Modern Genocide in Africa Essay - 928 Words

Since Burundi’s independence in 1962, there have been two instances of genocide: the 1972 mass killings of Hutus by the Tutsi-dominated government, and the 1993 mass killings of the Tutsis by the Hutu populace. Both of these events in Burundi received different levels of attention by the international community and the western media due to a lack of foreign governmental interest, political distraction, and an unwillingness to acknowledge the severity of these atrocities in Burundi. Interestingly, events of genocide occurring at times without these distractions received more foreign attention than those ignored due to these factors. Because of this, much of the western world is unaware of the Burundian genocide and events similar to it.†¦show more content†¦The noteworthy western response can be partly attributed to the little political distraction within the United States and Western Europe. On the contrary, the Soviet Union did not intervene in the Burundian Geno cide, as the Soviet Union’s foreign affairs were occupied with fueling the civil war in Ethiopia and spreading Marxism in former Portuguese colonial states, particularly in Angola (Soviet Military and Other Activities in Sub-Saharan Africa). Despite showing a clear interest in affairs in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Soviet Union neglected to intervene in the 1972 Burundian genocide, whereas western nations took initiative in humanitarian efforts in the region. The lack of political distractions within western nations facilitated the support by western nations during the 1972 Burundian genocide. The mass killings of Tutsis by the Hutu populace in Burundi are considered one of the most severe acts of genocide, however, it was overshadowed by the coinciding genocide in Rwanda and political distractions around the world. Coinciding with the genocide of Tutsis by the Hutu majority in Rwanda and other neighboring countries, the second incident of Burundi is an act of vengeance for th e genocide in 1972 (Rwandan Crisis). The major difference in terms of international reaction from the 1972 genocide was that there was little aid to Burundi and this event was largely ignored by western news media and governments. With the end of a Republican reign inShow MoreRelatedHistory And Events That Happened During The Colonization Of Africa Essay1113 Words   |  5 Pageshas helped them develop and change who they are in the modern day. The colonization of Africa in the late 1800s-early 1900s are an example of this. The actions and events inflicted on Africa by the European powers have helped shape the continent of modern-day Africa. These events are largely significant to historians and the people of Africa, such as the first genocide of the 20th century, committed by the German powers in now what is modern day Namibia, against the Herero people. This report willRead MoreGenocides And Genocides Of Genocides987 Words   |  4 PagesAfrican Holocaust Genocide is a million African people being butchered by hand by their neighbors, with household tools and homemade weapons—machetes, hoes, and hammers. Genocides are commonly overlooked throughout many countries. Africa has had many genocides and wars occurring over the past century. The most known genocides are ones that occurred in Rwanda and Darfur. Researchers have found that most genocides show the same patterns and key elements. As different genocides of Africa have occurredRead MoreCommon Causes of War and Genocide Essay example1271 Words   |  6 PagesGenocide, or the systematic destruction of a race or tribe is an all too common phenomenon in our planet’s history and even more so in Africa. Genocide and war share many common causes such as desperation brought on by a declining economy. Experts on the Central African Republic believe that current events point to a possible repeat of the Rwandan genocide of 1994, in which over one million people were kille d. Many think that U.N. involvement is necessary to stop the escalating violence in the CentralRead MoreThe World s Population No Matter1408 Words   |  6 Pageswhat different inequalities exist in Africa. Seek to find how much of an impact it is to the rest of the world. Africa is known for its hot climate, beautiful attractions of nature and wild life. Africa is the world’s second largest continent. It remains today as the worlds poorest and undeveloped continent. Scientists believe that Africa is the birthplace of mankind. Africa was not where slavery began despite the many years of so many Africans as slaves. Africa has valuable natural resources suchRead MoreThe United Nations Is An International Organization Created After World War II1738 Words   |  7 Pagessuccess has not been the same with respect underdeveloped nations. Is the United Nations’ ability to maintain peace with smaller conflicts around the world up to par? The United Nations is not an effective peacekeeper in the undeveloped regions of Africa and the Middle East because the United Nations disrupts the balance of power, takes sides, and is controlled by the world powers. Applying the realist view to the United Nations, United Nations has become a pawn of the world powers.. In a FrontlineRead MoreLegacies of Historical Globalization956 Words   |  4 Pagesof the apartheid still exist today such as racism and inequality. The law even restricted black people from voting and they only allowed them to have certain jobs and areas to live, they also forced the children to attend specific schools. Although Africa has continued to strengthen and grow, unfortunately poverty and inequality still plays a huge role today. It is even said that the amount remains â€Å"unacceptably high and the pace of reduction is unacceptably slow†. The stopping of both racism and theRead MoreInanga: A Song of Survival in Daughter’s Rwanda1673 Words   |  7 Pages Transcending individual differences, music in Africa has proved to be more than just a collection of notes and the production of sounds. Throughout this past semester, Professor B drew materials from W est, East and South Africa to demonstrate the powerful ability of music to bring and bind people together. Consistently exemplified throughout African history, music has served as the unifying link between generations. In the documentary, Inanga: A Song of Survival in Daughter’s Rwanda, a family’sRead MoreAnalysis Of Hotel Rwanda By Terry George880 Words   |  4 Pagescinematic telling of the systematic genocide that occurred in the spring of 1994 in modern Africa. It depicts the boiling point of tense relations between two ethnic factions the Tutsi and the Hutu. The movie directed by Terry George, and starring Don Cheadle as Paul Ruseasabagina portrays the struggle of survival Paul endured as he sheltered over one-thousand refugees in a hotel to avoid the slaughter. The film employs the use of elements to convey the violent genocide that erupted as a result of theRead MoreLife Of The Innocent : Taken1425 Words   |  6 PagesInnocent: Taken As confirmed in Genocide in Rwanda the war that began April 6, 1994, mainly in Rwanda, Africa, lasted one hundred days and took close to one million lives of innocent people. Genocide is defined as the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group. With Rwanda being the most densely populated nation in Africa, housing about ten million people, by the time the outside countries began assisting to stop the genocide hundreds of thousands wereRead MoreContemporary Society Has Done Enough to Respond to the Legacies of Historical Globalization922 Words   |  4 Pagesof the apartheid still exist today such as racism and inequality. The law even restricted black people from voting and they only allowed them to have certain jobs and areas to live, they also forced the children to attend specific schools. Although Africa has continued to strengthen and grow, unfortunately poverty and inequality still plays a huge role today. It is even said that the amount remains â€Å"unacceptably high and the pace of reduction is unacceptably slow†. The stopping of both racism and the

Fidel Castros Role in the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962

A. Plan of the Investigation This historical investigation aims to address the question: How significant was Fidel Castro’s role in the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962? The scope of this investigation is to discover the involvement of Fidel Castro in the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. First to be analyzed is the relationship of Castro with the Soviet Union and the United States as to identify the significance of Castro’s role in the stages of the Crisis. Castro’s role will then be deduced referring to the early days of the Crisis, the period when a US U-2 reconnaissance plane was shot down over Cuba, and the resolution of the Crisis. â€Å"The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962: A National Security Archive Documents Reader† edited by Laurence Chang and†¦show more content†¦It is evident that the US had been flagrantly deceived. Then Kennedy called for a naval blockade of Cuba. Kennedy used political negotiations with Khrushchev to come to an agreement in the removal of the weapons. Throughout negotiations, there were incidents that occurred which amplified tensions. Such as on the noon of October 27th, a U-2 reconnaissance plane was shot down over Cuba. In those moments, both the US and the Soviet Union assumed that it was Castro who commanded the fire of low-flying U.S. planes on October 27th. Although Castro had certainly commanded Cuban antiaircraft artillery to fire, there is no indication that he had also ordered Soviet artillery to fire. Another occurrence is Castro’s letter to Khrushchev insisting that the Soviet Union should launch a first-strike nuclear attack on the United States. The crisis resulted with agreements between the Soviet Union and the United States, in which Castro was not a part of. The two men agreed that if the Soviets would pull out their nuclear weapons from Cuba under United Nations supervision, the US would eradicate its naval blockade on the island and guarantee not to invade. At 9AM onShow MoreRelatedThe Cuban Missile Crisis : The Bay Of Pigs Invasion1272 Words   |  6 PagesProceeding to the Cuban Missile Crisis, American relationships with Castro were previously tense by the Bay of Pigs invasion (1961) where the United States made an unorthodox action towards Cuba by financing and sending insurgent Cubans to help aid in overthrowing and attacking Castro’s supporters and Castro himself0000000. The Bay of Pigs was unsuccessful. This eventual lead to Castro’s joining with communist Soviet Union and leaving Castro cautious of American plans for Cuba. Castro’s suspicions turnedRead MoreCuba s Relationship With The U.s.1130 Words   |  5 Pagesas follows; Fidel Castro’s presidency of Cuba, Guerilla Warfare in Cuba, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Fidel Alejandro Castro was born in Biran, Cuba on August 13, 1926. He was the third child out of six children, he had two brothers and three sisters. Fidel’s father, Angel Castro, was a plantation owner from Spain. His mother, Lina Ruz Gonzalez was Angel’s first wife’s maid. At the age of fifteen Castro’s father divorced his first wife and married Lina. By the age of seventeen Fidel was recognizedRead MoreFidel Castro Is The Man Associated With The Failure And1037 Words   |  5 PagesFidel Castro is the man associated with the failure and success of Cuba throughout the 20th Century. This essay will explore his role and influence in one of humanity s darkest moments, the Cuban missile crisis, which was a defining moment in Castro’s political life. As the leader of Cuba during the Cold War and Cuban missile crisis, he was responsible for defending Cuba sovereignty and interests amongst the superpower - the United States and Soviet Union. Memoirs wou ld argue that former US PresidentRead MoreFidel Castro And The Cuban Revolution1360 Words   |  6 Pagesdictatorship, Fidel Castro governed Cuba for nearly five decades (1959-2006) achieving both successes and failures throughout the course of his rule. His rise to power as Prime Minister in 1959 saw Cuba become the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere, improving relations with the Soviet Union but at the cost of a trade embargo with the United States. During the period of the Cold War, Castro played a significant role in allowing missiles to be placed in Cuba as mishaps during the crisis may haveRead MoreThis Historical Study Will Define The Dual Hostility Of1836 Words   |  8 Pagesand the United States in the instigation and resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. The nuclear arms race of the early 1960s defined a period of history in which a stalemate occurred between superpowers. The United States and the Soviet Union were continually seeking to build lar ger nuclear arsenals and to also expand their territorial influence over lesser nations. The Cuban Missile Crisis defines also defines the minor role of Cuba that served to facilitate the expansion of communist influenceRead MoreFidel Castro Was Recognized As The Frontrunner Of The Cuban1576 Words   |  7 PagesFidel Castro was recognized as the frontrunner of the Cuban Revolution. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born on August 13, 1926 in Biran Cuba. His father owned a pretty large sugar plantation, which at the time seemed to be fairly prosperous. Due to owning such a large plantation, his family did not seem to suffer as much as other families did. The money that Fidel’s father obtained provided him with broad education opportunities. After a few years had passed by, in 1945, Fidel Alejandro Castro RuzRead MoreEvents Leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis1579 Words   |  6 Pagesstage of events leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Actions attempted by Presidents John F . Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower prior to the crisis gave incentive to the Soviet Union and Cuba to agree to place missile installations in Cuba. The Cuban Missile Crisis was an incident that might have potentially led to a third world war because of the already heightened tensions between Cuba and the U.S. - but this time with ever more destruction owing to the role of weapons of mass destructions involvedRead MoreBiography of Fidel Castro1982 Words   |  8 PagesFidel Castro was born on August 13, 1926 in the Bà ­ran, Cuba. (See Figure 5) Fidel grew up in wealthier circumstances than most Cubans at the time, amid the massive and growing poverty. His father, à ngel Castro y Argiz, was originally an immigrant from Spain. During Fidel’s childhood, à ngel was a fairly prosperous sugarcane farmer on a farm that had been dominated by United States owned United Fruit Company. His mother, Lina Ruz Gonzalez, was a maid to Angels first wife, during Fidel’s infancy. By Read MoreThe United States And The Soviet War2135 Words   |  9 Pagespeak in October of 1962 in the Cuban Missile Crisis which was triggered by the Soviet deployment in Cuba of intermediate and medium-range ballistic nuclear-armed missiles with nuclear warheads. Although deeply challenging Americans’ tactical interventions, the Cuban Missile Crisis revealed the sophistication of the U.S. intelligence community, especially in its capability to collect and analyze information. Indeed, the American intelligence discovered the Soviet Union’s missiles through diverse intelligenceRead MoreThe United States And The World From A Nuclear Holocaust1408 Words   |  6 PagesGarza E Period 21 March 2015 History Research Paper Step 5 – Rough Draft In the October of 1962, the world looked on at the Soviet Union and the United States as they partook in a head-to-head face off which could have potentially result in their immediate destruction. Before this event, no one had truly considered the potential damage nuclear weapons could cause, but only realized the consequences as war became a possible reality. During those crucial 13 days, John Kennedy and his administrators

Frostbite Chapter 2 Free Essays

string(78) " But it was hardly like those who had been killed here were the last of them\." TWO DIMITRI MADE ONE PHONE CALL, and a veritable SWAT team showed up. It took a couple of hours, though, and every minute spent waiting felt like a year. I finally couldn’t take it anymore and returned to the car. We will write a custom essay sample on Frostbite Chapter 2 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Dimitri examined the house further and then came to sit with me. Neither of us said a word while we waited. A slide show of the grisly sights inside the house kept playing in my mind. I felt scared and alone and wished he would hold me or comfort me in some way. Immediately, I scolded myself for wanting that. I reminded myself for the thousandth time that he was my instructor and had no business holding me, no matter what the situation was. Besides, I wanted to be strong. I didn’t need to go running to some guy every time things got tough. When the first group of guardians showed up, Dimitri opened the car door and glanced over at me. â€Å"You should see how this is done.† I didn’t want to see any more of that house, honestly, but I followed anyway. These guardians were strangers to me, but Dimitri knew them. He always seemed to know everybody. This group was surprised to find a novice on the scene, but none of them protested my presence. I walked behind them as they examined the house. None of them touched anything, but they knelt by the bodies and studied the bloodstains and broken windows. Apparently, the Strigoi had entered the house through more than just the front door and back patio. The guardians spoke in brusque tones, displaying none of the disgust and fear I felt. They were like machines. One of them, the only woman in the group, crouched beside Arthur Schoenberg. I was intrigued since female guardians were so rare. I’d heard Dimitri call her Tamara, and she looked about twenty-five. Her black hair just barely touched her shoulders, which was common for guardian women. Sadness flickered in her gray eyes as she studied the dead guardian’s face. â€Å"Oh, Arthur,† she sighed. Like Dimitri, she managed to convey a hundred things in just a couple words. â€Å"Never thought I’d see this day. He was my mentor.† With another sigh, Tamara rose. Her face had become all businesslike once more, as though the guy who’d trained her wasn’t lying there in front of her. I couldn’t believe it. He was her mentor. How could she keep that kind of control? For half a heartbeat, I imagined seeing Dimitri dead on the floor instead. No. No way could I have stayed calm in her place. I would have gone on a rampage. I would have screamed and kicked things. I would have hit anyone who tried to tell me things would be okay. Fortunately, I didn’t believe anyone could actually take down Dimitri. I’d seen him kill a Strigoi without breaking a sweat. He was invincible. A badass. A god. Of course, Arthur Schoenberg had been too. â€Å"How could they do that?† I blurted out. Six sets of eyes turned to me. I expected a chastising look from Dimitri for my outburst, but he merely appeared curious. â€Å"How could they kill him?† Tamara gave a small shrug, her face still composed. â€Å"The same way they kill everyone else. He’s mortal, just like the rest of us.† â€Å"Yeah, but he’s †¦ you know, Arthur Schoenberg.† â€Å"You tell us, Rose,† said Dimitri. â€Å"You’ve seen the house. Tell us how they did it.† As they all watched me, I suddenly realized I might be undergoing a test after all today. I thought about what I’d observed and heard. I swallowed, trying to figure out how the impossible could be possible. â€Å"There were four points of entry, which means at least four Strigoi. There were seven Moroi†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The family who lived here had been entertaining some other people, making the massacre that much larger. Three of the victims had been children. â€Å"†¦ and three guardians. Too many kills. Four Strigoi couldn’t have taken down that many. Six probably could if they went for the guardians first and caught them by surprise. The family would have been too panicked to fight back.† â€Å"And how did they catch the guardians by surprise?† Dimitri prompted. I hesitated. Guardians, as a general rule, didn’t get caught by surprise. â€Å"Because the wards were broken. In a household without wards, there’d probably be a guardian walking the yard at night. But they wouldn’t have done that here.† I waited for the next obvious question about how the wards had been broken. But Dimitri didn’t ask it. There was no need. We all knew. We’d all seen the stake. Again, a chill ran down my spine. Humans working with Strigoia large group of Strigoi. Dimitri simply nodded as a sign of approval, and the group continued their survey. When we reached a bathroom, I started to avert my gaze. I’d already seen this room with Dimitri earlier and had no wish to repeat the experience. There was a dead man in there, and his dried blood stood out in stark contrast against the white tile. Also, since this room was more interior, it wasn’t as cold as the area by the open patio. No preservation. The body didn’t smell bad yet, exactly, but it didn’t smell right, either. But as I started to turn away, I caught a glimpse of something dark redmore brown, reallyon the mirror. I hadn’t noticed it before because the rest of the scene had held all of my attention. There was writing on the mirror, done in blood. Poor, poor Badicas. So few left. One royal family nearly gone. Others to follow. Tamara snorted in disgust and turned away from the mirror, studying other details of the bathroom. As we walked out, though, those words repeated in my head. One royal family nearly gone. Others to follow. The Badicas were one of the smaller royal clans, it was true. But it was hardly like those who had been killed here were the last of them. You read "Frostbite Chapter 2" in category "Essay examples" There were probably almost two hundred Badicas left. That wasn’t as many as a family like, say, the Ivashkovs. That particular royal family was huge and widespread. There were, however, a lot more Badicas than there were some other royals. Like the Dragomirs. Lissa was the only one left. If the Strigoi wanted to snuff out royal lines, there was no better chance than to go after her. Moroi blood empowered Strigoi, so I understood their desire for that. I supposed specifically targeting royals was simply part of their cruel and sadistic nature. It was ironic that Strigoi would want to tear apart Moroi society, since many of them had once been a part of it. The mirror and its warning consumed me for the rest of our stay at the house, and I found my fear and shock transforming into anger. How could they do this? How could any creature be so twisted and evil that they’d do this to a familythat they’d want to wipe out an entire bloodline? How could any creature do this when they’d once been like me and Lissa? And thinking of Lissathinking of Strigoi wanting to wipe out her family toostirred up a dark rage within me. The intensity of that emotion nearly knocked me over. It was something black and miasmic, swelling and roiling. A storm cloud ready to burst. I suddenly wanted to tear up every Strigoi I could get my hands on. When I finally got into the car to ride back to St. Vladimir’s with Dimitri, I slammed the door so hard that it was a wonder it didn’t fall off. He glanced at me in surprise. â€Å"What’s wrong?† â€Å"Are you serious?† I exclaimed, incredulous. â€Å"How can you ask that? You were there. You saw that.† â€Å"I did,† he agreed. â€Å"But I’m not taking it out on the car.† I fastened my seat belt and glowered. â€Å"I hate them. I hate them all! I wish I’d been there. I would have ripped their throats out!† I was nearly shouting. Dimitri stared at me, face calm, but he was clearly astonished at my outburst. â€Å"You really think that’s true?† he asked me. â€Å"You think you could have done better than Art Schoenberg after seeing what the Strigoi did in there? After seeing what Natalie did to you?† I faltered. I’d tangled briefly with Lissa’s cousin, Natalie, when she became a Strigoi, just before Dimitri had shown up to save the day. Even as a new Strigoiweak and uncoordinatedshe’d literally thrown me around the room. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly, I felt stupid. I’d seen what Strigoi could do. Me running in impetuously and trying to save the day would have only resulted in a quick death. I was developing into a tough guardian, but I still had a lot to learnand one seventeen-year-old girl couldn’t have stood against six Strigoi. I opened my eyes. â€Å"I’m sorry,† I said, gaining control of myself. The rage that had exploded inside me diffused. I didn’t know where it had come from. I had a short temper and often acted impulsively, but this had been intense and ugly even for me. Weird. â€Å"It’s okay,† said Dimitri. He reached over and placed his hand on mine for a few moments. Then he removed it and started the car. â€Å"It’s been a long day. For all of us.† When we got back to St. Vladimir’s Academy around midnight, everyone knew about the massacre. The vampiric school day had just ended, and I hadn’t slept in more than twenty-four hours. I was bleary-eyed and sluggish, and Dimitri ordered me to immediately go back to my dorm room and get some sleep. He, of course, looked alert and ready to take on anything. Sometimes I really wasn’t sure if he slept at all. He headed off to consult with other guardians about the attack, and I promised him I’d go straight to bed. Instead, I turned toward the library once he was out of sight. I needed to see Lissa, and the bond told me that was where she was. It was pitch-black as I walked along the stone walkway that crossed the quad from my dorm to the secondary school’s main building. Snow completely covered the grass, but the sidewalk had been meticulously cleared of all ice and snow. It reminded me of the poor Badicas’ neglected home. The commons building was large and gothic-looking, more suited to a medieval movie set than a school. Inside, that air of mystery and ancient history continued to permeate the building: elaborate stone walls and antique paintings warring with computers and fluorescent lights. Modern technology had a foothold here, but it would never dominate. Slipping through the library’s electronic gate, I immediately headed for one of the back corners where geography and travel books were kept. Sure enough, I found Lissa sitting there on the floor, leaning against a bookcase. â€Å"Hey,† she said, looking up from an open book propped up on one knee. She brushed a few strands of pale hair out of her face. Her boyfriend, Christian, lay on the floor near her, his head propped up on her other knee. He greeted me by way of a nod. Considering the antagonism that sometimes flared up between us, that was almost on par with him giving me a bear hug. Despite her small smile, I could feel the tension and fear in her; it sang through the bond. â€Å"You heard,† I said, sitting down cross-legged. Her smile slipped, and the feelings of fear and unease within her intensified. I liked that our psychic connection let me protect her better, but I didn’t really need my own troubled feelings amplified. â€Å"It’s awful,† she said with a shudder. Christian shifted and linked his fingers through hers. He squeezed her hand. She squeezed back. Those two were so in love and sugary sweet with each other that I felt like brushing my teeth after being around them. They were subdued just now, however, no doubt thanks to the massacre news. â€Å"They’re saying†¦they’re saying there were six or seven Strigoi. And that humans helped them break the wards.† I leaned my head back against a shelf. News really did travel fast. Suddenly, I felt dizzy. â€Å"It’s true.† â€Å"Really?† asked Christian. â€Å"I figured that was just a bunch of hyped-up paranoia.† â€Å"No †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I realized then that nobody knew where I’d been today. â€Å"I†¦ I was there.† Lissa’s eyes widened, shock coursing into me from her. Even Christianthe poster child for â€Å"smartass†looked grim. If not for the horribleness of it all, I would have taken satisfaction in catching him off guard. â€Å"You’re joking,† he said, voice uncertain. â€Å"I thought you were taking your Qualifier†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lissa’s words trailed off. â€Å"I was supposed to,† I said. â€Å"It was just a wrong-place-and-wrong-time kind of thing. The guardian who was going to give me the test lived there. Dimitri and I walked in, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn’t finish. Images of the blood and death that had filled the Badica house flashed through my mind again. Concern crossed both Lissa’s face and the bond. â€Å"Rose, are you okay?† she asked softly. Lissa was my best friend, but I didn’t want her to know how scared and upset the whole thing had made me. I wanted to be fierce. â€Å"Fine,† I said, teeth clenched. â€Å"What was it like?† asked Christian. Curiosity filled his voice, but there was guilt there toolike he knew it was wrong to want to know about such a horrible thing. He couldn’t stop himself from asking, though. Lack of impulse control was one thing we had in common. â€Å"It was †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shook my head. â€Å"I don’t want to talk about it.† Christian started to protest, and then Lissa ran a hand through his sleek black hair. The gentle admonishment silenced him. A moment of awkwardness hung between us all. Reading Lissa’s mind, I felt her desperately grope for a new topic. â€Å"They say this is going to mess up all of the holiday visits,† she told me after several more moments. â€Å"Christian’s aunt is going to visit, but most people don’t want to travel, and they want their kids to stay here where it’s safe. They’re terrified this group of Strigoi is on the move.† I hadn’t thought about the ramifications of an attack like this. We were only a week or so away from Christmas. Usually, there was a huge wave of travel in the Moroi world this time of year. Students went home to visit their parents; parents came to stay on campus and visit their children. â€Å"This is going to keep a lot of families separated,† I murmured. â€Å"And mess up a lot of royal get-togethers,† said Christian. His brief seriousness had vanished; his snide air was back. â€Å"You know how they are this time of yearalways competing with each other to throw the biggest parties. They won’t know what to do with themselves.† I could believe it. My life was about fighting, but the Moroi certainly had their share of internal strifeparticularly with nobles and royals. They waged their own battles with words and political alliances, and honestly, I preferred the more direct method of hitting and kicking. Lissa and Christian in particular had to navigate some troubled waters. They were both from royal families, which meant they got a lot of attention both inside and outside of the Academy. Things were worse for them than for most Moroi royals. Christian’s family lived under the shadow cast by his parents. They had purposely become Strigoi, trading their magic and morality to become immortal and subsist on killing others. His parents were dead now, but that didn’t stop people from not trusting him. They seemed to think he’d go Strigoi at any moment and take everyone else with him. His abrasiveness and dark sense of humor didn’t really help things, either. Lissa’s attention came from being the last one left in her family. No other Moroi had enough Dragomir blood in them to earn the name. Her future husband would probably have enough somewhere in his family tree to make sure her children were Dragomirs, but for now, being the only one made her kind of a celebrity. Thinking about this suddenly reminded me of the warning scrawled on the mirror. Nausea welled up in me. That dark anger and despair stirred, but I pushed it aside with a joke. â€Å"You guys should try solving your problems like we do. A fistfight here and there might do you royals some good.† Both Lissa and Christian laughed at this. He glanced up at her with a sly smile, showing his fangs as he did. â€Å"What do you think? I bet I could take you if we went one on one.† â€Å"You wish,† she teased. Her troubled feelings lightened. â€Å"I do, actually,† he said, holding her gaze. There was an intensely sensual note to his voice that made her heart race. Jealousy shot through me. She and I had been best friends our entire life. I could read her mind. But the fact remained: Christian was a huge part of her world now, and he played a role I never couldjust as he could never have a part of the connection that existed between me and her. We both sort of accepted but didn’t like the fact that we had to split her attention, and at times, it seemed the truce we held for her sake was paper thin. Lissa brushed her hand against his cheek. â€Å"Behave.† â€Å"I am,† he told her, his voice still a little husky. â€Å"Sometimes. But sometimes you don’t want me to†¦.† Groaning, I stood up. â€Å"God. I’m going to leave you guys alone now.† Lissa blinked and dragged her eyes away from Christian, suddenly looking embarrassed. â€Å"Sorry,† she murmured. A delicate pink flush spread over her cheeks. Since she was pale like all Moroi, it actually sort of made her look prettier. Not that she needed much help in that department. â€Å"You don’t have to go†¦.† â€Å"No, it’s fine. I’m exhausted,† I assured her. Christian didn’t look too broken up about seeing me leave. â€Å"I’ll catch you tomorrow.† I started to turn away, but Lissa called to me. â€Å"Rose? Are you†¦are you sure you’re okay? After everything that happened?† I met her jade green eyes. Her concern was so strong and deep that it made my chest ache. I might be closer to her than anyone else in the world, but I didn’t want her worrying about me. It was my job to keep her safe. She shouldn’t be troubled about protecting meparticularly if Strigoi had suddenly decided to make a hit list of royals. I flashed her a saucy grin. â€Å"I’m fine. Nothing to worry about except you guys tearing each other’s clothes before I get a chance to leave.† â€Å"Then you better go now,† said Christian dryly. She elbowed him, and I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Good night,† I told them. As soon as my back was to them, my smile vanished. I walked back to my dorm with a heavy heart, hoping I wouldn’t dream about the Badicas tonight. How to cite Frostbite Chapter 2, Essay examples

The Role of Financial Statements

Question: Write an essay on The role of financial statements. Answer: The role of financial statements in the process of decision making is quite significant. The paper has chosen Adairs as the organisation that will be reviewed and subsequent financial acumen of the company will be determined after evaluating these financial statements. It is pertinent to observe here that Adairs was listed in the Australian Stock Exchange only in June, 2015 even though the company has an operational history dating back to 1918. The financial statement of the year 2015 will be evaluated and compared with that of the year 2014 so as to understand any relevant growth of the company within the areas of current assets, liabilities, non-current assets and liabilities. The paper has been divided into 5 parts and every part contains essential information relating to the operational dexterity of the entity. Part 2 contains review of the balance sheet by analysing the current and non currents assets and liabilities along with stock holders equity. Part 3 reviews the income sta tement for analysing the operating revenues, cost of goods sold, earnings per common share and so on. Part 4 comprises of cash flow statement analysis and part 5 reviews the stockholders equity section. Lastly the findings have been summed up and relevant recommendations have been made in relation to the investment in the company. Introduction Adairs is one of the leading retailers in home products within the territory of Australia. The company has a presence over all of Australia with more than 100 stores with a diverse range of products that include bed linen, curtains, pillow cover, furniture and so on. The company was established in 1918 as a single retail store in Victoria. Later the company spread its wings to other parts of the country with opening of first modern boutique store in 1981. The company employs highly trained employees along with experienced product developers and designers (Adairs, 2016). The report will analyse the financial statement of this company and evaluate various ratios and other pertinent income and expense statement so as to understand financial acumen of the company. The analysis of the financial statements and their comparison with the performance of the last year will help in understanding effective growth or decline for the company Reviewing the balance sheet Examination of the balance sheet is of prime importance since it depicts definite trends and patterns for a company (Proctor et al, 2006). In context to Adairs such an analysis has been carried out below: a) Current Assets: The current assets of the company are comprised of several items that have been illustrated below: For the year 2015 Specification in, 000 Lay-by receivables: 1070 Less: Allowances for cancellation 103 Net lay-by receivables 967 Prepaid expenses 2889 Deposits 201 Other receivables 733 Sum of current receivables 4790 Total current assets 4790 b) Non-current Assets Nil c) Current liabilities Trade creditors 13588 Accrued expenses 8179 Other payables 1951 Sum of current liabilities 23718 d) Non-current liabilities Nil e) Stockholders equity Ordinary Shares 65,875,000 For the year of 2014 these figures were a) Currents Assets Lay-by receivables 882 Less: Allowances for cancellation 85 Net lay-by receivables 797 Pre-paid expenses 2415 Deposits 282 Other receivables 1091 Sum of current assets 4585 b) Non-current Assets Other receivables 115 c) Current liabilities Trade creditors 8896 Accrued expenses 4047 Other payables 2324 Total Current liabilities 15267 D) Noncurrent liabilities Accrued preference share interest 6309 E) Stock holders Equity in 000 34718 There was a share split by a factor of 4.35 of ordinary shares resulting in creation of 116,305,000 shares without any extra cost. When compared to 2014 the amount of current assets was more in 2015. To be specific the current asset increase was (4790-4585) = $205. Noncurrent assets decreased by 115 and current liabilities increased by (23718-15267) = $8451. Noncurrent liability increased by $6309. When expressed in terms of percentage the changes in 2015 are 4.471 % increase in current assets. There was a 41.32 % increase in the volume of current liabilities. Thus it may be stated that both the current assets and current liabilities increased from 2014 to 2015 (Allen et al, 2013). In case of increase in the current liability the change was more significant. On a whole it may be stated that the financial position of the company from this metrics is sound. Thus it may be stated that there have increase in current assets, decrease in non-current assets, current liabilities and decrease in noncurrent liabilities. For 2015 a) Total Operating revenue 210,878 b) Cost of goods sold 80180 c) Earnings per common share 5 cents For the year 2014 a) Total Operating revenue 167,917 b) Cost of goods sold 64093 c) Earnings per common share 22 cents It can also be opined that data for the year of 2014 and 2015 were analysed and any non-operating gains or losses could not be ascertained for these two years. The changes between the two years are as follows. Total operating revenue increased by (210,878-167917) = 42961. When expressed in terms of percentage this is 25.58%. Again cost of goods sold increased from $ 64093 in 2014 to $ 80180 in 2015. The increase is 80180-64093= 16087. Expressed in terms of percentage this increase is 25.009 %. Again significant changes can be observed when earnings per common share are analysed (Aside, 2015). In 2015 the earning per common share was 0.5 cents whereas it was 22 cents in 2014. The change is 21.5 cents signifying a decrease of 21.5 cents. There has been a significant change in EPS and compared to 2014 the percentage decrease is 97.72 %. Thus it can be stated that there have been significant changes in Earning per share as a result of restructuring of capital. Moreover operating revenue has increased by 25.8 % that is significant. Consequent rise in the cost of goods sold have also been observed (Aside, et al, 2016). Part 4 Reviewing statement of cash flows For 2015 a) Net cash inflow (outflow) from operating activities Receipt from customers 231,442 Payment to suppliers 194,315 Interest received 446 Payment of income tax 68 Payment of interest 3478 Transaction cost of IPO 7597 Cash flow from discontinued operations 5192 Cash flows from operating activities 31952 For 2014 Receipt from customers 185,260 Payment to suppliers 159,868 Interest received 354 Payment of income tax 68 Payment of interest 3600 Transaction cost of IPO Nil Cash flow from discontinued operations 4256 Cash flows from operating activities 26011 b) Net cash inflow (outflow) from financing activities For 2015 Buyback of shares Nil Receipts from issue of shares 35645 Receipts from borrowing 47500 Transaction cost levied on share issuance (2878) Repayment for borrowings (40387) Redemptions paid for redeemable preference shares (71476) Cash inflows from discontinued operations Nil Net Cash inflows from financing activities (31596) For 2014 Buyback of shares (11) Receipts from issue of shares Nil Receipts from borrowing (2016) Transaction cost levied on share issuance Nil Repayment for borrowings (552) Redemptions paid for redeemable preference shares Nil Cash inflows from discontinued operations (1552) Net Cash inflows from financing activities (4131) c) Net cash inflow (outflow) from investing activities For 2015 Sale proceeds from property, plant and equipment Nil Acquirement of property, plant and equipment 6878 Purchase of intangible assets Nil Investment in discontinued operations 1374 Loss from discontinued operations 7044 Net cash flow from investment activities (15296) For 2014 Sale proceeds from property, plant and equipment Nil Acquirement of property, plant and equipment 4146 Purchase of intangible assets 2108 Investment in discontinued operations 371 Loss from discontinued operations Nil Net cash flow from investment activities (6625) d) Net increase/decrease in cash from different activities For 2015 Receipt from operating activities+ cash flows from investing activities+ cash flows from financing activities = 31952+ (15296) + (31596) = (14940) Cash and equivalent at the beginning of the year = 24377 Cash and equivalent at the end of the period = 9437 For 2014 Receipt from operating activities +cash flows from investing activities+ cash flows from financing activities = 26011+ (6625) + (4131) = 15255 Cash and equivalent at the beginning of the year = 9122 Cash and equivalent at the end of the period = 24377 From the analysis of the operating, financing and investing activities certain pattern can be observed. The cash flow from operating activities increased in 2015 as compared to 2014. This increase is 31952-26,011= 5941. When expressed in terms of percentage it comes out to 22.84 %. Thus the cash inflow increased significantly from 2014 at a rate of 22.84 %. The operating activities got a major boost from increase in sales and apart from the income from sales the volume of interest received by the company was greater in 2015 (Carlon et l, 2013). Other than that the cash inflow from operating activities benefitted from cash flows from discontinued operations that increased from $4256 in 2014 to $5192 in 2015. . However when other activities of the company is analysed namely investing and financing activities it may be seen that Adair performed poorly. There was negative cash inflow from both the investing and financing activities for the year of 2014 as well as 2015 (McPhail and Walters, 2009). The quantum of such outflow was greater in 2015 than 2014 and it may be seen that there were some significant issues affecting the revenue generation of the company within investing and financing activities (Dumay and Cai, 2014). The figures have been written in brackets indicating it was negative. To be specific cash flow from investing activities stood at $ (15296) in 2015 whereas it was (6625) in 2014. Thus resulting increase in net cash outflow for 2015 was $ 8671. When expressed in terms of percentage this decrease is 130.88. In other words cash outflow from investing activities increased significantly by 8671 from 2014 to 2015. Moreover it may be opined that significant contributors for such in crease in investing activities was Acquisition of property plant and equipment (Kumarasiri, 2012). Expenditures on such acquisition were 4146 in 2014 as compared to 6878 in 2015. Moreover there was cash loss from discontinued operation to the amount of $7044. Investment in such discontinued operations was 1374 in 2015 and when compared to the figures for 2014 this was $371. Thus there has been significant increase in cash flow from discontinued operations. All these together have led to increase in negative cash flow from operating activities (Morison and Ramsay, 2015). Cash flow from financing activities also witnessed significant inflow and outflow. Adairs received proceeds from borrowings and share issue for the amount of $47500 and $356445 respectively. However there was significant cash payment for the company for redeeming preference shares and repayment of borrowings. There were also transaction costs on issue of shares thus the net cash flows used in financing activities amounted to $(31596). Proceeds from borrowings amounted to $ (2016) and repayment of borrowings resulted in $ (552) in the year of 2014. Financing cash flows from discontinued operations was $(1552) in 2014. As such the net cash flow used in financing activities was $ (4131) and it may be stated that there was greater cash outflow for the year of 2014 as compared to the year of 2015 (Randeberg and Selvik, 2014). The resultant increase of cash outflow was (31596-4131) = $27465. Thus it may be seen that there was negative cash flow from financing activities. For the year 2014 the net increase in cash and equivalents was 15,255 whereas the corresponding figure for 2015 was (14940) indicating a steep decline of $30195. Moreover the cash and equivalents at the end of 2014 and 2015 was 24377 and 9437 respectively. Thus it can be stated that the cash flow for the year 2015 witnessed significant cash outflow resulting in such erosion (Southey, 2011). Reviewing stock holders equity section Ordinary shares issued by the company were 165,875 in the year of 2015. For Adair the issued shares in 2014 were 34718. The company was listed in the Australian Stock Exchange at a price of $2.40 per share. Before such listing in the ASE there was a restructuring of the share capital and every ordinary share was divided by a factor of 4.35. Thus such a split resulted in creation of 116,305,000 ordinary shares without any extra cost (Cunningham et al, 2011). As per the information provided by the company it can be stated that there were 1569 shareholders holding 91,064, 990 fully paid ordinary shares. The review of the stockholders equity section also provides insight into the number of shares held by individuals along with the range. The company has created five ranges that depict the range coupled with the number of shares held by each of the ranges. A review of the balance sheet for the company reveals earnings per share attributable to ordinary equity holders of the parent and ear nings per share from continuing operations (Curwin and Slater, 2007). The basic profit for 2015 attributable to ordinary equity holders is 0.5 cents whereas this was 22 cents in 2014. Again earnings per share for the continuing operations were 1.9 cents in 2015 as compared to 20 cents in 2014. Profit for 2015 and 2014 was $745and 7545 respectively (Srivastava and Mock, 2013). The following graph illustrates the weighted average number of ordinary shares. Thus it can be inferred that there has been significant decrease in the earning per share post the listing of the company in ASX. The company was listed in ASX only in the month of June 2015 and as such it may be seen that a restructuring of the shares reflected in the Earning per Share. The profitability of the company has been calculated by implementing an equation as illustrated in the prospectus (Adairs, 2016). Again, the pro forma earnings per share for the year 2015 has been illustrated in the subsequent section. Earnings before Interest and Tax were $31,409. The pro forma tax after payment of income tax was $ 21986. Share price after the end of the year was $2.78 with an EPS of 15 cents. Moreover it may also be stated that as per the prospectus of the company the actual EBIT of the company was 5.7 % over the forecasted profit. Thus it may be opined that the performance of the company was commendable and is stated to improve over the coming years (Zikmund et al, 2012). As of Ju ne, 2015 there was no outstanding shares and therefore dilutive EPS is the same as that of basic EPS. Recommendation and Conclusion Accounting and business decision are entwined and investments are carried out by understanding the financial acumen of the entity. For the purpose of this study Adairs Ltd has been chosen as the company. The company was listed in the ASX only in June 2015. However the operational history of the company dates back to 1918. From the study of the financial instruments it can be opined that the company has been able to perform well. The paper has also evaluated the balance sheet of the company for the purpose of ascertaining current assets, non-current assets, current liabilities, non-current liabilities and stakeholders equity (Pratt, 2013). It can also be observed that operating activities of the company has been fairly stable and lucrative. However there has been significant erosion in the value of the investment from financing and investing activities resulting in net decrease in cash during the year. Therefore the cash position of the company was weakened to a substantial degree. Fr om a viewpoint of the investment in the company it may be stated that the company has performed well within the Australian market (Fulmer and Cargile, 2016). The process of investment is typically carried out after analysing the different macro and micro environmental factors. Combined with past operations and these factors it can be opined that Adairs is one of the suitable companies that has its own brand equity. Investment in this company will be beneficial only in the mid to long term (Braun and Harrison, 2012). References: Adairs (2016): Online Accessed from accessed on 23/5/2016 Allen, D. E., Singh, A. K., Powell, R. (2013). Analysing the return distributions of Australian stocks: the CAPM, factor models and quantile regressions.Global Business and Economics Review,15(1), 88-109. Aside, A. (2015). Morning News Summary. Braun, T., Harrison, P. (2012).Managerial Accounting Canadian Edition. Burgin, S., Webb, T., Kasbarian, A. (2016). Bottled Water: Why So Popular? A Case Study from a University Campus Community.Sustainability: The Journal of Record,9(1), 25-30. Carlon, S., Tran, A., Tran-Nam, B. (2013, September). How close are taxable income and accounting profit? An empirical study of large Australian companies. InAustralian Tax Forum(Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 641-677). Cunningham, B. M., Nikolai, L. A., Bazley, J., Kavanagh, M., Slaughter, G., Simmons, S. (2011).Accounting: information for business decisions. Cengage Learning. Curwin, J., Slater, R. (2007).Quantitative methods for business decisions. Cengage Learning EMEA. Dumay, J., Cai, L. (2014). A review and critique of content analysis as a methodology for inquiring into IC disclosure.Journal of Intellectual Capital,15(2), 264-290. Fulmer, W. E., Cargile, B. R. (2006). Ethical perceptions of accounting students.Accounting Ethics: Empirical studies of accounting ethics,3(2), 434. Katz, J. A., Green, R. P. (2009).Entrepreneurial small business. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Kumarasiri, J. (2012). Management Accounting Practices for Sustainability. InBest Practices in Management Accounting(pp. 101-114). Palgrave Macmillan UK. McPhail, K., Walters, D. (2009).Accounting and business ethics: An introduction. Routledge. Morison, R. G., Ramsay, I. (2015). An analysis of companies' business objectives. Pratt, J. (2013).Financial accounting in an economic context. Wiley Global Education. Proctor, R., Burton, N., Pierce, A. (2006).Managerial accounting for business decisions. Pearson Education. Randeberg, M., Selvik, H. (2014). A study of tax minimization strategies in multinational companies: with focus on The Coca-Cola company and IKEA. Southey, G. (2011). The theories of reasoned action and planned behaviour applied to business decisions: a selective annotated bibliography.Journal of New Business Ideas Trends,9(1), 43-50. Srivastava, R. P., Mock, T. J. (Eds.). (2013).Belief functions in business decisions(Vol. 88). Physica. Zikmund, W., Babin, B., Carr, J., Griffin, M. (2012).Business research methods. Cengage Learning.

The Forces that Motivate Behavior Hard Determinis Essays

The Forces that Motivate Behavior: Hard Determinism Vs. Free Will Cheyenne Tuggle and Gina Campagnini The University of Valley Forge PSY 313 1.Hard Determinism: Gina Defining Determinism A simple definition of determinism is that it is the theory that all events are caused and therefore can be predicted. It is a simple cause and effect relationship only it is applied to human behavior. Therefore, making moral responsibility meaningless. A more specific definition is a definition of hard determinism; "Human behavior is completely determined by various factors outside the person" (Sappington, A. 1990). This is also known as environmental determinism (McLeod, S. 2013) and still supports the idea that moral behavior is meaningless. Let's look at an example of a man who grew up in a low income home, surrounded by drugs and crime, it can be predicted that he will commit some kind of crime. B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) The first person that is going to be address is B.F. Skinner, he is a well known advocate for determinism (McLeod, S. 2013). Some back ground information is that Skinner received his BA in English from Hamilton College because his first desire was to pursue writing as a career. Later Skinner received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Harvard University in 1931 and stayed there to do research until 1936 (Hall, W. 2017). For a while Skinner did pursue his first passion as a writer but failed in this career after his poetry and short stories resorted to newspaper articles. Since this writing career was not a success and after he received his Ph. D. he began to teach at University of Minnesota in 1936 and in 1945 became the chairman at Indiana University for Psychology. Shortly after becoming the chairman of Indiana he was invited back to Harvard where he stayed until his retirement in 1975 (Hall, W. 2017). Someone Skinner was influenced by was John B. Watson's philosophy of psychology called behaviorism (Clarik, K. 1998). Every notion of internal factors such as the mind was pushed aside and focused on the idea that the "goal of scientific psychology is to predict and control an organisms' behavior" (Hall, W. 2107). B. F. Skinner died in 1990 from Leukemia and became one of the most celebrated psychologists after Sigmund Freud (McLeod, S. 2015). Radical Behaviorism Radical Behaviorism "Argued that people's behavior is determined by their reinforcement histories; they behave as their reinforcement histories have programmed them to behave." (Sappington, A. 1990). Meaning that every behavior is an individual is determined based off the pattern of reinforcements and punishments in an individual's life (Craik, K. 1998). Operant Conditioning (Law and Effect-Reinforcement) One of Skinners well known theories is called Operant Conditioning which is intentional actions that have affects on the environment around them (McLeod, S. 2015). Operant Conditioning goes hand in hand with Skinner's theory of the Law-and-Effect- Reinforcement. Which can be defined as "Behavior which is reinforced, tends to be repeated" (McLeod, S. 2015). There are three types of respinses, the first is; Neutral Operant which are responses from the environment that neither increase nor decrease the probability of a behavior being repeated. The second are Reinforces which are responses from the environment that increases the probability of a behavior being repeated. Reinforces can either be positive or negative (McLeod, S. 2105). A positive reinforce can be exemplified through Skinner's invention of the "Skinner's box". This box is an invention that helps reinforce pigeons to preform a certain behavior to receive food such as turning in 360-degree circle to the left, reading, or even pecking a certain point on the box. When the behavior was preformed the pigeon was given access to food and in order to receive more they would have to repeat their behavior. An example of a negative reinforce is to avoid being fired from a job, the person will have to get up on time to go to work. In other words a negative reinforce is the removal of an unpleasant reinforcement by something else that is looked at as a negative. The last response is a punisher which is a response from the environment that weakens behavior, it only tells you what not to do. Punished behavior isn't forgotten its suppressed and can cause aggression, fear, anxiety and so forth. When the punishment is

Essay Sample on Community Its Definition, Development and Types

Essay Sample on Community Its Definition, Development and Types For example, Robert Park, one of the first American Sociologists to define the term stated, The essential characteristics of a community, so conceived are those of: (1) a population territorially organized, (2) more or less completely rooted in the soil it occupies, (3) its individual units living in a relationship of mutual interdependence(Lyons, p. 5). In contrast to this, Minar and Greer defined a community so that it may include a large corporation, Kuhn said that a community may be an informal professional group such as the scientific community, and Nisbet stated that a even a philosophical and psychological commitment to communal lifestyles could be considered community (Lyons 1999). While all of these may be acceptable definitions of community to one person, some or all may be completely unacceptable to someone else. In my studying of community, I would define it similarly with Park. Community, in my opinion, can be defined as a group of people within a small area (generally s maller than a city or town), who share common social ties or have common social goals, and who have interaction among each other. When studying community development, one must analyze what currently exists and then try to create ways for improvement or enhancement. Thus, I believe that the best way to do that is to simplify community into one of its smallest aspects without being so narrow that youre only studying individuals or people without any common ties on which to compare. In addition to this, development within a community is often a rigorous process and thus cannot focus on too large of an area or group at once. If it does so then one end or segment of the city or town is often not considered as important of an area. Moreover, what may be the goal of one portion of the town may be totally dissatisfying to other segments, which could cause many problems if each community within a town is forced to develop among the same common lines. The most common theme among definitions of community is that it consists of people. Another theme that is very common is that there must be some type of common tie to hold the people together. In each of the above definitions this is true. Robert Park spoke of a mutual interdependence, which is much like the social ties or goals that I use. In Minar and Greers large corporation, the common tie is the type of business that the corporation relates to or carries out. In Kuhns scientific community, science or perhaps scientific paradigms is the common tie. Nisbets philosophical or psychological commitment to communal lifestyles may or may not be a physical tie but shares the communal lifestyle as a common theme or bond. In each of the three latter definitions of community, it seems that the only tie that holds them together is that of people and a shared or common tie. While these are all important attributes of community, they cannot stand alone for the purpose of studying community dev elopment for many reasons. Comparison is important in studying community. Thus, it would be difficult to study a comparison of a corporation, scientific communities, and philosophical commitments to communal lifestyles for the purpose or community development. The three are virtually completely independent and have no ties other than they each share people and within each particular group, share common ties. Moreover, Ferdinand Tonnies concepts of Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft have long been and continue to be one of the most useful notions used for studying and comparing communities and community development. While some people may consider Minar and Greer, Kuhn, and Nisbets ideas as a community or type of community, it would be difficult to imagine how studying a comparison of each of these could have any useful bearing on community development, especially in terms of Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft. Finally, people within communities must have interaction for a community to exist. While the interaction may be fairly insignificant among certain peoples within the community there should be considerable amounts among most members. For example, in a larger, modern-day neighborhood, if each house was filled with middle-income, college graduates, each married with two children who are roughly the same age and whose children all attend the same schools (giving a social tie or connection among each family living in the neighborhood) there still could be no community among the neighborhood if there was no interaction among any of the people who live there. Without the interaction, each would be strangers living amongst themselves, and in doing so would take the community aspect away. Robert Parks definition of community is far more defining and inclusive than any of the other previous definitions discussed above, however, I dont fully agree with him either. The second part of his definition mentioned being predominantly rooted in the soil. While Im not quite sure whether he meant rooted as in being born and raised there or rooted as in just living there, I will assume that he was using the first or the two. If you look at the same large neighborhood mentioned above but with a few changes, I think Ill be able to make my point more clear. In that neighborhood, if the same people lived there with all of the same characteristics, except for that there was a very high level of social interaction among the adults and children, it would be quite possible to think of the neighborhood as a community. Taking the example further, if within the neighborhood, there was a park, exercise facility, swimming pool, neighborhood convenience store, etc., and there was communal babys itting amongst certain members for the smaller children and carpooling to school for the older children, it would become more likely to think of this as a community. In that, if there were approximately 100 houses in which half were occupied for several years, another 20 were occupied for about two or three years, 20 for about one year, and the other 10 had become occupied within the last two or three months, there is really no sense of roots among many of the members, however there is still enough of a system in place for the community to exist and continue. Moreover, each member of the community or neighborhood might be from different parts of the country or at least from different cities and are therefore do not have family or historic roots within the community. Granted, the above example is completely hypothetical, but there are similar neighborhoods popping up all over suburban America. Whether any of these neighborhoods meet any of the combined attributes to be a community, I do not know because I have not done any specific studies, however I think that there probably are some out there. While it is true that many different definitions for community exist, I believe that for the purpose of studying community and community development the best definition is a group of people within a small area (generally smaller than a city or town), who share common social ties or common goals, and who have interaction among each other.

Write a review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Write a review - Essay Example At the same time, Titanic struck an iceberg in the ocean. Then, Rose’s fiancà © Cal Hockley discovered this romance and accuses Jack of theft of his gift to Rose. In condition of panic because of ship’s sinking, Rose and Jack were re-united and tried to survive together. But, in the cold Atlantic Ocean Jack sacrificed himself in order to save Rose. At the end, Rose is an old woman throwing Cal’s gift back to the ocean. So, this movie can be taken as a complex story that touches multiple sides of human life in genre of Romantic Drama. In this sophisticated context, in a given essay the play of main actors, plot twists and impressive ending are taken as criteria in evaluating this movie as one of the best among all Romantic Dramas. To start with, the main characters played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are involved in the appealing love-story that emerged for the first time during the cruise on the ship titled Titanic. Actually, the relation between the couple develop in such a passionate and emotional way that it is impossible not to believe them. In addition, the fact that he is a poor risky worker trying to gain attention from a wealthy lady is also important in making their love even more sensual. Thus, the tandem created by DiCaprio and Winslet is really loved by public even nowadays. Moreover, they still are one of the best couples on the screen. In this context, the way these two actors presented the story between Jack and Rose assisted their future careers in Hollywood. Therefore, the play of main actors is on the highest level in Titanic. Furthermore, plot in the movie is highly interesting and full of unexpected difficulties caused by water and people. On the one hand, after liner had crashed into an iceberg everyone left almost with no chance to survive. On another hand, numerous deaths caused by Titanic were driven by human factor. In this context, an additional character Cal who wanted to marry Rose is one of such people.