American Modernization Essay

Modernization. This has been a feared word in the past and even today. For example, in the Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby is trapped living in the past and is disillusioned by modernization. Additionally, in the story A Rose for Emily, Emily is also afraid of modernization because she is trying to escape death by holding onto her father’s dead body. She is afraid to move on in her life and decides to hide in her past. Lastly, in one of Langston Hughes poems called Mother to Son, he writes about how in the early 20th century African Americans were not equal to white people and then society began to modernize blacks to become equal. This led to segregation because the white people wanted to isolate themselves from African Americans. Because their dream of what society should be was disillusioned, just like in all three of these literatures. Therefore the results of modernization, isolation and disillusionment was that many people didn’t except a change their life. Gatsby wanted to feel like he was living in the past with Daisy but he was isolated and disillusioned because he was living in a modern society. Additionally, he was isolated because he could not have a social status or Daisy. In the book, Gatsby was a fantastic character because he wanted to hide in the past with Daisy when everything was perfect. While the other characters in this book went with the change of society. Also in the book, Gatsby’s yellow car symbolizes the modernization. Gatsby’s car accidently kills Myrtle, which eventually leads to his death. Gatsby cannot escape modernization or his own death at the end of this book. Lastly, Gatsby surprisingly takes the blame for Myrtles death because this is what he thinks will help him keep living in the past with Daisy. This makes it very clear that Gatsby is isolated and a disilluded character. Just like Gatsby, Emily is also afraid of modernization. An example of this would be the house that Emily lives in is from the early 1800s, and she hides in this house to cover up all of the changes in society that surrounds her. Emily is a very strange woman and is very afraid of modernization. This is why when her father passes away she keeps his body so she doesn’t feel isolated. Emily is also disillusioned because she tries to live in the past to escape death which cannot happen. In addition, death triumphs over her life due to the fact that she kept her father’s dead body. Emily then tells the police that her father is not dead, and that he is inside the house now. She does this to make her feel like she is living in the past with her father. This feeling of having him at home, even though he is gone, makes her feel like she is living her dream. The modernization makes Emily go crazy in her attempt to hold onto things and how they were in the past. In the time of segregation, Langston Hughes was isolated because he was a different race then the superior race which was white. He was laughed at and looked down upon when he said he wanted to write for a living. As time goes on and segregation becomes less followed the white people are disillusioned because their ultimate dream of society was ruined. Additionally, the whites isolate themselves from African Americans because they are disillusioned and disappointed by modernization. For example, when Langston Hughes says in Mother to Son â€Å"Life ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had tacks in it, splinters, and torn up boards†. This shows how whites treated African American so poorly. As this poem goes on, he states â€Å"But all the time I’ve been climbin on and reachin landins and turnin corners†. This means that things are gradually getting better for Langston and other African Americans. This means the white people isolate and disillusioned themselves from their dream of society. The white people are extremely afraid of modernization, plus they want the society to be how it was in the past as them being superior over the African Americans. This happens to Gatsby, whites, and Emily. They all want things to either be how they were in the past, or how they all know but either way they are all terrified of modernization. Therefore, Modernization resulted in isolation and disillusionment in the early American 20th century because the unbearable truth of reality makes you lose faith in all that you do. In all three of these stories, people try to hold onto their past even though it will lead to extravagant consequences. Gatsby, Emily, and The Whites do these things to convince themselves they are living their dream in the past where everything is perfect, but in reality they are isolating themselves and losing their faith in life. Modernization causes people to ultimately lose faith in all that they do. Also Modernization cannot be escaped for anyone, which then separates these people from normal people who can accept society and its changes. Modernization is a feared word in today’s society and will be forever.

My Bloody Life Claims

In Chicago, one gains power that is attained only by being ruthless. This can be shown in the book My bloody Life, by Reymundo Sanchez, that takes place in Chicago. Throughout this book, Reymundo points out the ruthlessness in the main character that gains his power only by being that. Reymundo quotes, â€Å"I was digging up my own grave because I wanted to be accepted. I wanted to be looked up to. The only way I knew of achieving this status among the gang members was to commit as many violent acts as possible†¦ Finally those around me stopped thinking of me as a coward, R.S 114. † Reymundo shows that he acknowledges the fact that he is digging up his own grave by committing crimes. His ruthless character is shown by when he says, â€Å"achieving this status†¦was to commit as many violent acts as possible. † To reymundo, in order to gain his power he had to be looked up to, and the only way that he would be looked up to is by committing as many violent crimes as possible. In Chicago, power is abused to suppress the lower class.This can be shown in the book My bloody Life, by Reymundo Sanchez, which takes place in the city of Chicago. In the book there are several scenes where innocent lower class people are not treated fair, because of their status. Reymundo says, â€Å"Gang members as well as non-gang members feel they need to run and hide when the police are present. If they didn’t, they would be harassed beaten or arrested for a crime they didn’t commit.Police tend to believe that kids in the ghetto are guilty unless proven innocent. That’s why kids run, and the police are the enemy, R. S 231. † This quote shows the mentality of the lower class whether they are gang or non-gang members. The fact that instead of having a fair trial, the lower class are harassed, beaten or arrested for a crime they did not commit shows the suppression on the lower class that is being abused by the ones with power.

What Were Several Staple Crops in the Carolinas

What were several staple crops in the Carolinas, grown by the slaves? How did this crop affect their cuisine? When the slaves were being transported to the new world they brought with them native African foods to eat along the journey. They also brought with them many customs and cooking techniques that were not yet used in the Americas. The introduction of these crops proved to be a major influence in what we now called Southern cuisine or soul food. Rice is the major staple of slave cuisine. It is said that the rice originally came from seeds directly imported from Madagascar in 1685.Africans were familiar with the growing and cultivating of rice and taught their â€Å"owners† how to grow it as well. The rice fields were cultivated on tidal swamp lands along coastal rivers. Slaves cleared these low-lying land and build canals, dikes and small floodgates that allowed the flooding and drainage of the fields. Peanuts were originally from South America, but made their way to Afr ica via trade then eventually made their way to America on the slave ships. Slaves used peanuts in several different ways including making peanut pie and peanut soup.They also used to boil the peanuts in salt and spices and eaten soggy, this was a great source of nutrition. This dish is still widely consumed today. The use of the peanut was not limited to just the slaves; in fact George Washington Carver researched this product in depth. He discovered over 300 possible uses for the peanut including Jersey Milk, instant coffee, flour, synthetic rubber and linoleum. It was also discovered that rubbing peanut oil on aching muscles will help them rejuvenate more quickly.Okra was another staple crop grown and consumed mostly by slaves at first but then made it’s way, as many other foods, into the white man’s diet. Okra or gumbo as it’s called in Africa made its way to America via the transatlantic slave trade in the 1600s. The most popular dish that is made from Okra is Gumbo, a stew in which okra is the main ingredient and is thickened with powder from sassafras leaves. The seeds were also used to make a coffee substitute and for some medicinal purposes including softening ointments.African food traditions contributed greatly to the culinary cuisine of America. Southern cooking and soul food became a cultural and culinary experience in which both black and white Americans contributed to. Works Cited Opala, Joseph. â€Å"South Carolina Rice Plantations. † South Carolina Rice Plantations. N. p. , n. d. Web. 26 Oct. 2012. <http://www. yale. edu/glc/gullah/02. htm>. â€Å"- SlaveRebellion. org. † – SlaveRebellion. org. N. p. , n. d. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. <http://slaverebellion. org/index. php? page=african-contribution-to-american-culture>.

What are your recommendations to Cunard regarding the balance in the Essay

What are your recommendations to Cunard regarding the balance in the focus of marketing communications between the overall Cunard identity and image, and the id - Essay Example Promoting individual ships will benefit the organization by making the customers aware of specific services, and hence translating this awareness into sales. An analysis of the market, customers, and intermediaries, and of the budget allocation reveals that Cunard should make a move towards more tactical communication-mix. While it should use an integrated approach in all its activities, it is also desirable that individual ships should continue to feature prominently. Cunard Line Ltd. has an illustrious heritage of providing travel services worldwide for the past 150 years. Once singled out as an essential means of travel, this shipping line has now re-positioned itself as a luxury vacation service provider. With its fleet of five 5-star luxury ships including the famous QE2, and two 4-star premium ones, Cunard is the market leader in this section of the industry. This success has been rightly attributed to Cunard’s corporate culture that emphasizes upon high quality operations and service, as well as on preserving an elegant corporate image through advertising and direct mail. From spotless on-board services, (that include services of elite valets, personalized accommodation for individual tastes and preferences, and loads of entertainment, shopping and fun), to the high-brow, glossy market communications - everything is streamlined towards creating a quality brand. Till the 90s, Cunard was managing its communications so as to enhance the overall corporate identity, while distancing itself from hard sell approach taken up by its competitors. It was using an array of communications tools, integrated in appeal and look – judiciously developed by Leslie and her team to forward the communication objectives. By 1992 it was realized that more tactical ingredients have to be utilized to ensure sales and lead generation. Leslie was

Strategic Decision Making Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Decision Making - Case Study Example There is no better appropriate timing and place other than this kind of TV appearance. Customers eagerly await such announcements when policy changes take place on the aftermath of old guard changing at the helm. The strategic significance of this decision lies in the fact that the new CEO has recognized the relevance and the importance of the TV as a medium of communication to target potential customers who otherwise would be clueless as to the future strategy of CH. Secondly CH has been going through a turbulent period. Thus the TV interview was well timed and is seen as a strategic shift in policy thrust away from what was hitherto practiced under Mr. Khan. Such a strategic initiative with a great zing in it would essentially mean a shift in the corporate strategy and a reorientation in policy in keeping with the vision of the new leadership. Thus on a closer approximation Mr. Kahn had adopted Rational Decision Making Model (RDMM) as his first choice in the process of changing the strategic environment at CH. This is obvious when one looks at the fact that Mr. Kahn had been influenced by a desire to achieve some critical corporate goals though his entrepreneurial leadership style might have acted as a dampener on the subsequent outcomes. There is no gainsaying the fact that RDMM has a number of variants and Mr. Kahn chose to focus on the bounded rationality principle as enunciated by Simon (2000).During Mr. Khan's time the company received ven ture capital support and even got listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). These positive developments are essentially associated with the RDMM and therefore it must be noted that his philosophy of managing the hundreds of workforce at CH was essentially based on the staff motivating and innovative management strategies (Hatch, & Schultz, 2008). Thus RDMM was an integral part of the company's overall organizational and management culture. However it must be noted that bounded rationality principle as opposed to the concept of rationality optimization would have predominated at CH despite Mr. Kahn's apparent reluctance to delegate responsibility to the lower layers in the hierarchy.A random analysis would show that Mr. Kahn also applied some intuitive decision making principles though their significance in the context of management at CH cannot be determined now except to identify some traces of organizational culture based on a family-centric system of values and morals. The strat egic management related outcomes of this approach of Mr. Kahn can be seen against the now evolving backdrop of a much vigorous normative work environment under Mr. Bamford. While much of it is purely determined by a great desire to overcome limits associated with irrational human behavior the corresponding level of work efficiency at CH can be attributed to the current leadership style of Mr. Bamford.This has been made public through his interview and its morale-boosting impact on the workforce is quite obvious though only the time will tell as to when and how the workforce would become fully motivated to achieve corporate goals as defined by the strategy. In the first place Simon's bounded rationality model is probably the most preferred by decision makers though Mr. Bamford has adopted much of it to leverage

Personal progress review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personal progress review - Essay Example In this case, goals and objectives remain constant despite fluctuations in priorities. The course objectives given by the lecturers at the beginning of every course were also instrumental in measuring my progress and current position. The main objective of enrolling in UEL business school was the need of been above the bottom line (UEL, 2000). However, it is evident that academic performance is not the only, measure of personal progress for any student in any learning institution. This essay will therefore analyze my personal progress based on the first semester results and future expectations. Current Position The current position is instrumental in establishing the future progress and measuring my past performances. From a general perspective, it is evident that I am in a fair position in both academic and extracurricular activities. However, these performances do not comply with UEL School of Business maxim of been above the bottom line or been above average. In addition having a fair performance indicates lack of consistence of performance in different courses. This requires specialized analysis of performance at each of the key areas. In addition to the final exams, I have done several assignments as part of the school’s continuous assessment program. Random assessment tests given by various lectures are also instrumental in establishing my assessment. ... My best performance for the first semester was in Marketing Principles & Practice course, where I achieved grade A. My final examinations in all core units had a direct correlation with the grades that I had achieved in respective continuous assessment tests taken within the semesters. In the first semester, I had not taken any optional unit since I was having a computer class that took considerable amount of time. In addition to the academic life and prospects, social life is of equal concern particularly for a business student. During the first semester, I lived outside the campus, in a university-owned apartment that was preferred by most foreign students. Living with oversees students was very instrumental for my social life and future career. However, during the first semester I never realized the significance of been close to students from different countries. The apartments provided accommodation to students from various countries such as German, France, US, and Yemen. During the first semester I focused on my extra class without considering the opportunity of been close to international students. For instance, I did not learn even a single German word from my colleagues of German origin or learn how to construct a single sentence in the French language. I therefore consider this as a lost opportunity. Analysis on Expectations When I attended my first Introduction to Economics class, I purposed to get a grade A in the course due to its content and significance to my business course. In addition, I viewed the course outline as familiar since we had covered most of its components in our introduction to business course. The lecturer of this course was also determined to have every

Nature of management and new technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nature of management and new technology - Essay Example To begin with, management has to co-create value with customers (Hill & Jones 2009, p. 96). This is because organizations are existing an age whereby consumers possess considerable information about given products and services. Organizations should utilize this awareness to collaborate with customers on the creation of products. In the current set up, organizations can use various tools in communicating with customers. For instance, the e-mail messaging system is helpful in sending information and receiving immediate feedback In addition, the management will consider an open administration framework. Innovation in communication media has given rise to various tools, which can be employed for correspondence (Arthur 2009, P. 56). This allows the enlargement of departments since it is easy to have correspondence among a large group of people. The management has become more visible to employees, as managements can easily utilize communication applications such as WhatsApp groups in communicating information to a large group of individuals simultaneously. It also becomes easy to immediately receive feedback from a corresponding number of people. More essentially, managements will have to form collaborative partnerships with stakeholders in suppliers in achieving

John Lasseter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

John Lasseter - Essay Example This artist has been developing his skills of drawing cartoons from his childhood. His mother was an art teacher and John has often tried to incarnate his vision in animation. When he went to the church together with his family, he drew cartoons. He was amazed by Chuck Jones cartoons on TV and rushed home after school in order to watch these cartoons. In high school John was interested in reading the book â€Å"The Art of Animation† by Bob Thomas (Paik, 2007). Thus his decision to become an animator was growing in his heart for years. Finally, he entered California Institute of the Arts and was a student of a new animation course. He was taught by Disney’s outstanding masters, such as Eric Larson, Frank Thomas and others. His first animation films were Lady and the Lamp (1979) and Nightmare (1980) (Paik, 2007). Lasseter won prizes for his first animation films. He joined Disney but after 101 Dalmatians Lasseter claimed that it was the largest masterpiece of this Studio and suggested to introduce some innovations. In the beginning of 80s Lasseter became interested in computer graphics. Lasseter felt a great potential of computer animation and propagated the idea that computers could be helpful in making movies with three dimensional backgrounds. His guidance was the book by Thomas Disch â€Å"The Brave Little Toaster† (Paik, 2007). â€Å"Where the Wild Things Are† was the first project where Lasseter and his followers decided to introduce computer graphics innovations. Unfortunately, producers saw no benefits and Lasseter was fired from Disney. It is possible to note, that all geniuses were not acclaimed at once. A process of acknowledgement requires time and patience and hard work from genius. Lasseter followed this line and step by step reached the heights in the sphere of his dream, short film animation. Lasseter rushed into searching of co-thinker, followers and professionals from computer industry. His first animation film â€Å"The

Business Research Methods Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Research Methods - Assignment Example The information that was gathered from the research completed is of great help to the company. This is because the company is able to pinpoint their strong hold like customer’s satisfaction, loyalty to its products, and its products competitiveness in the market. This is very important in any organization in order to maximize the profits (Allan, 2007, p 45). In the first part of the question that gets to know how first the customers was attended to. It’s observed that most of the customers this is approximately 62% seem to have been attended to in less than 5 minutes. This is a ratio question that its goal is to establish an exact time. The therefore having more than half of the customers falling on the upper cut in terms of in time service it’s commendable. No one likes to wait for service delivery we all detest quest .In the business world service delivery is key (Fraser, 1990, p 23). The second question in the research is also out to establish the almost exact amount of time that the customer gets responded to. As a company apple is trying to establish its competence in customer service when it comes to responding to their needs. Most of the customers as well here seem to get their response in a span of less than 12 hours. It is all logical to know that customers especially if one is calling regarding problem with products provided by apple company among them phones which are an everyday use a 12 hour wait for them to attend and fix a problem is long. Therefore the response shows that most of the customers get delayed service hence it’s in order for apple to improve on the above (Trochim, 2000, p 78). Referring to the third question in regards to the second question. We come across customers calling for all the varied reasons this includes warranty claim, more information on the products, web pages among others. Looking at this in a customer’s point of view it clearly shows some sort of inefficiency. This is because when cu stomer is calling to inquire about for instance there settings with the web pages and they get the response after 2 hours or so. The information they needed might not be of any help later .People ask questions to get direct answers to solve their problems according to philosopher Rene Decartes. While information gets to an individual not immediately it does not serve the intended purpose. Only 19% of the customers seem to have gotten the information in less than 2 hours (Fraser, 1990, p 76). According to the research we gather that those with problems with functionality of the products, and service problem had to wait for the longest time. As indicated prior apple products are an everyday use therefore their failure to function or delayed fixing can cause an individual a job, money time, it has power even to spoil a day and even break a relationship either personal or professional. Apple customers as the research gathers are young people by young we are talking less than 40 year old s that is where the customer base is. The company has been able to detain this age group because of its products that are saying compatible with the age. This age comprises late teens this is where freshmen in college fall to the young entrepreneurs who are striving hard to climb the corporate ladder. Basically what this age comprises is the proverbial young and energetic. Therefore having established that apple company has the right information required to identify its strength and weaknesses among its customers (Trochim, 2000, p 57). The question that rates the customer service the research finds out the customer service at apple is rated very low that is it falls below average. The customer service

Social Networking Security Issues and the emerging threats to users of Essay

Social Networking Security Issues and the emerging threats to users of these websites - Essay Example In this research I will outline the main security threats that have emerged recently because of extensive web based environment. This main focus of this research is to assess the social networking security. Social networks are common among the present generation and people are extensively participating in these areas. The main reason behind this participation is the availability of the huge knowledge and information at the same place. This allows the participation in different social activities, exchange knowledge, and experience, making friends, and also business marketing. These social networks offer us great advantage for all above mentioned tasks but also a great challenge for the personal privacy attacks and other type of security issues. The uniqueness of social network sites is not that they permit individuals to meet strangers, however rather that they facilitate people to develop and make recognizable their social networks. This can result in communication among users that would not in other ways be made, although that is not the major objective, and these communications are normally between "latent ties" the people sharing some offline connections (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). One thing can be concluded from the above discussion that there are security threats connected with social networking: data stealing and viruses are growing threats. The most widespread threat however frequently engages online individuals who declare to be someone that they are not. However, threat does survive not only with online networking; they also remain with networking out in the actual world, as well. For instance people are advised when meeting unknown persons at clubs and bars, school etc. So we should be careful when meeting people on line (What is Social Networking, 2009). Social networking websites have turned out to be a family name in todays world. No matter, it is our

The Rocking Horse Winner Essay Example for Free

The Rocking Horse Winner Essay In D. H. Lawrence’s offsetting story The Rocking Horse Winner, there are a number of intriguing characters presented to us. None, however, are quite as thought provoking or as clearly defined as Paul’s morally culpable, denatured mother, Hester. In a story full of viscous, confusing characters, Hester is directly and indirectly characterized as being a loveless, spiteful, greedy woman, who abides to the philosophy that luck coincides with prosperity. The first indicator of Hester’s personality is found by examining her relationship with her offspring, for although she has mothered and raised multiple children it is also shown that the relationship between mother and child is anything but maternal. Her neighbours and friends praise her, for they think that â€Å"she is such a good mother. She adores her children,† (Lawrence, 307) but that she herself and her children knew that was far from the truth, because â€Å"they read it in each other’s eyes,† (307). Hester’s character can further be analyzed as you observe her relationship concerning her dependence on luck, for â€Å"it’s what causes you to have money,† (308). She is living in the constant dissatisfaction of having insufficient funds to continue on her frivolous lifestyle, despite her inability to maturely address their current financial situation. Instead, she quickly draws parallels between their financial crisis and her husband simply being â€Å"very unlucky,† (308) rather than continuing to work towards a more stable situation. On top of treating the family’s financial dilemma maturely, the greed in her that seems to be one of the key causes to their strife is outlined indirectly through the course of events that take place after she learns about the five-thousand pound grant that she will have trickled down to her over the next five years. After learning of this, she immediately goes into town to talk to their lawyer, â€Å"asking if the whole five thousand could be advanced at once,† (315). Despite the kind gift from her child, she is driven to the point of desperation by her addiction to money, and this swell fortune only added more fuel to the fire, as the house’s whispers of â€Å"There must be more money! † (315) continued to grow. All in all, Hester’s two main relationships, that with her family and that with luck and money accurately characterize her as a loveless, greedy woman.

Dividend Discount Model and Price Earning Model

Dividend Discount Model and Price Earning Model Financial theory holds that the value of a share of stock is equal to the sum of the discounted future expected dividends. The Dividend Discount (DD) requires two inputs, firstly a forecast of future dividends and secondly, a rate at which these dividends will be discounted to their present value. The appropriate discount rate that will be used is the rate of return available on risk-free investments plus a risk premium. The Capital Asset Pricing Model is one of the most widely used models for calculating discount rates. Once the discount rate estimated, all future dividends must be discounted to their present value. Although near term dividends may be estimated with some confidence, to make the DD model operational an assumption regarding long term dividends is necessary. Two common assumptions regarding dividend growth and their associated valuation models are: (i) Earnings growth as well as dividend growth will be constant with the Gordon Model, and (ii) Multiple stages of growth can be approximated. Therefore, it is obvious that the forecasts and the assumptions necessary for operating DD models induce the emergence of significant errors into this theoretically correct approach. Common Stock Valuation Concepts The value of a common stock can be defined as the present value of the future dividend stream in perpetuity. This concept is consistent with the assumption that the corporation will indeed have a perpetual life, in accordance with its charter. If the value of a stock is equivalent to the value for a perpetual annuity with a constant level of payments, the general formula is as follows: Value per share of stock = Where = Expected dividend per share = Cost of equity The formula shown above for stock valuation treats the firm together with its stock as if they will exist forever. There are two basic inputs to the model. First is the expected dividends and secondly the cost on equity. To obtain the expected dividends, we make assumptions about expected future growth rates in earnings and payout ratios. The required rate of return on a stock is determined by its riskiness, measured differently in different models, the market beta in the CAPM, and the factor betas in the arbitrage and multi-factor models. The model is flexible enough to allow for time-varying discount rates, where the time variation is caused by expected changes in interest rates or risk across time. Zero growth model In this model it is assumed that the same amount of dividend will be paid for all the time periods up until infinity. The formula is given as follows after it has been simplified by using the formula sum to infinity of geometric progression: Where V = value, D = dividends per share k = percentage discount rate However, this model is quite restrictive as it is unreasonable to assume that the same amount of dividend will be paid by a stock for an indefinite time period. The model may be useful for determining the value of preferred stock which usually yields a fixed amount of dividend. Constant (Gordon) growth model The major drawback of the zero growth model is that it is assumed that a firm will pay the same dividend throughout its lifetime. However, in the real world most companies are expected to grow over time and consequently make more profits leading to more dividends being paid. This model assumes that there is a constant growth rate for the corporation being analysed and it is most suitable for valuation of stable and mature companies. This model was created by Myron Gordon, and thus it was named as the Gordon Model. The formula for constant growth model is derived from the zero growth model. If the dividends are assumed to grow at a certain constant rate, the formula becomes: Where g = annual constant percentage growth in dividends per share D = next years dividends. The Gordon growth model is a simple and powerful approach to valuing equity. In order for the model to work the following assumptions must be held: Dividends will grow at a constant rate and it will continue for an infinite period. The required rate of return is greater than the steady growth rate. The required rate of return is constant until infinity. It is also important to note that the model has some limitations. The Gordon growth model is a simple and convenient way of valuing stocks but it is extremely sensitive to the inputs for the growth rate. Used incorrectly, it can yield misleading or even absurd results, since, as the growth rate converges on the discount rate, the value goes to infinity. As the growth rate approaches the cost of equity, the value per share approaches infinity. If the growth rate exceeds the cost of equity, the value per share becomes negative. Multistage Dividend Discount Model The assumption of the Gordon Growth Model that there is a stable dividend growth rate from now on to the indefinite future is not realistic for many or even most companies. The studies of Sharpe, Alexander and Bailey (1999) state that the growth fall into three stages namely the growth phase, transition phase and the mature phase. Two-stage Dividend Discount Model The two-stage growth model allows for two stages of growth an initial phase where the growth rate is not a stable growth rate and a subsequent steady state where the growth rate is stable and is expected to remain so for the long term. While, in most cases, the growth rate during the initial phase is higher than the stable growth rate, the model can be adapted to value companies that are expected to post low or even negative growth rates for a few years and then revert back to stable growth. The model is based upon two stages of growth, an extraordinary growth phase that lasts n years and a stable growth phase that lasts forever afterwards. Value of the Stock = PV of Dividends during extraordinary phase + PV of terminal price Where DPSt = Expected dividends per share in year t ke = Cost of Equity (hg: High Growth period; st: Stable growth period) Pn = Price (terminal value) at the end of year n g = Extraordinary growth rate for the first n years gn = Steady state growth rate forever after year n There are three problems with the two-stage dividend discount model. The first two would apply to any two-stage model and the third is specific to the dividend discount model. The first practical problem is in defining the length of the extraordinary growth period. Since the growth rate is expected to decline to a stable level after this period, the value of an investment will increase as this period is made longer. The second problem with this model lies in the assumption that the growth rate is high during the initial period and is transformed overnight to a lower stable rate at the end of the period. While these sudden transformations in growth can happen, it is much more realistic to assume that the shift from high growth to stable growth happens gradually over time. The focus on dividends in this model can lead to skewed estimates of value for firms that are not paying out what they can afford in dividends. In particular, we will under estimate the value of firms that accumulate cash and pay out too little in dividends. The H Model for valuing Growth Fuller and Hsia (1984) presented the H model is a two-stage model for growth, but unlike the classical two-stage model, the growth rate in the initial growth phase is not constant but declines linearly over time to reach the stable growth rate in steady stage. The model is based upon the assumption that the earnings growth rate starts at a high initial rate and declines linearly over the extraordinary growth period (which is assumed to last 2H periods) to a stable growth rate. It also assumes that the dividend payout and cost of equity are constant over time and are not affected by the shifting growth rates. However, the limitations of this model is that it avoids the problems associated with the growth rate dropping precipitously from the high growth to the stable growth phase, but it does so at a cost. First, the growth rate is expected to strictly decline linearly. Therefore small deviations from this assumption do not affect the value significantly, but large deviations can cause problems. Another important point is that the assumption that the payout ratio is constant through both phases of growth exposes the analyst to an inconsistency i.e. as growth rates decline the payout ratio usually increases. Three-stage Dividend Discount Model The three-stage dividend discount model combines the features of the two-stage model and the H-model. It allows for an initial period of high growth, a transitional period where growth declines and a final stable growth phase. It is the most general of the models because it does not impose any restrictions on the payout ratio. This model assumes an initial period of stable high growth, a second period of declining growth and a third period of stable low growth that lasts forever. This model removes many of the constraints imposed by other versions of the dividend discount model. In return, however, it requires a much larger number of inputs for instance year specific payout ratios, growth rates and betas. For firms where there is substantial noise in the estimation process, the errors in these inputs can overwhelm any benefits that accrue from the additional flexibility in the model. Estimating k and g Companies with unpredictable or recurring earnings pattern, or rapidly thriving companies, require a more complex dividend capitalisation model framework that can accommodate dissimilar dividend growth patterns. In practice, applications may require elaborate variations of the dividend capitalisation model, nevertheless this simplified form provides a convenient means of analysing the determinants of stock value. To begin with, the value of the stock should be greater, the greater the earning power and capacity of the corporation to pay out current dividends, D. Correspondingly, the higher the growth rate of the dividends, g, the greater the value of the corporations stock. Finally, the greater the risk of the corporation (the higher the discount rate, k) the lower will be the value of the stock. The discount rate is alternatively referred to as a required return. It is composed of two elements-a risk-free return and a risk premium. The risk-free return is, in turn, generally considered to consist of a real return component and an inflation premium. The real return is the basic investment compensation that investors demand for forgoing current consumption or, alternatively, the compensation for saving. Investors also require a premium to compensate for inflation; this premium will be high when the inflation rate is expected to be high and low when the inflation rate is expected to be low. Because the real return and the inflation premium comprise a basic return demanded by all investors, the risk-free return is a component of all securities. The risk premium is made up of the following elements-interest rate risk, purchasing power risk, business risk and financial risk. The risk premium might be considered to be a function of the stocks systematic risk (beta), which is determ ined by these four fundamental risk factors. As securities differ in their exposure to these risk elements, the premium or return that investors require to compensate for risk will differ across securities. The constant dividend growth model reveals that the following three factors affect stock prices, ceteris paribus: 1) the higher the dividend, the higher the stock price; 2) the higher the dividend growth rate, the higher the stock price; 3) the lower the required rate of return r, the higher the stock price. Empirical Studies on the DDM Issues of dividend policy range from its puzzle by Black (1976) to its irrelevance by Miller and Modigliani (1961), to its relevance by DeAngelo et al. (1996). Other issues include theories on dividend payment, such as stakeholders theory, pecking order theory, agency cost, signalling theory, bird-in-hand fallacy and clientele effect. The information asymmetry between managers and shareholders, along with the separation of ownership and control, formed the base for another explanation of why dividend policy has been so popular. Dividend irrelevance theory Miller and Modigliani (1961) proposed that dividend policy is irrelevant to the shareholder and that stockholder wealth is unchanged when all aspects of investment policy are fixed and any increase in the current payout is financed by fairly priced stock sales. The main assumption is that there is 100 per cent payout by management in every period. Other assumptions are: that there exist perfect capital markets; that is, no taxes or transactional cost, the market price cannot be influenced by a single buyer or seller, and free and costless access to information about the market; that investors are rational and that they value securities based on the value of discounted future cash flow to investors; that managers act as the best agents of shareholders; and that there is certainty about the investment policy of the firm, with full knowledge of future cash flows. Bird-in-hand theory Al-Malkawi (2007) asserts that in a world of uncertainty and information asymmetry, dividends are valued differently from retained earnings (capital gains): A bird in hand (dividend) is worth more than two in the bush (capital gains). Owing to the uncertainty of future cash flow, investors will often tend to prefer dividends to retained earnings. Though this argument has been widely criticised and has not received strong empirical support, it has been supported by Gordon and Shapiro (1956), Lintner (1962) and Walter (1963). The main assumptions are: that investors have imperfect information about the profitability of a firm; that cash dividends are taxed at a higher rate than when capital gain is realized on the sale of a share; and that dividends function as a signal of expected cash flows. Signalling hypothesis Though Miller and Modigliani (1961) assumed that investors and management have perfect knowledge about a firm, this has been countered by many researchers, as management who look after the firm tend to have more precise and timely information about the firm than outside investors. This, therefore, creates a gap between managers and investors; to bridge this gap, management use dividends as a tool to convey private information to shareholders (Al-Malkawi, 2007). Petit (1972) observed that the amount of dividends paid seems to carry great information about the prospects of a firm; this can be evidenced by the movement of share price. An increase in dividends may be interpreted as good news and brighter prospects, and vice versa. But Lintner (1956) observed that management are reluctant to reduce dividends even when there is a need to do so, and only increase dividends when it is believed that earnings have permanently increased. Clientele effects of dividends theories. Investors tend to prefer stocks of companies that satisfy a particular need. This is because investors face different tax treatments for dividends and capital gains and also face some transaction costs when they trade securities. Miller and Modigliani (1961) argued that for these costs to be minimised, investors tend towards firms that would give them those desired benefits. Likewise, firms would attract different clientele based on their dividend policies. Though they argued that even though clientele effect may change a firms dividend policy, one clientele is as good as another, therefore dividend policy remains irrelevant. Al-Malkawi (2007) affirms that firms in their growth stage, which tend to pay lower dividends, would attract clientele that desire capital appreciation, while firms in their maturity stage, which pay higher dividends, attract clientele that require immediate income in the form of dividends. Al-Malkawi (2007) grouped the clientele effect into two groups, those th at are driven by tax effects and those driven by transaction cost. He argued that investors in higher tax brackets would prefer firms that pay little or no dividends, to get reward in the form of share price appreciation, and vice versa. Transaction cost-induced clientele, on the other hand, arises when small investors depend on dividend payments for their needs; this clientele prefers companies who satisfy this need because they cannot afford the high transaction cost of selling securities. Dividends form the hard core of stock values. As Justice Holmes remarked, the commercial value of property consists in the expectation of income from it. (In Galveston, H. S. A. Ry. Co. v. Texas, 210 U. S. 217, 226.) Black (1976) observed, The harder we look at the dividend picture, the more it seems like a puzzle, with pieces that just dont fit together Williams applied Fishers work on stock valuation and developed the famous dividend discount model (DDM) (Fewings, 1979, p. 12). Williams defines the investment value of stock as the present worth of all the dividends to be paid upon it (Williams, 1956, p. 55). He further makes it clear that the investment value of a common stock is the present worth of its net dividend to perpetuity (Williams, 1956, p. 63). Amid this theoretical research, the academic world was divided and a fierce debate erupted concerning the irrelevance of dividend policy in the determination of the valuation of firms or their stocks. The inconsequence of dividend policy in the stock valuation contemplates the equivalence of the valuation using earning approach and the valuation using discounted dividend approach. Fishers inter-temporal investment and consumption model predicted that earnings which are reinvested at the going rate of capital instead of being released for consumption neither adds nor subtracts from the value of the overall stream of benefits (Fewings, 1979, p. 17). Thus, according to Fisher, dividend policy is irrelevant in the valuation of stocks. One must remember that Fishers theory is applicable under perfect capital markets with certain futures. At the same time, Graham and Dodd (1934) developed their valuation methodologies based on the assumption that the firms main objective is to pay dividends to shareholders. Empirical evidence in the market suggested a positive correlation between stock prices and dividend payout (Harkavy, 1953), suggesting the relevance of dividends in the valuation of stocks. Gordon and Shapiro (1956), Walter (1956) and Solomon (1963) supported this hypothesis. In accordance with the relevance of the dividend policy on the valuation of stocks, Gordon extended Williams model of stock valuation to include retained earnings. He further developed the model to include continuous equity financing. These dividend dependent models are called the bird-in-the-hand models by authors like Frankfurter et al. (2003), as they are based on the assumption that there are two opportunity rates one for the firm and the other for the investor. The firm should retain 100 per cent of its earnings if the opportunity rate of a firm is greater than the opportunity rate of the investor. The seminal paper of Miller and Modigliani (1961) argued the irrelevance of dividend policy and the equivalence of the valuation of stocks using four approaches, namely the discounted cash flow (DCF) approach, the current earnings plus future investment opportunities approach, the discounted dividend approach and the stream of earnings approach. This equivalence was proven under assumptions of perfect capital markets, rational behaviour and perfect certainty. In addition, Miller and Modigliani (1961) point out that the dividend policy may be relevant when a revision in the dividend policy points to some information that the investors do not know. This information content of dividends argument led to the development of dividend signaling models. The irrelevance of dividends is not resolved. Academics are still divided into two, if not more, schools of thought on the subject. Price Earnings Ratio A firms profitability, risk, quality of management, and many other factors are reflected in its stock and security prices. Hence, market value ratios indicate the markets assessment of the value of the firms securities. The price/earnings (P/E) ratio is simply the market price of the firms common stock divided by its annual earnings per share. Sometimes called the earnings multiple, the P/E ratio shows how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of the firms earnings per share. Earnings per share comes from the income statement, so it is sensitive to the many factors that affect the construction of an income statement, from the choice of GAAP to management decisions regarding the use of debt to finance assets. The price/earnings ratio is stated as: Stock prices are determined from the actions of informed buyers and sellers in an impersonal market. Stock prices reflect much of the known information about a company and are fairly good indicators of a companys true value. Although earnings per share cannot reflect the value of patents or assets, the quality of the firms management, or its risk, stock prices can and do reflect all of these factors. Comparing a firms P/E to that of the stock market as a whole, or with the firms competitors, indicates the markets perception of the true value of the company. While the P/E ratio measures the markets valuation of the firm relative to the income statement value for per-share earnings, the price-to-book value ratio measures the markets valuation relative to balance sheet equity. The book value of equity is simply the difference between the book values of assets and liabilities appearing on the balance sheet. The price-to-book-value ratio is the market price per share divided by the book v alue of equity per share. A higher ratio suggests that investors are more optimistic about the market value of a firms assets, its intangible assets, and the ability of its managers. The price-to-book value ratio is stated as: Market value indicators reflect the markets perception of the true worth of a firms future prospects. As such, market perceptions of a firms value are important to the financial analyst. However, the market may not be perfect; investors may become overly optimistic or pessimistic about a firm. The fact that a firm presently has a higher P/E or price-to-book-value ratio than its competition does not automatically imply that the firm is better managed or really deserves its higher valuation. Some firms may have low market value ratios because they truly deserve them; other firms may suffer from extreme and undeserved pessimism on the part of the market. High market value ratios can be similarly deceptive. The analyst must determine whether a firm deserves its market value ratios or not. Empirical Studies on the P/E model Ball and Brown (1968) are amongst the first pioneers who provided evidence that accounting earnings are potentially useful to investors for the valuation of equity. Furthermore, Beaver, Clarke and Wright (1979) also concluded that earnings act as a major determinant for equity valuation. Despite many researchers were inspired by the work of Ball and Brown prior study on price earnings ratio may trace back to 1934 when Graham and Dame considered that the major factors affecting price earnings ratio are factors coming from investors and companies. Internal scholars pay more attention to price earnings ratio status and qualitative or quantitative studies using cross sectional data model or time serials model are made in detail when stock market is established. As an important index measuring stock investment value and reflecting stock market development status, price earnings ratio is not only useful for department of banking custody to make sound regulation measures but helpful for inv estors to distinguish stock investing risk and select advisable invest strategy. Shroff (1995) cites that earnings of firms with high P/E ratio and high return on equity exhibit higher explanatory powers for stock returns. According to Barth et al. (1998) income statement plays fundamental role for equity valuation. Burgstahler Dichev (1997) found that book value and earnings being interrelated, act as component of equity value. Therefore it implies that the value of the firm can be expressed as a function of both earnings and book value of equity. Consequently, the higher is the earnings to book value ratio, the more relevant earnings will be as a determinant of equity value. While a lower earnings to book value ratio will imply book value being more important determinants of equity value. According to the work of Jan Ou (1995) firms which are reporting net losses, their earnings explain very little of equity price, but on the other hand book value of equity is an important determinant of stock price. Penman (1998) finds that book value provides greater relevance than earnings in equity valuation for firms with an extreme earnings to book ratio. Collins et al. (1997) further report that the value-relevance of earnings and book value of equity moves inversely to each other. Ou and Penman (1989) note that P/E ratios are good predictors of future earnings while changes in share price are poor predictors of future earnings. Ou Sepe (2002) find that the larger the spread between analysts forecasts of a firms future earnings and reported current earnings, the less value-relevant current earnings and the more the market relies on book value for equity valuation. Researches undertaken by Nicholson (1960), McWilliams (1966), Latane et al. (1969), Dowen and Bauman (1986), Keim (1990), and Fama and French (1992) provide evidence that stock returns are linked to P/E ratios. Penman (1996) notes that the P/E ratio acts not as a predictor of share price or returns but of future earnings levels. Allen et al. (1998) conclude similarly as their results indicate that firms with high E/P stocks have relatively low earnings growth while companies with low E/P shares experience high earnings growth. Furthermore, Fuller et al. (1992) conclude that low P/E ratio stocks generate low future earnings growth while high P/E ratio shares result in high earnings growth. Another line of research (e.g., Beaver, 1989; Mande, 1994) provides strong evidence that earnings aids investors in evaluating a firms dividend paying ability. As Larcker (1989) notes, share price is determined in the market through capitalisation (i.e., discounting) of the future cash flows or dividends expected to accrue to stockholders. Since earnings provide an information signal about future cash flows, stock price is affected by expectations concerning earnings. Because P/E ratios act as predictors of future earnings, these ratios are also linked to share price or returns. Moreover Nelson and Kim (1993) and Campbell and Shiller (1988) have documented that dividend yield predicts stock returns with some success, as it capture expectations about dividend growth as well as expected returns. While Lamont (1998) argues that the P/E ratio has independent predictive power for excess returns in addition to the dividend price ratio. Ang and Bekaert (2003) detect a strong role for the P/E ratio as a predictive instrument for future dividend growth. Since the P/E ratio is a function of expected growth in earnings, obviously expected growth in earnings are eminent in the valuation of a stock. Limitations of P/E The P/E is a fairly simple tool for assessing company value. But it has been argued that  the P/E ratio is not always reliable. There are plenty of reasons to be wary of P/E based stock valuations. The P/E ratio is supposed to enumerate how many years worth of current earnings a company will need to produce in order to arrive at its current market share value. Naturally, investors want to be able to buy more earnings for every dollar they pay, so the lower the P/E ratio, the less expensive the stock. The calculation of the ratio sounds simple enough, but here are some of the dangers associated with taking P/E ratios at face value. The first part of the P/E equation, price, is straightforward. The market price is easily available from the stock exchange market. On the other hand, coming up with an appropriate earnings number can be tricky. You have to make a lot of decisions how to define earnings. Earnings are not always clear cut. Earnings can be affected by unusual gains or losses which sometimes obscure the true nature of the earnings metric. Whats more, reported earnings can be manipulated by company management to meet earnings expectations, while creative accounting choices, shifting depreciation policies or adding or subtracting non-recurring gains and expenses, can make bottom line earnings numbers bigger and, in turn, P/E ratios, smaller and the stock appear less expensive. Investors need to be wary of how companies arrive at their reported EPS numbers. Appropriate adjust ments often have to be done in order to obtain a more accurate measure of earnings than what is reported on the balance sheet. Then there is the matter of whether to use trailing earnings or forward earnings figures. Located right in the companys latest published income statement, historic earnings are easy to find. Unfortunately, they are not much use for investors, since they say very little about what earnings are in store for the year and years ahead. Its the companys future earnings that investors are interested in most since as they reflect a stocks future prospects. The biggest limitation of the P/E ratio is that it tells investors next to nothing about the companys EPS growth prospects. If the company is growing quickly, you will be comfortable buying it even it had a high P/E ratio, knowing that growth in EPS will bring the P/E back down to a lower level. If it is not growing quickly, you might shop around for a stock with a lower P/E ratio. It is often difficult to tell if a high P/E multiple is the result of expected growth or if the stock is simply overvalued. A P/E ratio, even one calculated using a forward earnings estimate, does not always tell whether or not the P/E is appropriate to the companys forecasted growth rate. Finally, theres the tricky issue of a companys debt load. The P/E ratio does nothing to factor in the amount of debt that a company carries on its balance sheet. Debt levels have an impact on financial performance and valuation, yet the P/E does not allow investors to make comparisons between debt-free firms and those bogged down with outstanding loans and liabilities.

The Symbolic Function of the Sambo Doll in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Ma

In 1952, Ralph Ellison published the only novel of his career: Invisible Man; telling the story of an unnamed â€Å"invisible† narrator. Early on, the narrator delineates his invisibility to â€Å"people refus[ing] to see [him];† society neglects to see him as a result of his black lineage (Ellison 3). Ellison incorporates several objects, frequently appearing and reappearing throughout the novel, to expose social and intellectual issues imposed on the black community. Amid the â€Å"procession of tangible, material objects† moving â€Å"in and out of the text† is the dancing Sambo doll whose purpose is to symbolically represent cruel stereotypes and the destructive power of injustice that blacks fall victim to (Lucas 172). Ellison’s rendering of the small paper dolls, representing obedient black slaves, â€Å"unveils an astonishing correspondence between the past and the present† and functions as a force to the narrator’s most essent ial consciousness of his environment and identity (Lucas 173). The Sambo, whose sole purpose was to entertain the white community, further functions to symbolize, through its stereotype, the power whites have to control the movements of African Americans. Ellison immediately introduces readers to the Sambo stereotype at the beginning of the novel when the invisible man becomes the source of entertainment for the white man at the battle royal, engaging in a fighting match with other black men. Out of pure desperation to be accepted by these men, the narrator; like the obedient Sambo, moves in accordance to what he hears the crowd instructing him to do because â€Å"only these men [can] judge [his] ability† (Ellison 22). To further validate the narrator’s Sambo-like behavior, following the match, a blond man winks at the narrator... ...pulls its strings. For the narrator and the black community, the Sambo dolls are a constant reminder that they are unable to neither form their own identity nor control their very movements. Ellison’s incorporation of the Sambo dolls educates us on an important lesson in life, that it is important to be ourselves and choreograph our own choices and movements in life. We must not allow others to hold reign of our strings and steer us in the direction they feel is right. â€Å"Life is to be lived, not controlled;† our full potential in life lies within our ability to control our movements and decisions in life (Ellison 577). Works Cited Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. New York: Vintage International, 1995. Ebook Reader. Morel, Lucas E. Ralph Ellison and the Raft of Hope: A Political Companion to Invisible Man. Lexington: University of Kentucky, 2004. Print. The Symbolic Function of the Sambo Doll in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Ma In 1952, Ralph Ellison published the only novel of his career: Invisible Man; telling the story of an unnamed â€Å"invisible† narrator. Early on, the narrator delineates his invisibility to â€Å"people refus[ing] to see [him];† society neglects to see him as a result of his black lineage (Ellison 3). Ellison incorporates several objects, frequently appearing and reappearing throughout the novel, to expose social and intellectual issues imposed on the black community. Amid the â€Å"procession of tangible, material objects† moving â€Å"in and out of the text† is the dancing Sambo doll whose purpose is to symbolically represent cruel stereotypes and the destructive power of injustice that blacks fall victim to (Lucas 172). Ellison’s rendering of the small paper dolls, representing obedient black slaves, â€Å"unveils an astonishing correspondence between the past and the present† and functions as a force to the narrator’s most essent ial consciousness of his environment and identity (Lucas 173). The Sambo, whose sole purpose was to entertain the white community, further functions to symbolize, through its stereotype, the power whites have to control the movements of African Americans. Ellison immediately introduces readers to the Sambo stereotype at the beginning of the novel when the invisible man becomes the source of entertainment for the white man at the battle royal, engaging in a fighting match with other black men. Out of pure desperation to be accepted by these men, the narrator; like the obedient Sambo, moves in accordance to what he hears the crowd instructing him to do because â€Å"only these men [can] judge [his] ability† (Ellison 22). To further validate the narrator’s Sambo-like behavior, following the match, a blond man winks at the narrator... ...pulls its strings. For the narrator and the black community, the Sambo dolls are a constant reminder that they are unable to neither form their own identity nor control their very movements. Ellison’s incorporation of the Sambo dolls educates us on an important lesson in life, that it is important to be ourselves and choreograph our own choices and movements in life. We must not allow others to hold reign of our strings and steer us in the direction they feel is right. â€Å"Life is to be lived, not controlled;† our full potential in life lies within our ability to control our movements and decisions in life (Ellison 577). Works Cited Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. New York: Vintage International, 1995. Ebook Reader. Morel, Lucas E. Ralph Ellison and the Raft of Hope: A Political Companion to Invisible Man. Lexington: University of Kentucky, 2004. Print.

Split Cherry Tree by Jesse Stuart Essay -- Split Cherry Tree Jesse Stu

Split Cherry Tree by Jesse Stuart The short story, Spilt Cherry Tree, was written by Jesse Stuart. In the beginning of the story, Dave and his classmates went with Professor Herbert on a field trip for biology class. They were all searching for lizards, bugs, snakes, frogs, flowers, and plants. Dave and five of his classmates had spotted a lizard in the old cherry tree up the hill, so all six of them ran up the tree after it, and the tree broke down. Eif Crabtree, the owner of the tree was plowing when it happened and he ran up and go tall the boys’ names. Dave’s five classmates who broke the tree with him were all able to get the dollar that they owed Mr. Crabtree, but Dave knew he wouldn’t be able to get his. Professor Herbert kept Dave after school and told him that he paid Dave’s dollar, but he would have to work four hours at the school to earn the full dollar, which means he would be getting paid twenty-five cents and hour to help the janitor. Dave really didn’t mind staying after school, but he knew that he would get a whipping from his father if he was two hours late getting home. Dave told Professor Herbert that he would rather have the professor whip him with a switch so he could go on home and help his dad with chores because he knew his dad would whip him if he was two hours late. Dave was also afraid that his father would make him quit school because he was a little old fashioned and didn’t understand the school system of that time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dave hurried hom... Split Cherry Tree by Jesse Stuart Essay -- Split Cherry Tree Jesse Stu Split Cherry Tree by Jesse Stuart The short story, Spilt Cherry Tree, was written by Jesse Stuart. In the beginning of the story, Dave and his classmates went with Professor Herbert on a field trip for biology class. They were all searching for lizards, bugs, snakes, frogs, flowers, and plants. Dave and five of his classmates had spotted a lizard in the old cherry tree up the hill, so all six of them ran up the tree after it, and the tree broke down. Eif Crabtree, the owner of the tree was plowing when it happened and he ran up and go tall the boys’ names. Dave’s five classmates who broke the tree with him were all able to get the dollar that they owed Mr. Crabtree, but Dave knew he wouldn’t be able to get his. Professor Herbert kept Dave after school and told him that he paid Dave’s dollar, but he would have to work four hours at the school to earn the full dollar, which means he would be getting paid twenty-five cents and hour to help the janitor. Dave really didn’t mind staying after school, but he knew that he would get a whipping from his father if he was two hours late getting home. Dave told Professor Herbert that he would rather have the professor whip him with a switch so he could go on home and help his dad with chores because he knew his dad would whip him if he was two hours late. Dave was also afraid that his father would make him quit school because he was a little old fashioned and didn’t understand the school system of that time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dave hurried hom...

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Energy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Four Source of Energy: Chemical, Solar, Mechanical, and Nuclear Energy is used in every aspect of our lives, from power for transportation, to heat and light in dwelling and working areas, to the manufacture of good of all kinds. The development of science and civilization is closely linked to the availability and development of energy in useful forms. In this paper I am going to show four extremely vital forms of energy that we humans use everyday, and without which we could not enjoy the luxuries of life; like watching T.V., playing on the computer, and tracking the weather.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first type of vitally important energy is Chemical. It utilizes the energy release from chemical reaction. The energy is both release and absorbed by the elements involve in a chemical reaction, but no lose occur in the molecular weight of the elements. Even thought this is true, the physical properties may change. Take for instance, the decomposition of water. In its molecules, each of which consist of one atom of oxygen and two of hydrogen, are broken down; the hydrogen atoms combine in pairs, and the oxygen atoms form oxygen molecules. The two new molecules now have two different properties from the water molecules they came from. Water, for example, does not burn nor does it support combustions, but the new hydrogen molecule is now flammable and the oxygen is combustion supportive, both of which can be used to obtain useful forms of energy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The reactions, just like the one mentioned above, can be classified by the characteristics of the particular reaction. As anyone could observe we, the people of this world have many different forms of reactions to obtain the energy we desire. This chemical energy is pretty the base of all other forms of energy, or at least a big part of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We can use the reaction from nuclear fusion or fission to obtain energy. We can use the steam from water to get energy. There are ways in which use the elements and the properties of their reaction to obtain energy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A type of energy that work is another form of chemical energy, but deserves its own individual respect, is the above-mentioned nuclear energy. With the development of nuclear energy in the early 20th century came available another incredibly great source of energy. It uses the heat from the nuclear energy and converts it into electricity. The nuclear is stored in the nucleus of an atom and is released though fission, fusion, or radioactivity.

Medicine and Mental Illness

K272 TMA01 Consider the usefulness of a holistic model in explaining the experience of mental health. A holistic approach to mental illness means that the user’s physical, mental and spiritual health along with the user s state of mind, lifestyle and social factors will all be taken into consideration when analysing them. Holism refers to treating the whole person. This means that holism feels disease doesn’t just affect the body, but also the mind and spirit as well. It’s said that the five dimensions are all inter related and so if one is c hanged then the other dimensions will all be impacted in some way or another. In a sense I feel that holism is practical as it explores several avenues in order to treat mental illness rather than the bio-medical approach which uses only one. The World Health Organisation (1946), define health in the following way ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity’. This definition of health supports both the medical and social models. In suggesting that wellbeing is the key to health the definition embraces the idea that in the treatment of illness all factors, social, mental and physical must be taken into account. If this definition is what professional’s base their treatment of mental health upon, then it could be seen that the medical and holistic models are intertwined and should in fact work in harmony. Yet one model holds dominance over the other. It is the medical model which is predominantly used in the treatment of mental health (Bentall, 2003) The Biomedical Model The bio medical model evolved as a response to diseases in the 19th century. German psychiatrists then used this model, based on their beliefs and not hard evidence, to categorize the symptoms of mental distress into distinct conditions, one of which was Schizophrenia (Bentall, 2003). The model suggests that mental health is an illness, characterised by specific symptoms that have a pathological base. This came about because research supported the notion that mental ill health was due to chemical imbalances, body dysfunction or injury (McCullough et al, 2005, Pritchard, 2006). However there is another suggestion that mental health is a hypothetical construct† (Boyle, 2002: 14). The fundamental focus of this model is that the individual is the source of their mental illness. Therefore the person can be treated and as with most illness the medical model will look at medication as the way forward (Beresford, 2005). Within this model the body is seen as a device rather than a person and as an appliance its functions will often need repair (Giddens, 2006). This thought process is damaging, it can encourage a poor relationship. When the ‘person’ becomes lost and is seen as a list of symptoms, they become stigmatised and labelled. This labelling can cause further mental distress and so more ‘symptoms’ may be seen (Thompson, 2006). The medical model sees mental illness as a brain malfunction, an imbalance, a set of symptoms, to restore mental health the medical experts will endeavour to adjust the imbalances with a variety of drugs. The use of drugs often does give a quick fix to some symptoms; however the use often creates a dependence, which may last until death (Harris et al, 2007). This dependence on drugs will give further credence to the medical model. Many researchers point out that this reliance on medication causes further mental distress, as the side effects can be many and enduring, adding further problems to those with a diagnosis of mental illness(Wallcraft, 2005,Usher et al, 2006). The Holistic Model As we know the holistic model is not the most popular model, it is however very important as it represents a way of thinking and understanding mental distress and gives a positive approach to working with and supporting people experiencing mental illness. Each person’s experience of mental illness is unique. Seedhouse (2000, pp 59-60) suggests that holism makes two main claims: that the whole cannot be fully understood separately and that they separate parts cannot be understood apart from the whole. Holism has many available methods including counselling, and congestive behaviour therapy. Although all of these aspects work together each promotes its own therapeutic power, which doesn’t really take a holistic perspective as it claims to. This can be very confusing and distressing for a user who has only ever encountered the biomedical model. A good example of this is (Taussig, 2002, p10) â€Å"the recovery from breakdowns has always been slow and painful, and each one has brought a different treatment ranging from C. B. T therapy to psychoanalysis. On each occasion when I called on the providers to help me out of the dark, each stood proudly alone protesting their own therapeutic power and efficacy†. Holism allows users to see how the body and mind are connected by letting them reflect. Reflection matters because it is continuous with practise. How you think about what you are doing affects how you do it, or whether you do it at all. It may direct your research or your whole attitude to people who do things differently, or indeed your whole life. (Blackburn 1999) However holistic approaches can bring the mind-body divide to the forefront as its been proven that reflecting on emotions can bring on physical distress such as raised heartbeat, headaches, and pains. Bringing supressed thoughts to the surface can also cause people to become dependent on such things as alcohol and drugs which need some biomedical intervention. Mind-body relations are always mutual and bidirectional-the body affects the mind and is affected by it. mind and body are so integrally related that, in practise], it makes little sense to refer to therapies as solely â€Å"mental† or† physical†, rather mind-body could perhaps be best regarded as an overall process that is not easily dissected into separate and distinct components or parts. (Seedhouse 2002, p55). . Whilst there are arguably opposing principles within the medical and holistic model it can be suggested that the diversity can be productive. There are aspects of both models that may help with the diagnoses of mental illness. The bio medical model through research will continue to strive for a specific, pathological base. Medicine aims to prevent mortality, with a high incidence of morbidity within the group of people diagnosed with mental illness, on-going research is a must (Muir-Cochrane 2006). The holistic model will strive to ensure, that the person with mental distress will have an individual programme tailored to their needs and therefore a selection of treatments may be the answer. The Hippocratic Oath which is fundamental in medicine suggests that interventions delivered from the medical profession of which psychiatry belongs ‘do no harm’ Sokol (2008). If the so called experts used the model to treat service users with a diagnoses mental illness in a way that caused no harm they would strive to ensure that when assessment was undertaken all aspects of the medical and holistic models of mental distress would be taken into account. The complex nature of mental illness would be identified and a more impartial framework of support could be supplied. It could look at solutions and ways of coping, rather than problems and illness. It would value the service user with mental distress, building a relationship and remembering that ‘mental illness’ it is not just an illness, a list of symptoms, there is a person present that needs to be respected. Perhaps the unification of these two models would enable the treatment for mental illness to be more people centred and unique. Service users could define what help was needed, and the balance of power would be with the expert. (Warren, 2007). References Beresford, P. (2005) Social Approaches to Madness and Distress: User Perspectives and User Knowledge, In J Tew (Ed), Social Perspectives in Mental Health: Developing Social Models to Understand and Work with Mental Distress, London: Jessica Kingsley. Bentall, R. P. (2003) Madness Explained: Psychosis and Human Nature, London: Penguin. Blackburn, (1999) Bowen, P. (2007) Blackstone’s Guide to the Mental Health Act 2007, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Boyle, M. (2002) Schizophrenia: A Scientific Delusion, London: Routledge. Giddens, (2006) Harris Et Al (2007) McCullogh Et Al (2005), Pritchard (2006) Muir-Cochrane (2006) Seedhouse (2000 P59-60) Seedhouse (2002 p55) Sokol (2008) Thompson (2006) Toussig (2002 p10) Usher Et Al (2006) Warren (2007) Word Count -1750 including references

California Bullet Train

Okay my current event is on the california bullet train. This train will go from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The state senate just recently gave 8 billion dollars for the first part of the 130 miles of track and also a couple other local transit upgrades. It was a tough win for democratic leaders because they got the bare minimum of 21 votes which were all democratic votes. This was a victory for Governor Jerry Brown and the Obama administration who have been pushing for this. It would also be the first bullet train in the U. S.The train will begin construction in the central valley from Bakersfield to Madera, which will cost about 5. 9 billion. Out of the 5. 9 billion, about 3. 2 billion is federal money and 2. 6 billion is state bonds. The train will travel at 220 MPH and get you to L. A. in about 2 and a half hours. There is also 2 billion for other rail projects, like the electrification of Cal train in the bay area and improvements for the Metrolink in Los Angeles County. With the electrification of cal train, the trains would be much lighter, quieter and put out 90% less pollution then the current diesel engines.They will be much safer, they will start and stop much more quickly then before, and will also be compatible with the rails they currently use. The proposition for the bullet train was first on the 2008 ballot and was then approved t, it gave 9. 9 billion to the project, since then the project has had delays and rising costs. In 2008 the total price of the bullet train was 33 billion, when voters okayed it. Now the estimated cost has more than doubled at 68 billion and the completion date was pushed from 2020 to 2028. A Los Angeles times poll in may showed that 59% of voters would reject the plan if it were back on the ballot.There is still a lot of work in the way before they can begin construction and is unclear when it will begin. They have to fight off five current lawsuits against the project, they have to negotiate with property owners alo ng the route especially big farm businesses, and have to comply with californias strict environmental laws. Republicans led by LaMalfa are creating a petition to put this rail line back on the ballot, but it is unlikely because the measure wouldn’t reach the statewide ballot box until November 2014, which is 18 months after construction is scheduled to start.I chose this article because it I think this would be a great addition to our state because it would open up many jobs which we desperately need. It would also take many cars off the road which would be a nice change in congested areas and would also reduce the amount of flights from sfo to la. In the beginning it would be expensive but later on in the future it would pay off with much more I don’t know why we are building this now while we are in a recession and not back in better times.I think they should have built this years ago. California needs more transportation like this and hopefully this could spark more trains to be built to replace the use of so many cars. I don’t think this article is biased because it is showing both points of view of people who want it and don’t want it. If I had the power to build this or not, I would have built this years ago because I think right now we need to put that money to better use such as education.

Violence in Television Creates Aggression in Children

We all love action packed, horrifying, fighting type of movies like Drive, The Dark Knight, Kindergarten Cop, Star Wars or Who Framed Roger Rabbit. These movies don’t seem very harmful to us and may seem more funny then violent, but how children perceive these films is very different from how an adult may perceive it. How do children view these movies? And how do they absorb the information in front of them?. Violence in the media creates aggression in everyone but it has a major impact on children. Parenting and environmental factors also have in effect.Society and media has made us believe that violence is acceptable in films but when it happens in real life, many don’t seem accepting. People don’t seem to realize in order to suppress violence in life you have to begin with not displaying violence as if it was socially acceptable. Many factors play into childhood aggression; family, environment or mass media. Many parents sit their children in front of a televi sion for hours just to keep them occupied, but they are not aware of the damage they are doing to their kids.Movies like Who Framed Roger Rabbit may seem like a harmless movie to us but it portrays violence with guns, arguing and even distorted information of how to handle stressful situations. Movies or cartoons like this, show children you have to resort to violence to resolve certain situations. Other cartoons like Bugs Bunny, who cross dress and flirt to bring his hunter into a trap, are highly inappropriate. Young children are very manipulative and tend to reenact or repeat things they see or hear.It may be adorable when your kid is kicking and fighting around like Batman but in their mind they see fighting and aggression as a resolution. As they get older aggression and violence seems like a normal part of life and acceptable. They become desensitized with the more violence they are exposed to and usually want to watch something with more action and violence, hence become more and more absorbed in to aggression. (Huesmann & Miller,1994;) This aggression seems to stand out more on which family class they stand in.Children in lower class families tend to watch more TV, and have lower IQ’s because they are not interacting with others, reading, or using any kind of thought process. Many factors play into why children of lower class families watch more television (Huesmann, 1998). In these days many families find themselves working and not spending as much time at home, leaving the child to watch a lot of television, and if they are not around, there’s no assuring what the child is watching. Lower class families tend to be more stressed and that sometimes reflects on the children; creating anxiety and aggression (Tremblay,2000).Not having money to enjoy other activities, also causes more children to be inactive, and living in dangerous neighborhoods cause them to stay inside more. Television is America’s favorite pass time and people beli eve watching television is a good way to pass time or bond with each other but it does the opposite. There is no interaction with family members or peers and most adults don’t want to sit around watching kid shows, so children watch what their parents want to watch and usually it is inappropriate.Telling your child to cover their eyes or ears during a scene really doesn’t improve much. Some families neglect their children, give them harsh punishments or sometimes don’t discipline them at all and that also plays a role. Many studies have shown, the more a child is exposed to violence, the more often a child will respond with aggression or violence (Andison, F. S. 1977). Andison from the American Psychological Association, also discovered continue exposure to violence can lead to antisocialism, violence, drugs and criminality.Aggressive children prefer violence on television, prefer violent character and see it as part of life more than less aggressive children. S ome children won’t show signs of aggression until they are older. Consistently watching violent or inappropriate programs can affect anybody at any age or gender. Extensive researched from the American Psychological Association, also revealed aggressive behavior is more in males who tend to watch more television ( Huesmann, L. R. , Eron, L. D. , Berkowitz, L. , & Chaffee, S. (1991). Males are also raised more aggressively.Many parents believe they have to be hard on boys to make them tougher, but in actuality that can damage a child or create anger or hatred. Many children who grow up with constant aggression or violence usually don’t turn out to be the American dream person. Creators seem to forget their audience is young children and they side track to create more ratings instead of keeping it appropriate for children of a certain age. Not every person would agree violent television or inappropriate programs are the causes of aggression in children.Taking into consid eration how the child was raised, and the environment they grow up in, can have a large effect on many children. Not all television is bad, but the problem these days is that parents don’t monitor what their children watch. There are many reasons television can be a good thing for a child. If parents gave healthy viewing habits, less viewing time and watched what was on the screen for their kids, television can be very educational. Learning shows like blues clues give children thinking practice by causing them to solve riddles and find clues.Channels like the discovery channel can help children discover about the world around them and in turn learning and using thought. Television has been a revolutionary change for the last few generations. It has changed our way of life for the better and for the worse. I personally believe that before television families were closer, and violence wasn’t as popular on shows, and people were healthier, because there were more activiti es to enjoy, then just sitting at home doing nothing. These days the violence and uneducated shows on television has sadly affected even our younger viewer.Children don’t need to know about depression, hell or anger like the cartoon, Billy and Mandy display. Cartoons like this show children, it’s acceptable to be furious and angry and act aggressively to your siblings. If parents really began to care about their children, they would monitor and lower their television time. No child should have to sit 5 hours or longer in front of a television with no supervision, when they could be interacting and learning with family and peers. Violence in television also has to be decreased in adult watching as well. It has become such a large part in our society.Children shouldn’t have to grow up thinking fighting, cursing, and aggressive behavior towards others is acceptable, and it’s up to the parents to make a change. Sources * Longitudinal Relations Between Childre n’s Exposure to TV Violence and Their Aggressive and Violent Behavior in Young Adulthood: 1977–1992 Psychology Copyright 2003 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 2003, Vol. 39, No. 2, 201–221 * Kidshealth. rg; How TV effects your child by   Steven Dowshen, MD http://kidshealth. org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child. html * Is Television Advertising Good for Children? Areas of Concern and Policy Implications Vol 20 No 1 (2001) http://www. sfu. ca/media-lab/archive/2007/426/Resources/Readings/readings%20kidcult/canadianadpolicy. pdf * Desensitization of children to television violence. Cline, Victor B. ;Croft, Roger G. ;Courrier, Steven Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 27(3), Sep 1973, 360-365

Belief System Introduction

Belief System Introduction Each country has its own culture as each person has his/her own religion. Belief system of a person or a society is the set of beliefs that they have about what things are right, wrong and what things are true, false. The personal beliefs of us play a small part in each religion, which it points out the special of it that no others can have. Religion is certainly a type of belief system, but not all belief systems are religion. Each individual person has different types of belief system, hence, the ways their behaviors are and the ways they act are different.But when that individual person Join in a specific religion, he/she needs to follow all typical laws or rules that that religion has made and created. For society: a group of people that has the same belief system will have the same acts together, forming a basic standard for that society. Due to different religion, that group of people will have different ways of solving problems. For example: when the re is a disadvantage as a difficult circumstance, the Buddhists will organize a donated campaign where people can help each other to bring up the society, making it more and more better.Last but not east, things usually go the way it decided to go and so sometimes we become conscious with everything around us. Along the Journey of life, we will be able to find out what and where we want to become. Hence, belief system is an actual set of precepts, which our daily gives us words, actions and thoughts in life. Belief system can refer to [1] A religion- the belief in and worship of a god or gods, or a set of beliefs concerning the origin and purpose of the universe. A philosophy – a personal outlook our viewpoint.An ideology – a set of idea that constitutes one's goal, expectation and actions. It is a ay of looking at things and theorizes of a visionary or impractical nature. [1] Global/ International Perspective Depend on each region, each area, each ethnic and each fami ly; an individual person choose for his/her own religion, as it should be suitable with their mind, and they like to be apart of the religion. They must be instructed in an appropriate way and a right way and they have the rights to choose whether they want to be in the religion or not.There is no force in this. It should also depend on How they act What they do How they treat things (interact with others) MAJOR RELIGION IN THE WORLD 1. Buddhism [3] [4] [5] Buddhism focuses on the development of a personal spirit. The number of Buddhists in the world at between 230 million and 500 million is making it the world's fourth-largest religion. Buddhists believe that life should not be destroyed Buddhists take responsibilities for what they do and the results they receive.Buddhists try not to harm living things, try to have a kind-hearted and always control feeling and think clearly before doing a thing Buddhists are required to have equal respect to all living things. Buddhists go to pago da, temple to pray for good. All temples represent for 5 elements, which is: Fire, Water, Wisdom, Earth, Air and hey have a statue of Buddha. 2. Hinduism About 900 million persons or 14 percent of the world's population follow Hinduism. It is world's 3rd largest religion in the world Major religion in India (80%) and Nepal Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world.Hindus believe in a Supreme God. Hindus believe that life is a cycle of birth. We born, we death and reborn. Hindus believe that successful life depends on how the previous life was lived. Hindus believe that killing a baby that hasn't born yet is worse than killing parents. But also because boy is more prefer women may choose to abort the baby to prevent new baby girl would be born. Most Hindus are vegetarians and they don't eat beef. 3. Islam With 1. 57 billion Muslims, Islam is the second-largest religion in the world.People who follow Islam are called Muslim Muslims believe that God sent prophets Jesus, Moses and Ab raham) down to teach them the way of living. Muslims believe that their final prophet was Muhammad. Muslims believe in angels. Muslims believe they have only one God is Allah and Allah was the one who created all living things. Muslims who are women are allowed to get abortion because Muslims believe the women are responsible for it and they are originators who give earth for the baby. Muslims believe animals exist for a benefit of human beings and they are not allowed to harm or treat them bad. . Christianity [1 2. 1 billion Followers bring Christianity to be the world's biggest religion. People who follow Christianity are called Christian. Christianity focuses on the teaching of Jesus Christ who believed are the Son of God. Christians believe God had created animal for human to use so Christians are allowed to treat animals whatever the way they want to. In the old time Now, Christians believe they have to treat animals kindly due to they are weaker than us, ND God created animals to live a harmony live with human.They deserve to be respected somehow and treated generous. They read, learn and follow things from the Bible. Valentine is the most popular which everyone not only Christian know about this day 14 February which came from Saint Valentine. The cross symbol of the Christian is one of the most powerful symbols in the world which you can see it everywhere in your daily life. You even wear them on your body. Christians usually go to church on weekend to show their love and obedience to God, to build up their spirit strength ND to provide fellowship with other Christians. 1 *Almost every religion has some sort of principle that says we should treat our fellow man kindly. Furthermore, many religions go a step further and give specific instructions on how we should care for the poor and downtrodden in society. Atheism The road to atheism tends to be very personal and individual, based upon the specific circumstances of a person's life, experiences, and att itudes. Nevertheless, it is possible to describe some general similarities, which tend to be common among quite a few atheists, particularly atheists in the West.Atheism is characterized by an absence of belief in the existence of gods. This absence of belief generally comes about either through deliberate choice, or from an inherent inability to believe religious teachings that seem literally incredible. It is not a lack of belief born out of simple ignorance of religious teachings. Globalization affect to belief system Globalization refers to connect worldwide together, creates relationship between people and makes them become more familiar with each other.People from different region and areas can easy know about each other and how they are doing in other part of the world. Globalization also is the expansion of global linkages, the organization of social life on a global scale, and the growth of a global consciousness, hence to the consolidation of world society. Globalization a ffects culture because when people of different cultures and from different places come together and shares what they have; they get to know each other. They bring back what they have learned and it enters into society and culture.If we focus on the cultural consequences of â€Å"globalization†, we see positive and negative effects. Through globalization, people are not indiscriminate like in the past. Nowadays, through traveling, Internet, high technology, free flow of information, people have more logical and scientific reason to be sure in their belief. It is somehow can not explain all the original of a problem but it helps people to know whether that thing is right or wrong to believe in. Beside the positive aspects of globalization is its negative aspect: CONFLICT between nations.Conflict doesn't mean that there has to be a fight between nations, it could be arise from two different belief systems. For example: The Arab-Israeli Conflict is act of hostility and political tensions have lasted about a century. It involves the establishment of the modern State of Israel, as well as the establishment and independence of many Arab countries during the same period, and relations between Arab countries and Israel The conflict between Islam and the West: The continuous violence of Muslims around the world to publish the cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad.All of this violence, whether or not excited by the extremist Islamic group, showed a strong rise of the Islamic spirit, and challenge the dominance of Western civilization. Muslim conflict – the West has and continues to emerge as the main trends of world politics in the 21st century. Solutions: _Promote Dialogue Youth Hanoi could strengthen traveling to visit an Islamic country or China to exchange through seminars and conferences. Cultural Exchange: tourists visit to Western Country _Mutual Learning _Exchange experiences _Organize training courses All of these actions enhance exchanges and mutual un derstanding and exchange of neutral understanding. Different belief system can bring different ways of doing things such as many people in the world nowadays think that same-sex marriage is Just a normal things. But for some people and parents, they think it's not acceptable and they do not allow it to append to their children or their relatives.This is one of the problems that are happening in the world also. Local/National Perspective Vietnamese belief system Vietnam is a country with many forms of belief and religion. Vietnam is very convenient with connecting culture, religions with other countries in the world because of its position located. 5] At present, in Vietnam, there are about 75 % of the population have their own belief system, of which millions in 76 millions total followers of 6 religions, but most of the population are non-religious. Buddhism: 10 millions followers Christian: > 5. Millions followers Protestantism: 60. 000 followers Muslim: 1 million followers Ho Hay Buddhism: 1. 3 millions followers Cacao Dad: 2. 4 millions followers. Vietnamese belief system can refer to many factors Culture Position located Family perspective & Personal perspective Rules/Laws In Vietnam, we celebrate both New Year Events and Lunar New Year that maybe only China has the same traditional. During Et Holiday, the young children will receive lucky money that will bring them luck for the whole year that include good health, well-doing in education etc.We also have spirit money and lucky items that we always bring it beside us. We consider it as something will protect and bring luck to us. In Vietnam, people usually work in a group, they listen to other opinions to consider whether it's right or wrong, they sometimes need proof for their belief. Hence, from there, they believe and follow what they informed about. We can hardly distinguish the Vietnamese Culture because it is the mixture of many belief system, values due to the influences of neighboring countries.Ev en Vietnam is not a rich country but the Vietnamese people are very easily integrated. We seem to have one common belief system is that in every situation, whether we are at home, school or many, respect is always the very important to show how we behave. We have our own freedom to believe in what we think is right beside rules and laws that have applied to follow. Parents in Vietnam believe the age when they can be sure that their children are fully grow-up is 22 right after they finish university, however, their children are consider adults once they reach the age of 18.The mother in Vietnam also really hard to allow their daughter to go out lately at night and commonly, they usually don't accept for them to sleep over their friend's house when they are monger than 18, the mother believe that it's not appropriate and it should not happen if you are a girl. Even though we have many different belief systems in our country, maybe in a small community also, but we don't have and show any bad attitudes to others. We respect it, and we know that each person can have his/her own religions, they might think the way we never do, but they don't as we either.More important, what they do don't usually effect our lives. Family/Personal Perspective I am not really Buddhist but I read book and I follow some of the rules that Buddha teaches. I feel that all of those things are right and I believe that it is good for me to learn it. What I believe is not really same as my family, but somehow, because I am not fully-grown up yet so I can't really make my own choice. But in my opinion, the life now is very different from the life of few decades ago, so the way my parents think cannot be same as young people now.I have some of my friends who are Christian. We have a lot of not common things such as I go to temple but they go to church. They believe in Jesus Christ but we believe in Buddha. And there are many of the things they do different from me. I think it is important to st udy to understand the relationship of belief system to social behavior in order to avoid significant errors in social interaction. Each person has his/her own religion so we have to respect it. It feels weird when something that you never do before but surely there's once when they feel the same way to you.