Qing Dynasty Essay Example for Free

Qing Dynasty Essay The last dynasty in China, the Qing dynasty, ruled from 1644 to 1911, and there is argument to say that their failures, especially those towards the end of their rule, created the underlying tension and ideologies behind the Communist victory in China and the consequential establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). These failures can be subdivided into military failures, weaknesses of the leadership, financial disarray, political troubles, and the Qing dynasty’s failure to implement lasting, effective reforms. It can easily be argued that the Qing dynasty didn’t recognise the importance of the military until it was too late and they suffered for neglecting it. The dismissal of a key general, Yuan Shikai in 1908 can be seen as a turning point for the military in this period. The dismissal wasn’t for valid reasons, but purely a chance for Regent Prince Chun to assert his authority. However, this had disastrous consequences the Qing dynasty, as they had lost their only loyal general, leaving them without military protection, an issue which had already been exacerbated by the Boxer Rising in 1900-1901. The Qing dynasty then made a further mistake in putting too much trust in him when he (reluctantly) returned. This resulted in Yuan Shikai using his unarguable military strength to gain political power. In all, this left the Qing dynasty with little, if any military strength. Their army wasn’t loyal, nor was it organised and there was much internal strife. Therefore the Chinese people were left yearning for a government that was strong enough to command military as well as political power, planting the ideas of revolution in their heads. The Qing dynasty also had a lot of problems with leadership. During the â€Å"100 Days† period of attempted reform, obvious internal power struggles arose which further weakened the dynasty. Here there was the struggle between the reactionaries of the government, those that wanted China to remain traditional and to uphold the ideas of Confucian living, and progressives who were in support of bringing in reform and change to modify China . With hindsight, it can be argued that, perhaps if the progressives had won the debate over reform, there might not have even been a need for a revolution. However, at the time it is important to note that the ideas of Confucian living and social harmony were a core part of Chinese society, and because most of the Chinese public had not known any different, something as radical as what the progressives were suggesting was seen as alien and threatening.  The reactionaries outweighed the progressives in court, and led by Dowager Empress Cixi, they forced themselves into power. For a while, although Cixi was in no way a perfect leader, at least there was a constant leader who was reliable. However in 1908, upon the death of Emperor Guangxu and Dowager Empress Cixi, Pu Yi came to be emperor. However emperor Pu Yi was only a very small child at the time, so Prince Chun acted as regent. He lacked authority, and so 3 further years of inconsistent leadership followed. The Chinese public started looking for someone who was confident to lead them into a revolution and give them what they need in way of reform, opening up and opportunity for a n ew leader to step in. From the end of the Opium Wars, the Qing government had been plunged into a state of bankruptcy, leaving them without enough money to impose an industrial modernisation programme that China so desperately needed. This was made worse by the crippling penalties imposed after the Boxer Rising in 1900-01. The effect of this is most obviously highlighted with the railways crisis from 18958-1911. During this time the railway boom in China meant a great opportunity for provinces to thrive, bringing in trade and new jobs. However, the Qing government chose to nationalise the railway, and to be able to afford to do so, that meant that they had to raise taxes and rely on foreign loans. Naturally, the Chinese people in these provinces weren’t happy with the fact that not only have the government taken away a huge possibility for local investment, but were then imposing taxes on the very people who were missing out. This led to open opposition of the government for the first time in China, as well as a damaged sense of pride because they were relying on foreign investment. The Qing dynasty was widely regarded among the Chinese as old-fashioned and redundant. First of all, this was down to the simple fact that they originated from Manchuria, which wasn’t even part of China, meaning that they were out of touch with the growing popularity of nationalism. Also, their authoritarian tradition made them incapable of responding to the demands of the revolutionaries, who were inspired by Japanese and Western models of democracy. This is because, among the people, there was fear of the punishments associated with â€Å"disrupting the social harmony† (defying the government). Combined with the government’s fear of change, it can be argued that this is why it took until 1949 for China to have a revolution, compared to America or France. Finally, and most importantly, was the Qing dynasty’s  blatant disregard for the crucial need for reforms. The closest that they got to reform was during the â€Å"100 Days† in 1905, when reforms based on western models were proposed but completely ignored in courts and so therefore didn’t go through. Part of this was to do with Dowager Empress Cixi leading a strong opposition against the reform. However, she later went on to introduce some reform, for example she brought an end to tests in Confucianism for government positions and she created provincial assemblies. Many historians have argued, however, that this was just an attempt to win over the revolutionaries who were turning against the idea of an â€Å"establishment† all together. Generally, by the time of the formal abdication of the Qing dynasty in 1912, the revolutionaries within China were ready for change. They were fed up with having a corrupt, inconsistent central government that weren’t in touch with the modern concepts behind revolutionary thoughts. This lay the foundations for the Chinese revolution and the eventual establishment of the PRC in 1949.

Learning by Doint Essay Example for Free

Learning by Doint Essay Your state’s statute that defines what is considered to be a public record that must be made available to the public upon request. Public Records are documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs and computer-based or generated information. Access to public records is available to both local nonresidential individuals of Georgia. Residents of Georgia have the right to Public records under the Georgia Open Records Act. Nonresidents of Georgia have the right to public records under the instruction of the Attorney General. Under the Open Records Acts, Georgia mandated Every state department, agency, board, bureau, commission, public corporation, authority, county, municipal corporation, school district and other political subdivision, department, agency, board, bureau, commission, authority and similar body of each county, municipal corporation or other political subdivision of the state; city, county, regional or other authority established pursuant to state law; and non-profit organizations that receive more than one-third of their funds from a direct allocation of state funds from the governing authority of an agency. The archives Georgia state’s statue define a public record that should be made available to public upon request are Court Records, Criminal Records, Birth Records, Death Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records, and Genealogy records. Government meetings, election results, crime statistics, home deeds, annual tax on homes and vehicles, and food service inspections are open to the public as well. (Baker, 2008) The pre-World War I opinion by the U. S. Supreme Court holding, on re-argument, that a federal income tax was unconstitutional. Prior to World War I the United Stated had few taxes. The government was supported by internal taxes. The U. S. Supreme Court decided that the income tax was unconstitutional because it was not apportioned among the states in conformity with the Constitution. Protesters were in favor of the decision. (Siegal) The federal statute authorizing the U. S. Secretary of Transportation to make payments to states for the value of materials stockpiled near federal highway construction projects in conformity with the project specifications. The federal governments provides the state with funding for projects such as highway reconstruction. No funding is given unless the secretary follows up with inspections. There are several administrations that aid in the department of transportation such as Federal Aviation Administration (FAA , Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety, Administration (FMCSA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Maritime Administration (MARAD), National Highway Traffic Safety, Administration (NHTSA), Office of Inspector General (OIG) , Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) and the Surface Transportation Board. The federal joint regulation of the U. S. Fish Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Department of Commerce, identifying the factors for listing, delisting, or reclassifying endangered species. The federal joint regulation of the U. S.  Fish Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Department of Commerce, identifying the factors for listing, delisting, or reclassifying endangered species provides a list of endangered species or are in danger or becoming endangered. Issues that are addressed are the present he present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range, over utilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes, disease or predation, the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms and other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence. Plans to protect natural resources are tackled. Recovery and protections plans are also addressed. The department of commerce promotes economic growth. The department focus on the creation of jobs and the enhancement of living standards. Your state’s administrative regulations specifying the licensure process for real estate agents. The Georgia real estate and commission boards determine the regulations for the licensure process for real estate agents. There job is to ensure the housing market is fair and honest. Background checks are performed and successful completion of education is required. There is also a real estate test to be taken before an individual can practice. Georgia also has real estates schools. The local ordinance in your municipality governing noise. There are several cities which have laws prohibiting noise above a certain level. In the state of Georgia, it unlawful for any person to make, continue or cause to be made or continued any loud or excessive noise which unreasonably interferes with the comfort, response, health and safety of others within the jurisdiction of the city. For example, the younger generation install systems in their vehicles which allows their vehicles to play music really loud. The music is so loud it causes other vehicles to feel the vibration. This excessive noise is a violation of the Georgia noise ordinance. The noise ordinance does not only pertain to music in a vehicle, it pertains to a television, pets that make noise, machinery, and emergency signaling devices. The most recent opinion of your state’s highest appeals court describing the extent to which the state constitution requires that the power of eminent domain be exercised only for a public use. Recently, Augusta, Georgia, did some reconstruction with the roads on Mike Padgent High way due to so many deaths. The deaths were caused by the accidents on the highway because there is no turning lane. The only solution was to widen the highways and make a turning lane. In order to do so, land must be purchase from the homeowners and used to extend the highway. The state was in favor of this opinion because is would save so many life on †Death Highway. † A recent federal trial court decision in your federal district describing the standard for summary judgment in federal court. Barnes vs. Zaccari is a very significant court case which lead to setting a standard for summary judgment is federal court. The Barnes VS. Zaccari case The president of Valdosta State University, Ronald Zaccari expelled Thomas Hayden Barnes for exemplifying a clear and present danger to other students on campus. Barnes sued Zaccari in the federal courts because he did not receive a warning before he was withdrawn from school. Barns won the his case against Zaccari. The case describe the violation of the due process clause which claims that Barnes was due notice on the charges against him. Ley, 2012) A law-review article published within the past five (5) years about libel law and political campaign advertisements. It never fails during campaign season, there are always political advertisement with candidates bashing their opponents. Political parties compete against their parties make statements about what their opponent stands for. The advertisements are used to expose individuals to the U. S. citizens in hopes to gain votes. There are certain statements that are on the verge of defamation. Defamation is providing false information that can be proven false on an individual that harms that person’s reputation. Opinions which express negativity on someone is also protected by the first amendment.

Change Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Change Rosabeth Moss Kanter Change Management Organisations Must Change and Change quickly INTRODUCTION Rosabeth Moss Kanter is the professor in business at Harvard Business School, where she holds the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship. She is known for her classic 1977 study of Tokenism. As a business leader and expert on strategy and leadership for change, she was nominated as the top ten on the list of the 50 most influential business thinkers in the world, and she is on the list of the 100 most important women in America and the 50 most powerful women in the world. Her main concepts include changing organisations, bureaucracy and characteristics of resistance to change. (drfd.hbs.edu, 2007) In 1989, she argues that: todays corporate elephants must learn how to dance as nimbly and speedily as mice. (Burnes, 2004) In other words, she points out that big organisations should change and change quickly to meet the changing environment. This report is going to analyse the key drivers for this statement and find out the reason behind change. This report contains three sections. Section 1 will give definitions to change management and the importance of change. Section 2 is discussions, which is divided into two sub-categories, first part is concerned with the models of change management, and part 2 goes on to show examples of how big organisations keep up with change and the possibilities of failure. This section contains examples of big organisations successfully changed to meet their goals and objectives, while some other organisations stay the same and fail to maintain their strong market position. Section 3 is conclusions. CHANGE MANAGEMENT Todays corporate elephants must learn how to dance as nimbly and speedily as mice if they are to survive in our increasingly competitive and rapidly changing world (Burnes, 2004) According to Paton McCalman (2004), managing change is about evaluating, planning, implementing, operational, tactical and strategic changes. As Siegal et al (1996) points out that rapid change is a pervasive part of our lives as human beings; it is no surprise that change is also a fact of life within human systems. Recent developments in the global economy have catapulted this fact to the forefront of management concerns as well. Therefore, even though Professor Kanters statement was mentioned about 18 years ago, it is still valued today. Additionally, Kanter (1989) mentioned that in order for organisations to change, it requires faster action, more flexibility and closer partnerships with employees and customers than typical in the traditional corporate bureaucracy. To quote from her, Corporate giants, in short, must learn how to dance. Therefore, the corporate elephants represents big companies while mice, on the other hand, represents small firms. To summarise her statement above, we could conclude that small firms are more flexible in changing compare with big organisations, because big organisations have more management levels and more bureaucracy; therefore, corporate giants should adapt this ability to change and change quickly. More over, the most important reason for organisations to change, is to keep pace with the ever changing business environment and give a good company image to the public that they are keep up dating themselves and stay competitive. DISCUSSION To cope with a changing world, an entity must develop the capacity of shifting and changing. It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change (Beitler, 2006) Corporate elephants with change Marks and Spencer is a well known British retailer, which was founded in 1884. It is one of the most iconic and widely recognised chain stores in the UK and it is the largest clothing retailer in the country. (wikipedia, 2007) Marks Spencer is one of the typical examples for change management, and as Rippin (2005) proposed in her research that when, in Autumn 2003 I needed a case study on organisational change, without too much deliberation I chose Marks and Spencer. This corporate giant has developed through its golden years, the crisis, its change in leadership and its recent change management attempts in its response to its changing environment. (Rippin, 2005) Kurt Lewins model of change In the early 20th Century, psychologist Kurt Lewin identified three stages of change that has come to be known as the unfreezing-change-refreeze model. (Nilakant Ramnarayan, 2006) The graph below shows more detail about this model: Unfreeze This is the first stage of this model that to make system receptive to change. (Nilakant Ramnarayan, 2006) People feel comfortable and safe about the current situation and it is hard for them to change. It takes long time to unfreeze the environment and the first thing to do at this stage is to make people aware of the change and let them know the reason and needs for change. Moreover, organisations should involve employees in the decision making process by asking them how would they feel about a certain matter and what do they thing is necessary to change. In 1998, Marks and Spencer became the first British retailer to make a pre-tax profit of over  £1 billion and this is the peak time in the companys history. (marksandspencer, 2007) Few years later, it plunged into a crisis which lasted for around several years. The problems Marks and Spencer faced were: The rising cost of using British suppliers Losing customer loyalty Increasing rival companies with cheap production to lower down their cost, therefore to lower down the price Refuse to accept the credit card As a large company with a long term history, Marks and Spencer has its weak side that the bureaucracy management system (Rippin, 2005) made it lose its touch with the real buyer and lost potential younger customers. In 1984, the companys priority is to provide high quality clothing to working class women. As time goes on, peoples taste changed that we no longer chase quality products but disposable clothes with a cheaper price. At that time, Marks and Spencer didnt realize this shortage until they found themselves struggling to compete in the changing environment as the fashion trend changes. As a result, the companys share price went down by more than two thirds and profit fell from  £1 billion in 1998 to  £145 million in 2001, which was only 10 per cent compare with its golden age. (wikipedia, 2007) As Rippin (2005) described in her research that Marks and Spencer is a sleeping beauty as the organisation is in suspension waiting for the right prince to come and reanimate the bo dy. Change The second stage of the model is change to achieve the desired results. At this stage the actual change happens which can be either to acquire desired behaviour or technological change. (Burnes, 2004) It is a hard journey that the organisation might go through several stages before it successes. This is the stage that the real changes take place and the organisation applies the plans to action in practise. At this stage, Marks Spencer conducted another model-Planned model of change (step change) that issues are dealt with stage-by-stage and built to transformation over time. (Cummings Worley, 2004) Marks and Spencers change management was implemented step by step over time. To quote form the Stuart Rose Chief Executive: We continue to improve our core business†¦We are ahead of our space growth target†¦We are stepping up our investment in the business†¦ In addition, the Board is announcing a step change in the investment this year. These decisions reflect our confidence in the strength and future prospects of the business. (finfacts, 2007) In order to successfully apply this Step change model, Marks and Spencer is constantly working on the progress. In 1999, the company launched online shopping and issued credit cards payments in store or online to make transactions simple and faster for customers. In order to lower down the costs and have more sales, the company decided to switch to overseas suppliers, open store on Sunday and added self-check outs to tills. (wikipedia, 2007) Secondly, it changed its business focus from quality fabric for working classing to the new sales of fashion clothes, and the company launched the Per Una clothing range, which recovered some market share to the younger consumer group. Additionally, it changed the womens bras to machine washable while there are many designer brands that still need to be hand washed. (Rippin, 2005) More over, the company realized its strength and weakness, therefore, it sold the financial service to HSBC Bank Plc and stopped the expanding of its simply food line of stores. As a result of those changes, by 2005, its share price went up and doubled from 319p to 766p as the highest in 2007. (Bloomberg, 2007) Refreeze The last step is to refreeze and make changes permanent that cement change into the organisational culture. To quote from Cameron Green (2004), for change to be effective, it needs to be implemented at all levels and embedded in the culture of the organisation. Change management should be merged with the organisational culture that all the changes should be developed according to its culture with shared objectives and common goals. At this stage, organisations meet their goals and objectives and waiting for new changes. (Paton McCalman, 2000) Marks and Spencer today, has 760 stores in more than 30 countries around the world. In 2007, it is growing again and rapidly increasing profitability with revenue of  £7.8 billion. In Nov, the company reported that the profit before tax rose 11.5 per cent, which is slightly ahead of analysts expectation. (finfacts, 2007) Corporate elephants dance speedily Flexible Elearn (2005) explains the four key processes for success when implementing change within an organisation, they are: Pressure for change A clear and shared vision Capacity for change Action To summary from Flexible Elearn (2005), organisations need the driving forces for change and a clear/shared vision. In order to successfully implementing change, organisations need to identify the resources that will be required and make sure they are provided. The last stage is action and implementing the planned changes. At this stage, organisations should keep checking and monitoring the process, and ensure the progress is operated well. Organisations like the benefit of change but they are afraid of failure. In order to successfully launch the change within organisations, Flexible Elearn (2005) suggest organisation to follow this stages, but on the other hand, changing could be difficult according to the change stages model as it is time consuming and costly. To quote from Saka (2003), one of the main boundaries for big organizations to change is the one which separates the model-builders from recipe-givers, the theoreticians from the practitioners. Organisations understood the need for change, but they dont seem to be able to respond quickly, especially for those big firms as they have many layers of management level that all the decisions need to run through the top to the bottom. It takes time to inform everyone in the organisation about the change and keep them up-dated with the progress. As Saka pointed out that there is a lack of interaction between decision and action. Organisational members, who are not onl y potential change-makers, are likely to be more questioning about the value of change. CONCLUSION Change management plays an important role in any organisations regardless its size. It means to make change in a planned and systemic way. (Cummings Worley, 2004) Moreover, it helps to lower risks associated with change, eliminate resources conflicts and redundancies. For Marks and Spencer, its problems include: business too complicated, competition, downsizing, and management system. The Marks and Spencer story shows that changes are essential for all the organisations regardless its size and reputation. Staying in the same place without considering the changing environment will leads to losing profit or failure. Moreover, Marks and Spencer went through three stages of change, which are: Unfreeze: feel the needs to change as the market share and profit was going down Change: going through changes with the planned model of change that allows the company to change step by step with continuously changing progress. Refreezing: met the goals and objectives that Marks and Spencer successfully changed itself from an old, transitional British retailer to a new look, fashionable icon. To sum up, small organisations are more flexible when they facing changes, while big organisations have bureaucracy management system and more layers of management level, hence, it is harder for them to response to the changing environment. Therefore, big organisations should adapt the ability to change and change quickly. REFERENCE Beitler. M, 2006., Strategic Organisational Change: A Practitioners Guide for Managers and Consultants, Practitioner Pr Intl. Burnes. B, 2004., Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organizational Dynamics (4th Ed), Pearson Education. Cameron. E Green. M, 2004., Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools Techniques of Organizational Change, Kogan Page. Cummings. T Worley. C, 2004., Organizational Development and Change, Thomson South-Western. Flexible. P Elearn. L, 2005., Change Management: Management Extra, Elsevier. Kanter. R, 1989., When Giants learn to Dance, Simon and Schuster. Nilakant. V Ramnarayan. V, 2006., Change Management: Altering Mindsets in a Global Content, Sage Publications. Paton. R McCalman. J, 2000., Change Management: An Guide to Effective Implementation,, Sage Publications Inc. Rippin. A, 2005., Marks and Spencer-Waiting for the Warrior: A Case Examination of the Genddered Nature of Change Management, Journal of Organizational Change Management,, Volume 18, p578-593 http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filename=Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/0230090605.html [Accessed 17/11/07] Saka. A, 2003., Internal Change Agents View of the Management of Change Problem, Journal of Organizational Change Management,, Volume 16, p480-496 http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filename=Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/0230160501.html [Accessed 22/11/07] Siegal. W et al, 1996., Understanding The Management of Change: An Overview of Managers Perspectives and Assumptions in the 1990s, Journal of Organizational Change Management,, Volume 9, p54-80 http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filename=Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/0230090605.html [Accessed 20/11/07] http://drfd.hbs.edu/fit/public/facultyInfo.do?facInfo=biofacEmId=rkanter [Accessed 17/11/07] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marks__Spencer [Accessed 20/11/07] http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/6/62/figure/F1?highres=y [Accessed 20/11/07] http://www.marksandspencer.com/gp/node/n/46010031?ie=UTF8mnSBrand=core [Accessed 21/11/07] http://www.finfacts.com/irelandbusinessnews/publish/article_1011718.shtml [Accessed 21/11/07] http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=MKS:LN [Accessed 19/11/07]

Imagine you have been asked to direct J.B. Priestley’s “An Inspector :: Drama

Imagine you have been asked to direct J.B. Priestley’s â€Å"An Inspector Calls† what Instructions would you give to the actor playing the part of Mr Arthur Birling At the opening of the play, Priestley presents a typical Edwardian middle class business family. The arrogance and pomposity of the Birlings is clear immediately as Priestley remarks, â€Å"they are all feeling rather pleased with themselves.† As the audience are introduced to the play the Birlings are celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft. Mr Birling is a successful businessman who has been active in local politics and has had the honour of being Lord Mayor. He is a magistrate and has hopes of being given a knighthood which will make him socially closer to Sir George and Lady Croft, the parents of his future son in law, Gerald Croft. Mr Birling is self confident, but his more humble upbringing makes him â€Å"social outcast† and he enters the group of â€Å"noveau riche† the new rich. The way he speaks shows him up; he is not a highly intellectual man of upper-class grace, but a man who still speaks with limited interests and narrow-minded views. Mr Birling is the man of the house, and in the setting of the play, 1912, it was a patriarchal society, where men had more power and were considered more important than women, as even Mrs Birling accepts, â€Å"when your married you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business.† Mr Birling is a bully, he rules by intimidation and self importance. Mr Birling will be dressed appropriately for his daughter’s engagement, wearing an expensive tailor-made suit with tie, or a dinner jacket with bow tie. Mr Birling represents the older generation, where he cannot accept responsibility for mistakes he has done. It is a huge failing in him, and ends up in attempting to cover himself up. His weakness makes him appear desperate and foolish, and gives the Inspector the advantage of having Mr Birling cornered, â€Å"Look Inspector-I’d give thousands-yes, thousands-.â€Å" The Inspector has broken him, he has the call of the questions. The opening of the curtains starts with ironically with Mr Birling speaking in his very loud abrasive manor, â€Å"Giving us the port, Edna? That’s right. You ought to like this port, Gerald. As a matter of fact, Finchley told me it’s exactly the same port your father gets from him.† The atmosphere on stage at this point in the play, is very cheerful and light spirited, they are all celebrating the engagement of Gerald and Sheila, a very serene and joyous occasion.

Investigative Reporting :: essays research papers

Investigative Reporting In the seventeenth century the puritans lived through relationships, religion, community, discipline and punishment in a way that would bring honor and glory to God. In The Scarlet Letter, the puritans of seventeenth century Boston society were a fate driven religious group that would not accept sin of any kind without punishment. The type of punishment they would use the most was that of public humiliation and to be taunted by the community around the one who committed the crime or sin. In Hester Prynne’s case, her crime was adultery, which was most commonly punishable by death. Instead of death, the community branded Hester Prynne with a letter â€Å"A† for the rest of her life and made her stand in front of the whole community as an example for everyone that sin and corruption was not accepted in their society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Relationships between men and women were very constrained, which is what made adultery such a bad sin in the eyes of everyone of the community. Men had more rights than women did and that is why anything Hester would have said could not have possibly helped her. Religion seemed to be what governed over all, people would look up to reverends and the community believed that fate was their destiny. In the seventeenth century everything was very strict and everyone was expected to to follow the laws, which makes Hester’s sin such a good example of the beliefs of that time period. This type of punishment was used not only to humiliate, but to discourage people from breaking the laws and committing the same sin or crime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the nineteenth century came about Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter, making the setting in Boston, taking place in the seventeenth century. Although The Scarlet Letter was written about seventeenth century Salem, the problems of the past affect the future as evidenced by the personal guilt that Hawthorne, being of a Puritan heritage, reveals concerning his past. The nineteenth century was a place of change for different people, different places, and different situations. Fore example: women were gaining more rights, the revolutionary changes of the Civil War affected history and technology, also education was on the rise. People no longer treated women as inferior’s but as equals. Sin was still viewed as bad, but it was no longer punished by humiliation and death but as to be settled with God himself.

Equality for Women Essay -- essays research papers

How would you like to earn about an extra million dollars? Is this hard to do? Then answer is no, all you have to do is be born male and graduate college. Throughout history women have strived for equality. The informal slogan of the Decade of Women became â€Å"Women do two-thirds of the world's work, receive 10 percent of the world's income and own 1 percent of the means of production† (Robbins, 354). Throughout the world the disparity of rights for women is immense. The inequalities between girls and boys are evident prior to children beginning elementary school. Girls are made aware that they are unequal to boys as soon as they start. Even different behaviors are acceptable for boys than for girls, for instance. Every time students are seated or lined up by gender, teachers are affirming that girls and boys should be treated differently. Girls are praised for being neat, quiet, and calm, whereas boys are encouraged to think independently, be active and speak up. Girls are socialized in schools to recognize popularity as being important and learn that educational performance and ability are not as important. "Girls in grades six and seven rate being popular and well-liked as more important than being perceived as competent or independent. Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to rank independence and competence as more important" (Bailey, 169). A permissive attitude towards sexual harassment is another way in which schools reinforce the socialization of girls as inferior. When schools ignore sexist, racist, homophobic, and violent interactions between students, they are giving tacit approval to such behaviors. We as a society taunt boys for throwing like a girl, or crying like a girl, which implies that being a girl is worse than being a boy. According to the American Association of University Women Report, "The clear message to both boys and girls is that girls are not worthy of respect and that appropriate behavior for boys includes exerting power over girls -- or over other, weaker boys" (Bailey, 173). "Because classrooms are microcosms of society, mirroring its strengths and ills alike, it follows that the normal socialization patterns of young children that often lead to distorted perceptions of gender roles are reflected in the classro... ...ns taking action to stop discrimination and violence against women. Work Cited Bailey, S. How Schools Shortchange Girls: The AAUW Report. New York, NY: Marlowe & Company. 1992. Henslin. Essentials of Sociology, 5th ed. Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Longman. 1995-2005. 266–272 Mann, Judy. The difference, Growing up Female in America, New York, New York., Warner Books, Inc. 1994. 1-12. Marshall, C.S. & Reihartz, J. Gender issues in the classroom. Clearinghouse, 1997. 333- 338. Massey, Garth. Readings for Sociology Forth Edition, New York, New York. W.W. Norton & Company, 2003. 231-237. McCormick, P. Are girls taught to fail? Chicago, IL. U.S. Catholic, 60, 1995. 38-42. Robbins, Richard H. Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism, Allyn & Bacon Publishers, 1999. 354-355 Sullivan, Marianne. â€Å"Women's Poverty Deepens Amid Slow 2003 Recovery.† womensenews.org, 30 August 2004, 29 October 2004, [http://womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/1968/context/archive] â€Å"Wage Gap Increases Between Women and Men, US Census Report.† Feminist.org. 2 September 2004. 28 October 2004. [http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=8622]

Western states

1. Earthquakes occur in various part of United States. The earthquakes that occurred across the country ranges in magnitude and the date of occurrences. Earthquake with highest magnitude that was recorded in history occurred in Alaska while the one with lowest magnitude occurred in the Idaho area of United States. From the national seismic hazard maps (2008) shows that certain area of united states are more prone to attack while some areas have moderate probability and while some region are at a lesser probability of occurrence.Western states such as California, Nevada, Oregon and Arizona are at higher risk of earthquakes while regions such as South Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota are at the lowest risk of earthquake occurrences. Those at moderate risk include Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. The relative probability risk of earthquake occurrences ranges from the low risk central and northern region to the moderate region of some of the eastern states to the highest risk of the weste rn states or region. 2.On the map, the color of Houston Texas is relatively grayish showing that this region is at a lower risk or probability of earthquake occurrence within the next fifty years. 3. Data from the USGS in regards to the latest earthquakes in the world (showing that of the past 7 days in terms of their magnitude and the date of occurrence) indicate that distribution of earthquakes around the world is not even. The map shows 208 different earthquakes in relation to the time of occurrence and their magnitude.Regions such as the western part of the USA, the area of Alaska, Northern part of South America, some northern and eastern parts of Australia and the southern part of Asia shows earthquake experiences that are within the range of 5-7 magnitude and they can be felt. Around the some part of central Asia there are some scattered distributions of earthquakes which are of lower magnitudes and most are not usually felt. 4. The details of the earthquake that occurred on t he southern American continent are as follows; magnitude 5.0, location 12. 100 degree S, 75. 338 degree W, PERU region with location uncertainty of Horizontal +/_ 13. 5 km (8. 34); depth +/- 3. 4km (2. 1 miles). The earthquake occurred on Saturday, August 01, 2009 at 23:07:04 UTC. 5. I’m never going to be willing to live in those regions with higher probability of earthquake simply because â€Å"prevention is better than cure†. Having considering various social, environmental and economic impacts on the lives of people being affected by earthquake, I will never consider living in such red regions. 6.In situation where I’m forced to live in such areas I will consider some of the precautions that can help me and family to prepare and prevent ourselves from being affected by such disaster. Some of what I can do to help my family prepare for such situation includes the use of the USGS resources which helps peoples and family prepare for earthquake events. The resour ces that have been found to help in such situations are categorized into the following; †¢ How can I plan ahead for an earthquake †¢ What emergency supply do I need †¢ What to do during an earthquakeIn order for me to help my family prepare for such an event in the future if eventually I was forced to relocate to the red areas are as follows; I will make sure each of my family member knows what to actually do no matter wherever they are during an earthquake such as establishing a meeting point where we can reunite after afterwards, find out the preventive measure or plan by the children schools for an earthquake attack, and remember that transportation may be disrupted during the event hence there is a need to keep supplies whenever there is chance to do so.I will also try as much as possible to prevent any form of fire outbreak that might worsen the situation. This will be achieved by turning off all the units that can lead to leakage and subsequent fire incidence. I will immediately locate the fire and police station or any available emergency facilities for any rescue. I will also talk to my neighbor in preparedness for an earthquake so for us to know what we can do to help each other during and after an attack. I will also take special training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid processes. 7.The list of the most destructive earthquakes that occurred in the world are the earthquake that occurred in Pakistan in 2005 and that which occurred at Eastern Sichuan, China in the year 2008. The earthquake at Pakistan recorder about 86000 while that of the china recorded about 87,587 deaths. There are several missing bodies during both events and thousands of people became homeless after the events. This list of most destructive earthquakes shows that science is yet to be able to predicts or control earthquake because if they have the power or knowledge to do so, we ought not to have massive destruction like the two most recent earthquakes. 8. Seismograms is the seismological tool that scientist has been able to create to detect rumbling of the earth which usually indicate events going on within the earth layers and also the magnitude of a particular earthquake. What can be consider to be the main motivation for developing seismograms is the understanding of what lead to earthquakes that is the faults and the shakings that occurred within the ground which subsequently causes earthquake. They develop this tool so as to be able to detect this shakings and measure it magnitude. 9.This geological energy is different from biological in the sense that movements of the blocks within the earth result in the conversion of energy caused by the friction into the heat energy which subsequently contributes to the earthquakes while biological energy (which is measured in terms of calorie ) are usually derived from the chemical energy and not the frictional energy. The two forms of energy are similar in the sense that they can be con verted to heat energy. References Lisa,W. (2009). â€Å"The Science of Earthquakes†. Earthquake Hazard Programs Retrieved August 2, 2009 from http://earthquake. usgs. gov/learning/kids/eqscience.php USGS, (2009). â€Å"earthquake preparedness†. FAQs Retrieved August 2, 2009 from http://earthquake. usgs. gov/learning/faq/? faqID=79 USGS, (2009). â€Å"Earthquakes with 50,000 or More Deaths†. Most Destructive Known Earthquakes on Record in the World Retrieved August 2, 2009 from http://earthquake. usgs. gov/regional/world/most_destructive. php USGS, (2009). â€Å"National Seismic Hazard maps-2008†. Retrieved August 2, 2009 from http://gldims. cr. usgs. gov/nshmp2008/viewer. htm USGS, (2009). â€Å"Earthquake Facts â€Å". Earthquake Hazard programs Retrieved August 2, 2009 from http://earthquake. usgs. gov/learning/facts. php