, in their view, are essential to how speakers of a language deal with meanings. One of their key examples is the journey metaphor seen in such English sentences as â€Å"We arrived at a conclusion† and â€Å"I don’t think our relationship is going anywhere. † For Lakoff and Johnson, such sentences illustrate the metaphors ARGUMENTS ARE JOURNEYS and LOVE IS A JOURNEY. Sino-Japanese doo is frequently used as a suffix in nouns with meanings that connote a spiritual path or way, or at least some method of self-cultivation. Since the character ? s customarily glossed miti, this native noun too has that metaphorical connotation. This character was adopted from China by wa y of the Korean peninsula in 2 the 1st millennium CE (Frellesvig 2010), where it long had a strong metaphorical connotation (spiritual path or way) already in the classics of the 1st millennium BCE, most notably the Daodejing of Laozi . Today, we see its widespread use in non-Daoist contexts. I argue that these expressions show that the underlying metaphor LEARNING IS A JOURNEY is particularly robust in Japan language life (gengo seikatu . By comparing Japanese doo and miti ‘road, path’ with English journey, we find similarities and differences that can be understood in terms of the concepts languaculture and rich points introduced by Michael Agar in his book Language Shock. As I will discuss in detail in Section 4, Agar argues (1) that language use cannot be understood outside the cultural context in which it is used, and (2) that conspicuous differences in the way two languacultures talk about the same or similar real-world facts and events reveal how they are struc tured.Human beings have much in common all over the world, so similarities in languacultures are numerous and expected, at least for people living in similar ecological circumstances. Rich points stand out precisely because they occur unexpectedly when one compares two languacultures. By comparing Japanese doo and miti with English journey in Lakoff and Johnson’s sense, I propose to show that the journey metaphor is a locus of an important rich point found within the two languacultures. I turn to the topic of pilgrimages in the second part of the paper (Section 5).Pilgrimages has long had played a significant role in Japanese religious practice. By the time of the Edo period, a gentleman was expected to cultivate skills in â€Å"medicine, poetry, the tea ceremony, music, the hand drum, the noh dance, etiquette, the 3 appreciation of craft work, arithmetic, calculation, literary composition, reading and writing† (Totman 1993,186). Once one has acquired considerable skil l in the art of pursuit, they would often go on a pilgrimage to learn more about the art and study the methods used in distant places. For this reason, pilgrimages were an important learning experience for the Japanese people.Here, I argue that the concept of LEARNING IS A JOURNEY exists even in the non-linguistic behavioral context. In the end of the section, I argue that LEARNING IS A JOURNEY is a common concept to both the linguistic domain and the non-linguistic domain of Japanese languaculture. I attempt to prove that the commonality found in the two domains is not due to a cause-and-effect relationship, where one domain causes the other. Instead, I suggest that both of these behaviors have their origins from a common set of historical circumstances, namely the impact of Chinese culture, Buddhism and Daoism.I argue that the impact of Buddhism and Daoism on Japanese intellectual thought have played a bigger role in shaping this conceptual metaphor that are prominently seen in bo th the linguistic and non-linguist domains of Japanese culture. 2. Theory of metaphor For most people, metaphorical expressions are assumed to be extensions of ordinary language, that is, instances of language outside of conventional usage intended to represent or suggest non-literal meaning. For this reason, metaphor is seen as extraordinary—a device of the literary or poetic imagination. Opposing this view, 4Lakoff and Johnson argue that metaphor is pervasive in everyday language, thought, and action. To understand metaphor, one must first identify its source. Lakoff and Johnson claim that metaphor originates in prelinguistic thought, not in language per se. Our concepts structure what we perceive, how we get around in the world, and how we relate to other people. Thus, our conceptual system plays a central role in defining our notions of reality. Since we are not consciously aware of most of the actions we do everyday, distinguishing the different components of our concept ual system is by no means straightforward.However, because communication is based on the same conceptual system that we use in thinking and acting, we can figure out just what that system is like through linguistic analyses. To give a concrete example, Lakoff and Johnson start off with the concept ARGUMENT and the conceptual metaphor ARGUMENT IS WAR. The following is a list of sentences that they cite to illustrate this point: ARGUMENT IS WAR Your claims are indefensible. He attacked every weak point in my argument. His criticisms were right on target. I’ve never won an argument with him. You disagree? Okay, shoot! (Lakoff & Johnson 1979, 4) 5Notice that these sentences are not just explicitly about war but the actions mentioned in the sentences only make sense in relation to the concept of war. Since argument is an attempt to persuade someone of something or to accept a particular conclusion, we can conceive of arguments as something to win or lose. We defend our position an d strategize a way to attack our opponent’s claims. Though a physical battle does not take place, a verbal one does, and many of the actions we perform in an argument reflect this. This instance well illustrates how metaphor pervades not just language but thought and action as well.The full significance of this theory does not come into sight when looking at a single language and its ambient culture. Try to imagine a culture where arguments are not viewed in terms or war, where no one wins or loses, or where there is no sense of attacking or defending. Imagine a culture where direct confrontation is shunned, where people are extremely cautious not to disprove the opinions of others, where the participants’ social statuses determine the amount of force that will be considered as appropriate in the conversation, and go-betweens are used to solve most conflicts.In such a culture, people would, according to Lakoff and Johnson, view, experience, perform, and talk about the arguments differently. But the people of our culture might not see them as â€Å"arguing† at all, because what they are doing does not fit our metaphorical understanding of what constitutes arguing. This is how a metaphorical concept structures what we do and how we experience it. It is not that arguments are a subspecies of war in any metaphysical sense. It is rather there is a type of conversation that, in English-speaking culture, is 6 viewed, experienced, performed, and talked about in terms of war.The concept is metaphorically structured, the activity is metaphorically structured, and, consequently, the language is metaphorically structured. Although metaphor plays a central role in structuring language, there is nevertheless an extensive range of concepts that are not comprehended with the use of metaphor, which often is referred to literal language. For example, the sentence â€Å"The apple fell on Newton’s head† can be deployed in a completely literal wa y. It could be an example sentence in an academic paper on generative syntax, or a sentence in a child’s book explaining a picture.But in our language, one is more likely to encounter this sentence in a context in which it is freighted with metaphorical meaning. It is typically deployed in contexts where the speaker wants to let the listener know that s/he sees a relevant comparison between something they have either observed or known about and beliefs they share about the invention and discovery. The sentence may be used in a humorous or ironic way (making fun of someone suddenly realizing something), or a dramatic, serious way (praising someone with a proverbial reference).By comparing our abstractions (ideas, emotions, etc. ) to what can be physically experienced, we can get a grasp on them in clearer terms. The JOURNEY metaphor is commonly used in many languages. In English, we have many expressions where the concept of love is often described as that of a journey, which will be referred to as LOVE IS A JOURNEY metaphor. For example, take a look at the following common expressions: 7 Look how far we’ve come. We’re at a crossroads. We’ll just have to go our separate ways. We can’t turn back now. I don’t think this relationship is going anywhere.Where are we? We’re stuck. It’s been a long, bumpy road. This relationship is a dead-end street. We’re just spinning our wheels. We’ve gotten off the track. (Lakoff & Johnson 1979, 44) In every case, love is understood in terms of a journey. It is clear that the lovers are the travelers, and the relationship is the vehicle. The purpose of the journey is for the travelers to reach a destination, more precisely, for the lovers to accomplish their goals of common interest. What the dead-end street and spinning wheels are alluding to are the difficulties in reaching that destination.The purpose of these expressions is to encourage the listener to draw an inference. Take the expression â€Å"Where are we? † for example. Outside of the love metaphor context, it is a simple question. The metaphorical context invites the listener to reflect on how things came to be the way they are, how they might have turned out differently, and what could be done now to 8 change them. By accepting the scenario of making a journey toward the consummation of love, we can comprehend the analogy used to reason the human relationship of love.To end the section on a similar note, it is sometimes said that English secondlanguage learners have trouble with expressions like â€Å"We’re at a crossroads† or â€Å"it’s been a long, bumpy road. † The likely reason for this is because the difficult part of acquiring language proficiency does not so much lie in the process of mastering the vocabulary or grammar of a language, but mastering the metaphors typically used in the language. This is especially the case since dictionari es take only limited account of the metaphorical meaning of words and phrases.The problem is that ways of talking about the experience of love in English language are metaphorically absent in the learner’s language and culture. 1 Therefore, learning to recognize the metaphorical relations in language is key not only to understanding the way the speakers of the language conceptualize the world but also to acquiring language proficiency. The concept is metaphorically structured, the activity is metaphorically structured, and, consequently, the language is metaphorically structured. 3. doo and miti? Much like in the English language, the JOURNEY metaphor is a frequently used concept in the Japanese language.Take a look at the following examples of the LOVE 1 An idiom is a word or phrase that is morphologically or syntactically irregular with respect to the language in which it occurs. Native speakers often know an expression is idiomatic when asked. Metaphors, on the other hand, often occur below the level of consciousness. 9 IS A JOURNEY metaphor in Japanese: (1) a. koi no katamiti kippu love GEN one-way ticket ‘One-way ticket to love’ b. koizi no yami love’s pathway GEN darkness ‘Love is blind’ c. miti naranu koi path will not love Illicit love affair’ d. huuhu no miti husband and wife GEN path ‘marital values’ Again, in every case love is understood in terms of a journey. It is clear that the lovers are the travelers, and the relationship is the vehicle. It is noteworthy to mention, that the relationship can take various forms of a vehicle in the journey. Notice that there 10 is no single consistent vehicle that the journey metaphors all use. In example (1a) the vehicle of the relationship is some mode of public transport. Consider a situation when this expression is used.Given that this expression about a relationship is understood in terms of travel, the kind of reasoning evoked should generally reflect a situation where the lovers (travelers) are in a quickly progressing relationship (vehicle) to their goal of common interest (destination). The one-way ticket most likely implies that returning back to the start of the journey is not considered for the travellers, and that they are fast approaching their destination as if they were traveling by some mode of public transport. The rest of the examples, unlike (1a), do not specify the means of transportation for the travelers.For examples (1b) and (1c), this is because the purpose of the expression is to describe the impediments the travelers encounter in pursuing the destination. The literal translation of the two would be ‘darkness of love’s pathway,’ and ‘path that will not lead to the destination of love. ’ What the darkness and misguided path are alluding to is the difficulties in reaching the destination, both of which implies that a change of action needs to be taken to successfully rea ch the destination. (1d) literally translates ‘the path of the married couple. This expression represents the ideal path a married couple should take. Take a look at the following for examples of the LIFE IS A JOURNEY metaphor, which is also commonly found in both languages. (2) 11 a. zinsei yama ari tani ari life mountain exists valley exists ‘Life has its ups and down’ b. ikiru miti live (vb) road ‘The road of life’ c. senri no miti mo ippo kara thousand-mile GEN road FOC one-step ABL ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’ Notice that the literal translation of these expressions in Japanese and English are highly idiomatic.This is why a word for word rendering of the expressions would seem unnatural. In example (2a), the lexical items yama ‘mountain’ and tani ‘valley’ are translated â€Å"ups† and â€Å"downs. † Knowing that this expression represents life as a sort of journe y with obstacles to overcome, we can conjecture the logic behind this expression without much effort. A traveler would occasionally encounter times of relative ease and difficulty throughout the journey. While walking up a mountain is a laborious task, walking down the mountain into the valley requires considerably less effort.What the metaphor suggests is that the experience of life is much like that. There are times of ups and downs, good and bad, easy and hard etc. Nevertheless, if the expression were to remain in its literal translation, â€Å"life has its 12 mountains and valleys,† it would not be too difficult for the English speaker to comprehend the message being communicated. Since LIFE IS A JOURNEY is a commonly used metaphor in the English language as well, the enormous amount of information that is not explicitly provided will be understood from the knowledge of how life is understood in relation to a journey.It is not that the languages do not have expressions th at are equivalent in meaning, but it is more that the lexical items used to construct a metaphorical expression in one language do not match the lexical items in the other. Therefore, even if the expression is uncommon to the hearer, given that it is a commonly used metaphor in the languages, an intelligent guess can be made to make sense of it all. The following is an example of the LEARNING IS A JOURNEY metaphor: (3) gakumon ni oodoo nasi scholarship DAT royal-road non-existent ‘There is no Royal Road to learning’Based on the meaning of this expression described in the Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, the phrase is a translation of the proverbial expression ‘There is no Royal Road to learning’. This phrase is legendarily attributed to Euclid, who is said to have used it in reply to a king’s request for an easier way to learn geometry. A Persian Royal Road actually existed; it was a 1677-mile long highway stretching, in modern terms, from the center of Iran to northern Turkey. To get from the starting point to the end of the highway 13 is believed to have taken over 90 days on foot, but only a week by horse (Herodotus 1889, 213).By metaphorizing the process of learning geometry as a lengthy journey, the claim that a Royal Road did not exist not only signified that there was no shortcut but also that even a king could not make one, as the Persian kings had made the Royal Road. It is interesting to note that despite long survival and overuse, the metaphor retains an appeal for speakers of many languages and is still used. Even Sigmund Freud famously described dreams as â€Å"Royal Road to the unconscious† in The Interpretation of Dreams, 1889 [1998]. In the context of Japanese culture, however, there are many expressions where learning is understood in terms of a journey.The reason for this is because the metaphor LEARNING IS A JOURNEY is a more salient feature in the Japanese language. The following are commonly used expressions of the LEARNING IS A JOURNEY metaphor in Japanese: (4) a. manabi no miti o aruku learning GEN road ACC walk (vb) ‘Walk the way of learning’ b. manabi no miti-annai learning GEN guidepost ‘A guidepost of learning’ 14 c. manabi no sen-ri no miti learning GEN thousand-ri GEN road ‘The thousand-ri way of learning d. manabi no miti ni wa owari wa nai learning GEN the way LOC TOP end TOP non-existent There is no end in the way of learning’ The examples in (4) shows that a metaphorical noun phrase ? ’ â€Å"path† modified by â€Å"learning† can be used in the various expressions. In every case, learning is understood in terms of a journey, and it is clear that the learner is a traveler in pursuit of knowledge. The purpose of the journey is for the traveler to reach a desired destination, more specifically, acquiring knowledge. In these examples, learning relates to journey in the sense that the traveler will leave his or her known environment and venture into an unknown place where new discoveries will be made.In example (4a) the traveler is selfpropelled. That is to say, the traveler’s volition is the vehicle. The expression is probably used in situations where the person using the phrase is still in the progress of acquiring knowledge. Example (4b) illustrates a situation where the learner (traveler) makes use of available resources to alleviate the impediments of reaching the destination (acquiring knowledge). For instance, a traveler will often make use of guideposts as a guide for reaching the desired destination. Similarly, the learner will often rely on teachers, books, 15 r the like to guide them to acquiring knowledge. (4c) illustrates a situation where acquiring knowledge is an arduous task, and it compares this difficulty of attaining knowledge to long distance travel. (4d) is a common expression saying that there is no end to learning. Again, we know that all of these expressions are metaphorical because none of them would make sense literally. More examples are provided in (5): (5) a. zyoodoo become road (the way) ‘completing the path of becoming a Buddha’ b. zyuudoo gentleness road (the way) ‘judo’ c, aiki syuutoku e no miti aiki acquisition -to GEN road (the way) The way to aikido acquisition’ According to the Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, zyoodoo is Buddhist terminology that refers to either the moment a Bodhisattva becomes a Buddha after completing certain 16 practices and attains enlightenment, or the time Shakyamuni became enlightened sitting under the Bo tree. This Sino-Japanese term in its literal sense originally meant to attain the way. Zyoodoo is metaphorical inasmuch as it referred in the first instance to the historical Buddha but could then refer to someone else becoming a Buddha; this was no doubt borrowed from a preexisting metaphor use in Chinese.In the case of judo, as shown in (5b), we know that this is in fact a native Japanese noun coined in the Meiji period by the scholar Kano Jigoro (Watson 2008, xv). Before this coinage, this style of fighting was referred to as zyuzyutsu. Which makes sense since martial arts terminology prior to the Meiji period generally used the suffix ? zyutu ‘art, means, technique’ instead of the suffix ? doo. Zyuzyutsu was a brutal method of open handed combat that Kano felt was too violent for the modern age. Thus, in the interest of safety and practicality, he turned it into a sport under the name judo.The new institution Kodokan that he opened in Tokyo was, in his eyes, a place where â€Å"one is guided along a road to follow in life† (Watson 2008, xvi). It must be the case that he applied the suffix doo due to the fact that the metaphorical connotations it carried was appropriate for his philosophy2. The example in (5c) is a title of a book written by Kimura Tatsuo, a mathematics professor at the University of Tsukuba and an aikido enthusia st, about the art of aikido. Syuutoku e no miti generally means ‘the road to acquiring. ’ This phrase is often used to modify the nominal it follows.Thus, aiki syuutoku e no miti in its metaphorical sense means ‘the road to gaining knowledge about aikido. ’ 2 Many other traditional arts and martial arts employed the suffix doo (e. g. kendoo ‘kendo,’ kyuudoo ‘archery,’ sadoo ‘tea ceremony, way of tea’). 17 The reason for the many LEARNING IS A JOURNEY expressions arising in the Japanese language is attributed to an earlier influence from the Chinese classic Daodejing of Laozi. The Chinese word dao (‘road, way’ ? ) has long had strong metaphorical connotation of spiritual path or way. When the oanword and character were adopted in Japanese in the 1st millennium CE, along with them came the connotation. As stated earlier, learning is understood in part by the journey metaphor. Since this thought is crucial to the formation of the meaning, we see an abundance of words whose meanings are shaped by this metaphor. Take the native Japanese verb mitibiku ‘to guide; to lead; to show the way,’ for example. It is a compound word of ? miti and hiku ‘to lead, pull’. This word has departed from the literal meaning based on the meaning of components miti and hiku.We can see this from the following excerpt written by the Japanese poet, Yamanoue no Okura in the Man’yoshu: (6) moromoro no oomikami-tati hunanohe ni mitibiki moosi various NOM god PLUR prow LOC guide request ‘Various gods, I request you to guide this ship by its prow’ The literal meaning based on the components of the word cannot be applied here; however, the metaphorical extension of the meaning can be applied. According to the Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, the word has come to mean â€Å"guide† at least since the 8th 18 century, as we can tell from its use in the excerpt.The definition provided here is not the literal meaning, but the metaphorical. The fact that a metaphorical extension has been added to the literal meaning of the word, illustrates how a new metaphorical connotation may be incorporated into the original literal meaning of a word. In the case of , what probably happened was that the literal meaning it was originally associated with was bleached out over time, and took on the metaphorical meaning as its dominant meaning. Through these examples, we have seen that the journey metaphor has a significant role in the Japanese language. Since the expressions provided n this section are highly idiomatic, in most cases, a word for word rendering of the expressions may not intuitively make sense for the non-native speakers of Japanese. However, that does not take away the fact that the expressions in question surfaces from the same underlying metaphor. There are cases where both languages have an expression that serves the same purpose but the lexical matc hing is not quite the same, and there are cases where lexical matchings will be nearly exact. On the other hand, we have also seen how it is possible for a metaphor to be more salient in one language than in the other.These examples illustrate just how a metaphor common to both languages can manifest itself differently. 4. Languacultures and Rich Points To better understand the similarities and differences of the journey metaphor used in the English and Japanese language, I would like to present the concepts 19 languaculture and rich points introduced by Michael Agar in his book Language Shock. Languaculture refers to the notion that a system of conventionalized symbols, sounds, gestures, or the like used by a particular community for communication cannot be understood without also knowing the conventional behaviors and beliefs of that community.Therefore, he argues, it is necessary to tie the concept of language and culture together whenever talking about language (Agar 1994, 60). Rich point refers to a moment when a person is at a languacultural interface and encounters a difference in the ways of communicating from his or her cultural assumptions3. Let us look at the study of junkies by Agar to illustrate this example of rich points. Junkie is a term often used to refer to heroine addicts. During his two-year service in the U. S. Public Health Service, Agar worked to help treat heroin addicts.As a linguist, he started on a collection of terms used by the addicts. What he found peculiar about the collection of terms was that even though they spoke the same language as he did, they made use of certain words that was unique to the junkies. For example, the process of injecting heroin would be described in different terms by junkies, as opposed to people with background in the medical field. The premedical student will most likely begin describing the process like the following, â€Å"Well, you first take this hypodermic syringe, and then †¦ while the jun kie will say, â€Å"First, you take the works, and then †¦ † According to Agar, the heroin users he met during his service used what is referred to as the works to inject heroin; an assembly of the top of a baby pacifier fastened onto an eyedropper with a needle slipped over its narrow end and a gasket of thread or paper to hold it tight. For this reason, the term works is 3 The term languaculture refers to the notion that the use of language differs with respect to its culture. Therefore, differences in language use also occur within a language by various other subcultures. 0 generally used in their culture to refer to the instrument used for injecting heroin. Now, suppose a context where two junkies are walking up the stairs in a building. Here is what they say: (7) â€Å"Say man, you got your works with you? † â€Å"Yeah, they’re right here in my pocket. Don’t worry about it. † (Agar 1994, 90) After learning what the term works refers to, a n ordinary person may infer that this is a situation where a junkie inquires another to make sure he has the necessary equipment for getting intoxicated. However, that was not the reason for their exchange.Instead, they were concerned about the possibility of an authority being in the proximity. Since the possession of this instrument justifies arrest, the junkies were concerned because they were confined in an enclosed space; an enclosed space does not have much room to run or get rid of the evidence. The reason for the exchange quoted above is that one junkie is worried about the possibility of an authority being in the proximity, and the other reassured that he could get rid of the instrument quickly if an authoritative figure were to appear, since they are right in his pocket.This sort of encounter that arises from one’s languacultural assumptions is what Agar refers to rich points. Human beings have much in common all over the world, so similarities in languacultures are numerous and expected, at least for people living in similar ecological circumstances. However, occasionally an unexpected use of language will arise which reflects a difference between the underlying conceptual systems between the two languacultures. These conspicuous differences found in the 21 way two languacultures talk about the same or similar real-world facts and events reveal how they are structured.Having established these points, we can now see the similarities and differences that can be understood in terms of languaculture and rich point. As we have seen, the journey metaphor in Japanese languaculture is similar in many respects to that of the English languaculture. A person of the English languaculture can apply many similar uses of the journey metaphor used in his language to convey messages in Japanese. However, once we took a look at the LEARNING IS A JOURNEY metaphor, we noticed that there is some underlying difference between the two systems of languacultures.This rich point shows that the journey metaphor used in the Japanese languaculture is not always congruent to its uses in the English languaculture, more precisely that the conceptual metaphor LEARNING IS A JOURNEY is a much more salient feature of the Japanese languaculture. The reason why this rich point stands out to the English speaking community is precisely because we place a higher emphasis on knowledge as an entity that can be acquired. Take for example common English expressions like â€Å"I was hunting for the facts,† â€Å"I had to track that down,† â€Å"he won his degree at Oxford. The emphasis for these examples is that knowledge is something to be collected, whereas in Japanese, they place a stronger emphasis on knowledge as something that is to be transmitted to the learner through the process of engaging in the act, as we have seen in the LEARNING IS A JOURNEY examples. 22 5. Pilgrimages in Japan Now that we have made this point that the LEARNING IS A JOU RNEY metaphor is a more prominent feature of Japanese languaculture than English languaculture, let us see how it relates to observations we make about English and Japanese behavioral culture.For one, pilgrimages are loaded with rich points. As we can tell from such classical literary works like Heike monogatari and Sarashina nikki, pilgrimages have been an important religious practice for the Japanese people from at least the Heian period. Although it was originally an aristocratic practice, all classes of people were allowed to go on pilgrimages by the time of the Edo period (Vaporis 2008, 165). Due to the development of a national infrastructure provided with lodging, towns, and horses, this period of peace allowed for the masses to travel comfortably in search of spiritual fulfillment.The commoners were permitted to travel by the authorities as long as they were going on a pilgrimage or had familial purposes. Among the many temples and shrines in Japan, the amount of people maki ng pilgrimages to the Ise shrine increased rapidly. The Ise shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the goddess Amaterasu in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture. Since ancient times, the festivals and offerings of the Ise shrine has been scheduled based on the cycle of agriculture. People would go to Ise to give thanks to the kami and pray for a plentiful harvest. ()The desire to make a pilgrimage to Ise Shrine, at least once in one’s life was universal among Japanese people of the day. The people who have had the opportunity to undertake the pilgrimage would share the things that they had seen and heard on the 23 journey. These travelers’ tales inspired others to undertake the journey, in a cycle that perpetuated the legendary status of the Ise pilgrimage as something that everyone should do at least once in their lives. The Edo period is often referred to as a time of peace and stability in Japan, and as such the people had the means and leisure time to pursue their aes thetic enjoyment.To explain, Tokugawa ideology grouped higher cultural attainments into two categories, bu and bun, military and literary arts. A gentleman of the time were expected to show interest in bun, more so than bu. Bun embraced reading and writing, Chinese thought, poetry, history and literature, noh dance and drama, tea ceremony, and other customary arts (Totman 1993, 186). Once one has acquired considerable skill in the art of pursuit, they would often go on a pilgrimage to learn more about the art and methods used in distant places. Thus, pilgrimages were an important learning experience for the Japanese people.Take the renowned haiku poet Matsuo Basho for example. In his travel diary Oku no hoso miti (Keene 1996), Basho journeys on foot to see the sites that had inspired famous poets before him. He knew the location of the places the poems described, and it was important for him to get a direct experience with the inspiration the poets must have felt when composing thei r poem. Basho’s descriptions of the places he visited, many of which were at shrines and temples, were significant not just because the sites were awe-inspiring, but because of the legends and poems associated with the locations.Like the poems that inspired Basho to take on the journey, his own work have in turn inspired others to travel and learn about the places he talk about from a first hand experience. 24 Sangaku pilgrimages are another example. Sangaku are geometrical puzzles written on wooden tablets, which were placed as offerings at Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. In Japan, it is fairly natural to hang wooden tablets at shrines and temples; for centuries before sangaku came into existence, worshippers would bring gifts like the sort to local shrines. The kami, it was said, loved horses, but horses were expensive.So a worshipper who could not afford to offer a living one, offered a horse drawn on a piece wood instead. In fact, many tablets from the fifteenth cent ury and earlier depict horses (Fukagawa & Rothman 2008, 8). However, there was also a practical purpose in hanging the tablets. Ordinary people at the time could not afford to publish books with their novel mathematical problems. Therefore, as an alternative solution to gain recognition, they took up the ancient custom of bringing votive tablets to temples and began to hang sangaku to advertise their work (Fukagawa & Rothman 2008, 21).Just like the poets who would travel for the sake of knowledge and experience, a number of geometers including Hodoji Zen, and Sakuma Yoken took â€Å"sangaku pilgrimages† to teach mathematics, encourage amateurs and lovers of geometry, and to hang and see previously hung sangaku in temples around the country. Among these itinerants was Yamaguchi Kanzan, a mathematician from the school of Hasegawa Hiroshi. In his journeys, he recorded a substantial travel diary that describes the sights, meetings with friends and other mathematicians, and the sa ngaku, problems he came across.With many distant mathematicians, he has discussed new technical methods of solving mathematical problems. â€Å"If you buy this book,† he claimed, â€Å"then you will be able to know and obtain without traveling the new technical 25 methods of solving problems of far-away mathematicians† (Fukagawa & Rothman 2008, 244). () Pilgrimages were an important method of self-cultivation for people from all walks for life, with interests ranging from martial arts to moral philosophy. There are many reasons for the rise in popularity of pilgrimages, but it is probably the case that the roots of this trend come from Zen Buddhism.The history of Zen begins in Japan with the samurai class of Kamakura. Zen Buddhism had little chance of becoming popular in Heian period Kyoto due to the strong opposition of the older schools of Buddhism. Where as in Kamakura, there were no such difficulties. Due to its philosophical and moral nature, Zen appealed greatly to the military classes (Suzuki 1959, 60). As the samurai’s became a new force in politics, they brought with them the newly embraced religion to the court.This in turn had significant influence in not only the court, but through general cultural life of the Japanese people all the way to the Edo period. Buddhist models inspired many of these pilgrimages that we see throughout history. The prototypical pilgrimages example in Japan is when Zen priests go on angya ‘pilgrimage’ , which literally means, â€Å"to go on foot. † Historically, angya referred to the common practice of Zen monks and nuns travelling from master to master, or monastery to monastery, in search of someone to practice Zen with (Baroni 2002, 8).So pilgrimages in Japan took the introduction of Buddhism, which later became associated with prominent Chinese cultures like Daoism, as we can tell from the various pilgrims mentioned earlier. The interesting thing about it is that this religious practice of undertaking a pilgrimage as a method of self-cultivation is emulated by 26 various other disciplines like the ones mentioned in example (5). It is also interesting to note the varying degree of prominence the intellectual journey has in the context of Japanese culture as opposed to the anglophone culture.Although the concept of an intellectual journey exists in the English-speaking world (e. g. visiting national parks, field trips etc. ), it is not quite as common or close to everyday consciousness as it is in Japan. The lack of explicit metaphors that reflect the notion of LEARNING IS A JOURNEY in English languaculture suggests a correlation of this difference with cultural behavior. The question then arises, what is the nature of the correlation between the observations we make in the linguistic and non-linguistic behavior we see about the Japanese?Is it the fact pilgrimages have had played a big role in the history of Japanese culture that because of the metaphorical bias of LEARNING IS A JOURNEY? Or is the causal relation the other way around? Or is there some third explanation? The main reason for the correlation we find between these two types of behavior is probably not a direct causal relationship between the two. Instead, the impact of Daoism and Buddhism on Japanese thought have probably played a role in making both the metaphor and the pilgrimage behavior prominent in Japan.This is indicated by the fact that many pilgrimages were inspired by Buddhist models, which also had a great impact on vocabulary and the content of literature; the relationship therefore seems the result of a common set of historical circumstances affecting both linguistic and non-linguistic behaviors. Both are an expression of this influence. 6. Concluding remarks 27 In this paper, I have given a contrastive analysis of the role the journey metaphor plays in the English and Japanese languages.I have argued that although there are many similarities in the use of the journey metaphor in the two languages, there also are remarkable differences in that the LEARNING IS A JOURNEY metaphor is a much more salient feature of the Japanese language. Based on the concepts languaculture and rich points, I have attempted to show that the LEARNING IS A JOURNEY metaphor is a locus of an important rich point in Japanese culture, in the sense that it is an underlying conceptual metaphor, which manifests itself in both the linguistic and nonlinguistic behavior of the Japanese culture.To illustrate how this finding might be applied to non-linguistic behavior, I have also examined the issue of pilgrimages. It seems that the correlation between the salience of the metaphor and pilgrimages are due to a common set of historical causes; it does not seem to be the case that the salience of the metaphor was caused by the practice of pilgrimages or vice versa. A contrastive analysis of metaphorical conceptualization proves to be a useful method when examining behavioral differences between two cultures.Further research of this kind should help understand similarities and differences in cultural cognition, linguistics, sociology, and ideology. 28 Work Cited: Agar, Michael. 1994. Language Shock: Understanding the Culture of Conversation. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc. Baroni, Helen. 2002. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. Deutscher, Guy. 2010. Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different In Other Languages. New York: Metropolitan Books Frellesvig, Bjarke. 2010.A History of the Japanese Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Freud, Sigmund. 1889 [1998]. The Interpretation of Dreams. Trans. James Strachey. New York: Avon. Fukagawa, Hidetoshi & Rothman, Tony. 2008. Sacred Mathematics: Japanese Temple Geometry. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Keene, Donald. 1996. The Narrow Road to Oku. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd. Lakoff, George & Johnson, Mark. 1979. Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: University of Chicago Press 29 Herodotus. 1889. The History of Herodotus: A New English Version.Trans. Rawlinson, George, Rawlinson, Henry, & Wilkinson, John. New York: D. Appleton and Company Suzuki, Daisetz. 1959. Zen and Japanese Culture. Princeton: Princeton University Press Totman, Conrad. 1993. Early Modern Japan. Berkley and Los Angeles: University of California Press Vaporis, Constantine. 2008. Tour of Duty: Samurai, Military Service In Edo, and The Culture of Early Modern Japan. Hawai’i: University of Hawai’i Press Watson, Brian N. 2008. Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano. Victoria: Trafford Publishing 30

Overview of Sociobiology Theory

Overview of Sociobiology Theory While the term sociobiology can be traced to the 1940s, the concept of sociobiology first gained major recognition with Edward O. Wilson’s 1975 publication Sociobiology: The New Synthesis. In it, he introduced the concept of sociobiology as the application of evolutionary theory to social behavior. Overview Sociobiology is based on the premise that some behaviors are at least partly inherited and can be affected by natural selection. It begins with the idea that behaviors have evolved over time, similar to the way that physical traits are thought to have evolved. Animals will, therefore, act in ways that have proven to be evolutionarily successful over time, which can result in the formation of complex social processes, among other things.​ According to sociobiologists, many social behaviors have been shaped by natural selection. Sociobiology investigates social behaviors such as mating patterns, territorial fights, and pack hunting. It argues that just as selection pressure led to animals evolving useful ways of interacting with the natural environment, it also led to the genetic evolution of advantageous social behavior. Behavior is therefore seen as an effort to preserve one’s genes in the population and certain genes or gene combinations are thought to influence particular behavioral traits from generation to generation. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection explains that traits less adapted to particular conditions of life will not endure in a population because organisms with those traits tend to have lower rates of survival and reproduction. Sociobiologists model the evolution of human behaviors in much the same way, using various behaviors as the relevant traits. In addition, they add several other theoretical components to their theory. Sociobiologists believe that evolution includes not just genes, but also psychological, social, and cultural features. When humans reproduce, offspring inherit the genes of their parents, and when parents and children share genetic, developmental, physical, and social environments, the children inherit the gene-effects of their parents. Sociobiologists also believe that the different rates of reproductive success are related to different levels of wealth, social status, and power within that culture. Example of Sociobiology in Practice One example of how sociobiologists use their theory in practice is through the study of sex-role stereotypes. Traditional social science assumes that humans are born with no innate predispositions or mental contents and that sex differences in children’s behavior is explained by the differential treatment of parents who hold sex-role stereotypes. For example, giving girls baby dolls to play with while giving boys toy trucks, or dressing little girls in only pink and purple while dressing boys in blue and red. Sociobiologists, however, argue that babies do have innate behavioral differences, which trigger the reaction by parents to treat boys one way and girls another way. Further, females with low status and less access to resources tend to have more female offspring while females with high status and more access to resources tend to have more male offspring. This is because a woman’s physiology adjusts to her social status in a way that affects both the sex of her child and her parenting style. That is, socially dominant women tend to have higher testosterone levels than others and their chemistry makes them more active, assertive, and independent than other women. This makes them more likely to have male children and also to have a more assertive, dominant parenting style. Critiques of Sociobiology Like any theory, sociobiology has its critics. One critique of the theory is that it is inadequate to account for human behavior because it ignores the contributions of the mind and culture. The second critique of sociobiology is that it relies on genetic determinism, which implies approval of the status quo. For example, if male aggression is genetically fixed and reproductively advantageous, critics argue, then male aggression seems to be a biologic reality in which we have little control.

Faith Is Being Sure Of What We Hope Religion Essays

Faith Is Being Sure Of What We Hope Religion Essays Faith Is Being Sure Of What We Hope Religion Essay Faith Is Being Sure Of What We Hope Religion Essay Faith is being certain of what we hope for and certain of what we do non see. This is a large portion of believing in God and even life itself. We have faith in everything from a auto non halting in the center of the interstate, to the roof on are house non tumbling down on us as were sitting on our couch. We do nt personally travel and look into every bolt and prison guard on an aeroplane before we let a alien fly us through the air. This is because we have great religion in the aeroplane and the pilot. To hold faith in God is nt a wages we are given by how much clip we read the Bible or by how much we go to church. Faith is a gift from God. We are given religions by believing that Jesus is the Christ, the boy of God. Without religion it is impossible to delight God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seriously seek him. ( Hebrew 11:6 ) To hold religion we besides have to obey God. Our interior attitude does non specify religion entirely. ( James 2:17 ) In the same manner, religion by itself, if it is non accompanied by action, is dead. ( James 2:19-24 ) You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the devils believe that- and frisson. You foolish adult male, do you desire grounds that religion without workss is useless? Was non our ascendant Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his boy Isaac on the alter? And the Bible was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God s friend. You see that a individual is justified by what he does and non by faith alone. A individual is justified by workss merely by adult male ; because adult male can non see our religion. Our religion is justified by God. Our workss do non salvage us, but they are the grounds to our salvaging religion. If we could salvage ourselves by workss, Jesus has no n done any aid for us. Faith saves us and faith entirely. ( Ephesians 2:1-2 ) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this non from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by plants, so that no 1 can tout. For we are Gods craft, created in Christ Jesus to make good plants, which God prepared in progress for us to make. : The adherents had great religion and sometimes we desire to hold faith like them. Since we have non seen Jesus and still believe we have greater religion. Because you have seen me you have believed, blessed are those who have non yet seen but still believe. ( John 20: 29 ) Peoples that have seen Jesus and believe will non be punished, but that the people that have non seen Jesus and still believe are blessed. By holding religion and believing in God we will hold everlasting life. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the boy of God, and that by believing you may hold life in his name. ( John 20:31 ) HOW TO Get FAITH? To acquire religion we have to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and we will acquire the gift of religion and have life in his name. Faith can besides come through the message through the word of Christ. ( Romans 10:17 ) Consequently, religion comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Sometimes we will hold a job believing that Jesus is the Christ, the boy of God and that he died on the cross for our wickednesss. We should so, fill are egos with God s word and chew over it with our bosom. To make this we should read the Bible. We will shortly recognize that Jesus is the manner the truth and the life. ( John 14:6 ) Once we become a Christian and have great religion, we can compare our life to what it used to be without God and we can see that the battles were harder when we did non hold God taking us through them. We know that our religion will non ever remain at the same degree. ( 2 Thessalonians 1:3 ) aˆÂ ¦.because your religion is turning more and moreaˆÂ ¦ . We can pray, analyze the Bible, go to church, and serve God. These things will non give us faith, but they can assist us turn in our religion. We should ever go on to praise the Godhead as a forfeit! ( Hebrews 13:15 ) We should continually offer to God a forfeit of congratulations. This will besides assist us turn in Faith. Sometimes we get caught passing all of our clip shopping, cookery, and even work. This will devour all of our ideas and God will be easy pushed out of our lives, so when we have a job we will travel to God and utilize him to assist us with our jobs but we will neer believe to give thanks to him. You should pass most of your clip reading the bible, praying to God, and thanking him for everything he has given us. Jesus died on the cross for us and has given us some really great things ; the least we could make is thank him for the material he has given us and praise him with all we have. If we have done some truly bad things in our life and do nt believe that God would of all time forgive us or even love us any longer, believe once more! God will ever love us and forgive us, no affair what we have done. We could be the 1s non honouring our female parent and male parent or hold even murdered person, but they are both wickednesss, both holding effects. Everybody wickednesss and if we merely inquire for forgiveness and believe, we will hold everlasting life and your journey with the Lord will go on in the right way. When we accept God into your bosom, our life will non be perfect. It does hold great things that come with it though! If we have struggles in our life that you think will neer travel off, we can pray to God and he will assist us through it. When a job comes up and we have nil left, we can ever number on God to be at that place for us! God is the 1 that we will ever necessitate and the 1 that will ever love us! To cognize God will ever forgive and love us, should give us the bravery to love and forgive our enemies. If we are endeavoring to travel in the right way and want to populate our life praising, and functioning God, the door will ever be unfastened. To inquire Jesus Christ to be in our life is easy but it will be the biggest determination we will do in our whole full life. God has led me to make many things that will assist his land grow and they were things I neer thought of making, but through religion I did it and I was rewarded. Faith is a large thing in everyone s life, I encourage everyone to travel out and make the thing that God is naming you to make. This thing might be really difficult to understand or you might non swear that he will acquire you through it but God has a program for us and he will steer us through it and honor us for what we have done. We need to utilize religion and trust in God as we take these stairss into the right journey. Doubts Doubts are when we are disbelieving about something or have undecided feelings. Doubts can come running in our life at a bolting velocity, and will vie with everything for are attending. Sometimes we can be submerging in uncertainty until something reassures us of our religion. ( Proverbs 3:5 ) Trust in the Godhead with all your bosom and thin non on your ain apprehension ; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will do your waies directly. If we are a true Christians and human existences, we will see uncertainties. We have non seen Jesus therefore we will hold uncertainty. There will be a point when we hit something that will do us make up ones mind between religion and uncertainty. This will assist us turn in Faith. In the Bible there were people that had non believed in Jesus until they had seen him. Thomas did non believe the other 11 adherents when they had said ( John 20:25, 27 ) we have seen the Lord. Thomas said Unless I see the nail Markss in his custodies and set my finger where the nails were, and set my manus into his side, I will non believe it. Jesus so came in through the locked doors and said Peace be with you! Put your finger here ; see my custodies. Reach out your manus and set it into my side. Stop doubting and believe. Doubts are nt ever a bad thing though. Doubts can assist steer us through our journey with God. When we have uncertainties we might non believe that we will still hold everlasting life in Heaven, but uncertainties can assist us hold greater religion in the long tally. When we doubt we will inquire more inquiries to happen out everything we want to cognize. We will larn why God is the reply and why the other theories have no manner of being possible. We will besides get down reading the Bible more and traveling to church more so we reassure are faith. Doubts do nt intend you re non a Christian or that you do nt hold faith, it merely means that you doubt because we believe in God and he is unobserved! Doubts are normal in life. Its difficult to construct so much religion up of something that we have non seen and non cognizing if it s traveling to be true until we see it, but we need to believe and swear in the Godhead. Have you of all time got caught believing Possibly God is nt existent. Or possibly Is it to good to be true? or How could God hold done this? But the truth it is a great thing that God made this Universe. If we think about it God Is REAL because who could hold made this Earth? Who could hold made us? It had to be person so great merely like God. Sometimes we even doubt because we have prayed and what we prayed did non travel are manner or we got hurt by a loved one death. God disciplines us because he treats us as sons- everyone has had subject. God disciplines us for our good, it is painful at the clip but subsequently you have a crop of righteousness and peace for us if we are trained by it. ( Hebrews 12:7-13 ) Endure adversity as subject ; God is handling you as boies. For what boy is non disciplined by his male parent? If you are non disciplined ( and everyone undergoes subject ) , so you are illicit kids and non true boies. Furthermore, we have all had human male parents who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we subject to the Father of our liquors and unrecorded! Our male parents disciplined us for a small while as they thought best ; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may portion in his sanctity no subject seems pleasant at the clip, but painful. Later on, nevertheless, it pro duces a crop of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, beef up your lame weaponries and weak articulatio genuss. Make degree waies for your pess so that the square may non be disabled. Sometimes we will pray to God, proving him so that we can believe. We will state him God if you let me acquire a occupation publicity or acquire on the high school hoops squad the following twenty-four hours so I will believe. When that does nt go on it does non intend God is non existent or does nt reply supplications, it merely means that we want the occupation publicity or the high school hoops squad more than we would love to believe in God. God is non a individual that will manus us things when we so want, but does reply our supplications. ( Jeremiah 33:3 ) Name to me and I will reply you and state you great and unsearchable things you do non cognize. He besides promises to reply are supplications. ( Isaiah 65:24 ) Before they call I will reply ; while they are still talking I will hear. Once we see beyond the image of God giving us what we wish for, his word promises we have assurance that we will have anything we ask for. ( 1 John 3:21-22 ) Dear friends, if our Black Ma rias do non reprobate us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his bids and make what pleases him. God is non a force that is merely someplace. God is everyplace and he is a God that is personal with us and he is the spirit. He cares for us and he knows us all and even the figure of hairs on our caputs. ( Luke 12:7 ) Indeed, the really hairs of your caput are all numbered. It is easier to recognize that God is existent when you know that he is non a fairy tale or a force ; he is the spirit. THE End Life is an experience of life. We have two lives. One is where we are born from a human being on Earth and the other is when we die we will be born once more and we will be sent to Heaven to be with God. Here on Earth we have problems mentally, physically, spiritually, and many other ways, but in Heaven it is perfect. ( Revelation 4:1-3 ) Heaven is where God lives. It is where God is on his throne and is the full and complete look of God s kingship. Heaven has no hurting, sorrow, deceases, shouting, or unhappiness. In the Bible there is non a batch of information on Heaven is traveling to look or be, we merely know that it will be a perfect topographic point! We can merely conceive of what Heaven will be like, but God has manner better programs so we could of all time come up with, or even conceive of. If we saw a sign of the zodiac we would consider that the houses in Heaven will be three times as large, but that is non what they will be like because it would non be superior plenty. Heaven is a wages for those who overcome everything in the life we are populating. ( Revelation 3:21 ) Heaven offers wagess for those who overcome in this life. To acquire to Heaven we do nt merely unrecorded life, we have to believe in God as were populating! ( John 3:16 ) For God so loved the universe that he gave his 1 and merely boy, that whoever believes in him shall non die but have everlasting life. One of the many huge things about Heaven is there is neer a clip when God runs out of suites. ( John 14:2 ) In my Father s house are many suites ; if it were non so, I would hold told you. God does non direct merely the best people, that have greater religion, or the 1s that have done better things, he will direct everyone to Heaven that believes in him.

5 Most Common Maple Varieties in North America

5 Most Common Maple Varieties in North America Acer  sp. is the  genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as the maples. Maples are classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, and  there are approximately 125 species worldwide. The word Acer is derived from a Latin word meaning sharp, and the name refers to the characteristic points on the leaf lobes. The maple tree is the national arboreal emblem of Canada.   There are actually twelve native maples found in North America, but only five are commonly seen across most of the continent. The other seven that occur regionally are black maple, mountain maple, striped maple, bigleaf maple, chalk maple, canyon maple, Rocky Mountain  maple, vine maple, and Florida maple. Your chances of seeing a native maple are good in both the urban landscape and in the forest. With few exceptions (Norway and Japanese maples are exotics) you will find these native maples and their cultivars in profusion. Common North American Maple Species Sugar maple  or Acer saccharum.  The star of eastern North American fall foliage viewing and principle source of maple syrup. It normally grows 80 to 110 feet in height, but 150-foot specimens have been known. Compared to other maples, sugar maples color unevenly in the fall; sometimes yellows, oranges, and reds are all seen at the same time.  Red maple  or Acer rubrum. The most widespread maple in eastern North America and ubiquitous  in both the urban and forest landscape. It normally grows to a mature height of about 50 feet. It is a very popular landscape tree but is considered invasive in some forests, where it crowds out native oaks. The upper side of the leaves is green, with the lower side silverish in color. In older trees, the bark is very dark. Fall color is usually a deep red, though some trees may exhibit orange or yellow.  Silver maple  or Acer  saccharinum.  A fast-growing maple used largely as a shade tree, but with problems. This maple is brittle an d subject to breakage. The roots shallow and can cause property damage. At maturity, it may be 80 feet tall. The underside of the leaves is a soft silver in color; fall color is usually a pale yellow.   Boxelder  or Acer negundo  - The most common maple sp. in mid-western North America, and the only maple with pinnately compound leaves. Boxelder has the largest range of all North American maples. It is a fast-growing but short-lived maple, and in favorable conditions, it may grow as much as 80 feet in height. Leaves turn yellow in the fall.  Bigleaf  or Acer macrophyllum.  Restricted to the Pacific Coast, this tree is the most massive of North American maples. It can grow to be 150 feet tall or more, but more typically tops out at 50 to 65 feet in height. In fall, the leaves turn golden yellow.   General Identification Tips The deciduous leaves on all maples are arranged on stems  opposite  each other. The leaves are simple and palmate shaped on most species, with three or five main veins radiating from the leafstalk. The leafstalks are long and often as long a the leaf itself. The boxelder alone has compound leaves, with multiple leaves radiating from the leafstalk.   Maples have small flowers that are not very showy and form in droopy clusters. The fruit is winged key seeds (called  double  samaras) and develops early in the spring. Very visible are the redbuds and new red stems on red maple. Maples have bark that is generally gray but variable in form. Good identifiers of maples in dormancy are: Crescent-shaped leaf scars with three bundle scarsA terminal bud that is egg-shaped and slightly larger than the lateral buds on the branchStipule scars are absent  Opposite leaf and twigs

United Monarchy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

United Monarchy - Essay Example In contradiction, their neighbours were polytheists and worshipped idols of God, and this was a constant temptation for Israelites. There was God’s law which guided Israelites to live righteously but Israelites constantly failed and there was a pattern to this which was recorded by the judges. This pattern was observed prior and during the period of United Monarchy, and can be seen as an explanation of the events: A leader is given by Yahweh to guide Israelites in the righteous path and observe Torah People do not follow and comply by this as they indulge in social injustice or idolatry, or sometimes both. That is, they act against the will of God People are punished for above by God in order to get them back to the righteous path and faithfulness. Punishment is mainly in the form of an attack by the neighbouring people As a result, people turn to God to save them and repent for what they had done A new leader is given by God who saves them from the enemy and the faith in god is restored. The cycle starts again and continues the same way It was established from the above that loyalty to Yahweh would mean prosperity while non-compliance to God’s Torah would result inevitably in disaster. This ideology of one god and the pattern discussed above play an important role in beginning and end of United Monarchy. ... All the tribes of Israelites were led by judges while most of their neighbours where led by kings and threats of attacks and invasions loomed large. This is when the people started demanding a centralised form of government with a single king leading all the tribes. The idea of having a king made great sense to tackle the situation and streamline all their resources and energies to fighting the outside invaders. On the other hand, the idea of having a king was in many ways contradicting the religious beliefs of Israelites. Israelites believed that God was their king and having a human king would be in all sense rejecting the leadership of God. Also Israel was supposed to be a â€Å"holy nation† unlike other nations. There was opposition to having a human king but the pressure was strong to have a permanent human king like other nations at the time. Samuel, the judge, is asked to identify the king to lead the nation but he warns that there would be many negative consequences of having centralised government and there is no guarantee of good leadership. Also he points out that: â€Å"Israelites suffered military defeat because of their infidelity to God not for the lack of king (1Sm 12:9-11). Not even a king will be able to save Israel from the consequences of a disobeying God. In this respect, the institution of monarchy will change nothing.† This cautionary warning is in accordance with the beliefs of Israelites that non-compliance with God’s Torah will lead to dire consequences. Therefore, irrespective of having a king or not if people do not follow the path of God, they will be punished until they vow to walk in the right path again. This ideology sounds right and to go by this, there is no need for the Israelites to have a king as long as

Operating systems and networking Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Operating systems and networking - Coursework Example BEFORE submission, each student must complete a faculty coursework cover sheet obtainable from the Student Office. This assignment is being marked by student number, please ensure that you complete the correct cover sheet. Notes: Late penalties You must meet all deadlines set. Failure to do so will result in a penalty. The usual deadline time is 1pm on the stated day – ALL work received after this time will be stamped LATE by Student Office staff. Work submitted late but within a week of the deadline will be capped at 40% and receive a grade of LP (Late Pass) unless it is not of a passing standard in which case it will receive a grade of LF (Late Fail). Work submitted beyond a week of the deadline without approval will get 0% with a grade of F0. If, however, you have a serious problem which prevents you from meeting the deadline you may be able to negotiate an extension in advance. In the first instance you should contact the Student Liaison Officer, Holly Rook in the Student Office for advice. However any extension will need to be obtained from your Module Leader who will sign your mitigating circumstances form and agree a new hand in date. Your work will then be marked without penalty. Use of Unfair Means You are reminded of the University’s plagiarism regulations (http://student.kingston.ac.uk/C6/Plagiarism/) and that the work you submit for assessment should contain no section copied in whole or in part from any other source unless where explicitly acknowledged by means of proper citation. Question I: Instruction Set Architecture (20 marks) 1.1. Define Instruction Set Architecture (ISA). Use examples to assist your answer. (5 marks) I.S.A is an acronym for â€Å"instruction set architecture â€Å"and it serves as an interface between the software and hardware, and is that section of a processor which is visible to the programmer .Various important terms are interrelated with this concept which includes operand, its size, its location and its type. Various important types of I.S.A: General Purpose Register (G.P.R): Operands in this case are mostly the registers or memory location Stack: The operand is implicitly on top of the stack. Accumulator: one of the operand is the accumulator Each of the above have their own strengths and weaknesses .Recently most processors are General Purpose oriented .Over period of time registers use has made things faster and easy .Examples of G.P.U are Motorola 86xxx,IBM 360 Various extensions: RISC: Reduced Instruction Set Architecture .This form of Architecture introduces pipelining concept and has large number of registers compared to CISC. It lays emphasis on the software; with lower cycles per second .The embedded systems are prime example of this type of architecture processor, especially the gaming consoles CISC: Complex Instruction Set Architecture, example in this case is Intel architecture of 80 x86 and the most ubiquitous Pentium Family processors are all CISC. Processor performs most of the instructions operations. It lays emphasis on the hardware, and has higher cycles per second 1.2. A processor has a 32-bit instruction format with the following fields: opcode: 8 bits ra: 6 bits rb: 6 bits rc: 6 bits rd: 6 bits Where ra, rb and rc specify three input registers and rd specifies one destination register. If there is a single register file to store the identifications of all registers, how many

Need of Nursing Theories in the Present Scenario Essay

Need of Nursing Theories in the Present Scenario - Essay Example Need of Nursing Theories in the Present Scenario Florence Nightingale, who laid the foundation of modern nursing, did not provide any theory of nursing in specific sense. However, her contributions in adult nursing can still be comprehended and used. According to William K. Cody and Jannet W. Kenney, the philosophy of theoretical nursing greatly depends on evidence based practice. Moreover, values and techniques of person centered care play a very important role. In the book Philosophical and Theoretical perspectives of Advanced Nursing Practice, the writers the writers have laid down that theory, research and practice are all interrelated in the realm of nursing (Cody & Kenney, 2006). Analyzing the question under discussion, we have to diagnose the trends of modern nursing in this context. It should be examined that how the general theoretical approach can be utilized in modern times and what is the actual situation in the health sector. Some theories are, of course, timeless and can be used for the phenomenon of transformation of modern nursing. Melanie McEwen and Evelyn M. Wills have elucidated this concept in their book Theoretical Basis for Nursing. The existing theories, no doubt, provide a fundamental framework for a modern nursing approach. Some of the theories provide valuable information and roadmap for the evolution of modern nursing. However, consistent assessment of the concepts along with theory development and evaluation is also important. Melanie McEwen and Evelyn M. Wills have also interrelated different important theories from other disciplines in sociologic, behavioral, and biomedical sciences.

Potential Opportunity for Samsung to Market in China and Vietnam Case Study

Potential Opportunity for Samsung to Market in China and Vietnam - Case Study Example In the current environment of highly competitive global business, it now needs to explore and analyze market potential for its tablet in China and Egypt. Criteria for assessing potential opportunities for Samsung Tablets in China and Egypt Sn. Factors for assessment China Egypt 1. Population/popn growth 1338 mn/nil 81 mn/1.8% 2. GDP per capita $7599 $6180 3. Poverty (%) 36.3 18.5 4. UN education index 0.623 0.560 5. Contribution of private enterprises to GDP More than 50% na 6. PDI (personal disposable income in urban area $2515 na 7. Inflation (1-7 taken from BTI, 2012) 3.3 11.3 7. Credit rating (S&P) (S&P, 2013) AA- CCC+ 8. Country risk factors Political Technological Economic Social low low low high high low low high 9. e-Business readiness yes yes 10. Business forecast for 3 years (growth rate) 2012 2013 2014 7.8 8.0 8.2 (IMF, 2013) 113.13 126.29 138.48 (HSBC, 2012) China China’s economic reforms since 1978 have opened the market for overseas business and created viable en vironment for FDI and multinationals. It has shown incredible advancement in economy to become second largest in the world in 2010, surpassing Japan and biggest exporting country in 2009 (bti, 2013). At the same time, the stimulus package of $586 billion has challenged its dependence on fixed asset and new credit of about $ 2.5 trillion in 2009-2010 could lead to inflationary trend. Though there is wide income disparity with GINI index at 0.475 and urban-rural gap widening from 2.79:1 in 2000 to 3.3:1 in 2009, per capita disposable income in urban areas being $2515 as against $755 in rural areas. South Korea is one of the most important trading partners of China with good bilateral relations. FDI at $ 105.7 billion in 2010 encouraging, especially when private enterprises contribute more than 50% of the GDP and create more than 80% of new jobs. It has relatively high disposable income which makes it attractive for overseas business, especially, tablets which have huge demand with 41% rise in its demand (Stanley Morgan report, 2011). Egypt The country is continually in a state of high political instability but surprisingly it has not affected its economic development and structural improvement. The economic reforms introduced during 2004 by the Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif have continued with focused approach. The economic reforms and liberalization has not addressed the problems of literacy and unemployment which has considerably increased poverty and income disparity across the population. 40% of 83 million population comprising of nearly 20 million people are between 18 and 29 years, most of whom are vulnerable to poverty due to lack of education and unemployment. With high inflation rate of nearly 12% and relatively low GDP growth of 5%, the most populous country of Middle East has shown negative growth in both its export and import trade (BTI, 2012). Despite market liberalization, lack of nepotism and law enforcement has adversely impacted growth of domestic and foreign businesses. There is also rampant gender discrimination and human development index has continually shown down trend. It lacks political commitment and institutional capacity to address the problem of growing illiteracy and unemployment. Recommendation for China China has stable socio-political environment with high growth in GDP which has also made it attractive for overseas business. With increasing disposable income

Multinational Business of Big Bazaar, First Solar, and Tata Motors Case Study

Multinational Business of Big Bazaar, First Solar, and Tata Motors - Case Study Example The  Big Bazaar Company is planning to spread into the Middle East countries like Yemen as there is a huge opportunity in this market due to the nonpresence of any global retail chains there and availability of domestic supplier. The location of Yemen is at the southern end of Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East. The Arabian Sea, Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden have made boundaries its southern and western side of the country. Two neighbour countries also bordered i.e. Saudi Arabia in north and Oman in the east. The population of this country is very poor and a large percentage the population is rural people. But in the last decades, it has been large scale urbanization in the country and now near about half of the population lives in town. There is a good incentives scheme by the Yemen government in any large foreign investment project. The purpose of this is to attract potential foreign investors to the prospective sectors of the country by minimising the risk of initial investment . Government also provide free exchange of currency from strong currency to Yemen or vice versa. To start a project in Yemen no need of nationalisation and reservation are required. Foreign investment projects are exempted from paying profit tax up to 7 years which is expandable up to 16 years if it helps to strengthen the sector. There is lack of well-developed commercial business centres in Yemen even in coastal cities; therefore, the country has poorly developed retail market. Most of the shops are in the major cities and maximum of these are family owned. The producers or manufacturer of retail products and goods are only the seller. No professional retail outlets or chains are there who sells by getting supply from producers. This is why the retail market is not at all penetrated even in urban areas of the country. But there is a good demand of retail chains which can provide the finished retail goods across the country and as the per capita income has been increasing and the p urchasing power as well as buying behaviour has been developing since the last decades. Big Bazaar is a India based supermarket chain and it get the supply of retail products from institutional supplier as well as direct from the producers of good branded product and sell those after retail pricing those products according to its profit margin strategy. But in Yemen as there is no such kind of institutional supplier. So the company needs to tie up with the home-based producer of the retail product like garments, food products, and other daily needed products which have a good demand in the urban market. First Solar’s multinational business can be analysed by doing a PESTEL analysis of the international business environment and the potential market analysis. Political: It represents how the government represents the economy and a certain business i.e. the way of representing and the extent. Political factors of a country represented by certain areas like taxation policy, labou r law, trade restrictions, tariffs and govt. stability. So, market attractiveness towards foreign investors will be high if the entire areas of political environment are business-friendly. Economical: Economical factors are influenced and comprised by the economy of a country, and the World economy. These factors are interest rates, inflation, economic growth i.e. exchange rates and currency strength.