Fashion design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fashion design - Essay Example oduce a range of clothing and aesthetics designs that will capture the interests of the customers, by following the developing trends and even going back to reinvigorate some traditional or ancient clothing styles and aesthetic components that were fashionable during the time, which can also integrate fully into the current tastes and preferences of the people (Eceiza and Alvarez, 22). Design functionality and aesthetic value forms the fundamental principles of fashion design, since a fashion designer must come up with a design that functions well for the current generation, while also matching the emerging trends and thus giving a touch of aesthetically pleasant attire. Most significant in the world of fashion design, is the consideration into who is likely to wear the garment or the accessory that has been produced, and on what occasions is the attire desirable. Therefore, with the interest of the current generation on the forefront, coupled by the occasional desirability and aesthetic appearance, a fashion designer is sure to remain in the business. There are a variety of skills that are desirable for an individual to qualify as a fashion designer. First, a wide knowledge in fabrics, ornaments, garments and fashion trends is highly desirable for anyone waiting to become a fashion designer (Eceiza and Alvarez, 37). The knowledge of fabrics is essential; since it enables an individual understand what type of material is desirable to produce a clothing fashion, based on the occasions for which the clothing is designed. The knowledge of ornaments is also relevant, since it allows individuals to understand the types of ornaments that are suitable to produce certain accessories, and which of such ornaments is worth matching the dressing that is designed for such occasions (Brogden, 42). Another relevant requirement for a prospective fashion designer is the knowledge of fashion trends. This is necessary because fashion is not statistic, and thus new designs are

Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther King Jr’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† Essay Martin Luther King Juniors â€Å"letter from Birmingham Jail† was the reflection upon protest against unjust laws was established against him and his fellow men. Throughout his letter he uses many great philosophers and historical events to justify his own protest to be necessary to do what’s right. King was the leader of civil-rights group that supported protest against traditional views of the society and unjust laws established in the era.† In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action. † ( Taylor) In his letter from Birmingham Jail King states: â€Å"It was illegal to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at that time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country’s anti-religious laws† (King, 6). Here in this excerpt shows that King encourages protest because in some extreme circumstances becomes necessary, be it in Hitler’s Germany, a Communist country, or any situation in which injustices are occurring. In the end of the sentence King openly admits that he would protest against established laws or traditions by all means necessary because they favor the unjust. The letter was written to his fellow clergymen to explain his prior actions and to attempt justified and appropriate for the situation. He expressed that he exhausted every other option to justify them. In the letter he tried to explain to the clergy that his actions although illegal were possible and direct action was the only available option left, which could make a difference. â€Å"One may well ask: â€Å"How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?† The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that â€Å"an unjust law is no law at all†. Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? (King, 5). Throughout history, there have been many unjust laws. Many people follow laws just because they are laws. Sometimes people don’t even agree with a law, but they go along because it’s in society acceptable or because it’s just the law. I think that by writing the letter, and putting forward the definition, King is challenging his readers to consider whether or not a law is just. If a law is unjust, it is the responsibility of the people to get it overturned. A society should not live with an unjust law. By choosing to go against law it shows that king primarily a teleological thinker. In conclusion, King wrote â€Å"Letter from Birmingham City Jail† for the purpose of making his audience realize that they are not carrying out our Constitution and the Declaration of Independence which is the United States was founded upon. King only wants what should be granted to all United States citizens, this being freedom, justice, and equality. He is saying he is in jail for only doing what is right, by trying to achieve what is right through non-violence and the fact that he is in jail is unjust, does not support equality, and freedom. Work Cited Taylor, Justin.† Between Two Worlds. Martin-luther-king-jr-letter-from-birmingham-jail† http://thegospelcoalition.org/. 23 Jan. 2013.

The Siberian Work Camp and One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich Essay

The Siberian Work Camp and One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich      Ã‚  Ã‚   In Gulag Archipelago, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn describes in three volumes the Russian prison system known as the gulag.   That work, like Kafka's The Trial, presents a culture and society where there is no justice - in or out of court.   Instead, there is a nameless, faceless, mysterious bureaucracy that imposes its will upon the people, coercing them to submit to the will of the state or face prison or death.   In One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich, we are presented with exactly what the titles tells us, one day in the life of Ivan Denisovich.   However, Ivan Denisovich spends his days in the gulag in Siberia, freezing and starving with the other prisoners while he serves the remainder of a ten year sentence.   Ivan is not a hero or extraordinary.   Instead, he is an ordinary example of the type of individual who spent their days in the gulag.   What emerges from these ordinary individuals is the strength and will to survive and at the end of the day, a day that millions of others spent just like Ivan, still find the courage to conclude "Almost a happy day" (Solzhenitsyn 159).   This analysis will focus on the historical significance of the event covered in this work, i.e., the daily life of an ordinary prisoner in a Siberian work camp in communist Russia.   A conclusion will discuss how a novel provides the reader with a different viewpoint of history than that provided by the pundit or historian.    BODY There could be few books written on any level (historical, psychological, social, etc.) that reveal as much significance about the historical period when the Russian gulag was in operation under a communist regime than the fiction of Aleksandr Sol... ...ng and surviving extraordinary conditions much like the victims convicted unfairly to prison work camps across communist Russia in the twentieth century.   Thus, the title of Solzhenitsyn's novella is apropos to the historical event described because while we are only witness to Ivan's day and Ivan is an ordinary inhabitant of the gulag, millions of other human beings endured and survived similar days, day in and day out.   Thus when Ivan concludes at the end of the novella "Almost a happy day", we see the considerable abilities and capacities of ordinary human beings to retain hope and survive against extraordinary circumstances (Solzhenitsyn 159).    WORKS   CITED Solzhenitsyn, A.   One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich.   (Only authorized edition).   Introduction by Marvin L. Kalb.   Foreward by Alexander Tvardovsky.   New York:   E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1963.

President: American Civil War and United States Essay

What’s the best president of the United States of all time? In my opinion most of the 44 presidents have been good to descent guys. But my all-time favorite is number sixteen the one and only Abraham Lincoln. Born in Hodgenville, Kentucky in 1809 he grew up to be one of the most influential presidents. He was selected in to office in 1861 until 1865 when he was killed. He’s my favorite because he lead the civil war, because he abolished slavery, and risen from the poor beginnings to become a president. Probably the most important thing he did was to lead and unify the country by choosing to go to war. With a firm conviction, Lincoln declared South Carolina’s secession illegal and pledged to go to war to protect the federal union in 1861, that’s when everything went to shit resulting in the baggiest casualties number in any war which are 620,000 Americans. This war last four years and with Abe’s helped he drove the north to victory. One of the most important ways he did that was with a speech that was called Gettysburg Address where justify why to protect the image of the United States by not allowing the Southern states to secede. What an important turning point of the war and that basically when union started to kick the south ass. This showed everyone what an amazing president he was and helped him gain momentum in the war. The second and also every significant action that he did were to abolish slavery. Abraham Lincoln opposed slavery in public and privately matter one of the reasons was because in his youth his Baptists church had moral standards against alcohol, dancing and slavery. So when he was elected in to office he issued an order called Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Where he basically he said that all union states know too as â€Å"free states† were not allowed to have salary and south states can but with certain limitations. This was first stepping stone for freedom of Africans Americans. He did lot of small less know speeches that were anti –slavery and kept conniving people that it was wrong to own people. Son of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Lincoln he lived in Indian where help out his parents with chores and other labor work. Lincoln was never closed to his father having a family troubles was not the only thing wrong with childhood. Another trouble that young Lincoln’s had was his formal education consisted approximately of a year’s worth of classes from several homeschooled teachers, he was mostly self-educated and was an avid reader and often sought access to any new books in the village. Making him a remarkable and successful well know president. I this is I think one of the best unknown accomplishments a good role model for anyone that thinks they can’t be successful because they were poor or uneducated beginning. So next time people are talking about presidents or of popular political figures you can talk about Abraham Lincoln. You can tell then that he lead the bloodiest war of the United States and won, and he abolished slavery making it illegal to own anyone , or and that he had a bad childhood and that later in his life he became one of the most know president to this day. He did all this in four years before being assassinated in the fords theatre in Washington D.C. By a man named john Wilkes booth a known confederate spy from Maryland. He fired his gun in to the head of the Lincolns in point blank range killing him after 72 hours.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Television

Nowadays many people all over the world spent most of their free time watching television; but since its appearance, television has brought to man many advantages as well as disadvantages.Television plays an important role in our daily activities: it keeps us informed about all the current affairs in the world. Television helps us in broadening Our knowledge in many ways. Through language teaching programs, we can learn the language we like such as: English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese and so on. We can become skilful and clever at doing jobs, making cakes or arranging flowers through practical courses taught through different programs on television. Television is a source of recreation. funny films bring us minutes of relaxation after a hard day’s work..Apart from its advantages, however, television also brings lots of disadvantages to viewers. First, television viewers gradually become passive in their action. Television may be a splendid media of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other or with the outer world and discourages people from traveling. The world seen through television is only the restricted one: It separates us from the real world.Television, with its fascinating power, makes people of all addicted to it. Students are so absorbed in television that they neglect their school activities as a result of which their grades degrade. Homework is left undone and lessons unprepared. Housewives are so keen on watching television that they neglect their duties toward their husbands and their children. Instead of watching television, we may use the time for a real family hour. Without the distraction of television, we may sit around together after dinner and actually talk to one another to know and like each other better.Finally, the evil influence of television on the young generation is inevitable; it encourages them to commit crimes. Spectacles of sadism and violence on television lead them to robbery, theft, rap e and murder. In a nutshell, television is useful to us when we know how to use it: Be careful not to overindulge ourselves in it and use it in a discerning manner.

In the Going and your last drive Hardy Essay Example

In the Going and your last drive Hardy Essay Example In the Going and your last drive Hardy Paper In the Going and your last drive Hardy Paper The sudden loss of a loved one can reveal that a seemingly intimate, idyllic relationship can in fact be complex, distant and lifeless. Thomas Hardy attempts to portray this idea in his works The Going and Your Last Drive. In The Going Hardy illustrates that a feeling of wistful, nostalgic regret results from concentrating on the negative aspects of lost relationships. In Your Last Drive however he indicates that although there may be no afterlife, the dead live on in our memories and through imaginative recreation. Hardy manages to depict these concepts through his intricate control of language. Sudden, unexpected loss can leave one grief stricken, isolated and melancholic. A sense of frustration and blame is created by Hardy in the first stanza of The Going. Hardy questions his lost loved one asking why did you give no hint that she was about to pass away. Angry that she didnt alert him to her imminent death, Hardy harshly blames her using the adverb why. His loved one is said to have been indifferent quite. She ignored his feelings, possibly unconcerned about, and uncaring towards him, as depicted by the adjective indifferent. This feeling Hardy might have returned. Hardy uses euphemisms such as where I could not follow as he doesnt wish to accept his loved ones passing. He attempts to escape reality and isolate himself from the real world; obviously hurt deeply by her death. In the second stanza Hardy begins to grieve and lament. Hardy says how she never bid goodbye. He is sorry that she didnt say farewell to him. This portrays Hardy differently; not angry and blaming but rather sorrowful and regretful. Hardy is said to have been unknowing of her passing and how it altered all. The alliteration of altered all draws attention to huge impact of the death on Hardy. A feeling of torment is created in the third stanza as Hardy states that she made him think that for a breath it is you I see. Hardy momentarily believes he sees his wife; his eyes are seeing what he wants, to be able to view his wife again. The alliteration of darkening dankness portrays Hardys state of mind: bleak, sombre and gloomy. However in the end Hardy only sees yawning blankness which sickens him, illustrating his intense yearn for another moment with her. The comfort and support of a loving relationship can be easily lost due to negligence. A feeling of wistful, nostalgic regret results from concentrating on the negative aspects of lost relationships. Returning back to the early years of their relationship, Hardy attempts to remember the positives of their marriage in the fourth stanza. He describes how his wife (the swan-necked one) would muse and eye him. The verb muse shows that Hardy was captivated by her youth and beauty. In the fifth stanza, in contrast to the previous, Hardy turns to the negatives in their marriage, wondering why they didnt revive the original joys. Hardy asks whydid we not speak, illustrating their neglect. Hardy wonders why they didnt remember those days long dead. The adjective dead suggests that the initial happiness of the start of the relationship didnt continue. However, it could also portray how the marriage was almost lifeless and empty due to their disregard and mistreatment. Hardy regrets that he and his wife didnt seek to strive that times renewal. This shows that they didnt attempt to revive their initial feelings or rekindle their romance. Emotionally struggling in the last stanza, Hardy cant get over his grief. He states how alls past amend, illustrating his inability to repair his relationship with his wife due to her passing. I seem but a dead man Hardy says: ready to sink down soon. This shows that Hardy is waiting for the end, for death to take him and rid him of his pain and bereavement. The punctuation (ellipsis and hyphen) and fragmented syntax in the last stanza breaks down the poems rhythm. It also helps to portray Hardys factored thoughts and inability to order his emotions. In the last line of the poem Hardy states that he didnt expect that his wifes passing would undo me so. Hardy didnt think that her death would distress him as immensely as they had grown apart. The tragedy of loss can leave one pondering over their past actions; lifeless, depressed and confused. We sometimes use our imaginations as a means of escaping the grief and suffering of tragic loss. In Your Last Drive Hardy creates a bleak, reminiscent mood throughout the poem. Hardy establishes a setting by the moorway portraying a sense of desolation and isolation. The adjective undiscerned is used to describe the deceased, showing that she wasnt to know that she would be in a week the face of the dead. This illustrates that one will never pinpoint the exact date they will pass away. Hardy contrasts the face of the dead with that haloed view, between death and heaven, foreshadowing her imminent death. Like in The Going Hardy uses euphemisms instead of describing her graveyard. The resting-place is said to have been alien from you [the deceased]. The adjective alien emphasises the deceaseds ignorance of her impending death. In the third stanza Hardy describes how he was unable to read the writing upon your face. Hardy wishes to illustrate that you cant foresee a persons passing, oblivious until they have gone. Hardy in the fourth stanza portrays the lack of communication between the living and the dead. Hardy uses the speech of the deceased to bring back the lost persons voice, creating intimacy and complexity. The loved one says how I shall not know emphasising the ignorance of the dead. In the last stanza Hardy agrees with the dear ghost stating that never youll know. This inversion emphasises that never will the dead be alert to the livings problems. The last line of the poem is full of juxtaposition with Hardy saying you are past love, praise, indifference, blame. This emphasises the tension and conflict in complex relationships. Hardy is unsure of how to remember his wife now that she has passed away; whether to remember the positives or negatives of their marriage. At the sudden conclusion of an intimate, complex relationship, confusion and reminiscence reign. Hardy attempts to show the complexity and tension in relationships that once seemed intimate and idyllic. In The Going and Your Last Drive Hardy tries to portray the effects loss has on the one left behind. He shows that one is left frustrated, grieving and lifeless after the loss of those closest to them.

Free Essays on Out, Out

Out, out is a good story about a boy who loses his arm after a stupid accident. realize it is happening? That’s what I believe Robert Frost’s poem Fire and Ice is meant to express. Although the poem is short, it holds a very interesting question to think about. The question is which way would you rather the world come to an end. There are two choices. The first two lines in Fire and Ice express the choices, "Some say the world will end in fire, / Some say in ice." I feel that he uses the term fire not to hold the direct meaning of a burning flame, but to represent the punishment something can inflict upon an object. It presents the image of the intense pain in which a burn can inflict, along with the extraordinary speed in which it happens. Fire causes a tremendous amount of destruction to virtually anything within seconds. It could also represent just a violent ending. Either way, it would be nice to have things over with fast, but the intense pain might not make it worth it. For the world to end in ice, seems to present the image of a slower, numbing effect. I feel he uses ice to represent a slow, almost unnoticeable change that eventually causes the destruction of mankind. Fire, instantaneous combustion of an object. Frost uses fire to represent an ending with incredible speed and unimaginable pain. The quote, "From what I’ve tasted of desire" seems to represent the tendency of people to be impatient. The way many people of today are, they can not wait. They must have what they want, and they must have it now. That is one of the main purposes of a loan. Someone wants a car, but does not want to take the time to save the money. They instead borrow the money and have to pay it back, of course at a higher cost with interest. I can honestly say that a huge majority of people are in debt. They could not wait. They had to have something now. I feel that the quote explains this by using the word "desire." It presents the fact that... Free Essays on Out, Out Free Essays on Out, Out Out, out is a good story about a boy who loses his arm after a stupid accident. realize it is happening? That’s what I believe Robert Frost’s poem Fire and Ice is meant to express. Although the poem is short, it holds a very interesting question to think about. The question is which way would you rather the world come to an end. There are two choices. The first two lines in Fire and Ice express the choices, "Some say the world will end in fire, / Some say in ice." I feel that he uses the term fire not to hold the direct meaning of a burning flame, but to represent the punishment something can inflict upon an object. It presents the image of the intense pain in which a burn can inflict, along with the extraordinary speed in which it happens. Fire causes a tremendous amount of destruction to virtually anything within seconds. It could also represent just a violent ending. Either way, it would be nice to have things over with fast, but the intense pain might not make it worth it. For the world to end in ice, seems to present the image of a slower, numbing effect. I feel he uses ice to represent a slow, almost unnoticeable change that eventually causes the destruction of mankind. Fire, instantaneous combustion of an object. Frost uses fire to represent an ending with incredible speed and unimaginable pain. The quote, "From what I’ve tasted of desire" seems to represent the tendency of people to be impatient. The way many people of today are, they can not wait. They must have what they want, and they must have it now. That is one of the main purposes of a loan. Someone wants a car, but does not want to take the time to save the money. They instead borrow the money and have to pay it back, of course at a higher cost with interest. I can honestly say that a huge majority of people are in debt. They could not wait. They had to have something now. I feel that the quote explains this by using the word "desire." It presents the fact that...

Pollution and Green Chemistry Science Fair Projects

Pollution and Green Chemistry Science Fair Projects You can design a science fair project that studies pollution or addresses green chemistry. Topics include air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, and green chemistry, which seeks to minimize the pollution generated by chemical processes. What type of car antifreeze is safest to the environment?Does the presence of detergent in water affect plant growth?How effective are natural mosquito repellents? Are they safer for the environment?What is the effect of a certain chemical in water on algae growth?How is biodiversity affected by the level of pollution?How closely does the pH of soil relate to the pH of the water around the soil? Which types of soils resist pH changes from pollution the best?What are some natural herbicides, pesticides, or algicides? How effective are they? How safe are they for the environment?How effective are house plants at reducing the concentration of organic air pollutants? Is the level of air pollutants lower in areas with a large number of trees compared with relatively nearby areas that have few plants?What might you do to detoxify run-off?Do the chemical preservatives used in packaging break down or do they remain in soil after the packaging has been composted?

Disaster Recovery Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Disaster Recovery Planning - Essay Example This article looks at the various essential elements of disaster recovery planning how NIST guidelines can be applied to implement a disaster recovery plan. Physical risks for business include and are not restricted to natural calamities like Earth Quakes, Storms, and Floods etc. Fire accidents, power failures, Use of Unsafe machinery and Equipment all come under Physical Risks. Malfunctioning of Individual units in a system, Network Cables, Cable tapping are some of the physical factors that pose risk to a Business (Cooper, 1995). Physical risks to a business also include risks to the physically existing things like buildings, the computers, related media and equipment. Few of the physical risks are mentioned below. Natural Calamities: Natural Calamities like Earth Quakes, Storms and Floods disrupt any business and their corresponding data that is stored. A single quake can destroy entire business information in no time and nullify its existence. Continuous monitoring of this information and assessing the risks that these factors cause, becomes an important issue. All business data and resources (movable and immovable) are at stake if risk due to these factors is not analyzed. Malfunctioning of Cables and Other C... All business data and resources (movable and immovable) are at stake if risk due to these factors is not analyzed. Malfunctioning of Cables and Other Components: Another major risk faced by the business is due to the improper functioning of components present in a system or the Network cables that make up the backbone of any network. Hardware faults are inevitable, so nullifying them will not be possible. Their affect could be equally frustrating and annoying. Even these cause many problems to the organizations that include data loss, increased response time, network congestions, and un-timely break up of systems and temporary stagnation of work (Cooper, 1995). Managing these risks is not only necessary but also very important for the growth of an organization. Trashing: Trashing, also known as dumpster diving is a possible physical risk commonly found in the corporate sector. In this method, sensitive data is searched for in the trash and most of the times, the crackers become successful. History has proved that many industrial spies achieved remarkable success with this approach. It is common for crackers to find useful information in used tape drives, disks and discarded print outs. Crackers often find computer manuals, passwords and other information in them. All sensitive data that should not be saved will be saved and can be easily recoverable from trash. This becomes the initial point for the risks. A cracker sees a highway ahead to breach the system with this approach (Cooper, 1995). Eaves Dropping: Business data may be prone to interception with this approach, commonly known as Eaves dropping. It is a known fact that upon pressing a key on the keyboard, Electro Magnetic waves will be generated

Criminal justice-Deterrence theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminal justice-Deterrence theory - Essay Example The Deterrence Theory explains that punishing the criminal will make them not to repeat the crime, and will discourage the public from being engaged in similar criminal activities. On this base, it follows that the level of punishment should match the impacts of the crime in question. Certainty operates in Deterrence Theory in that when people are accused of a crime, they must be punished to avert repetition of the crime (Vito, Maahs, and Holmes, 66). Severity implies that punishment because of a crime should be as severe as the affects it had on those it affected. Severity relates to deterrence theory in that criminals should be punished in accordance to the crimes they did, and the punishment should stop them from repeating the crime. Celerity refers to the speed at which punishment is given to a criminal, and it operates in Deterrence Theory in that criminals should be punished as soon as they commit the crime so that their memory is still fresh of the actions they committed. The most significant of the three is certainty as it refers to the surety that a criminal will be caught and be punished (Wright, pp 5). Severity and celerity would not be in existence if certainty did not operate since if the criminals were not caught and punishment would not be guaranteed. This stops people from engaging in crime since they know the consequence of their actions is punishment. Persistent thieves do not operate in accordance to crime as choice model since they know the consequence, which is punishment to stop them from repeating the crime, and they still engage in theft (Vito, Maahs, and Holmes, 69). Increasing the length of jail terms for criminals who have been caught stealing under the influence of drugs will be crucial in their correction since they will be deterred from repeating the crime. In most cases, they steal because they want to buy the

Assigment leaderships week 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assigment leaderships week 3 - Assignment Example ies of APN leaders can be broadly categorized into scientific foundation, quality practice, leadership, practice inquiry, policy, literacy in technology and information, ethics, health delivery and independent practice. The technical changes in the health care domain have resulted into various shifting in the substantial portion of care. These shifts are normally from single handed health care systems to the home environments where patients and their care partners are responsible for care previously ordained by the nurses in their acute care settings. Competencies necessary for the advanced practice Nursing (APN) role development are adversely dependent on the nursing registration. Through an advanced registration of nurses, each and every individual nurse will be ethically stable and liable to any nursing practice consequences arising as a result of unreasonable competencies. Nursing field is a very noble field of professionalism hence it should be guided to the later by the codes of conducts regarding competencies necessarily required in this field of professionalism. This research paper explains the competencies necessary for Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) role development. An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is a post-graduate education nurse. APRN’s are well-enlightened with advanced clinical and didactic education, skills, knowledge and clinical nursing scope practices at large. APRN basically defines a nursing practice level that utilizes the expanded and extended nursing skills, knowledge and experience in planning, assessment, diagnosis, implementation and overall evaluation skills in the care required. Nurses practicing at this noble level are distinctively educationally prepared at the post-graduate level and may unconditionally work in either generalist or specialist capacity. Nonetheless, the basis of advanced practice is linked to higher knowledgeable extents (NONPF 2011). The APRN skills and experience must be ethically applied within the

Kublai Khan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Kublai Khan - Essay Example As Emperor, Khan initiated a symbiotic relationship between the Chinese and the Mongols, promoting a nation of tolerance and cross-cultural interaction that allowed for a flourishing of diverse arts as well as militaristic might. He exercised both military and political savvy in his actions, which contributed to a successful unification of the two primary peoples of his empire. Kublai’s power, military and political success attests to his military intelligence and daring. He was a strong man who understood strategy and possessed the ability to command respect and obedience from his subjects and people, ruling with a strong hand when necessary and promoting tolerance when possible. It was in this latter instinct that he gained perhaps his most lasting contributions, but it is also that instinct that nevertheless led to his downfall. Although he likely would not have been as successful as he was, had he not possessed political intelligence and agility, his instincts were often t owards indulgence of this tendency. He well understood the profound importance of catering to the Chinese majority, and thus took on Chinese advisors and officials as well as made a point of upholding important Chinese traditions, cultural values, and administrative practices. He commanded all his concubines, sons, daughters, and all the royal family members to adopt the Han culture and acquire the Chinese language and customs. Thus, the new China flourished under Kublai’s rule and experienced a heavy restructuring of political configuration. However, although Kublai Khan overcame many difficulties and barriers and ultimately achieved what he endeavored to do, in the end he became a disillusioned and embattled man. Through the struggles to convince his own conservative Mongol community of the need for the tolerance he promoted with the Chinese culture, he was increasingly isolated and frustrated at the end of his life. Both his military and political strength portrays his cap acity for leadership and as well as his ability to properly run a nation and allow it to flourish, but his personal failures and ideas eventually left lonely and embittered. In this essay, his contributions and legacy will be reviewed in order to see this in more depth. Family Background and Early Beginnings Genghis Khan, Kublai’s grandfather, united many of the nomadic tribes of northeast Asia and in that way founded the Mongol Empire. As Paul Ratchenevsky writes, the nomadic tribes in their territory were loosely linked tribal groups who would make stronger but still temporary confederations whenever some regional purpose called for it. Such purposes often involve war, but these were traditionally wars of a defensive nature. The tribal bands would come together whenever an outside force posed some impending danger, but their need for mobility as nomadic peoples generally prohibited any stronger or more lasting associations because of the nature of their lifestyles. Genghis Khan, through force of personality and visionary leadership managed to unite these tribes and begin offensive wars that allowed the empire to expand across Asia. Eventually, he initiated many invasions within Eurasia, thereby extending the reach and impact of his territory. In these ways, he was to be emulated by his grandson, with a combination of imaginary and charismatic leadership that led to the establishment of greater territories. Through the influence of Genghis Khan,

Human Resource Management - Learning Assignment

Human Resource Management - Learning - Assignment Example In order to understand these new needs, and fit the support systems to the business context, HR professionals need to be part of the planning process right from the start. The strategy that a company adopts has to be deliverable, and the contribution of HR can make sure that the whole organization is geared up to match strategic objectives, using tools like rewards systems, orientation programs, working time arrangements and many others. If strategic planning and HR are separate, then a gap can develop which hampers progress towards corporate objectives. If HR is involved in strategic planning then employees can be sure that details such as the terms of their contracts and the working arrangements in their teams have been put together in alignment with company objectives. There is consistency across the board when points of debate or contention arise, and employees are less likely to be caught between conflicting messages. HR can serve as a useful channel for information to flow from the very top of the organization to the very bottom, and across the whole width of different departments or sections. The organization is therefore bonded together more fully. This means employee views are heard and their concerns can be fed into all processes at all stages. Sensitive processes like down-sizing are likely to run much more smoothly and fairly when HR considerations have been included in the planning stage. Management directives and core corporate values are much more likely to be adopted if HR has influenced their formation and implement ation (Williams, 2010). 3 What do you think are the risks involved (to HR and the organization as a whole) if HR does not make this a priority and instead remains a purely task-oriented department mostly administrative in nature? If HR remains a task-oriented department it will more than likely find itself in

Kublai Khan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Kublai Khan - Essay Example As Emperor, Khan initiated a symbiotic relationship between the Chinese and the Mongols, promoting a nation of tolerance and cross-cultural interaction that allowed for a flourishing of diverse arts as well as militaristic might. He exercised both military and political savvy in his actions, which contributed to a successful unification of the two primary peoples of his empire. Kublai’s power, military and political success attests to his military intelligence and daring. He was a strong man who understood strategy and possessed the ability to command respect and obedience from his subjects and people, ruling with a strong hand when necessary and promoting tolerance when possible. It was in this latter instinct that he gained perhaps his most lasting contributions, but it is also that instinct that nevertheless led to his downfall. Although he likely would not have been as successful as he was, had he not possessed political intelligence and agility, his instincts were often t owards indulgence of this tendency. He well understood the profound importance of catering to the Chinese majority, and thus took on Chinese advisors and officials as well as made a point of upholding important Chinese traditions, cultural values, and administrative practices. He commanded all his concubines, sons, daughters, and all the royal family members to adopt the Han culture and acquire the Chinese language and customs. Thus, the new China flourished under Kublai’s rule and experienced a heavy restructuring of political configuration. However, although Kublai Khan overcame many difficulties and barriers and ultimately achieved what he endeavored to do, in the end he became a disillusioned and embattled man. Through the struggles to convince his own conservative Mongol community of the need for the tolerance he promoted with the Chinese culture, he was increasingly isolated and frustrated at the end of his life. Both his military and political strength portrays his cap acity for leadership and as well as his ability to properly run a nation and allow it to flourish, but his personal failures and ideas eventually left lonely and embittered. In this essay, his contributions and legacy will be reviewed in order to see this in more depth. Family Background and Early Beginnings Genghis Khan, Kublai’s grandfather, united many of the nomadic tribes of northeast Asia and in that way founded the Mongol Empire. As Paul Ratchenevsky writes, the nomadic tribes in their territory were loosely linked tribal groups who would make stronger but still temporary confederations whenever some regional purpose called for it. Such purposes often involve war, but these were traditionally wars of a defensive nature. The tribal bands would come together whenever an outside force posed some impending danger, but their need for mobility as nomadic peoples generally prohibited any stronger or more lasting associations because of the nature of their lifestyles. Genghis Khan, through force of personality and visionary leadership managed to unite these tribes and begin offensive wars that allowed the empire to expand across Asia. Eventually, he initiated many invasions within Eurasia, thereby extending the reach and impact of his territory. In these ways, he was to be emulated by his grandson, with a combination of imaginary and charismatic leadership that led to the establishment of greater territories. Through the influence of Genghis Khan,

Doctors vs nurses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Doctors vs nurses - Essay Example The education needed to qualify as a doctor or a nurse varies across countries, and even in some cases, there are variations within individual countries. A graduate degree in nursing in most countries is recommended to qualify as a nurse. This is the educational qualification that is only required. But in other countries, a degree in nursing is not enough for one to be approved as a nurse. For instance, in Canada and United States, there has been an increase in the educational requirement for one to qualify as a nurse, with a master’s degree becoming now a norm (OECD). But for the case of doctors, some countries require additional work experience for one to qualify or be approved as a doctor. Countries in sub-Sahara Africa have low education qualification for one to become a doctor as compared to other developed countries, whereby a master’s degree and work experience are factors considered before one is approved as a doctor. Remuneration levels are among critical factors affecting the performance and attractiveness of the various professions in different countries. There are substantial differences across various countries in the level of compensation for doctors and nurses. For instance, the average salary of doctors and nurses is the lowest in eastern European countries such as Turkey and Mexico and highest in Luxembourg. The range in the salaries across most countries is highest for the doctors, where the difference between the highest and lowest paying country is almost six fold. The nurses and doctors in Hungary are paid the lowest salary as compared to other countries. In all the countries, doctors earn the highest salary as compared to nurses (OECD). This may be as a result of the difference in the needed skills and the time required to train1. In many countries such as Australia, UK, USA and Canada, nurses are allowed to prescribe pharmaceutical

Juvenile Justice Essay Example for Free

Juvenile Justice Essay Crimes are usually assumed to have been committed by adults, unfortunately, in today’s society; crimes are committed by juveniles at a growing rate. Maybe juveniles are viewing too many violent television shows or movies, playing too many violent video games, or maybe juveniles are committing crimes out of boredom. Nevertheless, the pertinent issue is the fact that juveniles are participating in the commission of criminal activity at an adult level. Juveniles are no longer stealing candy bars from the local grocery store, but they are committing violent crimes against other people. Even more astounding is the fact that these same juvenile offenders are walking away with only probation as their punishment. For the most part, juveniles commit offenses pertaining to property, public nuisances, and underage drug and alcohol related crimes. Violent crimes against other persons such as assault and battery and murder are now included in the list of crimes committed by juveniles (Torbet, 1996). In order to understand why specific crimes are committed, one must carefully examine the juvenile offender. Juvenile offenders are both male and female. Some come from broken or single-parent homes lacking adequate supervision of the juvenile during the evening hours. Some juveniles are suffering from an undiagnosed psychological disorder whereby making it difficult for the juvenile to understand the consequences of his or her criminal actions. Finally, some juveniles have become associated with local gangs or gang members as a means of joining the group. Probation is a necessary factor within the juvenile justice system. There is however, the lingering question as to what crimes constitute a probationary sentence and what crimes mandate incarceration. First time offenders have almost always been guaranteed probation as a means of scaring the juvenile into straightening out their life (Gaines Miller, 2008). Juveniles having committed petty larceny, underage drinking violations, and simple assaults may also be good candidates for probation, but juveniles who have committed felonies should not be afforded probation. Juvenile probation enacts specific mandates in order to retrain and discipline the offender for his or her wrongdoing against society. Community service and attending school are most common requirements of probation. Some courts even order the juvenile to pay restitution to the victims. Curfews are strictly enforced as are daily or weekly reporting to the assigned probation officer (Torbet, 1996). In certain cases, substance abuse counseling and attending groups such as narcotics anonymous or alcoholics anonymous are provisioned. Counseling is generally enforced as a condition of probation and may include anger management classes and social skills building therapy (Gaines Miller, 2008). If a juvenile fails to meet any provisions set forth by the probation officer, the juvenile’s probation could ultimately be revoked. It is difficult to combat or devise a universal solution to the juvenile delinquency problem in this country. Many programs have been created in order to aid the juvenile justice system by attempting to discourage repeat offenders. Some courts may find it necessary to require random urinalysis screenings of any or all juvenile offenders. Juvenile probation officers may discover in the course of monitoring certain juveniles that family counseling may be necessary in order to provide the juvenile with structure and stability. In more severe cases, it could be suggested that the juvenile may need to be removed from the home and placed into foster care in order to protect the juvenile from imminent danger created by addicted parents or crime filled neighborhoods. The juvenile justice system is in dire need of reorganization, and the best starting point would definitely be in the juvenile probation department.

Conflict and Natural Resources Relationship to Growth

Conflict and Natural Resources Relationship to Growth Is the incidence of Conflict and an abundance of Natural Resources in African States  correlated with Economic Growth? Table of Contents (Jump to) Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Aims and Objectives 1.2 Overview Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 The â€Å"Resource Curse† economic theory 2.1.1 The African Link 2.2 The causes of the â€Å"Resource Curse† 2.2.1. The â€Å"crowding out† cause 2.2.2. Quality of institutions 2.2.3. The â€Å"Dutch Disease† model 2.2.4 Other theoretical economic arguments 2.3 Civil war and economic growth 2.4 Natural resources role in Civil war Chapter 3: Influence of natural resources on economic growth 3.1 The cause of â€Å"the resource curse† 3.2 Is â€Å"the recourse curse† relevant to Africa? 3.3 Other influential factors Chapter 4: The role of conflict Chapter 5: Empirical evidence Chapter 6: Conclusion References During the course of the past two or three decades many economists and academics have been endeavouring to discover why a proliferation of natural resources, which is normally considered to be a wealth generating sources often have an adverse effect upon emerging economies, slowing rather than increasing the pace of development (Rodriguez and Sachs 1999, p.277 and Isham et al 2005, p.1). Other studies, concentrating particularly upon emerging nations is areas such as the African continent, have also claimed that there is a link between the proliferation of natural resources and political unrest and conflicts, which manifest themselves in â€Å"civil wars† (DiJohn 2002, p.1). A number of theories have been advanced in an effort to offer an explanation for this phenomenon. These include the â€Å"resource curse† theoretic model promoted by Gelb (1988) and Sachs and Warner (1997); the â€Å"rent-seeking† and â€Å"Dutch Disease† models referred to in research carried out by Torvik (2001 and 2002) and DiJohn (2002), whilst others link the causes more directly to the institutions and political conditions pertaining to the individual nation (Mehlum et al 2005 and Isham et al 2005). However, other researches have suggested that such models should be treated with caution. For example, Stijins (2005, p.3), suggest that earlier â€Å"resource curse† models have limitations, and this view is echoed in the works of Rosser (2007, p.39) and others. There have been similar divisions across the academic divide regarding the link between the level and treatment of natural resources and the propensity for civil unrest and violence, which culminates in most cases in civil wars. Whilst many observers view the cause of this unrest as being linked to natural resources and the political environment (Keen 2005, p.12) and the â€Å"difference in quality of institutions† (Mehlum et al 2005, p.3), others, including Rosser (2007, p.40), suggest that the level of strategic importance of the location of the individual nation may also be a determining factor, if not in the causality of civil war then in its potential longevity and likelihood of its reoccurrence. In addition, as Collier (2003, p.6), the globally perception held in many areas, that â€Å"nothing can be done† to end such disputes, add to the problem. The divergence of views and research results indicated previously does raise questions regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of any action that may be taken to resolve the issues outlined, either within an individual nation or when addressing a specific geographical area. For example, whilst addressing the â€Å"resource curse† or â€Å"Dutch disease† may have some positive impact on the economic growth and development in emerging economies, it could follow that without a simultaneous response to address the issue of political structure, institutions and civil war, such benefits would be negated by other influences. 1.1 Aims and Objectives The intention of this paper is to evaluate whether there is a common denominator that can be found to link the entire multitude of research together into one cohesive argument. Using the African states as a basis for this research it is felt that the conclusion of the paper could add to the continuing research into finding a unique theoretical model that will provide a format for improving the economic growth and development of poorer nations, particularly those that have not been seen to have gained economic growth and development benefits from their natural resource levels and capabilities. Thus, to identify a fundamental aim for this paper, it is considered that the conclusion of the study will be intended to seek an answer to the following question: â€Å"Is the incidence of Conflict and an abundance of Natural Resources in African States correlated with Economic Growth?† Furthermore, in order to provide a structure that will assist with the achievement of a conclusion to this conundrum, the author has set four main objectives for the research, which in concise terms can be identified as: Providing an assessment the relationship between a country’s economic growth and its dependence upon the export of natural resource products. Evaluating the claim that there is a link between civil war and economic growth and seek to distinguish the key elements that pertain to that link, which might include institutional and political performance. Assessing the level of probability of civil war resulting from a nations dependence upon natural resources. Reviewing the impact of strategic location, or lack of, and the potential influence this has upon internal conflict that might exist within the development process of an individual national or regional economy. 1.2 Overview For ease of reference the paper has been organised in the following manner. Following on from this introduction, in chapter two a critical review of recent theoretical literature relating to the subject being studied will be conducted. This will include an overview of the theories relating to natural resource impact and dependency, the relationship between civil war, natural resources and economic growth and other arguments that have been expounded upon in recent literature. Chapter three includes a discussion on the influence that natural resources has economic growth and political unrest and this is followed in chapter four by a more detailed analysis of the role of that conflict plays economic performance of nations who have these resources. In chapter six we provide and analyse the empirical evidence as it relates to the nations of Africa. This structure will enable us to reach a conclusion in chapter sever regarding the question set for the study (see page 5). A bibliography of sources and appropriate appendicles follow the conclusion of the research. As stated in introduction to this research, there has been a considerable amount of research carried out in regards to the influence that a wealth of natural resources has upon the economic growth of the poorer and emerging countries, as well as the relationship this has upon civil war and political unrest or imbalance. Within this review it is intended to focus upon the main economic and conflict theories that have been developed and discussed in recent decades. 2.1 The â€Å"Resource Curse† economic theory It is the negative or reduced economic growth patterns that have been experienced by nations that have significant natural resources, which has given rise to the term â€Å"resource curse,† and which has given rise to a considerable amount of literature and research since the late 1980’s, amongst the foremost of which is that conducted by Gelb (1988), Sachs and Warner (1997), Rodriguez and Sachs (1999) and Sala-i-Martin, and Subramanian, (2003, p.833), although there has been a proliferation of other works. The starting point and motivation for much, if not all of the research and literature relating to the â€Å"resource curse†, resulted from the significant difference that had been found to exist between the real economic growth performance of manufacturing and natural resource exporting countries over the years, as measured by the movement of GDP[1]. One of the latest examples of an analysis of this differential can be found in the review carried out for the World Bank by Isham et al (2005), which compared growth rates over a 40-year period (see figure 1). When converted into graphical format (see figure 2), the extent of the deceleration of national resource exporters and the differential between these and manufacture becomes more obviously apparent. As can be seen from the analysis (figure 1) in the first half of the period, when natural resources were being discovered and exploited, the GDP gap between these exporting nations and the manufactures exporters was more than halved, in fact in some periods the growth rate for natural resource rich countries was outperforming other areas (Le Billon 2005, p.13). But this improvement saw a dramatic reversal between 1975 and 1997. This performance has been directly linked to the movement of the natural resource revenue in other research, for example that conducted by Rodriguez and Sach (1999), where a similar pattern is revealed to be linked to the production of petroleum (see figure 3). However, taking the period in its entirety, as the figures and graph show, whilst the GDP for those countries that did not have a significant level of natural resources (the manufacturing exporters) grew by 1.02 %, even the best performing growth rates for natural resources elements, being diffuse at -0.43%, reveals a growth rate gap of 1.45%. At the extreme end of the scale according the Isham et al (2005, p.12) that gap exceeds 3.5%, which explains why when taken as a whole the differential between the two types of exporters increases to 3% by the end of the period being studied. 2.1.1 The African Link The majority of the research that has explored the â€Å"resource curse† has determined that this phenomenon has been particularly noticeable in the case of poorer and developing nations where, despite their high levels of natural resource and reserves, growth levels have been low or even regressed, in stark contrast to the performance of other nations that do not have the luxury of natural resources (Rodriguez and Sachs 1999, p.277 and Sach and Warner 2001, p.828). For example, Mehlum et al’s (2005) research concludes that many African countries with such resource levels have been afflicted by the curse, particularly those in the Sub-Saharan regions, which include Nigeria, Zambia, Sierra Leone and Angola. In support of the link between the â€Å"resource curse† and the African nations, researchers have used data from a variety of sources as evidence to support their hypotheses, most of which is based upon the analysis of GDP. For example, using a similar period to Isham et al (2005) (see figure 1 on page 8), the World Bank â€Å"World Development Indicators† show that, although rich in resources to a similar if not better level than other developing countries, the Sub-Saharan regions of Africa have fared much worse than others (see figure 4), Similarly, long-term patterns, dating back nearly two centuries (see figure 5), are used to support the fact that the curse is caused by factors outside of the possession of the resource itself. 2.2 The causes of the â€Å"Resource Curse† In investigating the cause of the â€Å"resource curse,† current literature has a divergence of views relating to the economic, political and other elements that conspire to create this environment. Various researchers have identified a number of different factors as being the root causes of, or significant contributory reasons for the â€Å"resource curse.† 2.2.1. The â€Å"crowding out† cause Of the most widely cited research, which includes the studies of being Sachs and Warner (2001) and Gelb (1998), describe the main issue as a effectively being a â€Å"crowding out† situation, whereby the concentration upon the natural resource has led to a situation where other exportable resources, such as manufacturing and production exports, which are considered to be important elements in a nations economic growth process, are at worst effectively neglected, or at best considered to be of reduced importance. This theory is supported by other research. Torvik (2002, p.455-456) acknowledges that this â€Å"crowding out† theory works on the premise that â€Å"an increased amount of natural resources then lowers productivity in all [other] sectors† of the economy. One popular variation of this model that has been developed is known as the â€Å"Rentier† state model (Torvik 2002, p.455). Torvik (2002, p.456) explains that in this case the negative impact on growth is generated by the fact that as powerful groups are attracted to the natural resource, they create an overcrowding within the natural resource sector, which again has the effect of contributing to the lowering growth rates. Sachs and Warner (2001, p.833) suggest that the major elements of â€Å"crowding out† are the fact that perceived and actual increase in wealth generated from the resource increases demand and leads to higher prices throughout the economy, thus making manufacturing less competitive, particular in respect of international trade. In addition (Ibid, p.835) the research also suggests that another contributory factor is the loss of â€Å"knowledge† available to manufacturing and other sectors caused by the profit attraction of the natural resource sector, which adds to the diminishing of the competitiveness of these sectors. Innovative entrepreneurs will be attracted to take their resources away from production and into the natural resource sectors, which offers them a higher level of profit and return at a relatively lower costs. In comparison therefore, the manufacturing areas are seen to be unproductive (Mehlum 2005, p.5), which is bad for economic growth. This explanatio n concurs with the results of Sala-i-Martin and Subramanian (2003, p.15 and Le Billon, 2005, p.5), which indicates that the movement of labour away from agriculture to natural resources has contributed to a near halving of this sectors share of GDP in many countries, as evidence in Nigeria. 2.2.2. Quality of institutions Other research, in dissimilarity to the popularity of the popular Sach and Warner view (Mehlum et al 2005, p.5), promotes the theory that the causes of â€Å"natural resource curse† are more closely related to the political and institutional failure to deal with the revenue, or â€Å"Windfall Gains† as Dalgaard and Olsson (2006, p.1) and others describe them. Sala-i-Martin and Subramanian (2003, p.8) findings in a study of the economic growth situation in Nigeria suggest that natural resources are â€Å"detrimental to institutional quality.† However, their research does find that this adverse effect of institutions appears to be more significant with oils and minerals than other natural resources and that once there is control within these institutions, the negativity impact ceases (Sala-i-Martin and Subramanian 2003, p.12), a view that Isham et al (2005, p.21) takes further by suggesting that the type of resource will â€Å"play a large role in shaping what kin ds of institutional forms exist and persist.† An efficient, effective or strong institution or government can be modeled largely on the western demographic models, where this is a large degree of interaction and connection between the political forces and the citizens, with transparency and accountability being an integral part of the institutions structure (Moore 2004, p.313). Similarly, in cases where strong institutions exist, he likelihood is that the natural resource will be owned by the people, (albeit it through shares in corporations), rather than the state itself. The only connection between state and resource will be through the taxes that it levies on the commercial profits made from that resource. Weak institutions tend to be less democratic, in some cases being controlled by dictators and military juntas that pay little heed to the needs of the citizen, preferring simply to concerns themselves with the needs of their power and personal wealth. Mehlum (2006, p.5) studies also confirm the institutional quality as being an important influence, in this respect leading to their conclusions that the â€Å"resource curse† is more prevalent in countries that have weak or poor quality of institutions, being those that are undermined by ethnic or non-democratic processes (Le Billon 2005, p.24). They describe these weak institutions as being â€Å"grabber friendly† A survey carried out during the course of their research found that out of 87 countries examined, only 15 were considered to have level and quality of institutions necessary to be effective in avoiding the affects or the curse. As with the earlier discussion on GDP, Isham et al (2005, p.13), again provides us with data support of the institutional influence (see figure 3). If we look at the top half of this list, which represents the elements of weak institutions, we see that whilst manufacture exporters still achieve a growth pattern, albeit small, resource exporters are afflicted with negative growth. Conversely, with the stronger elements of institutions in place, the natural â€Å"resource curse† is not apparent, with the resource exporters showing all the signs of reasonable levels of economic growth. Whilst agreeing with the principle that, particularly in Africa, institutions and the political structures are weak and therefore at risk from the â€Å"resource curse,† Dalgaard and Olsson (2006, p.4) add another element to the discussion, claiming the â€Å"windfall† element of the resource rent, added together with the level of Aid the country receives, exacerbate the problem of â€Å"resource curse.† Likening the resource windfalls to a lottery win Dalgaard and Olsson suggest that, faced with this relatively sudden new found source of wealth, the institutions are not sufficiently experienced in being able to administer it effectively and this produced a negative effect in institutional areas such as the rule of law and levels of corruption (Dalgaard and Olsson 2006, p.25). This is evidenced by the fact that â€Å"An IMF report on Angola, for example, suggests that close to $1 billion disappeared from the state coffers in 2001 alone, due to corruption, while fiscal discrepancies over the previous several years represented between 2 and 23% of the country’s GDP† Ross, 2003, p.9). 2.2.3. The â€Å"Dutch Disease† model To the extent that the â€Å"Dutch Disease† model relates to the potential for a reversal of industrialisation Sach and Warner (2001) favour the â€Å"Dutch Disease† model, although they do not support the element of this argument that suggest an increase in workers wages in all areas of the economy (Sach and Warner 2001, p.836). As the term indicates, the â€Å"Dutch Disease† theory was based upon the events experienced by the Netherlands following the discovery of natural â€Å"gas† resources within the country’s national waters in the mid 1950’s (Gylfason 2001, p.2). The elements of this theory rest upon three main areas. Firstly, the fact that the upward movement of the currency for a particular country following the discovery of resources exacerbates the manufacturing and servicing sectors, in that it reduces their price competitiveness (Gylfason 2001, p.2 and Sach and Warner 2001, p..834). As Torvik (2002, p.2) indicates, because it is because â€Å"changes in the composition of production that determines the level or the growth rate of productivity,† that the upward movement of currency prices has such a negative impact on internal production and welfare. Secondly, historically is has been noted that the global prices of resource materials is subject to a high level of fluctuation, which is caused by changes in the stocks, both in the resource rich country and other areas of the world (Gyflason 2001, p.3) For example, in the case of Norway, if other gas resource rich nations run out of supplies, the Norwegian resource will increase in value. Finally, the combination of the two previous elements causes financial exchange rate instability (Sach and Warner 1997 p.358 and Gyflason 2001, p.4). Gfylason suggests that this has an adverse effect on other areas such as foreign investment. Nevertheless, irrespective of these factors, in the case of Norway, their effect was limited and this is an element that Gylfason concentrated his efforts on discovering why this country’s economic performance did not perform in the same adverse way that other â€Å"OPEC† countries experienced as a result of the discovery of natural resources, which included nations located in Africa, nor did it have the same longer term effect. The discovered differential relied upon two main elements. Firstly, that Norway had been a developed nation for some years prior to the discovery and, secondly, as a result of the development position financial, social and political institutions in Norway were more â€Å"mature† (Gylfason 2001, p.10), therefore more likely to be able to avoid the adverse effects of the â€Å"resource curse,† which was not the case with other OPEC countries. These results reinforced the conclusion of other researchers in regards to two areas, these being that there is a relationship between â€Å"weak institutions† and the curse of natural resources and that the negative elements of the â€Å"Dutch disease† is essentially only a major issue for such institutions. 2.2.4  Other theoretical economic arguments Recently, economists and observers have sought to further clarify the theoretical argument relating to the â€Å"curse† of national resources by looking at other potential theoretical arguments, which would both support and potentially extend the existing literature on the subject of the â€Å"resource curse.† For example, Dalgaard and Olsson’s (2006, p.25) research indicated that there might be a connection between foreign aid and the resource curse, particularly in African nations that are the recipients of such aid. Whilst stopping short of agreeing with Burnside and Dollar’s (Quoted in Dalgaard and Olsson 2006, p.13) conclusion on this subject, this being the â€Å"aid only stimulated growth if accompanied by sufficiently sound macro-economic policies: e.g. low inflation and budget balance,† it was felt that further research into the systems and processes used for the distribution of aid was needed, as the likelihood of a connection with the eco nomic performance of a recipient nation could not be discounted. Another argument that has been put forward as elements of cause for the â€Å"resource† curse is the impact of an individual nation’s culture and geographic position. Dalgaard and Olsson (2006, p.19 and 20) believe that these issues should not be discounted. They point out that culture has been found to have a direct link to the level of corruption that exists within a nations political institution. In terms of geographical position, Dalgaard and Olsson’s study promote two arguments to support this being a classed as a source. The first of these is related to size, where it is argued that the greater the size of the country, the more extensive will be its institutions and, therefore, if the culture has a high corruption level, this will be increased (Dalgaard and Olson, 2006, p.19). Secondly, there is a potential for a historical link between geographical and institutions (Dalgaard and Ollsson 2006, p.14). In this case, the study sets the case for arguing that, because of the problems associated with areas such as the tropics, which includes high mortality rates and tropical climates, the early influence of Western institutional structure did not expand into these areas of the world as they had in others. As an example, they cite the colonial spread, which was not as widespread in the African continent as it was in places like India. Thus, this element of the theory is based upon the fact that those countries who had a foundation of good western institutions being better able to escape the â€Å"resource curse.† Phenomenon. However, other researchers do not agree with this scenario. Sach and Warner (2001, p.2 and 3) argue that using these determinates within the resource curse studies would lead to anomalies id data, with some countries appearing to be â €Å"high-natural resource† economies simply as a result of the inadequate or negative performance of other area of their economies, and visa-versa. In this regard they hold that â€Å"geography and climate variables do not eliminate the natural resource variable.† Sach and Warner 1999, p.5). Finally, but not totally unconnected with other arguments, is the argument relating to the problem of managing sudden excess. Referred to within Dalgaard and Olsson (2006, p.1) as the ineptitude of institutions at managing â€Å"windfall gains,† other reason it is the false perception of security that accompanies natural resources, which effectively provide â€Å"people with a false sense of security and lead governments to lose sight of the need for good and growth-friendly economic management, including free trade, bureaucratic efficiency, and institutional quality† (Gylfason 2001, p.7). Taking a slightly different tangent, although with a similar vein, Rodriguez and Sach (1999, p. 278), define that these countries are effectively â€Å"living beyond their means.† The view here is that resource rich countries are consuming the revenue from this resource without taking into account the fact that, unlike other areas of production, the stock of these resources can not be produced or expanded as quickly, therefore creating an increasing gap between revenue and expenditure, which eventually lead to a situation where the nation will reach a point where future revenue may have to be mortgaged to meet current expenditure. In summary, perhaps Gyflason (2001, p.8) puts it succinctly when he states that, irrespective of which argument one supports or how the individual may qualify it in academic terms, the core agreement is that â€Å"an abundance of natural capital may erode or reduce the quality of social, human, and physical capital, and thus stand in the way of rapid economic growth.† 2.3 Civil war and economic growth Irrespective of the divergence of views expressed within the literature outline in the previous sections of this chapter, one area that almost all are agreed upon is that in addition to the lack of economic growth resulting from the â€Å"resource curse,† this growth can also be adversely affected by the political stability of the nation, particularly where conflict and civil war is involved. The common definition of civil war is that conflict which leads to one thousand deaths or more. Similarly, the popular western perception is that the causes of such conflicts are caused by racial or religious tensions (Collier 2000, p.95-96). Whilst this may be true in terms of the sides taken in internal power struggles (Keen 2000, p.24), in most cases these are fuelled by a struggle to control resources. To this extent there is an economic element (Keen 2000, p.22 and Berdel and Malone 2000, p.28). Mehlum (2003, p.275) and Keen (2000, p.29) reinforce this viewpoint with the findings that those involved with these conflicts include elements from all aspects of society, such as rebels, military, political and commercial factions. In other words, particularly in countries with weak political controls â€Å"a war may be seen as continuation of economics by other means† (Keen 2000, p.22) rather than a simple clash of ideologies. Methlum et al (2005, p.6) confirm this argument, showing that in a country that have institutions and governments deemed to be weak, which is the case in many African states, this results in a situation where â€Å"the government is unable to provide basic security.† They conclude that such a situation creates an environment that fuels an increase in violence and civil wars, with control of natural resources being the main success target of the conflict and, ironically, used to finance many of these activities. Providing evidence of this in his study relating to the phenomenon of conflict diamonds, Olsson (2004, p.3) states that in countries with rich resources and weak institutions, natural resources can often lead to a triangular conflict environment of â€Å"a ruler (the prey) in control of a flow of natural resource rents, and a rebel (the predator) who might choose to prey on the ruler’s natural resource,† with the ordinary person in between these, that can create an adverse economic effect. Because the rebel wants to appropriate the natural resources, this forces the ruler to invest resources in defence, thus lessening the resources available for production and reducing the potential for economic growth. As is indicated later in this same research (Olsson 004, p.14), this situation of fuelling conflict and lining the pockets of dictators is not just limited to diamonds, but extends to a number of other natural resources. Other literature has confirmed the connection between the potential for conflict and economic growth. Rodrigueaz and Sach (1999, p.19) commenting upon the aspect of nations living beyond their means, found that, in the case of Venezuela, this leads to unrest and conflict. Dalgaard and Olsoson (2006, p.8) also identified that the high level of natural resources, when combined with weak government and low productivity in areas of production not related to natural resources, produced a â€Å"higher risk of potential conflict.† Both of these studies concluded that these conflicts served to deepen the adverse effects on economic growth. As Rodrik (1998, p.3) showed in his research, the biggest falls in GDP rates post 1975 occurred in countries that were socially divided and unable to manage conflict and these countries, more often than not, were those with high levels of natural resources (Wagner 2007). Thus it is concluded that civil war can serve to significantly damage economic growth (Rodrik 1998, p.3). 2.4 Natural resources role in Civil war One of the recurrent themes in the literature relating to natural resources, as has been identified within the previous sections, is the impact that natural resources and economics has upon social unrest and conflict. For example, Le Roux’s (2004, p.3) research suggests that as

The Bill of Rights Essay -- American History

Bill of Rights We live in the 21st century, where most Americans mind their own business but take for granted our God given rights. Not only God given rights but also those established by our founding forefathers. This paper will illustrate and depict the importance of the original problems faced when adopting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It will discuss the importance of the first amendment, the due process of the 4th, 5th, 6th, and the 8th amendments. Last but not least the importance of what is known as the â€Å"second Bill of Rights† (14th amendment). What problems with the original document motivated the adoption of the Bill of Rights? Many felt the Constitution was strongly focused on the power and authority the central government would have over the states and the people. Such supporter was Thomas Jefferson, who said, â€Å"bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on the earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse.† Thomas Jefferson December 20, 1787 (American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU], 2002). The Constitution was set up with a system of checks and balances between the three branches of government. For its time it was remarkable but was flawed in expressing what it could do, but nowhere did it say what it could not. This was the great argument by the Anti-Federalist. Second, the Anti-Federalist would only support the Constitution if Congress was to include the proposed Bill of Rights. This would ensure the unalienable rights would be protected. Federalist No.84 says. â€Å"In the course of the foregoing review of the Constitution, I have taken notice of, and endeavored to answer most of the objections which have appeared against it. There, however, remai... ...brief-history Coates, R. E. (1995-99). Freedom of the Press . Retrieved November 12, 2010, from http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff1600.htm Freedom of assembly and association. (N.D.). Retrieved November 16, 2010, from http://www.hrea.org/index.php?doc_id=406 Hamilton, A. (n.d.). Certain General and Miscellaneous Objections to the Constitution Considered and Answered. Retrieved November 16, 2010, from http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fed_84.html Morse v. Frederick. (2007). Retrieved November 16, 2010, from http://oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2006/2006_06_278 Patterson, T. E. (2009,2008,2005,2003,2001,1999,1997,1993,1990). The American Democracy (9th ed.). [Adobe reader]. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/TOC.aspx?assetdataid=d779f52a-1e20-4dad-a9af-b169cc8fe798&assetmetaid=972de29b-d180-4689-8f49-21b4f77c72a3

Are Concerns over Immigration to Do with Culture of Economic Reasons Essay

Almost all economists are in agreement that immigration has positive economic effects. Indeed in the United States it â€Å"provides natives with a net benefit of at least $80,000 per immigrant, or as much as $10 billion annually† (Bolin, 2006). However despite this there are huge numbers of advocacy groups pushing the pros and cons immigration to the populations of the host countries, with natives having negative views towards immigration (McLaren & Johnson, 2007). Through the course of this essay I will examine whether the root cause of these often xenophobic views towards immigration have root causes in economic reasons (immigrants taking jobs from natives, and leading to lower wages) or symbolic reasons, where the natives are fearful that the immigrants will bring their culture to the host country and cause change. Enoch Powell, the Conservative British politician, gave a warning that immigrants were causing such strife that â€Å"like the Roman, I seem to see the River Tiber foaming with much blood† (Powell, 1969). This turned out to be nonsense, and his advice that immigrants should be encouraged to leave, would have left Britain, and many other countries that rely on cheap foreign labour in a horrific state of affairs. Immigrants are now taking far longer to integrate into their host country and this is upsetting many natives. â€Å"In the past a third-generation migrant, for example in America, would have been expected to have shed much of his grandparents’ identity† (The Economist, 2008), not speaking his mother tongue and having little loyalty to the country his family originated from. This is changing â€Å"as migrants feel loyalty to more than one country† (The Economist, 2008). For example, Moroccans in Europe, even fourth generation, are encouraged by the Government to identify with the African country, and are granted Moroccan citizenship under the constitution. As many source countries such as India and China grow intent on gaining remittances from their emigres, â€Å"migrants even several generations on may come under great pressure to retain some of their old identity† (The Economist, 2008). This can all lead to immigrants never becoming fully integrated into the host country, causing social problems such as immigrants bunching together in the same place. Due to globalisation and time-space compression, it has become far easier for migrants to emigrate further away from their own country, this causes problems as they subsequently have little in common with their host country and find it harder to integrate into the community. Traveling long distances to emigrate is no longer a problem and in the future there will be the problem of â€Å"people moving greater distances and settling among different ethnic, religious and cultural groups† (The Economist, 2008), meaning they will have problems integrating. â€Å"Danes in Sweden or Albanians in Greece have little trouble integrating into the relatively familiar societies next door. Even Poles in Ireland prosper, perhaps thanks to the incomers’ good standard of education and skill and the shared Catholic faith. But Iraqis in Sweden, Somalis in Canada or Pakistanis in Norway typically find integration harder† (The Economist, 2008). Samuel Huntington blames this on the â€Å"great divisions among humankind† (Huntington, 1993) that are the differences between civilisations. He believes that immigration will ‘intensify civilization consciousness and awareness of differences between civilizations and commonalities within civilizations’ (Huntington, 1993). This leads to a ‘them versus us’ attitude, with the natives having the xenophobic view that the immigrants are qualitatively different from themselves. As the natives of the host country would have spent time constructing â€Å"discursive practices that attempt to fix meanings which enable the differentiation between the inside and the outside to be made† (Doty, 1996), they will resent immigrants not properly integrating themselves into the community. Research on social identity appears to conclude that identity is highly important to individuals, with individuals protecting these identities even if they have no realistic meaning (Monroe, et al. , 2000). People use these identities to provide a sense of self (Sniderman, et al. 2004), partly in order that they may distinguish between those similar to themselves and those different. The ‘identities tend to have their basis in perceptions of differences’ (McLaren & Johnson, 2007)with those viewed as outsiders thought to have radically different values and approaches to life. â€Å"The threat posed by minorities and immigrants may be symbolic in nature and may stem from concerns about the loss of certain values or ways of life† (McLaren & Johnson, 2007), due to immigrants having a significant presence in the host country. Immigrants also often congregate in areas of the host country, London for example has a huge immigrant and minority presence with only 44. 9% classing themselves as ‘White British’ (Gye, 2012), in the 2011 census. This all means that natives are fearful that immigrants will cause them to adapt or change their ways of life. Migrants who preserve â€Å"a strong religious sense that cuts across any national loyalty may be the hardest of all to assimilate into broadly secular Western societies†. In the post-9/11 world Muslims are often seen as being the greatest cultural threat to Western societies. In a recent survey McLaren and Johnson measured anti-Muslim feeling in the United Kingdom. They found that 62% of people agreed with the statement that British Muslims are more loyal to Muslims around the world, than to other Britons, only 12% disagreed. Only 30% of Britons felt that Muslims living in Britain were committed to Britain, with 47% feeling that they could never be committed to Britain. 52% of people thought that Britain would begin to lose its identity if more Muslims came to live there. Clearly there is considerable anti-Muslim feeling in Britain and concern that British-Muslims pose a threat to the identity and culture of Britain (McLaren & Johnson, 2007). Most economists are in agreement that immigration has very little effect on native’s wages; this should mean that natives won’t oppose immigration based on the misbelief that immigrants lower wages. Although conventional economic wisdom states that an increase in supply of labour will lead to a decrease in price, this doesn’t happen. Friedberg and Hunt conclude that a 10% increase in immigrant levels in the population, decreases wages by 1% (Friedberg & Hunt, 1995). Economist Francisco Revera-Batiz came to the same conclusion, noting that although immigration has increased the supply of low skilled workers into the United States, there has been very little impact on the wages of high school dropouts, the lowest skilled people in America (Rivera-Batiz, 1998). One of the most influential studies is Card’s 1990 study on the Miami Labour market after the sudden influx of 125,000 Cuban immigrants in 1980 due to a sharp downturn in the Cuban economy. Surprisingly the arrival of so many immigrants didn’t affect native wages, although it did lower the overall wage level in Miami; due to the immigrants being employed in low-wage jobs (Card, 1990). This tallies with the outcomes of other natural experiments in recent history such as the homecoming of 600,000 Portuguese after the collapse of their empire in Africa in 1974-76, the return of 900,000 Frenchmen from Algeria in 1962 (The Economist, 2008) or the influx of 610,000 Russian Jews into Israel 1990-94, increasing the labour force by 12%; all had negligible effects on native wages. Immigrants don’t decrease wages because as well as increasing the supply of labour, they become a domestic consumer for goods as well as services, they â€Å"create jobs as consumers and fill jobs as producers† (Bolin, 2006). A higher total population, ceteris parabus, will lead to the production of more goods and services, boosting the host countries gross domestic product (GDP). In some rare cases immigrants can even boost native’s wages. Illegal Mexican immigrants, who are â€Å"predominantly low skilled† (Bolin, 2006), have a positive effect on other workers’ wages (Bean, et al. 1998). This is due to immigration increasing the productivity of native workers by â€Å"taking low-skilled jobs, freeing higher-skilled workers to work in higher-skilled employment where they can be more productive† (Bolin, 2006). Based on the results of a range of economists, using results based on a â€Å"range of methodologies† (Bolin, 2006), it can be seen that immigrants have a small negative impact on native wages, although mainly low-skilled workers. Based on this, natives shouldn’t be concerned over immigration levels based on their own wages falling. The popular theory that immigrants ‘come over here and take our jobs’, has been shown to hold very little truth, as most studies â€Å"find no or negligible effect[s]† (Bolin, 2006) on employment rates. The ‘lump of labour fallacy’ is the mistaken idea that there are a set number of jobs in the economy, and when an immigrant takes one of those jobs, it is a job lost for a native. This is incorrect for three reasons. Firstly, by coming to a country â€Å"immigrants increase the supply of labour and hence reduce wages. In turn, cheaper labour increases the potential return to employers to build new factories or expand their operations. In so doing, they create extra demand for workers† (Grinda, 2006), and more jobs are created. Secondly, immigrants are consumers as well as producers. When there is a large influx of immigrants such as the 610,000 Russian-Jews into Israel in the early 1990’s, they are in need of goods and services. People are employed to provide these goods and services, meaning more jobs added to the economy, and immigrants simply enlarge the economy. Thirdly, immigrants are 10 to 20 percent more likely to become entrepreneurs and start their own business than natives (Briggs & Moore, 1994). In 1999, The Wall Street Journal reported that â€Å"Chinese and Indian immigrants run nearly 25% of the high-companies started in [Silicon] Valley since 1980†¦The 2,775 immigrant-run companies had total sales of $16. 8 billion and more than 58,000 employees† (Thurm, 1999). â€Å"Immigrants not only take jobs, they make jobs. They open new businesses that employ natives as well as other immigrants and themselves. And they do so in important numbers† (Simon, 1999). Similarly, the findings by Friedberg and Hunt discovers â€Å"no evidence of economically significant reductions in native employment†. Card, as well as examining the impact of the Muriel boatlift on wages also examined the impact of it on employment. Even though Miami’s workforce was increased by 7%, virtually overnight, with an influx of relatively unskilled Cuban workers he finds â€Å"no evidence of an increase in unemployment among less skilled blacks or other non-Cuban workers. Rather the data analysis suggests a remarkably rapid absorption of the Muriel immigrants into the Miami labour force† (Card, 1990). Again with immigrant’s impact on wages, the evidence seems to suggest that a lack of evidence that immigration causes native unemployment. This should mean that concerns over immigration should not be linked to worries over employment. Due to immigrants being â€Å"disproportionately low-skill[ed]† (Bolin, 2006) they tend to have lower wages than natives. It is often assumed therefore that they depend more upon the welfare system than natives. The level of benefits are often higher in the host country than the source country, and it is often suggested that it is this difference that brings in migrants. Borjas coined the term â€Å"welfare magnet effect† (Borjas, 1999), making the point that immigrants are drawn to the country with the highest benefits. This however has all been shown to be completely false, and many economists believe that over the long term immigrants more than pay for the public services they use (Simon, 1999). In the United States â€Å"most immigrants, including Mexicans, are usually less likely than comparable natives to receive welfare†, with the per capita cost of social welfare for immigrants being 8% less than the per capita cost for natives (Bean, et al. 1998). It is plain to see that objections to immigration come from those who are worried about the identity and culture of their nation being eroded, rather than for economic reasons. Immigrants are solving many problems for the host countries, such as the problems of aging populations and those participating in the workforce being increasing choosy about the jobs they do. Immigrants have few economic disadvantages, although high immigration may bring about a small decrease in jobs for the natives, the tax revenue that they bring in more than displaces this negative effect. As the immigrants have little impact on jobs, and simply create more jobs in the economy, disproving the lump of labour fallacy, they don’t have a negative impact on wages which is a positive for the economy as a whole. The argument that immigrants have a negative impact on the identity and culture of a nation holds some truth. Due to the fact that a nation’s identity is made up of what its inhabitants believe it to be, immigrants having different views, can water this identity down.

Hemingway’s Writing Style Essay

From almost the beginning of his writing career, Hemingway’s distinctive style occasioned a great deal of comment and controversy. Basically, his style is simple, direct, and unadorned, probably as a result of his early newspaper training. He avoids the adjective whenever possible, but because he is a master at transmitting emotion without the flowery prose of his Victorian novelist predecessors, the effect is far more telling. In Observations on the Style of Ernest Hemingway, from â€Å"Contexts of Criticism† by Harry Levin (Harvard University Press, 1957), the critic says: â€Å"Hemingway puts his emphasis on nouns because, among other parts of speech, they come closest to things. Stringing them along by means of conjunctions, he approximates the actual flow of experience.† Hemingway has often been described as a master of dialog, and most readers agree, upon being first introduced to his writing, that â€Å"this is the way these characters would really talk.† It is interesting to note, however, that Hemingway’s one attempt at playwriting was a failure. Actually, a close examination of his dialog will reveal that this is rarely the way people really speak. The effect is accomplished, rather, by the calculated emphasis and repetition which makes us remember what has been said. Since the critics cannot entirely agree on Hemingway’s style, perhaps the best way is to put it into the author’s own words. Shortly before his tragic death, Hemingway gave to the Wisdom Foundation in California a collection of his observations on life and art, love and death. They were published in the January 1963, issue of Playboy magazine, and in them Hemingway said of his writing: I do most of my work in my head. I never begin to write until my ideas are in order. Frequently I recite passages of dialogue as it is being written; the ear is a good censor. I never set down a sentence on paper until I have it so expressed that it will be clear to anyone. Yet, I sometimes think that my style is suggestive rather than direct. The reader must often use his imagination or lose the most subtle part of my thoughts. I take great pains with my work, pruning and revising with a tireless hand. I have the welfare of my creations very much at heart. I cut them with infinite care, and burnish them until they become brilliants. What many another writer would be content to leave in massive proportions, I polish into a tiny gem. Hemingway goes on at some length, but the essence of what he says may be in this paragraph: A writer’s style should be direct and personal, his imagery rich and earthy, and his words simple and vigorous. The greatest writers have the gift of brilliant brevity, are hard workers, diligent scholars and competent stylists. To explain Hemingway’s style adequately in a few paragraphs is impossible. Scores of articles, and even some books, have been written on the subject, and it is to these that the serious student should go for additional, more detailed information.

Box Reliquary of the True Cross and Other Byzantium Devotional Art

This exquisite box, currently exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, was made in Constantinople (Byzantium, now Istanbul) in the late 8th or early 9th century. Such relics are said to have housed the pieces of the True Cross, which was allegedly discovered in the 4th century by Saint Helena, mother of the first Christian Roman emperor Constantine (New York Met Museum, 2005). During the time of the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire, Constantinople was to become the largest Christian city in the Christian world.It managed to fend off attacks from the Arabs with its superior navy and Greek methods of warfare (Ellie Crystal, â€Å"Byzantine Empire,† 1995 – 2005). This box survived the Iconoclast Crisis in the 8th century, when Emperor Leo III banned all activity involving â€Å"idol worship†. All sculptures and icons containing images saints and other religious luminaries were ordered to be destroyed, and the only symbols allowed to be used f or religious reverence, were that of plants and birds or the Cross.Prior to the crisis, however, such reliquaries were very common for the safekeeping of pieces of the True Cross or the bones of saints, and were very common at the time. The iconoclasm was a very violent and turbulent time in Byzantium due to the zealotry of Leo III and his differences with the Patriarch of the time and according to various account, Leo III took a volcanic eruption on the island of Thera as a sign of God’s wrath over idolatry in the Church (Wikipedia). It was during the ban of religious icons that the Patriarch of Constantinople, Germanus I, was removed or resigned his post.Meanwhile, in the West of Byzantium, Pope Gregory III condemned Leo III’s decisions and actions and held two synods at Rome, publicly denouncing the iconoclasm. In retaliation, Leo III seized papal lands as well as raided churches and seized altar cloths, reliquaries and plates (History of the Byzantine State and Soc iety, Treadgold, Helen, Stanford University Press, 1997). Following Leo III’s death, his son Constantine V continued the ban and here is where some interesting occurrences come to light: the monasteries began to protest publicly. One monk, John of Damascus, protested iconoclasm through his theological writings.Another monk, Theodore the Studite brought things to a head by writing a letter to Pope Paschal containing strong words against the emperor. This brought dire consequences and was considered a major political step in the wrong direction by Constantine V, who invaded the monasteries, seizing their relics and throwing them into the sea. The next move from Constantine was to ban the monks from invoking the saints. This terrible period came to an end upon the death of Constantine V’s son Leo IV, whose Athenian wife Irene took position as regent for their young son, who would be the future emperor.She brought an end to iconoclasm and restored the ability of the artisa ns of the time to create icons depicting saints, Jesus, and the other figures of Christianity. It is difficult to imagine such violence over images used for the purposes of drawing upon the power of God being so violently opposed when icons and images of political figures were considered to be acceptable works of respect. Already it is easy to see that the survival of this box reliquary is almost a miracle in itself, considering the wanton destruction of such items, even as common as they were.Since this particular box is made of certain substances that are considered rare today, let us now turn our attention to the box itself. It is small, measuring 4 inches long and 2-7/8 inches across. The estimated date of creation of this box is the late 8th to early 9th century, which would be the period of iconoclasm discussed above (NY Met Museum). This box reliquary is constructed of cloisonne enamel, silver, silver-gilt, gold and niello. The fascinating things about the box’s compos ition are the components of cloisonne enamel and niello, neither of which were native to Byzantium.Niello was commonly used in Europe until the Renaissance, but rarely used after that (Hillwood Museum & Gardens, n. d. ). Cloisonne enamel was very popular in China during the Ming dynasty, but appears to have its origins in Cyprus (Dr. Panicos Michaelides, 1989). It was during the Byzantine Empire that cloisonne enamel was perfected and put to wide use from the 6th to 12th centuries, with the methods being transmitted to China in the 15th century where the art of cloisonne was further perfected to such a degree that China set the standard for quality of this substance (ChineseMoods. com, 2005).The substance of cloisonne enamel is glass powder mixed with water until a paste is formed. The paste is then applied to the die-cast of metal such as gold, silver or copper. Each color used in the process is fired separately, making for a very labor-intensive construction of only one part of th e box decoration. There appear to be three colors used in terms of cloisonne enamel; blue, white and green. The metal in this case is gold, to which the cloisonne enamel was adhered. The lid of the box reliquary features Christ still alive on the cross in the crucifixion scene, accompanied by the Virgin and St. John at his feet.Bordering the crucifixion scene are the images of fourteen saints. The underside of the lid features descriptive yet somewhat primitive art depicting four scenes from the life of Jesus: the Annunciation, Nativity, Crucifixion, and Anastasis (or Descent into Limbo). Inside the box are five compartments arranged in the shape of a cross, where relics would be kept. The four sides of the box feature the fourteen saints found on the lid, and are also made of cloisonne enamel and the bottom of the box features a beautiful cross in gold. The other substance of interest is niello, which is a black metal mixture used for decorative purposes.It is truly a lost art, as niello is rarely used today due to technological advancements in goldsmithing replacing the ancient arts of engraving with tools and chisels (Prof. Dr. Erhard Brepohl, 2001). According to Dr. Brepohl, the making of niello involves melting and mixing silver, copper and lead, the use of borax and sulphur (which explains why niello is no longer popular, since its ingredients are highly toxic), After a rather tedious and noxious fume-producing procedure, the metal alloy is then quickly cooled so that it breaks into granules. The granules are then ground with a mortar and pestle and mixed with flux to create a paste.When struck with a hammer. The finished niello should be uniformly black and shatter like glass. The niello paste is applied into the recesses of the object to be decorated (in the case of this box reliquary it would be the etched lid), then fired and cleaned. One can only stand in awe of the meticulous care with which this little box and other reliquaries were made, with suc h precision and detail to last for centuries. In terms of how the Byzantine Empire gained these skills to become virtually unparalleled as extraordinary artisans, friendly exchanges with the West are the source.Through flourishing trade routes and the power of the Roman Empire, Byzantine religious art took on enormous proportions. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, â€Å"From classical and ancient Christian art Byzantine genius derived a correct combination of the ideal with truth to nature, harmonious unity along with precision in details, as well as the fondness for mosaics, frescoes, and pictures on panels, in opposition to the dislike of non-Christian and sectarian Orientals to pictorial representation. † The rich symbolism depicts reverence and devotion completely absent in modern art.The reliquaries were made in anticipation of what would be kept within them and crafted with utmost skill and care. Although many were destroyed during the iconoclastic crisis, enough of them remain today to view in museums such as the Met, hopefully to inspire people that view them and understand the enormous skill and even danger that went into making and keeping them. Other reliquaries are simpler in nature and construction, such as the box reliquary of the Sancta Sanctorum Treasure, which measures 27. 7 X 18. 0 cm (approx. 10. 9 X 7. 1 inches).This box is bigger than the box reliquary described above, but is less ornate. It is constructed of wood and tempura and is red in color. Gold leaf adorns the five scenes depicted on the lid, which are of the Nativity, Baptism, Crucifixion, Women at the Tomb and the Ascension, read from the bottom left to upper right (Gary Vikan, 1982). Housed in the Vatican museum, this particular box contains stones collected in the sixth and seventh centuries in the Holy Land, along with bits of wood and cloth. This particular box is considered to be the rarest among the Sanctus Sanctorum Treasures (Cleveland Museum Of Art, 1998).Whe n contemplating how these relics survived the destruction during the above noted Iconoclasm we must also look to Europe during the 8th and 9th Centuries, where Christianity was taking hold. One interesting fact is that beginning in the year 787, all new Christian churches had to have a relic in order to be consecrated. Since Christianity was spreading at such a rapid rate in Europe, the Church provided relics and reliquaries from her collection (Richard Jones-Nerzic, 2002). Relics were considered to be pilgrims’ souvenirs and reliquaries were specifically crafted for the safekeeping of those relics.As reliquaries and relics began to spread to Europe, owning them became a symbol of status (Jones-Nerzic) because of their origins in Byzantium and the dangerous journey they made to get into the hands of the Europeans. Another form of Byzantine art was the carving of ivory reliefs, such as the Triptych Icon of Hodegetria, (Greek for â€Å"She who shows the way†) made in Con stantinople in the late 10th Century. This exquisite three-paneled piece shows wear due to veneration over time, and features the Virgin with the Christ Child as well as two unknown saints on the folding wings of the triptych.This triptych is 4-3/4 inches high and 9 inches in length (The Walters Art Museum, 2001). An outstanding and elaborate ivory triptych is housed at the Louvre; it is called the Harbaville Triptych after the last known owners and features the elegance and detail of the revival of icon use after the iconoclasm. This triptych is sunning, with the central panel depicting the Deesis (entreaty) of Christ enthroned on behalf of humanity (Louvre Museum, n. d. ). Flanking the Son Of Man is the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist.Beneath the center panel and on the wings are the apostles, martyrs and soldiers. This piece is considered to be one of the finest from the imperial workshop known as â€Å"Romanus† and combines several different techniques from the Orien t as well as classical antiquity and the Christian tradition. The reverse side of the central panel is embellished with a Latin cross featuring rosettes along with scenes from the Garden of Eden. Two cypress trees, one on either side of the cross represent Good and Evil, all under a starry background.The side panels depict saints with books or crosses. Traces of gold leaf can still be found on this triptych, and the Louve literature states that there are two other similar ivory triptychs, one being housed in the Vatican and the other at the Palace in Venice. All three are thought to have been carved around the same time, between the 9th and 11th centuries in Constantinople. One more example of these reliquaries is a cross reliquary featuring St. John Chrysostom, made in Constantinople around 920 – 930 (Dr. Rozmeri Basic, 2000-2005).Made of gilded wood and painted, the scenes of this lovely box depict St. John Chrysostom on the underside of the lid, with the Crucifixion on the top. The scene inside the box is decorated around a cavity for the box’s contents and features saints and angels in detail. Given the turbulent times and the rich history surrounding Byzantium and Europe during the medieval times, it is a wonder that pilgrims dared to cross into the Holy Land. But they did, driven by the desire to see and touch the very places and items associated with Jesus and the saints.Reliquaries were designed for this purpose, enabling pilgrims to bring back earth, bits of bone or cloth, anything that could be deemed something from a sacred place. Pilgrims often traveled in groups and were subject to robberies and even murder from roadside bandits and wild animals, including lions. Still, the faithful made their journeys and the reliquaries that made it back to their homelands were preserved and valued not only as pieces of art but also as items in contact with the Messiah’s surrounding. Some even were professed to have healing properties.Recrea ting these reliquaries in modern times would be considered labor-intensive and toxic; some of the ingredients used in the reliquaries certainly shortened more than one life span of an artist in the ancient days; still, reliquaries are being reproduced and copies are on the open market, still drawing an intrigue after more than a millennium. References Basic, Dr. Rozmeri. 2000 – 2005, â€Å"Early Christian and Byzantine Art. † University Of Oklahoma. |Online|, available at: http://www. ou. edu/class/ahi4263/byzhtml/p05-04. htmlBrepohl, Erhard Prof. Dr. 2001, â€Å"Nillo Work†, Brynmorgen Press. |Online|, available at: http://www. ganoksin. com/borisat/nenam/nillo-work-10-1. htm â€Å"Byzantine Art†, 2003, Online Catholic Encyclopedia, K. Knight. |Online|, available at: http://www. newadvent. org/cathen/03095a. htm â€Å"Cloisonne†, 2005, Chinese Moods. |Online|, available at: http://www. chinesemoods. com/cloisonne. html Crystal, Ellie. 1995  œ 2005, â€Å"The Byzantine Empire: The Roman Byzantine Period†, Crystal Links Encyclopedia. |Online|, available at: http://www. crystalinks.com/byzantine. html â€Å"Decorative Arts: Middle Ages: The Harbaville Triptych. † N. d. , The Louvre Museum. Online|, available at: http://www. louvre. fr/llv/oeuvres/detail_notice. jsp? CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=10134198673226172&CURRENT_LLV_NOTICE%3C%3Ecnt_id=10134198673226172&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=9852723696500778&bmUID=1133157145797&bmLocale=en Jones-Nerzic, Richard. June 2002, â€Å"European Medieval Pilgrimage Project – Relics. † Virtual School History Department. |Online|, available at: http://194. 3. 120. 243/humanities/vs/pilgrims/relics. htmâ€Å"Reliquary of the True Cross (Staurotheke), late 8th–early 9th century Byzantine; Made in Constantinople†, 2005, Metropolitan Art Museum of New York. |Online|, available at: http://www. metmuseum. org/toah/ho/06/eusb/hod_17. 190. 715ab. htm â€Å"The first iconoclastic period: 730-787†, 2005, Wikipedia. |Online|, available at: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Iconoclasm#The_first_iconoclastic_period:_730-787 â€Å"The Medieval World: Triptych Icon of Hodegetria with Saints. † 2001, The Walters Art Museum. |Online|, available at: http://www. thewalters.org/html/collec_object_detail. asp? ID=2&object_ID=71. 158 â€Å"Vatican Treasures. † 1998, Cleveland Museum Of Art, Past Exhibits. |Online|, available at: http://www. clevelandart. org/exhibit/vatican/ Vican, Gary. 1982, â€Å"Byzantine Pilgrimage Art. † Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, Washington, D. C. |Online|, available at: http://www. doaks. org/PilgrimageArt. pdf Secondary Reference Treadgold, Helen. 1997, â€Å"History of the Byzantine State and Society†, Stanford University Press. Secondary resource contained within Wikipedia, cited above.