English-language films Essay Example for Free

English-language films Essay Many people wonder these days if peoples lives revolve around the choices they make. This is absolutely true. Everyone in this world is responsible for who they are today. Their choices and ideas pave the road for their future. A quote from Confucius says this, Peoples lives are the result of the choices they make-or fail to make. The path one takes in life is not arbitrary. Choices and their consequences determine the course of every persons life. All people, whatever their circumstances, make the choices on which their lives depend. Confucius is absolutely right. It is a well-known fact that if you take wrong turns in life, you will end up in a wrong state. The regular human psychology states that when a person goes and ends up in a bad state, they blame others and most of the time never take responsibility for it. Take a look at this scene, and look carefully cause this happens all the time no matter the circumstances. There is no way and it is impossible for a child who takes drugs, does alcohol, doesnt obey their parents to find themselves at an Ivy-League college. Sometimes, people change their paths along the way and somewhat improve. But if you keep going in the wrong direction for your entire life, you will not get anywhere. Think about the people who are successful in this world. For examples, lets observe Mark Zuckerberg. He is the youngest billionaire in the world. He was focused, he was determined. In fact he was so passionate about programming that he dropped out of Harvard, the number one school in America. He used his talents, worked his choices and made Facebook. Not all of his choices were good. Some were actually bad; some choices actually got him into trouble with others. This is where the trouble comes in. Wait if some of my choices are good, and some are bad, then whats going to happen with my life? Nothing will actually. All that matters is that the majority will overcome the system. If you have more bad than good, you are more likely to take a wrong turn. If you have more good over wrong, you will most likely take a good turn. Even I have taken wrong turns and bad choices. Everyone has. Nobody in this world is perfect. In fact, taking all good choices and all good turns in life ends up as a bad choice. Even though nobody is perfect, its your own self that will determine your future, what you want to become, your status in life. Thats why its good to switch your determination in life if you are on a bad path. Stick with someone and change your mood. Change your attitude, fix your choices, and keep yourself organized. If you are a person reading this essay, lets say about 12 or 13, even 14 to 18. You still have time. You have so much future ahead of you, dont give up hope cause your choices sometimes do tell your future. Sometimes these choices of yours will end you up in a bad place if you dont work hard. A wise person, my own father once told me that it doesnt make you a bad person if you take bad choices. It makes you a bad person if you dont learn from your bad choices. He also told me that if you want to be someone when you grow up, work hard. In elementary, in middle school, and in high school, work hard so that you can build your base for the future. He concluded with me that once you pay off all your duties, go to college, and graduate, you have the rest of your life to enjoy. Whether its doing your dream job, making millions of dollars, then retiring into a large estate. This is called a dream. If you have more good choices in life, your dream will come to. Trust me, its always worked before.

The Different Sources Of Finance And There Implications Finance Essay

The Different Sources Of Finance And There Implications Finance Essay The assignment attempts to explore the different sources of finance and its implicationIt describes how different structures and cultures affect the business performance of the organization. It identifies the cost of finance as a resource, budgeting and financing adequately. The application of investment appraisal technique and long term decisions. Shows the understanding of basis business and accounting terminology. Research Methods. Theoretical studies from different books and Handouts from our tutor. Personal academic knowledge about business finance.ACCA background. JS AND Co. medium sized retailer scenario. Sources of Finance Js and Co. must be very aware of the importance to use the appropriate sources of financing meeting the needs of your company. Sources of finance to business There are different sources of finance,namely : Short term finance- Trade credit Commercial banks -overdraft Fixed deposits for a period of 1 year or less Advances received from customers Various short-term provisions Operating lease. Medium term finance- Debentures/bonds Public deposits/fixed deposits for duration of three years Commercial banks Short term loans

Why Are Integrated Resorts Important To Singapore Tourism Essay

Why Are Integrated Resorts Important To Singapore Tourism Essay In the current, the appearance of two integrated resorts acted the changing the economic structure in Singapore. It is a form of the government to make a growth of tourism receipts will be achieving to SG$30 billion, compared to the year 2009 that was SG$12.8 billion and twofold the amount of tourists to 17 million by 2015 (Montesano and Onn 2011a). According to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the total amount of receipts tourisms reached to SG$18.8 billion in 2010, and confirmed the highest number in ten years. For the expanse of the economy in front, there is a requirement by creating 60,000 jobs in IRs, and contributed 1 to 11/2 per cent of Singapores GDP (The Straits Times February 27 2012). According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MIT), by 2015, Resort World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sand would generate about 0.8% (about SG$2.7 billion) for Singapores GDP. Some examples, such as RWSs investment in IR in 2009, it invested SG$826 million on construction task and other prop erties, plants, and equipment. It showed that the extra value to Singapores GDP. Besides, IRs were awaited to lift tourist arrivals and the service industry. In 2010, within the first six months, the tourist arrivals have been increasing (Appendix 1). Especially, the highest amount of tourists was presented in July. The hotel occupancy rate was higher at 85% compared to 2009 was 72%. These figures were affected by a remarkable role of the two IRs. In the fourth quarter of the year 2012, Singapores economy avoided recession at 1.8% rise, and overall GDP the years growth at 1.2% (The Straits Times January 3 2013a). Additionally, the IRs generate economic spin-off what interest hotel, food and beverage industry, retail, and conventions and exhibitions as well (Montesano and Onn 2011b). For example, in 2009, MICE tourists receipts plunged to SG$2.7 million and SG$4.2 million in revenue, respectively. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the MICE receipts can contribute 35% of the total to urism receipts by 2015 (Yeoman 2012). Society is impacted caused the development of IRs. The development of tourism in Singapore is a reason to emerge labour issues for the hotel, mostly migrant workers (Hitchcock 2009). However, Marina Bay Sand happening in Singapore has some plans to engage local people. There are about 10,000 job vacancies for elderly unemployed citizens, women and housewives. There are no migrant workers (Conrady 2010). In a research from BBC News (2012), the number of foreign workers was more than 30% of Singapore worker force of about 3 million people. In addition, citizens complain about many problems that are crowded public transportation, high cost of living, high cost of having a car, stressful life, poor customer services, and so on (Butcher and Velayutham 2009). Public transportation is overcrowding passengers on MRT is a serious concern for the Singapore government. The MRT has been extended and added more lines to resolve the current problem. The extension of the East West line is 57.2 km w ill begin by 2016 and will serve a large amount of the workplace is about 100,000 commuters. There are also two MRT lines are the Thomson Line and Eastern Region Line will begin by 2020 for commuters outside the city. These proposals will meet the leap from 1.4 million commuters to 4.6 million commuters a day in 2020 (Libguides 2011). Furthermore, Singaporeans have met with high housing purchases caused income replacement ratio (IRR). The IRR ratio fell between 17% and 18% for middle earning labours in the individual wage groups, at retirement age of 65. It affects the retirement income when purchasing homes is mortgage payment. Prices property rises are a $100,000 increase in HDB home price will get IRR by between 3.0% and 12.4% so in order to offset the impact of high housing purchases the earnings growth of 0.4% to 1.2% (Hoong et al. 2012). On the other hand, the prices of private homes in the fourth quarter of the year 2012 grew to 1.8% in Singapore, compared with 0.6% in the pr evious quarter. In 2012, general costs went up 2.8%, compared to the last year that was 5.8%. HDB resale prices increased to 2.5% in the fourth quarter of the year 2012, compared to the year 2011 (The Straits Times January 3 2013b). Littering issue is the considerable concern with the Singapores government. Now, the population has been increasing, and the big inflow of foreign workers in Singapore, what are the main reasons make the city is not so clean. People use the window as a dustbin to throw a lot of stuff so the government has made a limitation of overseas labours, and created more attractive jobs for Singaporeans (Today November 12 2012). The improvement of technology contributes the development of IRs. Changi International Airport is one of the worlds best airport includes terminal 1, terminal 2 and terminal 3. In 2013, the plan for building terminal 4 to replace budget terminal will start and will complete in 2017 to provide better service to 16 million passengers compared with budget terminal was 7 million passengers (Channelnewsasia 2012). Moreover, internet technology has a vital role to promote the tourism industry around the world by creating good news about tourism of Singapore (Devanish 2011). Monaco is a small independent country located in Western Europe on the Mediterranean Sea (Shei 2008). Monte-Carlo is the most prominent caused it is a joy as a tourist destination and casinos in Monaco (Singh 2008). There are four casinos in Monte-Carlo: Le Casino de Monte-Carlo, Le Cafà © de Paris, Le Sporting Monte-Carlo and Le Sun Casino (Timothey and Teye 2009). Monte-Carlo SBM is a group owns hotels and casinos, including Les Thernes Marins de is one of the best spa of the world (Gershman 2009). In analytic PESTEL concerns, showing that PESTEL impacts and issues have affected future development of integrated resort development in Monaco. The first is a detailed analysis of political impact. Monaco is a constitutional monarchy which is known as National Council since 2009. National Council has 24 members who are elected by locals every 5 years. The government combined of 5 ministers knows as Conseiller du Gouvernement with different responsibilities such as economy, culture, society, education, housing, environment, transportation, and public service for community, technology, health care and others. Monaco is handled and protected by France (King 2008). It receives many benefits like an EU membership, and the currency is Euro. In 1993, it attended the United Nations and the Council of Europe in 2004 (Rogers and Crimmins 2011). Current political issue is SBM employers feel dissatisfied the rights of workers. They need to have their own party to be elected to become a member o f National Council in order to secure for SBM workers in the current and future in Monaco. In the case, if the party can get 12.5% of the vote, it will win. However, they will have a problem with Union Monegasque and Horizon Monaco. On 15 November 2012, there was a preparation for 24 members in trade unions for Renaissances election campaign. On 10 January 2012, the official list members will notice (The Riviera Times November 15 2012a). Secondly, following the Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority (2011), GDP reached to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4.37 billion. It rose by 6.6% compared to 2010. The Singapore economy has recovered since 2010 was 2.1% after there was a decrease by 11.5% in 2009. According to 2011 GDP Report, GDP per capita (PPP) was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬51,556 that was an increase by 4%. In 2010, tourism industry achieved a significant amount. The act of selling hotel industry climbed to 8.4%, equivalent to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬493,472,800 excluding VAT compared to 2009 was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬455,421,462. These figures showing the tourism industry is going up. In 2010, leisure tourism made up 80% of hotel arrivals compared to business tourism was 20%. Monaco was 30 top of target arrivals. It achieved the figures of travellers from new markets are Mexico (+23%), Brazil (+24%), New Zealand (+24%), Australia (+32 %), India (+41%). The government of Monaco expects the number of Indian tourists will increase to 25% caused from 2010 to 2012 the number of Indian travelled to Monaco grew from 1,200 people to 1,500 people (APN News November 21 2012). Monaco has no income tax on residents and low business taxes. However, casino revenue for the government achieves 75%. Business tax rate is 33.33%. In case, the companys turnover get more than 25% generates outside of Monaco (OECD 2010). The additional profit tax rates will be reducing for further incorporation within the first 5 years following in the first 2 years, the third year, the fourth year, the fifth year and the sixth year with the tax rate will be payable is 0%; 25%; 50%; 75%; 100%, respectively (Cambell 2008). Tax exile is a common issue of Monaco. An investigation represented more than 2,000 Britons live in Monaco made UKs economy lost tax revenue  £1 billion. The issue is 533 directors of UK companies registered their business in Monaco. Tax exiles said that UKs economy receives many benefits from them by creating jobs, paying corporate tax and 19.6% VAT in Monaco (The Times November 20 2012). Thirdly, in Monaco, cost of living is so expensive compared to other countries. It is excellent 13 of 198 countries that have a high standard of living. Education is free for students from 6 year-old to 16 year-old. There is no competition in education so it fells the opportunity to finish on quality provision. The crime rate is lower than other countries (King 2008). According to the Economist (2008), real estate costs were at a high number that is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬50,000/m2, compared to London and New York was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬28,000/m2, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬16,500/m2 respectively caused the lack of space and low tax policy. On 26 September 2012, National Council decided to reform retirement in order to minimize Monegasque society despite the protests of Workers Trade Union. Monthly, workers will pay more contributions to pension caused the government wants to raise capital by reducing labour cost. An increase of employees is 0.8% and 1.8%for employers (The Riviera Times September 9 2012b). Fourthly, The Web 2.0 is a valuable tool for the Monaco Convention Bureau. The objective is to reach the target market by combining technology system what is called email marketing strategy and economic amenities to organizers of seminars, exhibition, congresses and trade shows. Within 1 month, it designed and sent the first email to about 6,000 receipts, including meeting, corporations (Dinnie 2011). On the other hand, Monaco has the highest broadband usage rate in the world was 47.4% in 2009 caused the Internet users got 75.2% of the population (Siaroff 2009). There is no international airport in Monaco. However, the nearest airport is Nice that is only 22km from Monaco, and direct bus services from the Nice airport to Monaco within 45 minutes. Guests can have their journey by helicopter within 7 minutes (Jha 2011, p.24). Fifthly, in Monaco, there is sewage treatment for the city water then it is discharged into the sea by submarine outfalls. In addition, solid wastes are recycled but the weight drop at 70 percent before treatment. The most part of Monaco is an urbanized area (Allah et al. 2012). According the Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority (2012), it has a policy to protect and keep clean beaches caused cigarette butts of tourists and smokers grew in the sand on the beach. There are about 4000 ashtrays were giving out to locals and tourist from 1 July 2012 to 15 November 2012. It was remarkably successful in June 2012. Lastly, in Monaco, citizens are not allowed to gamble in casino (Thompson 2012). Gambling is legal that provides government revenue through regulation and taxation between the government and gaming organizations (Strzalko et al. 2009). The goal of integrated resorts is to make money and provide entertainment for guests (Congrave and Klassen 2009). Are balance between gaming operation and non-gaming operation in integrated resorts businesses? Casinos are in integrated resorts offer accommodation, restaurants, retail, spas, pools, conventions in order to attract customers to casinos. All of them are non-gaming activities. Despite strong investment for non-gaming activities, their revenues are not good, compared with revenues of gaming activities (Selin and Davey 2012). Furthermore, in Monaco, casinos provide their revenues for urban development and to upgrade tourism facilities, infrastructure. Monte-Carlo Casino invests monies for security technology to keep safety for its customers. A Dallmeier video security system is used for monitoring and operating by the Monte Carlo Casino. There are approximately 400 cameras. It also use the Pixim-Powered Dallmeier system caused it provides high-quality pictures, and it is ea sy to use and fast for searching pictures in the system by using jog-shuttle tool. All movements in positioning and counting at gaming table, and operations within the casino are operated quickly by Pixims DPS technology (Pixim 2007). What are differences between traditional resorts and integrated resorts? Traditional resort knows as a destination including hotel accommodations, restaurant facilities, swimming pools and other recreational amenities for visitors (Mill 2008). Integrated resort is a resort with mixed development of hotels, casinos, spas, sport facilities, attractions, shopping centres and convention centres (Mallin 2009). Mixed-use resort is a method for development of the tourism market. It combines the development of hotels, entertainments, leisure and sporting activities, retail outlets and attractions (Robinson 2012). The mixed used is hugely popular for developers to support the buildings cost of traditional resort hotel facilities and gets benefits for owners of properties, control of food and beverage and recreational activities (HVS Global Hospitality Services 2011). Sustainable development is an important concept for integrated resorts. The idea of all-inclusive means everything includes in one price. Different resorts have different all-inclusive packages offer to guests to increase the sales of products. For instance, some all-inclusive packages include accommodations, breakfasts and return airport transfers for 2 ways or room, lunch and dinner, and spa treatment with limited time and so on. This is a way to offer promotional packages to customers to change the ways to monitor and manage resorts (Luck 2008). Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel Resort applies the all-inclusive strategy for durable development. Some promotional packages are offered by Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel Resort such as Monte-Carlo Experience Festival Printemps Des Arts package includes 1 night accommodation in a double room, buffet breakfast per person and 2 tickets to attend Printemps Des Arts Festival 2013, and Monte-Carlo Gourmet Experience package includes 2 night accommodation in a d ouble room, buffet breast for per person per day, 1 Monte-Carlo invitation card valued 200 euros to be spent at 20 restaurants belong to Monte-Carlo SBM group (SBM 2011). In addition, most exciting international events are organized in Monaco. It is a destination for all types of events related to culture, sport and leisure. There is a full calendar of famous events through the year 2013 such as Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival, Monte-Carlo Automobile Rally, International Bouquet Competition, Monaco Grand Prix, Monte-Carlo Summer Sporting Festival, Monaco Red Cross Gala, Monaco Yatch Show, Monaco International Trade Fair (Husain 2011). Specially, Monaco is a paradise for sport such as Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix draws thousands of travellers around the world. The Master 1000 Tennis Tournament has the attendance of all top stars. The 150th anniversary Monte-Carlo SBM properties will be celebrated by the year 2013. Besides, the 25th anniversary of the Louis XV restaurant is the oldest restaurant in Monaco. The large participation of 200 chefs and 300 Michelin stars from all over the world with a wine cellar has 400,000 bottles. This celebration demonstrated 25 years of excellent service and position of Monaco in hospitality industry (Tourismmandlifestylenews 2012). Prince Albert II Monaco Foundation is a policy to protect green environment in order to maintain Monaco, where is an attractive place for tourists and residents. Space is so limited so new development plans for hotels are unable to come to increase competition in Monaco. This is an opportunity for development of SBM. (Thompson 2012).

Patriarchy and Gender Roles in King Lear and A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Through his characters and characterization in both King Lear and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare sought not to reproduce the dominant ideas on patriarchy at the time, but rather to critique the ideology of patriarchy and the socio-political construction of male and female roles. â€Å"Be advised, fair maid. To you your father should be as a god, One that composed your beauties; yea, and one To whom you are but as a form in wax, By him imprinted, and within his power To leave the figure, or disfigure it.† - William Shakespeare. A Midsummer Night’s Dream Judith Butler in her book Gender Troubles asserts that gender is a construction of an individual’s society and upbringing, believing that the concept of female and male identity is not inherent to the individual but is rather a product of society. There has been numerous debates on the concept of sex and gender, Valerie Traub in Gender and Sexuality in Shakespeare states that â€Å"Sex refers to the biological distinctions between male and female bodies [while] gender refers to those meanings derived from the division of male and female . . . the attributes considered appropriate to each: ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine.’†. In the Shakespearean period, the traditional role of females at the time was one of inferiority as their role in society was primarily domestic, forcing them to remain in the private sphere of the public. Men however, were viewed as superior and ruled in all aspects; even throughout half a century of Queens, women lived the life of the inferior sex. The patriarchal ideology was used to support this position of women in the renaissance period. Despite these ruling notions, William Shakespeare often commented, through the characters in his plays and sonn... ... Genres. New York: Routledge, 2005. Print. Traub, Valarie. â€Å"Gender and Sexuality in Shakespeare,† in The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare, ed. Grazia, de Margreta, Wells, Stanley. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001, 129. Warren, Samantha. Shakespeare On Gender Roles. https://suite101.com/a/shakepeare-on-gender-roles-a330914. n.d . Web. March 18 2014. Webb, C. Allen. Literature & Lives: A Response-Based, Cultural Studies Approach to Teaching English. National Council of Teachers of English. 2000. Web The Role of Inversion in Kings Lear. http://voices.yahoo.com/the-role-inversion-shakespeares-king-lear-11582864.html?cat=44. August 6 2012. Web. March 16, 2014. Gender Studies in King Lear and Macbeth. http://www.thetutorpages.com/tutor-article/a-level-english/gender-studies-in-king-lear-and-macbeth/4308. March 21 2012. Web. March 16 2014.

An Evolutionary Ethical Theory of Social Risks and Opportunities Essay

An Evolutionary Ethical Theory of Social Risks and Opportunities ABSTRACT: Social standards guide us in what to do and what to refrain from doing. But can social — moral or legal — standards be trusted? This paper presents an evolutionary ethical theory that generates trustworthy ethical norms. Each norm is assigned a demonstrable risk, called an ethical risk, that depends on both human behavior and danger to the survival of society. The assigned risk is minimal if and only if everybody obeys the norm. The higher the risk assigned to a norm, the higher the norm’s rank (an empirical quantity depending on the evolutionary status of society). An ordered finite set of ethical risks and ethical norms allows the settlement of ethical problems arising in society. Subsets of existing moral and legal standards all over the world are compatible with norms being elements of these ordered finite sets of ethical norms. Like all standards, ethical norms are often violated. A single violated norm suffices to activate correlations between ris ks, resulting in an ethical conflict. The more often a high-ranking norm is violated, the poorer the society in question. Ethical conflicts can be resolved by responsible persons or groups advancing higher-ranking norms involved in optimization at the expense of lower-ranking norms. Examples are given to support the theory. "Moral predigen ist leicht, Moral begrà ¼nden schwer" (Arthur Schopenhauer) I. The Primacy of an Empirical Ethic of Risks In the West, ever fewer people respect moral standards because the influence of religion is decreasing rapidly. In addition philosophical ethics, "inventing right and wrong" [Mackie], is unable to contribute essentially to the trustability of moral norms,... ...men, Saetze; Stuttgart 1980 Patzig, G.: Ethik ohne Metaphysik; Goettingen 1983 Platon: Saemtliche Werke, Band I; Heidelberg 1982 Popper, K.: Die offene Gesellschaft und ihre Feinde; Tuebingen 1992 Rawls, J.: Eine Theorie der Gerechtigkeit; Frankfurt 1979 Rawls, J.: Die Idee des politischen Liberalismus, Frankfurt 1992 Schmidt, H.: Zeit von den Pflichten zu sprechen, S. 17, Die Zeit Nr. 41, 1997 Schrader, W.H.: Norm II, Ethik; J. Ritter, K. Gruender (Hg.): Historisches Woerterbuch der Philosophie, Band 6, S. 910; Basel 1984 Sueddeutsche Zeitung Nr. 43 vom 22. Februar 1994 Vorlaender, K.: Immanuel Kant—Der Mann und das Werk; S. 170; Hamburg 1992 Weber, M.: Politik als Beruf; M. Weber, Gesammelte Politische Schriften, J. Winkelmann (Hg.); Tuebingen 1971 Wickert, U.: Der Ehrliche ist der Dumme—ÃÅ"ber den Verlust der Werte; Muenchen 1996

Darkness Illuminated

Since the conception of humanity, man has been fascinated with that presence which illuminates, yet cannot be touched. Mankind has brought it into his religions, giving it a great deal of importance in his creed. Following in the footsteps of his ancestors, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses light as a tool of God that illuminates the darkness of human iniquity and exposes its permanence. He studies the psychological theme of the impossibility of eradicating sin from the human heart in his novel The Scarlet Letter. The use of light in order to fortify this psychological theme confirms its significance in the novel. As though he were weaving an elaborate tapestry, Hawthorne meshes lights intense symbolism into his characters natures until a chef d’oeuvre manifests itself upon the loom of the readers intellect. This tapestry serves as a subtle background upon which the characters sinful hearts are bared. As Hawthorne navigates the reader through the passages of his dark tale, one follows Hester as she goes to Governor Bellinghams mansion. Light is reflected by almost every aspect of the extravagant dwelling. Through the narrators words, we see the Governors house as Hester sees it: â€Å"†¦though partly muffled by a curtain, it [the hallway] was more powerfully illuminated by one of those embowed hall windows†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hawthorne 101). One can envision the brilliant sunlight streaming though the immense window, slicing through the facade of the Governors feigned sanctity. Is not simplicity one of the fundamental tenets of the Puritan faith Yet Bellingham, the very person that passed judgment on Hester and her sin is laid bare to the readers opened eye. Here, light shows Governor Bellingham to be corrupt due to his improvident lifestyle. In his genius, Hawthorne defines light not only as a presence, but as an animate consciousness. Still acting as a tool of God, light seems to run away from Hester when she tries to touch it. Pearl, in her inexplicable intuitiveness, says to Hester, â€Å"†¦the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom† (Hawthorne 180). Although Pearl makes this comment concerning the scarlet â€Å"A†, one may argue that the sunlight is actually afraid of Hesters sin, and not the scarlet â€Å"A†. In this case, light is used to remind Hester of her sin and to bring it to the front of her mind as punishment for her adultery. Not only does light show Hesters sin to herself, it shows her sin to others as well. Near the end of the story, Mistress Hibbins speaks with Hester, â€Å"I know thee, Hester; for I behold the token. We may all see it in the sunshine; and it glows like a red flame in the dark† (Hawthorne 237). By shining on the palpable reminder of Hesters sin, the sunlight screams to others of the scarlet letters noncorporeal counterpart: her immorality. Though the scarlet â€Å"A† is intrinsically only a superficial indication of Hesters sin, Mistress Hibbins goes beyond this surface detail when she says, â€Å"I know thee†, implying that she perceives the immutable nature of Hesters sin. Light can expose not only exterior indications of human sin, but can also make known the sin itself. Hawthorne leaves the reader with a crystal clear picture of how light is a brutal reminder of mans permanent sin. It cuts, pierces, even shatters the masks which man tries to place over his sin. Man no longer falls on his knees in awe of the dazzling lightning bolt or the godlike rays of sunlight through misty clouds. He no longer regards light as a magical deity to be worshipped. Despite this, Hawthorne again bestows upon light its original glory as a thing of God. Its role remains constant as an exhibitor of iniquity, a spotlight lancing into the sordid darkness of mankinds damned souls.

Introduction to Contemporary Society Essay

STUDENT DETAILS ACAP Student ID: Name: Course: BASSIX. ASSESSMENT DETAILS Unit/Module: Introduction to Contemporary Society Educator: Assessment Name: Assignment1 Assessment Number: 1 Term & Year: Word Count: 2,121. DECLARATION I declare that this assessment is my own work, based on my own personal research/study. I also declare that this assessment, nor parts of it, has not been previously submitted for any other unit/module or course, and that I have not copied in part or whole or otherwise plagiarised the work of another student and/or persons. I have read the ACAP Student Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct Policy and understand its implications. Society is a human construct that in its most basic form refers to a group of people who share a sense of community and agree on how to behave within the community so it can function effectively. Socialisation is the process of learning, and adapting as a result of the learning, in order to successfully integrate into society. Although we believe, or wish to believe, that we make choices autonomously, free from the influences of others, this is not the case. Agents of socialisation are those people and groups within a society that influence our self-concept, which in turn manifests in our attitudes, beliefs, values and behaviours. Although a myriad of agents contribute to this process over an individual lifetime the influence and impact these agents have will vary from individual to individual. This essay reflects on three agents of secondary socialisation – national identity, the workplace and social media – and their influences on my socialisation process. Van Krieken, Habibis, Smith, Hutchins, Marton and Maton (2010) state that national identity is about identifying ourselves and others as a collective rather than as individuals; a collective that shares a common outlook shaped by either culture, lifestyle or ancestry or all three. National identity, often unconsciously, shapes our daily lives as it manifests in our beliefs, values, behaviours, views, language, lifestyle and choices. I am an Australian by choice, having lived in Australia for a number of years and attaining citizenship in June 2006, and a New Zealander by birth. Although both national identities are available to me I identify most strongly with my country of birth so I classify myself a New Zealander when asked about my nationality. MÄ ori are the Indigenous peoples of New Zealand whilst New Zealanders of European descent can be categorised in several ways; PÄ kehÄ  from the MÄ ori language, which literally translates to ‘stranger’, New Zealander or colloquially as Kiwis. The Kiwi is a flightless bird unique to New Zealand and is also one of its most recognizable national symbols. Of the three terms available to me as a non-indigenous New Zealander I use the term Kiwi as it also encapsulates symbolic aspects of New Zealand. There are a number of key characteristics that typify the national character and identity of New Zealanders according to research undertaken by Sibley, Hoverd and Liu (2011) where people who were born in New Zealand were asked what qualities classify someone a ‘true’ New Zealander. The top 5 characteristics to emerge from this research were liberal democratic values, cultural/bi-cultural awareness, rugby/sporting culture, citizenship and ancestry and patrioti c values, with each characteristic also being deconstructed into number of related elements. Liberal democratic values, which encompassed pro-social, pro-environmental elements such as friendliness, respect for people and environment, tolerance, equality and work ethic was the characteristic that I believe has most influenced my secondary socialisation and continues to do so on a daily basis. New Zealanders view themselves as egalitarian and classless and this aspect of the national character has a significant influence on me as I place no value on titles, ranks, gender or backgrounds and my underpinning belief is that everyone is equal regardless of their wealth, power, race or gender. This may also prove to be a blind spot in my socialisation, as others may perceive my interactions with them as being disrespectful due to my egalitarian viewpoint. The pro-environment outlook that I have also emanates from my sense of national identity rather than from my family of origin, as I am the only member of my family that has a green outlook and respects the environment through all forms of recycling. As a child in primary school I was exposed to MÄ ori folklore, which explains the origins of everything from a mythological perspective. As a result of this the attitude of many New Zealanders towards the environment is heavily influenced by the MÄ ori concept of the ‘mauri’, or environmental life force, which says that any negative impact on the ‘mauri’ adversely impacts its energy, which has a negative flow on effect to the lives of people and the environment. This value also underpins my support of the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act that was passed by the Parliament in 1987, which bans visits by vessels that are nuclear powered or armed. From my perspective this piece of l egislation also embodies another characteristic of New Zealanders, that of ‘punching above our weight’ or fighting for what we believe in socially despite our size. The majority of New Zealanders saw the passing of the legislation as a small nation courageously taking a clear position on a contentious topic on the world stage. Cultural/Bicultural awareness is another key characteristic identified by Sibley et.al. (2011) that has influenced me. In the late 1980’s there was a renaissance of MÄ oritanga or MÄ ori culture and a subsequent acceptance of it by the broader New Zealand. This MÄ ori renaissance manifested in a multitude of ways such  as a greater emphasis on MÄ ori cultural expression in the arts, language and ‘tikanga’ or customs and traditions. Te Reo, the MÄ ori language, was formally recognised as an official language of New Zealand and all Government departments formally incorporated the MÄ ori translation into their names. Even though I no longer reside in New Zealand this still has an influence on my language as I often subconsciously select MÄ ori words or phrases that more effectively explain symbolic concepts than English, which causes a lack of understanding from non New Zealanders. New Zealand art, which incorporates a significant amount of national symbolism and MÄ ori culture, also adorns my home. This assignment has encouraged me to question why I am a patriotic Australian but fiercely patriotic New Zealander. Upon reflection it is my belief that it was my mother, an agent of primary socialisation and a fiercely patriotic woman, who instilled in me the strong sense of national pride that I still possess today. She reminded me often how fortunate I was to be a Kiwi and to never forget that we were lucky to live in ‘God’s own country’, a phrase used proudly by New Zealanders since the late 1880’s to typify New Zealand. The primary school I attended also served to deepen this sense of patriotism, as we sang the national anthem at our weekly assembly, which only served to deepen the connection I felt. Whilst the value I place on work is determined primarily by my family’s values it also has links to national identity. In the research undertaken by Sibly et. al. (2011), which focuses on defining the national identity of New Zealanders, many New Zealanders reported that working hard and trying to get ahead, colloquially referred to as ‘the number 8 fencing wire’ mentality, were national traits, a philosophy that I was brought up to believe in. Work is also an important aspect of my life for more than economic reasons. It is a significant contributor to my identity as it allows me to be viewed as an individual rather than by my relationships with others such as being someone’s partner. From an economic perspective, I place significant value on being self-sufficient as a result of a my upbringing and this, combined with the value I place on achievement, has driven me to consciously progress my  career in order to ensure that I can remain independent financially. An output of these needs is that I am more comfortable in the role of the primary, rather than secondary, breadwinner in my intimate relationships. Meisenbach (2010) undertook research on the phenomenological experiences of women who were the primary income earners in their relationships, either through choice or circumstance, seeking to determine elements of commonality from these experiences. Six key themes emerged from the women’s experiences: the need for control, valuing independence, feelings of stress, placing value on a partner’s contribution, feelings of resentment or guilt, and placing value on progressing their careers. Although there was variation around the value the participants placed on each element, most agreed that the financial independence the role of female breadwinner gave them formed an important aspect of their identity. The value placed on this aspect was usually attributed to a parent actively encouraging their independence, or to a negative example they saw whilst growing up, so the status of main breadwinner in their lives ensured a sense of independence they felt would be a positive factor for negotiating any tough times in their lives. This resonated with me as my mother was ill educated and as a result financially dependent on my stepfather so she stayed in a non-supportive relationship, which had significant impact on me. As noted above another essential element was that the majority of participants identified as being ambitious and career driven, in many cases, much more so than their male partners. This is another aspect that resonates with me as it is my belief that one of the major reasons I am constantly studying is that continuing education is a basis for progressing my career thereby as a means of maintaining my ability to remain independent financially if the need were to arise, through either choice or circumstance. This unwavering focus on remaining financially independent, even within a committed and loving partnership, must be handled with care in order to ensure my husband understands that that my need to be in control financially in no way no way diminishes his financial contribution or status. Social media also has growing impact on my socialisation, both personally and professionally. I experience a conflicted relationship with it. From a positive perspective I use social media as a mechanism to keep in constant touch with family overseas. On the  negative aspect of social media, I find the intrusiveness of it frustrating as some individuals seem to feel the need to be on social media constantly despite being physically in my company. I am also perplexed at the self-focused culture social media is breeding in our young people where they seem to record life rather than experience it. I have a different relationship with social media from a professional perspective. I use LinkedIn a networking and job search tool so I connect with people I’ve previously worked with, join groups of other like-minded professionals, use it as a passive job search mechanism by having an online resume posted. Hemel (2013) says â€Å"In the past year LinkedIn has emerged as one of the most powerful business tools on the planet. Long considered a repository for digital rà ©sumà ©s, the network now reports 225 million members who have set up profiles and uploaded their education and job histories† (pg 68). She also goes on to say that people are using LinkedIn for a multitude of purposes such as building professional portfolios of their work, recommending colleagues and keeping abreast of trends by reading LinkedIn Today, which has news from a myriad of sources including key LinkedIn influencers. With tough economic conditions prevailing over the last few years I made the decision to leave self-employment after ten years to return to the perceived stability of full time, paid employment in order to retain my financial independence. During this time I used LinkedIn to monitor trends in employment, update my network in anticipation of the change, peruse online job opportunities posted on LinkedIn, connect with recruiters, who are prevalent on LinkedIn nowadays, and to post an updated resume and career history. I also used it to investigate and research companies prior to attending interviews. Social media also has a role to play in maintaining links with my national identity. Expatriation is a major phenomenon according to the New Zealand Government statistics as 16% of New Zealanders and 25% of overall tertiary educated New Zealanders live overseas with the largest group residing in Australia. In 2004 Kiwi Expatriates Abroad (K.E.A) was formed to connect expatriate New Zealanders to their nation, to promote New Zealand to the world and to enhance business opportunities via an online presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and the Internet. I joined at the outset and have used the group to network in order to create  business opportunities. With a membership of over 100,00 people, K.E.A demonstrates that national identity doesn’t always mean residing in a county in order to identify with it, as the use of social media now makes the world’s boundaries less relevant. Agents of socialisation do not exist as static entities that have a defined, once off influence on an individual’s identity at a given point in time but rather as dynamic entities that continue to interact with one another throughout an individual’s lifetime. These agents also vary in their influence and impact on individuals and they encourage individuals to learn and adapt in order to fit comfortably into society. References Hempel, J. (2013). LinkedIn: How it’s Changing Business (And How To Make It work For You). Fortune. 168(1), 68-1NULL. Meisenback, R. J. (2010). The Female Breadwinner: Phenomological Experience and Gendered Identity in Work/Family Spaces, Sex Roles 62(1/2), 2-19. Doi:10.1007/s11199-9714-5. Sibley, C.H., Hoverd, W.J, & Liu, J.H. (2011). Pluralistic and Monocultural Facets of New Zealand National Character and Identity. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 40(3)19-28). Te Ara – The Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. (2013). National Identity. Retrieved from: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/new-zealand-identity/page-6 van Krieken, R., Habibis, D., Smith, P., Hutchins, B., Martin, G. & Maton, K. (2010). Sociology. (4th ed.). Sydney: Pearson Australia.