Firms should seek to “get their own house in order” before seeking to manage suppliers Essay

Assignment Title: Firms should seek to â€Å"get their own house in order† before seeking to manage suppliers Purchasing is a vital process of the company, 100% efficiency is required at all times. There must be proper organization and flexibility in this department. People working in this department should constantly evaluate the current purchasing scheme of the company and adapt to changes at all times. Purchasing department or team of a company basically seek to answer these two questions: what we buy and how we buy. The answers to these two questions can change depending to companies size and sector. Indeed, by answering these two questions is the main goal of procurement team or department is to create best value for money and to maximize it. It is possible to maximize best value for money by obtaining surplus value. Surplus value is different from the value. Surplus value locates between cost of production for supplier and value of the product to the buyer. This is called the area zone of agreement. The surplus value which is retained by supplier is called producer surplus and the value which is retained by buyer is called consumer surplus, the procurement team/department aim to maximize consumer surplus. Purchasing process means that demand management. There are two ways to make purchase decision make-buy or outsourcing. Make-buy is required internal management it is related to the organizational buying behavior. Outsourcing is required external management consist of supplier management. The fundamental issue in purchasing process is to provide efficiency in demand management. Efficiency of purchasing process is related for instance a reduction in the number of suppliers used an automation of the purchasing process, the use of framework agreements, and the development of trusting relationship with suppliers. Providing efficiency contribute to get power. Business life means power games. The market is unforgiving for weakness so at first hand, while the firm seeks to establish its own house in order before seeking to manage the suppliers. It will provide efficiency. In order to get successful purchasing process, firm should manage its demand efficiently and firstly firm should be sure to provide this efficiency by establishing â€Å"in its own house in order† in this case firm could get power above its suppliers. Demand management problems in an organization could appear in different ways (Londsdale, SP&SM, Lecturer notes, Week 3) Maverick buying, fragmentation of spend, early specification, over-specification, unnecessary change to specifications, poor demand information, lack of clarity, adverse selection, inappropriate contracting, poor monitoring leading to moral hazard, unnecessary purchase. These problems occur alone or together. Organizational buying behavior involves a multi-person activity and it is true for 90% of organizational buying. This includes a very meticulous process which can even take more than a year to decide and conclude. Today’s organizations are aware of the costs involved in making timely, accurate and efficient decisions; create more value for money. If firms are to succeed in one facet of its global goal to be known in the market, a strong leadership should be in place; guide and make it move in a synchronized manner. Most of whom started small in its own right to be able to manage its own people easily, efficiently and most of all, avoid unaccounted costs. For a firm to manage its buying behavior and create a benchmark, it needs to: recognize a problem, acknowledge a general need, create or come up with product specifications, make an efficient and able supplier search, make a buying step, select a supplier, make an order-routine specification and conduct a post-purchase performance review. Once this process is harnessed over time; the next step to go bigger; to expand. (http://www. smartcompany. com. au/marketing/sales/22378-20111007-marketing-strategies-organisational-buyer-behaviour. html) To further elaborate: Recognize a problem- anticipate and plan for purchase on a routine basis Acknowledge a general need – extensive, objective cost-benefit analysis Create or come up with product specifications – using precise technical description using techniques such as value analysis Make an efficient and able buyer search- extensive search that extends to the search for a supplier Make a buying step – business to business Select a supplier- made after extensive evaluation of objective information Make an order-routine specification-routine calculation of re-order points as well as time and place of delivery Conduct a post-purchase performance review – extensive comparison made and feedback given, concern with quality management at source. All of these elements could still fail with the existence of problems that should be recognized and avoided at first glance namely (Londsdale, SP&SM, Lecturer notes, Week 3) maverick buying, fragmentation of spend, early specification, over-specification, unnecessary change to specifications, poor demand information, lack of clarity, adverse selection, inappropriate contracting, poor monitoring leading to moral hazard, and unnecessary purchase. When fragmentation exceeds its neutral level, means that parts or branches in this situation are unconnected and/or missing and still expected to come up with results the same as what the entire system once did (http://www. ourfurutre. com/real101. htm) the whole is always better in presence as everyone will have a better understanding of each function. It is also good to note that when there is a â€Å"whole Picture† concept. There is a better understanding as to the fluid interaction and dependency of each part resulting to better result of each task at hand. To cope with organizational fragmentation it’s important to understand why fragmentation arise in organization what are conflicts between branches or parts. Fragmentation arises in an organization because of several reasons. First, each department of an organization performs different functions, it follows that these departments have different needs. For instance, engineering department of a company would definitely use different computer from the HR department. These two departments have two different functions through both departments require computers for efficiency but both use special applications, features and specifications of computers to perform well. Legacy method is an old system that firms continue to practice these days. This is the second reason why fragmentation arises in organization. Maybe the system works satisfactory so organization sees no reason in changing it. The cost for changing and redesigning system could be costly both time and money compared to the anticipated appreciable benefits of replacing it to a new one. And lastly, difficulties in consolidating efforts in the organization. Human as we are, we have different opinions and our way of thinking is always different to one another. There are organizational factors that make consolidation efforts difficult. Conflicting preferences within organization arise due to limited rationality. Bounded rationality can also contribute to conflicting preferences for decision makers make decision with limited and often unreliable information. Limited time could and human mind’s limited capacity to evaluate and process information. Powers is exercised within organizations. People in higher position control over resources, rule-making, information and etc. lower ranks needed to comply to show obedience and respect thus result to conflicts. And lastly, each departments employees behave relating to their knowledge for example for manufacture department quality is important, for purchasing department price important. Each department has goals and priorities to fulfill,these can result to conflict as well. Conflicting preferences can be solve through identifying the problem and build organizational alliance to change internal client. Setting a standard and centralize preference within the organization would definitely help resolve this problem. Building alliances would demand purchasing managers to sort out personnel according to their rank. This could help to solve conflicting references in the organization. Furthermore, when fragmentation exceeds its neutral level, two problems that will basically occur in an instant. Inflation of transaction costs which an organization can face to cope with unnecessary suppliers. Organization could lose its leverage over its suppliers and suppliers tend to classify the customers. They tend to work with customers that work closely with their strategic objectives or make a good proportion of their turnover or help to spread their fixed cost but suppliers eliminate customers who don’t provide an attractive account or high volume of business. (Lonsdale and Watson, 2005) In a specific example, Rushmore University Hospital Trust (RUHT) (Lonsdale, SP;SM Lectures, Case Study) RUHT has fragmented throughout its 9 budget centres and each budget centre, clinicians could independently purchase. Fragmentation happens most of the time; each clinician in each budget centre can purchase commodities with the same specifications but under very different terms. For example, x-ray films purchase price could be differentiated 45% between budget centres. Lack of coordination and supplier opportunism cause inefficiency in RUHT. By understanding the characteristics of each budget center’s procurement needs, it could succeed consolidation between budget services. Another conspicuous example is Vodafone (Lonsdale, SP;SM Lectures, Case Study). In 2003, Vodafone Global Supply Chain Management Director, Detlef Schultz realized the internal procurement management problem. For instance, Vodafone has lack of information how it spend and it couldn’t translate its global size to the benefit. Schultz succeeds saving Money by putting together 17 disparate purchasing departments into one supply chain management. He introduced pre-agreed prices for frequently bought items. He provided the use e-auction system creates category management and developed different strategy for each category and it standardized the judgment way of suppliers so all this efforts to establish efficient procurement management result a great savings in Vodafone. Novartis also achieved cost saving by transforming its procurement strategy. Novartis is operating in seven different divisions and each of operating separately with their own CEO and CPO and it realized that 60 per cent of the overall expenditure is homogenous so Novartis achieved its goal like previous examples by leveraging its scale and by implementing global category management. In purchasing, demand management and procurement department capture power, decrease transaction costs, saving money and using companies scale and technology effectively, so by understanding companies own needs and improving information sources, providing coherence benevolently among brunches and departments and implementing appropriate strategies for each categories by this way company get efficiency in internal demand management and could reach its neutral level of fragmentation in purchasing. So by this way, company could share its value with its suppliers and monitor them in terms of even them pursuing companies values so company get leverage over its suppliers. Finally, providing efficiency in order house provide efficiency in the same time in suppliers management.

By close analysis of the language Essay

This poignant monologue from Richard is a series of thoughts which he speaks aloud as he ponders on what it to become of him. Richard is a king with extremes of emotion, and so a monologue from him is always full of poetic devices and ornamentation of language, as he conveys his emotions rather than facts. In this case, his violent change of mood leaves his desperate and depressed, as he begins to convince himself that Bolingbroke has usurped his throne once and for all, and Richard prepares to resign himself to either an existence of poverty and shame, or an untimely and undignified death. The repetition of the word â€Å"king† emphasises Richard’s pride of his title, and his bitterness in losing it. The word is used sarcastically as Richard remarks on the king doing what he â€Å"must†, when it should be the king giving orders. The line â€Å"A god’s name, let it go† could hint that Richard is relieved to no longer be king, as â€Å"let it go† could suggest dropping a burden. However, the line is ambivalent as it could also show Richard finding it difficult to let go and move on. The word â€Å"let† in any case however, shows Richard’s acknowledgement that it is his responsibility to allow his title to be removed, and that the situation could be seen as abdication as easily as it could be called usurpation. This is questionable however, as Richard is quick to blame others for his inability to rule a country and keep order. The anaphora used by Richard as he starts several consecutive lines with â€Å"my†, then states what each item will be exchanged for, is an effective rhetoric device because it makes his speech mnemonic, and emphasises how strongly he feels about having to give up everything which belongs to him. Richard is exaggerating his situation in a moment of self-pity, showing his pessimistic attitude. He believes he is being forced into a lower-class existence. The fact that he does not use the royal â€Å"we† also shows that he is humbled by the situation. However, he is still obsessed by his right to call certain things his own; he is ever possessive and desperately clinging to what is rightfully his. Richard then proceeds to talk about death; â€Å"and my large kingdom for a little grave, a little, little grave, an obscure grave†. This reference shows that Richard’s view of his situation is utterly negative, and he now believes he is doomed to death as well as believing his throne has been snatched from him. This repetition shows his tendency to exaggerate situations. Not once has his death been suggested; in fact, Bolingbroke deliberately makes it clear that his motives in confronting Richard are peaceful, that he is only there to claim that which rightfully belonged to his father, John of Gaunt. It is Richard’s view of the situation which turns this scene into an apparent potential confrontation, and it is Richard’s view which portrays Henry Bolingbroke as a violent and unfair throne usurper and destroyer of Richard’s life. Richard’s view of this situation is entirely distorted, as he is incapable of sense and reason, letting his emotional instability block out reality and justice. This habit of blowing matter out of proportion is further revealed by Richard’s conceit, or exaggerated metaphor, of creating two graves from his tears wearing away the earth. This shows Richard’s view of the situation to be not only highly morbid, but also utterly absurd. Yet it is likely that Richard says this in jest, albeit it attention-seeking and self pitying humour. Yet it seems that Richard’s humour is not even to his own taste, but instead for the sake of others. Richard says this to make Aumerle laugh, showing the contrast as Aumerle finds humour in Richard’s over-exaggeration, yet from what Richard has said previously, it seems that he believes his own words. Richard is also bitter and sarcastic in calling Bolingbroke â€Å"King†, showing his firm belief that there is no other possible outcome. The speech is written in blank verse except for the last two lines which form a couplet. This adds to the memorability of the speech, and also shows Richard’s macabre humour. In lines 178-183, Richard makes a classical reference to Phaethon, showing the depth of thought with which he has considered his predicament. The repetition of â€Å"down† conveys his ever-declining outlook, as he is now convinced he has lost all power. The final couplet, â€Å"Down court, down king, For night-owls screech where mounting larks should sing† shows how wrong Richard sees the situation as. The word â€Å"shriek† is also onomatopoeic and harsh, conveying Richard’s mental torment.

Keeping Romance Real

In seeking to discover if the classic fathers of poetry can prove beneficial to the marketing of teen romance films, the poems of Shakespeare, Donne and Dryden should be revisited.   After all, William Shakespeare wrote over one hundred love sonnets, so certainly something should provide a link from the 1600 to the present.   What insight can these poets provide modern teenagers into this thing called romance?In answering this question, readers must first attempt to decipher what each of these authors means by romance.   Defining this term is difficult enough without having to pore over archaic volumes of poetry that seems to be written in a different language, even if it claims to be modern English!  Ã‚   However, when these tomes are dusted off and sifted through, definitions of romance do bubble to the surface.   For example, â€Å"Love’s Alchemy† by John Donne, â€Å"Ah, How Sweet it is to Love,† by John Dryden, and â€Å"Sonnets 116 and 130† by William Shakespeare, all have something to say about this most ambiguous term.First of all, John Donne expresses through his poem â€Å"Love’s Alchemy† the very mesmerizing nature of love.   His speaker is what modern people might call a naysayer (or teens call a buzz kill).   He is certain that his life is just a fulfilling as the lives of other men who are in love.   He proclaims love to be an â€Å"imposture, all!† (Donne, line 6).He points out that â€Å"no chemic yet th’elixer got† (line 7), meaning nobody has a recipe for love that he knows about and that those in love are merely dreaming.   The speaker questions the loss of â€Å"our ease, our thrift, our honour, and our day† to this â€Å"vain bubble’s shadow† of love (lines14-15).   He seems mystified at his colleagues finding the music of the spheres in the voices and minds of the women the say they love and ultimately concludes that women are possessed and therefore bewitch the men into loving them.This poem seems to indicate that love is a farce, black magic even which serves to intoxicate and brainwash the lover.   How true it is!   What teenager (or adult) would ever deny that he or she has done something completely insane, completely out of character, even completely embarrassing all in the name of love?   Donne’s speaker, though clearly lonely, has illuminated the very essence of love – magic.   Although this speaker’s sardonic treatment of romance is evident, the magic that seems to have beset his friend appears to be stronger than all of the speaker’s denial.   He is jealous and empty.John Dryden’s poem â€Å"Ah, how sweet it is to love!† takes a completely different tone from the pessimism of Donne’s.   This poem moves swiftly, like a song, without the drudgery of Donne’s lyric.   Of course some of the content is similar.   The speaker, though euphoric , notes the â€Å"pleasing pains we prove/When we first approach Love’s fire!†(Dryden, lines 3-4).   Even if this love produces tears, these tears are the â€Å"trickling balm† (line10) to the one in love.   The contrasts between pain and soothing pleasure in this poem in a way reinforces Donne’s theme that love is magic – but not black magic as Donne’s speaker might suggest.Here, the speaker praises the romantic experience as being an oxymoronic jaunt through emotion – pleasure and pain, joy and sadness, rise and fall.   The movement of this poem mimics the ups and downs of true romance – the incredible highs and the devastating lows.   Both are important parts of true love.   Nobody knows this better than a teenager who has gone on a magical date with his or her true love only to have that bubble burst even a few days later.   Of course the bubble resurfaces with another invitation and the cycle continues, as Dryd en’s speaker celebrates.Finally, the tried and true lover of all, William Shakespeare, actually focuses his reader on the realities of love and romance in two sonnets, numbers 116 and 130.   In these sonnets, Shakespeare takes a look at what a real romance really is by examining what love is not.   In Sonnet 116, the speaker cautions that love will not change as time goes by.   He notes that â€Å"Love is not love/which alters when it alteration finds† (Shakespeare, Sonnet 116, lines 2-3) and that â€Å"Love is not Time’s fool† (line 9).These lines suggest that changes in people’s looks will not change the nature of the romance.   In Sonnet 130, the speaker notes again the magical quality that love has on a person.   The speaker sets out by noting that his â€Å"mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun†(Shakespeare, Sonnet 130, line 1) and that her voice is far from musical.   He illuminates her physical faults only to argu e that she is a real person and that her faults do not have any impact on their relationship.   He loves her regardless and would not belittle that romance by offering the ridiculous comparisons of other people (and poets).Here Shakespeare grounds the readers.   After reading many poems which compare lovers to goddesses, teens might note a correlation with fashion magazines that compare women with 6 foot tall, size-zero models.  Ã‚   Love and romance is a real occurrence in life, so real faults and real pains will be involved.   Dryden and Shakespeare express these realities in their poems.   Donne expresses this magical quality about love that his speaker tries to denounce, but that has clearly caught his friends in its intoxicating web.Oddly, we see through these poems that love and romance are characterized as both reality-driven and magical.   The feelings are like none that people have ever felt, but these feelings are grounded in real appearances and real situation s.   Most teens today pronounce that they just want to â€Å"Keep it Real!†Ã‚   These poets, though years ago, can certainly help them in that capacity.Works CitedDonne, John.   â€Å"Love’s Alchemy.†Ã‚   Luminarium.   Retrieved 8 February 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/alchemy.phpDryden, John. â€Å"Ah How Sweet it is to Love.† Bartleby.com.   Retrieved 8 February 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.bartelby.org/101/400.htmlShakespeare, William.   â€Å"Sonnet 116.†Ã‚   Poets.org.   Retrieved 8 February 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19398— . â€Å"Sonnet 130.†Ã‚   Poets.org.   Retrieved 8 February 2007 from  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã ‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15557

Culinary History of the Republic of Moldova Essay

Culinary History of the Republic of Moldova - Essay Example Each influences the other; each tries to outsmart the competing system by indigenous and imaginative methods of preparing dishes. The dishes are constantly improved and their contents updated on the basis of inputs provided by the clients. Once upon a time, The Republic of Moldova (Republica Moldova) was part of the ex-Romanian provinces. At present they have independent territorial status. It is difficult to single out the exclusive Moldovan cooking method. The cuisine incorporates elements from different cooking traditions adopted from the neighboring countries. Lot of importance is given to the details in the cuisine. For example, emphasis is on the right amount of spices as for taste and also for coloring the dish. The visual presentation of the dish is important. Some of their traditional dishes have the special cooking method. â€Å"The diversity of the vegetables and cereals found in Moldova is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to their cuisine. †¦ Meat is one of the main elements of most of the Moldavian dishes and cure and smoked hams are often parts of delicious dishes.†(Moldavian Cuisine†¦.) Geography of a country has a direct bearing on the cuisine. Human beings eat mainly in response to the hunger due to the demands of geographical conditions. Moldova is a landlocked country between Romania to the West and Ukraine in other directions (North, East and South) This small country is situated in the Eastern Europe on 47 N, 29 E. Its area is 33,700 sq km. It is close to Black sea and this makes the summers warm and winters mild. Just like in a desert area one finds sand, sand and sand again, in Moldova one sees hills, hills and hills again and nothing else around. The hilly plain includes three physical geographic zones: forest, forest-steppe and steppe. By no means a rich country, 25% of the people earn less than $2 per day. The biggest part of the country lies between two rivers, the Dniester and the Prut. This is one of the

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The war in syria and its consequences on lebanon - Research Paper Example The armed opposition is an alliance of various groups, which were formed during the conflict to protect the civilian protestors and face off the government forces. This civil conflict has however progressed to become a regional problem, affecting other countries that have remained neutral to the domestic issues that are facing the country. As opposed to being an effort to eliminate Assad leadership in Syria, the conflict has graduated into a sectarian conflict, leading to emergence of Alawite government forces and pro-government militias made up of members of the Shia tribe (White 16). The opposition is dominated by members of the Sunni tribe, a situation that has led to an increase in foreign interference in the course of the war. For example, in 2013, the Hezbollah terrorist group joined the civil war to fight alongside government forces and defeat the Sunni dominated opposition forces. As the war progresses, its impacts have been felt beyond the borders of Syria, spilling to neighboring countries, which are currently, faced with major insecurity challenges. Lebanon, a country with the longest borderline with Syria is considered as one of the few neighboring countries that have significantly been affected by the civil war. As a result, the Syrian conflict has had significant security challenges to Lebanon as the fight has virtually spilt into the country. This has further affected the economy and the healthcare sector in the country as major basic and social amenities are suspended as has been witnessed in the war torn Syria (Dahi 12). Despite the ravaging ramification of the Syrian internal conflict, scholars have made little effort to bring to the fore its effects to peace and stability in neighboring countries. Efforts have concentrated on how the war has affected the social and economic stability of Syria and how the Assad and opposition

MULTINATIONAL CORP-EVOL & CUR ISSUE Movie Review - 1

MULTINATIONAL CORP-EVOL & CUR ISSUE - Movie Review Example The country’s policy maker on financial and economic matters, the Fed has adopted lax standards as pertains to trade and lending standards. The Fed had adopted a policy that would stir activity in the economy by increasing the leverage ratios for commercial banks and other financial institutions. The Banks took advantage of this policy by borrowing capital in bulk and use the capital to create massive amounts in subprime loans (Barnett). This made mortgages very affordable and many citizens opted to build or buy their house on a mortgage(s). The amount of household debt in the United States quadrupled by the time the housing bubble burst. In a bid to clamp down on the rogue nature of banks and avoid the housing debt from growing any further, the Fed tightened its policy on the banks’ leverage ratios. This adjustment would cause the commercial banks to increase the cost of financing mortgages. This proved to be a challenge for many Americans as the new repayment stipulations increased the cost of the mortgage by over 100%. Huge defaulters in payments had their property repossessed causing the burst of the housing bubble. This bubble was mainly triggered by the increase in disposable income for savings. During the 2000 to 2007 period, there was a great increase and growth in the global fixed income securities. This increase in disposable income encouraged the development of economic bubbles all over the world. As these factors came into play, each bubble burst one after the other as such a business model is not sustainable over time. This led to the overall decrease in the value of assets. When the fall in value occurred, most banks opted to cut back on lending leading to the credit crunch. This caused a general inability of consumers and governments to borrow stifling investment and consumption. This led to the general decrease in business for companies and corporates as demand considerably decreased (United States Financial Inquiry

Revolutions and insurgencies Essay Example for Free

Revolutions and insurgencies Essay Today and Tomorrow – 4th and 5th Generation Warfare The generational theory of warfare indicates a near orderly transformation of wars from the Napoleonic era to the present day, some what neatly divided into four eras. Levee en masse and the concept of nations at wars led to what is referred to as 1st generation warfare. On the other hand an age dominated by firepower spanning the First World War denotes the 2nd generation of wars, while 3rd Generation warfare includes and transcends the Second World War and was dominated by maneuver. Today’s warfare is the next generation of wars which are targeted at the opponents political will and not necessarily the military and are fought by a series of networks operating in tandem, political, social, economic and military. This era is being increasingly referred to as 4th Generation wars. (Hammes, 2004). 4th Generation warfare is one in which monopoly of the state over war has been broken by the non state actor, be it the Al Qaeda, the Tamil Tigers, Hezbollah or the Taliban. In some cases the state and the non state actor seem to be acting in tandem as the recent war in the Middle East denotes where the Hezbollah was considered by many as a proxy of Syria and Iran. This is one of the defining paradigms of 4th Generation war where the difference between the state and the non state seems to have been blurred. (Lind, 2004). Martin von Creveld also tends to support the premise set out hitherto fore by stating that unconventional wars waged against conventional forces are increasingly becoming the order of the day. (Creveld, 1991). The wars of the future are as per Creveld (1991) low intensity conflicts where tempo and intensity will be below that of conventional wars. Armies would increasingly have to tailor their resources to combat these types of conflicts as per Creveld (1991). This generational shift will evidently explain the emerging continuum of insurgencies which have transformed from massed revolutions of the 1940’s to network distributed conflicts of the 21st Century. This new revolution is thus replicating 4th and some would even argue 5th Generation warfare which is fought by non states and small groups, is driven by fundamentalist ideology and is technology fixated. The defining form of 4th Generation warfare is that the military has perhaps lost its primacy in waging wars and the state undoubtedly so. (Hammes, 2004). Thus the centre of gravity as is commonly understood in warfare and in the Clausewitzian trinity is no longer the military but the will of the people and the state to fight. (Hammes, 2004). Peters (1999) has also indicated these shifting trends where the American military which has invested so much in conventional weapons may find these irrelevant in wars of the future. This being the central theme, thus the targets become extremely diffused and are not necessarily military but include a series of possible networks within society such as political, economic, military, social and so on thereby ultimately impacting the mind of the populace to give up the fight. The Hezbollah and the Taliban have very well understood this theme. In the recent Lebanon war, Hezbollah rockets rained on civilian targets while the guerrillas were more attuned to take Israeli soldiers as prisoners. The Taliban is even more suave attempting to undermine the resolve of Western forces to wage war in Afghanistan by tactics such as kidnapping and hostage taking forcing states to accede to its demands. The United Nations is now planning to evolve a policy response for hostage taking such has been the impact of these unconventional means. The tactics used by the 4th Generation warrior to achieve his ends are innovative. The use of the small group is primary to success. In some cases even an individual terrorist can be used effectively to break the political will of the government and the people. The Madrid bombings would denote the most significant example of this new phenomenon which by targeting a large population and causing extensive casualties, the will of the government to fight a conventional war was effectively negated. The relevance of large groups operating in small nodes is also evident with Al Qaeda whose leaders have succeeded in remaining elusive for over half a decade even as the best technology and manpower seeks out Bin Laden across the globe achieving their aims with impunity across the globe. As per Creveld (1991), modern armed forces were organizationally and equipment wise not perfectly suited to fight such a war. Peters (1999) has also indicated that modern arms and armament may not be relevant to the wars of the future. What is of concern however is that conflict trends are already proliferating towards the next stage, 5th generation wars though this is still a disputed concept. Lind (2004) for instance argues that we have not yet fully assimilated the contours of 4th Generation wars, hence contemplating the next generation may be too premature. What then emerges is perhaps, â€Å"Four and a half generation of warfare† where the state is attempting to remain relevant in the years ahead. Others as Lane (Nd) are not so sure, they presage the diffusion of technology empowering individuals in the same way as states in the first three generations have been or the non state in the fourth one. What is remarkable about these postulates is that these are increasingly being made by non military thinkers. Ideology has a central role in 4th Generation warfare. Thus dogma is used to effectively link a large group of people spread across the globe. The aim of the warrior may not be per se a change in ideology itself, it would be merely to use emotional strings in beliefs, in religion, societies and governments to evoke mass reactions thereby achieving the central aim of the perpetrator to create discord. (Lane, Nd). The use of technology is very elucidative. It is used to leverage advantages of a networked organization, scalability of conflict, exploit information and create a borderless world. (Lane, Nd). The impact of media and technology would be evident with the video tapes of Osama Bin Laden regularly promulgated across the globe giving a message of blood and mayhem to followers of the faith. Technology and information is used as a medium to wage war as also as a target of conflict in 5th generation warfare. (Fifth Generation Warfare, 2005). The Cell phone for instance is a means of communication as well as a trigger rigged to remotely explode bombs in far off places. The adaptation of technology by fifth generation warriors is much faster than that of state warriors. The above survey would indicate that insurgency and revolutionary wars are increasingly replicating 4th and 5th Generation warfare fought by non states and small groups, driven by fundamentalist ideology and supported by technology. Thus as Wilcox and Wilson (2002) indicate warriors of the future will be organized along small independent action forces (SIAF) or cells without any need for a logistics base and with psychological rather than physical goals. We should not be surprised if both these generations exist simultaneously, where wars are increasingly fought by a triad of states, non states and empowered small groups. By seeing through these paradigms can we be better prepared to withstand its rigors.

Debut Albums and Happy Birthday Essay Example for Free

Debut Albums and Happy Birthday Essay May you have all the joy your heart can hold, all the smiles a day can bring, all the blessings a life can unfold, may you get the world’s best in everything. Wishing you a Happy Birthday! You are like an angel because you’ve touched the life of every person you’ve met. You deserve the best and the most special of Birthdays so that you can touch the lives of a thousand more people. Happy Birthday! In the journey of your life, may you count your successes with each passing Birthday and may you never have to look back on any regrets of your life. Happy Birthday dear! Some like sunday some like monday, but i like your birthday.happy birthday my On this wonderful day, I wish you the best that life has to offer! Happy Birthday! Sending you my love on your birthday and everyday. On this wonderful day, a star of pure love appeared to be my giftmy present and my futuryou!! I am very thankful for all the joy you bring into my life! Happy Birthday!! Today is a perfect day to tell you that you are a wonderful friendWith each year Ill love you more. Remember that your best years are still ahead of you and Ill be there for every up down and in between. Happy Birthday, my angel! If I could, I would write it across the sky so that everyone could see it and know that you are truly loved! I wish I could attach my heart to this Birthday wish. Thats how much you mean to me. Have a happy and fun-filled Birthday! On your birthday lets celebrate our past, our today and our future! I love my life with you!

Effect of New Labour on Social Policy for Children

Effect of New Labour on Social Policy for Children The Preventive State. How far has New Labour changed the direction and scope of social policy for children and families? New Labour has reformed the scope and direction of social policy in the United Kingdom indelibly. These changes have permeated every level and shade of social policy related to children and families. The tax credits system, and in particular the Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit system has been introduced; fathers have gained more extensive paternity rights; parents with young children and parents with disabled children now enjoy the right to ask employers for more flexible working hours and a minimum wage has been introduced. This essay will explain the various social policy initiatives which have been formulated by New Labour and will attempt to explain the impact these have had upon children and families. An examination of how far New Labour has changed the direction and scope of social policy for children and families necessitates an examination of how the Labour Party traditionally dealt with policy in this area, and inevitably the transition from Old Labour to New Labour will have to be looked at since this has probably represented the single biggest catalyst for political change relating to social policy. In this way the question of how far New Labour have changed the direction and scope of social policy for children and young families will be evaluated and answered. Also, the question of whether the social policy objectives of New Labour allow one to characterise New Labour as the ‘Preventive State’ will be addressed throughout the essay. What is ‘New Labour’? New Labour was the name given to the Labour Party under the leadership of Tony Blair. New Labour swept to power with a landslide victory over the Conservatives in 1997. Prior to 1997, Labour had not been in power since James Callaghan’s Labour party lost power to Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party in 1979. Historically, the Labour Party in Britain has been the main left wing political party, and was built upon strong association with the trade union movement (Minkin, (1991))[1]. The historical concerns and ideology of the Labour Party, before the transition to New Labour has been set in context by Bevir (2005): ‘The leading figures in the early Labour Party Keir Hardie, Philip Snowden, and Ramsay MacDonald condemned capitalism in much the same terms as had the ethical socialists. Snowden condemned the competitive market for bringing out our animal instincts not our moral ones; it makes men hard, cruel, selfish, acquisitive economic machines†¦..Snowden followed Webbs theory of interest as analogous to land rent, arguing that just as the landlord gets an unearned income from the increase in the value of land, so the capitalist gets an unearned increment from improvements in productive methods and in other ways not the result of his own efforts or abilities. MacDonald followed the Webbss denunciation of the uncoordinated nature of the market, arguing that whereas capitalism relied on a haphazard and chaotic clash of individual interests, socialism would eliminate waste by organising economic life on a scientific basis†¦[2]’. Tony Blair became leader of the Labour Party in 1994, after the death of John Smith, and gradually came to realise that ideological reform of the foundations of the party, as expressed above were necessary if Labour were to be regarded as a credible party in the eyes of voters. Therefore, ‘New Labour’ came to represent this ideological shift which rejected the old democratic socialist underpinnings of the Labour Party in favour of neo-liberal policies, which had proven so popular under the premiership of Margaret Thatcher. This ideological shift drew the Labour Party further to the centre-right, and led to much division among the ranks of Labour Party members who saw this development as positive and progressive and those who regarded it as incongruous with the traditional function of the Labour Party. Therefore, Labour, as a party has undergone considerable change in the last two decades, and this process of change can mainly be attributed to the transition from Old Labour, with its focus on traditional socialist values, to New Labour, a party whose ideologies had shifted towards the centre-right and which seem to be driven more by political pragmatism than by any particular allegiance to ideology. The writings of Denver et al. (1998) give us more guidance on the rationale and impetus for this transition to New Labour: ‘†¦After private polling immediately following the 1992 general election and again at the end of that same year revealed that, among wavering Conservative voters, the Labour Party was regarded as too old fashioned, too tied to the past, too linked to minorities rather than majorities, and too associated with old images of the trades unions, Hill wrote that the party lacked clear identity and was the party of the past.†¦.The view that, notwithstanding any opinion poll leads Labour might gain, the party would not win an election unless it reassessed itself in a fundamental manner was held among a group of party modernisers, including Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Harriet Harman, Peter Mandelson, and Philip Gould. The 1992 defeat confirmed these modernisers view that fundamental changes were necessary†¦.Their target included both the left and the right of the party. Harold Wilson, James Callaghan, Tony Crosland, and Tony Benn were all equally identified with the flawed politics of old Labour. In Blairs view, â€Å"Labour needed a quantum leap to become a serious party of government again.†¦.His project, as first publicly articulated in his 1995 party conference speech, was to eradicate all aspects of party doctrine and ethos, of policies and strategies, that were of the past†¦.[3]’. The changes to the ideological foundations of the Labour Party, brought about principally by Blair, have in turn precipitated wide reaching change to the social policy which is now espoused by the Labour Party, and these changes have arguably impacted upon families and children more sharply than they have impacted upon any other groups or sectors. The next sections will chart these changes to the social policy perspective of the Labour Party under Blair and will attempt to relate this discussion to the situation of families and children. In a wider sense, this discussion will address the issue of whether New Labour can be regarded as a ‘preventive state’. New Labour in Power New Labour has changed the face of social policy which can be seen to have a direct effect upon the family and children. The introduction of the minimum wage in 1999; the revolutionary idea of allowing fathers paternity rights and the ideas about flexible working arrangements for women, parents with children and disabled people have all had the effect of bringing the institution of the family in the UK into the modern era. Labour have worked to reduce poverty and to improve working arrangements for those with families, partly as an expression of commitments to ‘popular’ politics, but also as a necessary series of measures to ensure that the UK complies with the requirements of European Union. This section will examine these measures, how they have come about and how effective they have been at changing the direction and scope of social policy within the UK. When Labour took power in the 1997 General Election, they promised to radically reform government policy to make it appeal more to the average voter, they promised to eliminate ‘sleaze’ which had been a central flaw in the previous Conservative administration, and they also promised to radically reform their own party, not just ideologically but in terms of a general democratic function, which they argued had put too wide a distance between Government and groups including families and children[4]. Therefore Labour was committed to make the party more geared towards the concerns of contemporary voters who saw issues relating to family and children as important. These were all rhetorical promises, of course, yet nonetheless they can be regarded as being of particular significance to the core social policies which were to emerge following the election of the fledgling Labour Government in 1997. The appointment of Frank Field in 1997, as Welfare Reform Minister communicated the first message that the object of this radical rhetoric was to be social policy, in particular. Field identified flaws in the social policy system which had been inherited from the Conservatives, and these problems, according to Field emanated from the antiquated system of means testing for benefits. Mainly, Field objected to the fact that the social security system, in particular the system of means testing seemed to create disincentives for those returning to work, after a period of dependency on benefits. This flaw, in particular, affected children and families because many families with young children faced the decision either to return to work, or to remain on benefits with an adult in the home to look after the child or children. However, Field’s rationale in regards to means testing did not find favour with the Government. However, Field’s proposals for reform of the youth employme nt policies fared a little better. The New Deal for eighteen to twenty four year olds was introduced as a way of addressing wider social concerns about youth unemployment and a link between crime or ‘anti-social’ behaviour and young people leaving education with few qualifications or prospects. This policy was arguably the main social policy reform introduced during the tenure of Frank Field[5]. The New Deal was first publicised in October 1997, as part of the Government’s ‘Welfare to Work’ strategy, and was a policy directed at providing work opportunities for young people leaving school at eighteen, and was also intended to indirectly benefit those families who had young people living in the family home just after that young person had left education. The New Deal was not a new conception. As a policy, it was first introduced by F. D. Roosevelt to deal with the consequences of the depression in America, in the early 1930s. However, the Labour Government of 1997 adopted the ‘New Deal’ brand to communicate a policy which was targeted towards young people, and was intended to operationalise New Labour’s social policy objective of encouraging young people aged 18-24 to enter the UK workforce. In this sense, the social policy initiatives which were products of the tenure of Frank Field can be regarded as ‘preventive’ since they recognised the problems which disillusioned youths might pose to society if they were not encouraged to follow a smooth transition from schooling to the world of work. However, Field’s tenure as Minister for Welfare Reform was thwarted by Cabinet feuds and grassroots suspicions (in particular from backbenchers) that a radical reform of the social security system would disenfranchise those within the Labour Party who remained loyal to socialist ideology[6]. Therefore, although it is true that Frank Field did not precipitate radical reform of the social security system or wider social policy, he did lay the foundations for Labour’s social security policy focus which was pivoted upon encouraging individual self sufficiency and recognition that working was more beneficial than reliance upon the support of the social security system. Ironically therefore, although Field’s title as Minister for Welfare Reform would have suggested otherwise, Field’s ideas were regarded as too revolutionary, and even as subversive by some. The translation of Field’s reform ethos was arguably stunted while he was in power, for many reasons , but principally because, during this time New Labour struggled to repudiate old socialist ideological ideas, which traditionally and historically were central to the Labour Party. The reform of means testing became government policy in 1998[7], and the conception of welfare rights coupled with ‘responsibility’ reflected a wider rationale which encouraged people on welfare to regard state support as a mechanism which might be relied upon where an option to support oneself was impossible as opposed to undesirable. We have seen this rationale continue into 2006, with the recent reform of Incapacity Benefit, which is now more difficult to claim. These reforms of the social security system, although some have not been specifically targeted at children and families, have indirectly benefited children and families in significant ways. However, if one looks to the reform of the tax credit system, New Labour’s direct concern to change the circumstances of families and children, by implementing the rationales which have been explained above can be seen more sharply. The Child Tax and Working Tax Credit System The 2000 Budget communicated the Government’s plans to revise the benefits system, and this process resulted in the creation of the tax credits system, which was intended to be a singular system which would provide social welfare support to families, disabled people, low income employees and children which had previously been available through a plethora of complex individual benefit schemes. In particular, the system replaced the WFTC (Working Family Tax Credit) and the DPTC (Disabled Person Tax Credit) systems. The tax credit system was aimed at operationalising New Labour’s commitment to eradicating poverty and social exclusion, especially poverty among children and families. Tax credits were also intended to target relief towards those who were in need of it the most, and financially reward families for choosing to work. A special tax credit was also introduced and this was aimed at assisting families with young children with childcare costs, which arose because a parent needed to work. The tax credit system was seen by many as the Government’s response to the criticism that families who worked were not much better off financially than families who did not work and sought financial support from the social security system. The system of tax credits was also seen as a way to eliminate the problem with the previous means testing approach to welfare calculation which tended to heavily penalise those families and individuals who had savings. The tax credit system was operationalised alongside targets to reduce child poverty rates and specifically to deal with the fact that Britain was criticised as having one of the highest child poverty rates in Europe. However, the tax credit system is a transitional policy initiative and has suffered from various criticisms which have resulted directly from the transitional nature of the system. Current criticisms of the tax credit system point to the persistent problem of over payments which have to be recovered from low income families. The bureaucracy of the system has also encountered heavy criticism, in much the same way as the Child Support Agency has under New Labour. Also, under New Labour the Housing Benefit and Council tax systems have remained largely untouched, and this can arguably be criticised as an inconsistent social welfare policy approach. The rationale for this particular critique is that the problems which prompted reform of the social welfare system and the resultant introduction of the tax credit system still exist, albeit in different niches within the social welfare system, giving rise to an inconsistent and inadequate reform focus. Children and Anti-Social Behaviour New Labour has also been radical in dealing with concerns about anti-social behaviour in children. Their approach has arguably been to impose a more paternalistic and authoritarian culture upon young children, while at the same time increasing the responsibilities and duties which parents owe to their children, and those children in their care. These trends have taken shape in the form of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, which has classified littering, causing criminal damage, vandalism, noise, hoax calls and street drinking amongst other things as anti-social behaviour. New Labour: The Preventive State? New Labour can be seen to have assumed the mantle of the ‘preventive state’ given the focus it has directed towards, dealing with the ‘causes[8]’ of crime and dysfunction in the youth sector and in relation to the family. This focus, coupled with New Labour’s focus on trying to eradicate poverty through the welfare initiatives which have been explained above, and the attempts which have been made to make youth transition from the end of education to the beginning of employment more smooth (i.e. the New Deal initiative) has cast Labour as being concerned with preventing problems associated with the family and children before they arise. In this sense, New Labour can certainly be seen as a ‘preventive’ state. Their concerns are paternalistic in the context. However, one only has to turn to the provision of social services within the UK to see the converse of new Labour’s role as a preventive state. In particular, the death of Victoria Climbie provoked criticism that the social services system, under the supervision of the Blair administration was grossly inadequate and fraught with flaws which undermined the institution of the family and endangered to position of children by failing those vulnerable individuals who either need assistance from the state to help them support children, or those individuals who are children and indirectly need to state to provide this support to those caring for them. The next section of the essay will examine this critique of the New Labour Government. Children and Social Services in the UK New Labour has implemented a series of legislative initiatives aimed at protecting the situation of the child in the UK. A Children’s Minister (currently Beverley Hughes) has been appointed to oversee the needs of children. The Children’s Act 2004 and the Every Child Matters agenda were aimed to improve and modernise the protections available to children within the UK, a system which had been highlighted as containing serious flaws, particularly in the aftermath of the death of Victoria Climbie, an eight year old child who died following systematic abuse inflicted by her carers, which was not identified by the social services whose ultimate role it had been to oversee Victoria Climbie’s care. These initiatives were aimed at bolstering the protections offered by The Children Act 1989 and responding to a climate of deep unhappiness about New Labour’s handling of the social support mechanisms available to children and families of children who needed to avail of such support. The area of the social services and how these actors assisted families and children was a policy concern largely ignored by the Labour administration when it assumed power. Labour’s concerns, as has been explained above were mainly ideological in focus and concerned ‘bigger picture’ issues which included education, crime, social exclusion, poverty, employment, welfare and other such issues which existed as inter-related and intersecting socio-legal and socio-political policy concerns. It is possible to make an argument therefore that New Labour’s concern for these ‘bigger picture’ issues has resulted in relative neglect of issues which concern policy niches, and policy concerns which exist at a more micro, but nonetheless critical level. Among these niche issues are the services provided to children and families through the social services. Lord Laming’s enquiry into the needs of children in care was established after the death of Victoria Climbie in 2000. Laming published his report in January 2003, and it heavily criticised the government for not having enough communication channels open between agencies working within the social services sector separately, while at the same time serving a singular function to provide support to children and families in need to state support. Therefore, one of Laming’s main recommendations was the formulation of a national database where social services actors would be able to access information about children, nationally. Commenting on Lord Laming’s report, the Children Minister, Barbara Hughes has made the following statement, acknowledging the accuracy of Laming’s criticisms: We have seen the tragic consequences that the failure to intervene early can have, as identified in Lord Lamings report on Victoria Climbie. But even in less extreme circumstances, all too often children who need additional help are faced with services which are not joined up. We need to ensure that professionals work together across service boundaries for the benefit of children†¦..These proposals balance the need to do everything we can to improve childrens life chances whilst ensuring strong safeguards to make sure information stored is minimal, secure and used appropriately. Parents and young people will be able to ask to see their data†¦[9]’. It is clear therefore that New Labour has taken Laming’s concerns seriously and the policy response that New Labour has delivered has been open, direct and speedy. However, this does not absolve the Government of the responsibility for failing to foresee the problems that eventually did arise for families and children because the social services sector had been sidelined while the Government dealt with ‘bigger picture’ issues. Perhaps it is arguable therefore that the Labour Government have changed the direction and scope of social policy ideologically, while failing to understand that grassroots issues such as social services provisions, needed ‘on the ground’ were under resourced and outdated. This rationale can account the apparent contraction in terms which emanates from a vision of the Labour Party as a modernising party who changed the face of social policy indelibly and undoubtedly in positive ways, while simultaneously failing in their responsibility to effectively oversee the operation of services on a more micro level. In this sense, the Labour Party can be critiqued as thinking preventively about ideological and holistic policy concerns while only thinking and behaving reactively to grassroots level services for the family and children. It is clear, however, that lessons have been learned from policy failures and policy ‘gaps’, and while these critiques are certainly serious they are ameliorated through the Labour Party’s willingness to accept criticisms, such as those delivered by Laming and to implement far reaching changes as a response to these. Conclusion In conclusion therefore, the New Labour Government, which has been continuously been in power since 1997 has implemented far reaching change within the area of social policy relating to children and the family. These social policy developments have been explained throughout this essay, and an argument has been made that in many ways, New Labour has drastically changed the direction and scope of social policy within the UK. However, as has been one of the central arguments of this essay; this far reaching change has been manifested more at an ideological than at a grassroots level. In this sense, New Labour can be regarded as being a ‘preventive state’ more at an ideological than at a grassroots level. Grassroots services and social policy concerns relating to the family have recently been highlighted as seriously deficient, but as has been another central argument within this essay, these failures have been offset to an extent by willingness on the part of New Labour to accept and respond constructively to political criticism. Bibliography Books Bevir, M. (2005). New Labour: A Critique. Publisher: Routledge. Place of Publication: London. Denver, D., King, A., McLean, I., Norris, P., Norton, P., Sanders, D. and Seyd, P. (1998) New Labour Triumphs: Britain at the Polls. Publisher: Chatham House Publishers. Place of Publication: Chatham, NJ. Minkin, L. (1991). The Contentious Alliance: Trade Unions and the Labour Party. Publisher: Edinburgh University Press. Place of Publication: Edinburgh. Articles Hayton, A. and Leathwood, C. (2002) Educational Inequalities in the United Kingdom: A Critical Analysis of the Discourses and Policies of New Labour. Title: Australian Journal of Education. Volume: 46. Issue: 2. Anonymous. (2005) Better Services for Children as Government acts on Lord Laming Recommendation. Available at: http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/3938 >>. 1 Footnotes [1] P192. Minkin, L. (1991). The Contentious Alliance: Trade Unions and the Labour Party. Publisher: Edinburgh University Press. Place of Publication: Edinburgh. [2] P133. Bevir, M. (2005). New Labour: A Critique. Publisher: Routledge. Place of Publication: London. [3] P51. Denver, D., King, A., McLean, I., Norris, P., Norton, P., Sanders, D. and Seyd, P. (1998) New Labour Triumphs: Britain at the Polls. Publisher: Chatham House Publishers. Place of Publication: Chatham, NJ. [4] P138+. Hayton, A. and Leathwood, C. (2002) Educational Inequalities in the United Kingdom: A Critical Analysis of the Discourses and Policies of New Labour. Title: Australian Journal of Education. Volume: 46. Issue: 2. [5] See Hayton, A. and Leathwood, C. ((2002) P138+). [6] See Denver et al. ((1998) P201). [7] Under the supervision of Alistair Darling who had succeeded Frank Field as Secretary of State at the Department of Social Security in 1998. [8] As Blair famously remarked in the 1990s. [9] Anonymous. (2005) Better Services for Children as Government acts on Lord Laming Recommendation. Available at: http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/3938 >>.

Poverty and Charity in Jane Eyre Essay -- Jane Eyre Essays

Poverty and Charity in Jane Eyre When Jane Eyre resided at Gateshead Hall, under the care of her aunt, Mrs. Reed, she yearned for a change. The treatment that she received at Gateshead Hall was cruel, unjust, and most importantly, lacked nurture. Jane wanted to escape Gateshead Hall and enter into a school. The school that was imposed upon Jane was Lowood Institution. Through her eight year stay at Lowood, Jane learned how to control her frustrations and how to submit to authority. After leaving Lowood Institution and taking the occupation as governess at Thornfield Hall, Jane realized that her experiences at Gateshead Hall and Lowood Institution had deeply rooted themselves into her personality. After departing Thornfield Hall, Jane wandered about as a vagabond. Arriving at Whitcross, Jane was starving, cold, and in need of help. It is St. John Rivers who aids in helping Jane back to health. Through her experiences at Gateshead Hall, Lowood Institution, and Whitcross, Jane Eyre becomes the recipient of the positive and negative aspects of the New Poor Law depicted by Charlotte Bronte in nineteenth-century England. Under the care of Mrs. Reed, Jane's aunt, Jane is treated as though she is a "wicked and abandoned child" (60; ch. 4). Her "father had been a poor clergyman" (58; ch. 3) and both her parents died from typhus fever. She was given to her motherà ­'s sister-in-law in "promise of Mrs. Reed that she would rear and maintain her as one of her own children" (48; ch. 2). Jane is treated just the opposite. She entered into Gateshead Hall, the residence of the Reeds, in hopes of being brought up a civil and well-nurtured child. Instead, Jane is treated as a subservient child who is abused not only by Mrs. Reed, but also by h... ...cation at Lowood, she still "desired liberty" (117; ch. 10). After searching for a job, Jane realized she was once "an outcast, a beggar, and a vagrant" (387; ch. 31). She becomes grateful for the charity and job as a teacher that Mr. St. John Rivers bestowed upon her. The charity that Mr. Rivers showed towards Jane exemplified the kind of philanthropy that Charlotte Bronte depicted as being genuine; on the other hand, the kinds of treatment that Jane received at Gateshead Hall and Lowood Institution were the types of charity that were governed by the New Poor Law administrators. In Charlotte Bronte's novel, Jane Eyre, she clearly illustrated how she viewed charity and philanthropy under the ruling of the New Poor Law. Works Cited: Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. London, Penguin Books Ltd.: 1996. (Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Michael Mason).

The 20th centurys 3 greatest composers Essay -- Stravinsky Copland

The 20th century's 3 Greatest Composers The 20th century has watched many musicians break through their generation's bounds of normalcy to creat a completely new music. Musicians who initiated revolutions so grandiose that the impact—like an earthquake’s aftershocks—would reverberate for decades and influence scores of musicians to come. Such influences can be traced back to three specific composers. Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland, and Nadia Boulanger: the triumvirate of 20th century music. Igor Stravinsky, remains the century’s most shocking and versatile composer. Born in Russia in 1882, Stravinsky enjoyed a musically wealthy childhood. He was the son of a famous opera singer and well-educated in piano performance and harmony/counterpoint. His parents sent him to St. Petersburg University to obtain a Criminal Law/Legal Philosophy degree. While attending school, Stravinsky befriended a young man whose father, Rimsky-Korsokav, later developed a special affinity for Stravinksy’s music (Nousiainen). Because Stravinsky was not schooled in traditional techniques, Rimsky-Korsakov advised him to continue private harmony and counterpoint lessons, rather than attend a formal conservatory. Rimsky-Korsakov, professor at such an institution, thought the rigorous atmosphere might overwhelm and discourage the young composer (Walsh). Despite this lack of formal training, Stravinsky created some of the 20th century's most profound pieces. The Rite of Spring, Stravinsky’s most notable music contribution, was commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes. For readers unfamiliar with the ballet, Rite choreographs the story of an ancient tribe’s sacrifice of an adolescent virgin whom, in order to save the Earth,... ... of you. What an impression you have left with the music-lovers around the world!† (â€Å"Letter†). This impact is Nadia Boulanger remains the most significant figure of 20th century music. FOOTNOTES [1] This abstract sketch was Stravinsky’s response when author, Robert Craft, asked him to draw his music.The drawing is comparable to the abstract nature of Stravinsky’s compositions (Craft). [2]The phrase â€Å"Appalachian Spring† was first coined by poet Hart Crane.Martha Graham copied his words for her ballet’s already-finished score, which, until then, Copland had modestly titled â€Å"Ballet for Martha† [3] Tanglewood is a premier music academy founded by Boston Symphony director, Serge Koussevitsky, in 1940.His goal was to provide a place for budding musicians to study with orchestra musicians and other world class artists

psychology and gender :: essays research papers

In a showdown of the sexes on Friday, Johnstone Professor of Psychology Steven Pinker and Professor of Psychology Elizabeth Spelke debated whether innate differences lead to the underrepresentation of tenured women in math and the sciences. In front of a packed Science Center B crowd, they analyzed the data behind University President Lawrence H. Summers’ controversial January comments on women in science. Pinker, whom Summers recruited to Harvard last year, cited evidence arguing that male superiority in skills like mental object rotation and problem solving provides a biological basis for the argument that men are more talented at math and science. Spelke countered, acknowledging the existence of differences between men and women, but arguing that the reason â€Å"women are as scarce as hen’s teeth† in academia is due to discrimination. â€Å"The debate is not, ‘are there sex differences,’ it’s, ‘do they add up to an advantage for one gender over the other,’† Spelke reminded the audience. Prefacing his comments by saying that he was a feminist, Pinker stressed the importance of distinguishing between the moral and empirical claims about gender differences. â€Å"The truth cannot be sexist,† he said. Though Spelke attacked his yardstick indicator—the SAT mathematics examinations—Pinker maintained that â€Å"the tests are very good. They have an enormous amount of predictive power.† Pinker also noted that men and women tend to have different priorities in life; men seek status and money, while women look more for interpersonal relationships. â€Å"What this means is that there are slightly more men than women who don’t care whether or not they have a life,† Pinker said. Spelke did not address the argument about motives directly, saying that she did not think there was evidence available to evaluate the claim that motives are biologically determined. She focused on proving the existence of covert discrimination by looking at how gender stereotypes influence the way men and women are perceived. She presented studies in which employers were given identical resumes—with only the candidate’s gender switched—that found that men were perceived as being more productive than women. She admitted, however, that â€Å"we’re not dealing with overt discrimination,† saying that in unambiguous situations, where one candidate is clearly superior to the other, there is no evidence of sex discrimination. Pinker later noted that women are not underrepresented everywhere, but only in the hard sciences. Several audience members said they thought the evening concluded in Spelke’s favor.

First Day of School Essay

Life is full of surprises and difficulties. A college can make your life are changing after you walked into the campus at first day in college. I used to think about the class in college which is different from in high school. Those people who are older than me, they have told me that college would be new life for me. That college would show me what is the differently between college and high school. I was really wondering about it, I didn’t know anything since the first year and first day. Everything I knew before I went to college that was I had to studied more harder, and I won’t have many friends like I did in high school. The most things that I was interesting is about the course class, the education, the campuses. They took me to a new look, and they show me what is real college life. see more:my first day at school paragraph I wasn’t thinking the differently from high school to college is big deal, but I have a bit scared when I went into the campus, and I have seen many students that I didn’t know anyone of them. First class were surprise me because that was about 20 to 30 students only, but they aren’t friend to each other. I went to my class early so that I can get a good seat close to teacher, and I can meet my classmate. That was lucky because I just met a old friend from high school in the first class. Therefore, the class is not so scaring anymore and everything is seemed to be better than before. After the first class, I just knew another things, that is college students didn’t like to make friends like we did in high school. They came to class to record the lecture then they left the class after the lecture done without any talk. College’s course classes are really differently. First, the college classes are taking more time than the high school, they are taking about two hour for each day. All I could do in class that was hearing the lecture from professor. That was not really for all class, there was some professors let us doing group works. The professors tried to help students had more time to knew each other, and they worked better in their works. The lecture is  taking about two hour, it made the students fall in sleep easy. Now is one another thing, I did not realize that college’s student could wear whatever they want; it doesn’t matter with the uniform. Students can’t talk to each other during lecture that is reason students are not so friendly when they tried to ask the other about homework or any assignment. However, students can leave early before class end 15 minutes or 20 minutes early, In high school, students would get their assignments and homework from the professors in class, but that was not for college. Everything are in online and website, assignments, homework, projects, including lecture summaries. All the assignment and homework had dude day, it really could help students have more time to do their work, and they will management their time life more easy. In high school, teacher always gave us homework before we left class, and turn them in next day. I knew sometime we won’t have enough time, but that is more helpful to students because they would catch up and learned more about what they learned in class that day. All the course class, they have a schedule for lecture, tests, quiz and the final. The professors did that because they didn’t want the students miss any test or final. There is no time to make up any test if we are absent and miss those test. College is having many campuses, those are really cool and bigger than the high school campus. I knew it is unfair compare but that is truth, there is some class have around 100 students in one lecture. Some college campuses are really big with 3 or 4 floors up, each one have more than 50 rooms to be laboratory, class rooms, computer labs. Students can have free internet to research and doing their homework without going home. The library have all the kind of books, it is helping students find their book easy, and students can use the desktop in library to do their project. I think college is a new world, and new life, that is giving me more option, surprises and difficulties. College is changing my angle personal life, it gave me the knowledge and the differently between high school and college. I sum up my College life as an impactful one, but I think I could’ve done better to be someone I hope to be. I’ve learnt to change my own view after I saw everything college in front of my eyes, it is not that difficult like  the other people told me before. All the things, The course class, the education, the campuses are totally changing my to new life.

Pakistani Art and Culture Essay

Culture and Components of Culture Culture Culture is the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group In the 20th century, â€Å"culture† emerged as a central concept in anthropology, encompassing the range of human phenomena that cannot be attributed to genetic inheritance. Specifically, the term â€Å"culture† in American anthropology had two meanings: the evolved human capacity to classify and represent experiences with symbols, and to act imaginatively and creatively; and (2) the distinct ways that people living in different parts of the world classified and represented their experiences, and acted creatively. Distinctions are currently made between the physical artifacts created by a society, its so-called material culture and everything else,[3] the intangibles such as language, customs, etc. that are the main referent of the term â€Å"culture†. Components of Culture Language. Language is a set of symbols used to assign and communicate meaning. It enables us to name or label the things in our world so we can think and communicate about them. Norms. Norms are humanly created rules for behavior. Norms are considered as rules and expectations eventually set by a particular society that serve as guides to the behavior of its members. It varies in the terms of the degrees of importance and might be change over a period of time. It is reinforced by sanctions in the forms or rewards and punishments. These are standards accepted by society culturally and serves as obligatory and expected behavior’s of the people in different situations in life. Types of norms * Folkways * Taboos * Rituals * Social Control * Ideologies, beliefs, and values. * Physical and verbal reactions. * Embarrassment and stigma. Values Values are anything members of a culture aspire to or hold in high esteem. Values are things to be achieved, things considered of great worth or value. Values are human creations. They are social products. Values can and do become reified. Values can be renegotiated and changed. While people and groups may disagree as to which are most important, Examples * Democracy, liberty, freedom, independence, autonomy, and individual rights. * Capitalism, competition, hard work, self-discipline, and success. * Wealth, prosperity, materialism, and consumerism. * Equity, fairness, and justice. * Equality of opportunity. * Love, compassion, humanitarianism, charity, service, and respect for others. * Tolerance, forgiveness, and acceptance. * Faith, religion, family, conformity, and tradition. * Nationalism, patriotism, civic responsibility, and loyalty. * Health, happiness, and life. * Education, knowledge, science, technology, and innovation. * Complimentary and conflicting values. A groups values tend to compliment and support one another. They tend to be in agreement and make sense when considered together. A careful look at the values above reveals â€Å"sets† of values that seem to go together. However, it is also possible for values to contradict and conflict with each other, especially in complex modern industrial societies. For example, competition and success can be seen as contradictory to humanitarianism, compassion, service and self-sacrafice; while equity and justice contradict forgiveness and conformity and tradition contradict tolerance and acceptance. In fact, many social and political problems can be seen as conflicts between groups emphasizing different values. Beliefs and ideologies Beliefs are the things members of a culture hold to be true. They are the â€Å"facts† accepted by all or most members. Beliefs are not limited to religious statements, but include all the things a people know and accept as  true, including common sense everyday knowledge. Like all other cultural elements, beliefs are humanly created and produced. They are collective social agreements produced during interaction and reified over time. What is â€Å"true† or â€Å"factual† for a given people is what they collectively agree to be true at that point in time. Beliefs can and do change, especially in modern industrial societies. Today we laugh at things our grandparents used to believe and chances are that our grandchildren will laugh at many of our beliefs as well. This suggests that their is no absolute knowledge or absolute truth. All knowledge and truth is relative. Ideologies are integrated and connected systems of beliefs. Sets of beliefs and assumptions connected by a common theme or focus. They are often are associated with specific social institutions or systems and serve to legitimize those systems. * Capitalism. * Christianity (Protestantism). * Individualism * Scientism * Sexism. * Racism. Ideologies are, themselves, often related and connected to each other in complex ideological systems, such that one ideology â€Å"makes sense† when considered with another. They also often serve to legitimize each other. Religious ideologies often encompass or subsume many of a culture’s ideologies, giving them added legitimacy. Statuses and Roles. Status, although related, is not a measure of a persons wealth, power, and prestige. To speak of â€Å"high† or â€Å"low† status is somewhat misleading. A status is a slot or position within a group or society. They tell us who people are and how they â€Å"fit† into the group. Master statuses–age, sex, race, class. Status, prestige, wealth, and power. Roles are norms specifying the rights and responsibilities associated with a particular status. The term role is often used to mean both a position in  society and role expectations associated with it. Roles define what a person in a given status can and should do, as well as what they can and should expect from others. Roles provide a degree of stability and predictability, telling how we should respond to others and giving us an idea of how others should respond to us. Roles are negotiated and produced during interaction, and often become reified over time. However, roles can be renegotiated and changed. Cultural Integration. Cultural integration refers to how interconnected, complimentary, and mutually supportive the various elements of culture are. Cultural heritage Cultural heritage (â€Å"national heritage or just â€Å"heritage†) is the legacy of physical artifacts (cultural property) and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations. Cultural heritage includes tangible culture (such as buildings, monuments, landscapes, books, works of art, and artifacts), intangible culture (such as folklore, traditions, language, and knowledge), and natural heritage (including culturally significant landscapes, and biodiversity). The deliberate act of keeping cultural heritage from the present for the future is known as Preservation (American English) or Conservation (British English), though these terms may have more specific or technical meaning in the same contexts in the other dialect. Cultural property (tangible) Cultural property includes the physical, or â€Å"tangible† cultural heritage, such as buildings and historic places, monuments, books, documents, works of art, machines, clothing, and other artifacts, that are considered worthy of preservation for the future. These include objects significant to the archaeology, architecture, science or technology of a specific culture. Intangible culture â€Å"Intangible cultural heritage† consists of non-physical aspects of a particular culture, often maintained by social customs during a specific period in history. The ways and means of behavior in a society, and the often formal rules for operating in a particular cultural climate. These  include social values and traditions, customs and practices, aesthetic and spiritual beliefs, artistic expression, language and other aspects of human activity. The significance of physical artifacts can be interpreted against the backdrop of socioeconomic, political, ethnic, religious and philosophical values of a particular group of people. Naturally, intangible cultural heritage is more difficult to preserve than physical objects. Folklore Oral history Language preservation Cultural Heritage of Pakistan PAKISTAN, LAND AND PEOPLE Pakistan, which means ‘land of the pure’, is the inheritor of a long and varied history, rich in cultural traditions. Its sands have been the playground and burial place for some of the greatest imperialists and adventurers. The land has attracted scholars and mystics, adventurers and missionaries. It is not easy to categorize Pakistanis. They belong to different tribes and ethnic groups and speak different languages. It has been shaped and united by a common faith for centuries, through the message of love, peace, dignity and support for the poor preached by the Sufis who came to the region centuries ago. THE LAND OF INDUS A young nation created in 1947, Pakistan is the inheritor of an ancient past. A country of dramatic landscapes, it is home to eight of the world’s highest peaks, including the breathtaking K2. From the Karakorams in the north, giant glaciers spill down the mountain slopes, melting as they reach lower altitudes to fill the gorges with racing torrents of water. This is the home of the spring known as the ‘Mouth of the Lion’, from where the Indus flows down, cutting its way through barren, forbidding terrain. The river twists through Pakistan for more than 2,800 kilometers. By the time it reaches the rich alluvial plain of the Punjab it has matured, flowing slower and slower as it meanders through Sindh before ending in the warm waters of the Arabian Sea near the port of Karachi. The Indus has been the lifeblood of this  predominantly agricultural economy through the millennia, instrumental in shaping the history and culture of the region. Center of the Indus Valley Civilization, one of the oldest river valley civilizations of the world, it was home to an advanced urban culture and a sophisticated trade network which included the Middle East and Egypt. By virtue of its accessibility through passes to the north and north-west, as well as via the coastline bordering the Arabian Sea, the land that became Pakistan has been the domain of adventurers and invaders, scholars and mystics. Invasions by the Greeks under Alexander, the Huns, the Arabs, and the Central Asian tribes who settled to form the Muslim Slave Dynasty and later the Mughal Empire left their mark on the culture, faith, language and physical appearance of its people. The region that is now Pakistan fostered Buddhism at Gandhara in the north, and Sikhism at Nankana in the Punjab. For several centuries, however, it has been predominantly Muslim. Muhammad bin Qasim, who secured the territory around Multan in the early eighth century, introduced Islam to the region with epic consequences, making it a defining force that unites the nation even today. Known for its breathtaking, dramatic landscapes, home to the highest range of mountains in the world, the Karakorams, and to the ‘Lion River’, the Indus, Pakistan has a rich history. Indus Civilization This land also witnessed the glorious era of Indus civilization about 8000 years B.C when the first village was found at Mehargarh in the Sibi District of Balochistan comparable with the earliest villages of Jericho in Palestine and Jarmo in Iraq. Here, during the last decade i.e., 1980’s, the French and Pakistani archaeologists have excavated mud built houses of the Mehargarh people and their agricultural land known for the cultivation of maize and wheat, together with polished stone tools, beads and other ornaments, painted jars and bowls, drinking glasses, dishes and plates. The archaeologists believe that by 7000 B.C., the Mehargarh people learnt to use the metal for the first time. From the first revolution of agricultural life the man moved to another great revolution in his social, cultural and economic life. He established trade relations with the people of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and the Arab world. He not only specialized  in painting different designs of po ttery, made varieties of pots and used cotton and wool but also made terracotta figurines and imported precious stones from Afghanistan and Central Asia. This early bronze age Culture spread out in the countryside of Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. This early beginning led to the concentration of population into the small towns, such as Kot Diji in Sindh and Rahman Dheri in Dera Ismail Khan District. It is this social and cultural exchange that led to the rise of the famous cities of Moenjodaro and Harappa, with largest concentration of population including artisans, craftsmen, businessmen and rulers. This culminated in the peak of the Indus Civilization which was primarily based on intensively irrigated agricultural land and overseas trade and contact with Iran, Gulf States, Mesopotamia and Egypt. Dames were built for storing river water, land was cultivated by means of bullock-harnessed plough – a system which still prevails in Pakistan, granaries for food storage were built, furnace was used for controlling temperature for making red pottery and various kinds of ornaments, beads of carnelian, agate, and terracotta were pierced through and above all they traded their finished goods with Central Asia and Arab world. It is these trade dividends that enriched the urban populace who developed a new sense of moral honesty, discipline and cleanliness combined with a social stratification in which the priests and the mercantile class dominated the society. The picture of high civilization can be gathered only by looking at the city of Moenjodaro, the First Planned City in the World, in which the streets are aligned straight, parallel to each other with cross streets cutting at right angles. It is through these wide streets that wheeled carriages, drawn by bulls or asses, moved about, carrying well-adorned persons seated on them appreciating the closely aligned houses made of pucca-bricks, all running straight along the streets. And then through the middle of the streets ran stone dressed drains covered with stone slabs – a practice of keeping the streets clean from polluted water, seen for the first time in the world. Gandhara Civilization Pakistan is the land which attracted Alexander the great from Macedonia in 326 B.C., with whom the influence of Greek culture came to this part of the  world. During the 2nd century B.C., it was here that Buddhism was adopted as the state religion which flourished and prevailed here for over 1000 years, starting from 2nd century B.C., until 10th century A.D. During this time Taxila, Swat and Charsaddah (old Pushkalavati) became three important centres for culture, trade and learning. Hundreds of monasteries and stupas were built together with Greek and Kushan towns such as Sirkap and Sirsukh both in Taxila. It was from these centres that a unique art of sculpture originated which is known as Gandhara Art all over the world. Today the Gandhara Sculptures occupy a prominent place in the museums of England, France, Germany, USA, Japan, Korea, China, India and Afghanistan together with many private collections world over, as well as in the museums of Pakistan. Nevertheless, the zenith of this Gandhara Art is one and only â€Å"Fasting Buddha† now on display in Lahore Museum, Lahore. Finally, the light of Islam penetrated in this part of the world as early as 7th century AD. from the west with the Arabs and during the 10th century AD from the north with the Turks. Islam replaced the early way of life of worshipping idols and introduced new philosophy of faith in one God. With Islam in came a new culture in this land from Arabia and Central Asia. Hence, a new type of architecture, hitherto unknown in this area, was introduced. Tens of thousands of Mosques, Madrassahs, tombs and gardens were created by the Muslim rulers all over the Sub-Continent. The new style of Islamic architecture prevailed and matured in this land for over a thousand years. The most important contribution of the Muslim rulers to this land, however, is a new language ‘Urdu’ which became the national language of Pakistan since its independence in 1947. Islamic Period The light of Islam penetrated in this part of the world as early as 712 A.D from the west with the Arab General Muhammad bin Qasim and during the 10th century A.D from the north with the Turk Sultan Mahmud of Ghaznah ( better known as Mahmud Ghaznavi). Islam replaced the early way of life of worshipping idols and introduced new philosophy of faith in one God. With Islam in came a new culture in this land from Arabia and Central Asia. Hence, a new type of architecture, hitherto unknown in this area, was introduced. Tens of thousands of Mosques, Madrasahs, tombs and gardens were created by the Muslim rulers all over the Sub-Continent. The new style of  Islamic architecture prevailed and matured in this land for over a thousand years. The direct influence of the Muslim Rulers was not only confined to the architecture; their food added a variety of new dishes in the Sub-Continental cuisine. The national dress of Pakistan, â€Å" Shalwar Qamiz† is also a direct gift of the Muslim Turks. Since the mother tongue of the Muslim Rulers was Arabic, Turkish and Farsi, it was only natural that the local languages of the Sub-Continent were greatly influenced and new language was introduced. Thus the most important contribution of the Muslim rulers to this land is a new language ‘Urdu’ which became the national language of Pakistan since its independence in 1947. British Period: 1857 – 1947 Just before the independence of Pakistan this land remained a part of the British Empire for almost a century. Hence the British culture also left an impact on the life of the people of Pakistan. Amongst the British legacy a new form of architecture which is a blend of Islamic and the Western Architecture emerged. This colonial architecture in the form of Residential Bungalows, Educational Institutions, Churches and Railway Stations is still very attrative and in a good condition. Examples of the British Architecture can be seen in all the major cities of Pakistan. The British patronage towards introducing Railways in the Sub-Continent is indeed a great gift and the operational railroad and railway stations in Pakistan today are the same laid and built by the British before 1947. Old Presidency in Rawalpindi, Rest house in Ziarat, Empress Market Karachi, Punjab University’s old Campus, Islamia College Peshawar, and Cathedrals in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar are jus t few examples of the British Heritage.The British Empire, however, ceased to exist in this part of the world after 14 August 1947. Lecture II Culture of Pakistan and Characteristics of Pakistani Culture The society and culture of Pakistan (Urdu: Ø «Ã™â€šÃ˜ §Ã™ Ã˜ ª Ù ¾Ã˜ §Ãš ©Ã˜ ³Ã˜ ªÃ˜ §Ã™â€ ) comprises numerous diverse cultures and ethnic groups: the Punjabis, Kashmiris, Sindhis in east, Muhajirs, Makrani in the south; Baloch and Pashtun in the west; and the  ancient Dardic, Wakhi, and Burusho communities in the north. These Pakistani cultures have been greatly influenced by many of the surrounding countries’ cultures, such as the Turkic peoples, Persian, Arab, and other South Asian ethnic groups of the Subcontinent, Central Asia and the Middle East. In ancient times, Pakistan was a major cultural hub. Many cultural practices and great monuments have been inherited from the time of the ancient rulers of the region. One of the greatest cultural influences was that of the Persian Empire, of which Pakistan was a part. In fact, the Pakistani satraps were at one time the richest and most productive of the massive Persian Empire. Other key influences include the Afghan Empire, Mughal Empire and later, the short-lived but influential, the British Empire. Pakistan has a cultural and ethnic background going back to the Indus Valley Civilization, which existed from 2800–1800 B.C., and was remarkable for its ordered cities, advanced sanitation, excellent roads, and uniquely structured society. Pakistan has been invaded many times in the past, and has been occupied and settled by many different peoples, each of whom have left their imprint on the current inhabitants of the country. Some of the largest groups were the Proto-Indo-Aryans, of which Sindhis and Punjabis descend from and later Iranic peoples which the Baloch and Pashtuns descend from. Other less significant ones include the Greeks, Scythians, Persians, White Huns, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, Buddhists, and other Eurasian groups, up to and including the British, who left in the late 1940s. The region has formed a distinct cultural unit within the main cultural complex of South Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia from the earliest times, and is analogous to Turkey’s position in Eurasia. [1] There are differences in culture among the different ethnic groups in matters such as dress, food, and religion, especially where pre-Islamic customs differ from Islamic practices. Their cultural origins also reveal influences from far afield, including Tibet, Nepal, India, and eastern Afghanistan. All groups show varying degrees of influence from Persia, Turkestan and Hellenistic Greece. Pakistan was the first region of South Asia to receive the full impact of Islam and has developed a distinct Islamic identity, historically different from areas further west.[1] Ancient sites in Pakistan include: Zoroastrian Fire temples, Islamic centres,  shi’a shrines/Sufi shrines, Buddhist temples, Sikh, Hindu, and pagan temples and shrines, gardens, tombs, palaces, monuments, and Mughal and Indo-Saracenic buildings. Sculpture is dominated by Greco-Buddhist friezes, and crafts by ceramics, jewellery, silk goods and engraved woodwork and metalwork. Pakistani society is largely multilingual, multi-ethnic and multicultural. Though cultures within the country differ to some extent, more similarities than differences can be found, as most Pakistanis are mainly of Aryan heritage or have coexisted side by side along the Indus River for several thousand years, or both. However, over 60 years of integration, a distinctive â€Å"Pakistani† culture has sprung up, especially in the urban areas where many of the diverse ethnic groups have coexisted and ithe country now having a literacy rate of 55%, up from 3% at the time of independence. Traditional family values are highly respected and considered sacred, although urban families increasingly form nuclear families, owing to socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional culture of the extended family. The past few decades have seen emergence of a middle class in cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Quetta, Faisalabad, Sukkur, Peshawar, Sialkot, Abbottabad, and Multan. Rural areas of Pakistan are regarded as more conservative, and are dominated by regional tribal customs dating back hundreds if not thousands of years. â€Å"Pakistan’s culture is again unique like the rest of the country. Pakistan’s geography is the meeting point of South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia/Gulf. Its culture could be termed as a combination of sub continental, Islamic, Regional, English, and more recently global influences. Let us consider them piecemeal. The newly born Pakistan had to have a sub continental leaning, having been a part of for last 5000 years of its civilization. However, the Indus Valley, present day Pakistan, culture was different from the rest of North India or South India† Religious Uniformity Islam is the state religion of Pakistan. 97% of the population is Muslim. The minority community includes Hindus, Christians, Parsis, Ahmedis (Mirzais), Kalash, Sikhs, Bah’a’i, Buddhists and Jews. The Constitution guarantees equal rights to Muslims and non Muslims. Sufi traditions of love, peace, progress, perfection and support of the poor  have strongly influenced Islam in Pakistan. Islam arrived in Sindh in the eighth century, following which the Sufi movement multiplied all over the sub-continent. Pakistan came into existence to provide its people a system of life based on Islam. The people ,in spite of some differences of languages, customs and traditions commonly follow one religion of Islam. Language The national language of Pakistan is Urdu, while English is the official language of the country, widely spoken and understood. Urdu, meaning ‘language of the army camp/caravan,’ is a mixture of predominantly Turkish, Arabic, and Persian with languages of the sub-continent. Urdu is written in the Persian script. It was adopted as the court language during the latter period of the Mughal Empire. Urdu played a dominant role in the re-awakening of Muslim nationalism in the sub-continent, which culminated in the Pakistan Movement. Urdu was therefore adopted as the national language of the country. Besides Urdu, there are six major and over fifty regional languages. The major regional languages are Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Baluchi, Saraiki and Hindko. Other widely spoken languages are Potohari, Shina and Broshishki. All these languages have their own literary tradition. Evolution and development of any language is dependent on the evolution and development of a society where that language is spoken. Various invasions and conquests on a place affect the development of its language. Pakistan is a land that attracted many foreign races and empires during the course of its long history. Such was the sponge like quality of the sub-continent of India that under every invasion it readily absorbed foreign traits yet, maintaining their own distinct individuality as well. Language was one such trait. The inhabitants of Indian subcontinent were the speakers of Sanskrit and eventually, words and dialects of the languages of each successive intruder intermingled with Sanskrit and gave birth to various dialects and languages. Most of the languages spoken in Pakistan are part of the Indo-European family of languages. The main language families in Pakistan are Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Dravidian and Dardic. Literature Pakistani literature originates from when Pakistan gained its nationhood as a  sovereign state in 1947. The common and shared tradition of Urdu literature and English literature of South Asia was inherited by the new state. Over a period of time, a body of literature unique to Pakistan has emerged in nearly all major Pakistani languages, including Urdu, English, Punjabi, Pashto, Seraiki, Balochi, and Sindhi. Poetry Poetry is a highly respected art and profession in Pakistan. The pre-eminent form of poetry in Pakistan almost always originates in Persian, due in part to the long standing affiliation the region had with the Persian Empire. The enthusiasm for poetry exists at a regional level as well, with nearly all of Pakistan’s provincial languages continuing the legacy. Since the independence of the country in 1947 and establishment of Urdu as the national language, poetry is written in that language as well. The Urdu language has a rich tradition of poetry and includes the famous poets Dr. Allama Iqbal (national poet), Mirza Ghalib, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Ahmad Faraz, Jazib Qureshi, and Ahmad Nadeem Qasimi. Apart from Urdu poetry, Pakistani poetry also has blends of other regional languages. Balochi, Sindhi, Punjabi, Seraiki, and Pashto poetry have all incorporated and influenced Pakistani poetry. Poetry in the form of marsia salam and naath is also very popular among many Pakistanis. Performing arts * Music The variety of Pakistani music ranges from diverse provincial folk music and traditional styles such as Qawwali and Ghazal Gayaki to modern forms fusing traditional and western music, such as the synchronisation of Qawwali and western music by the world renowned Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In addition Pakistan is home to many famous folk singers such as the late Alam Lohar, who is also well known in Indian Punjab. Dances Kathak – classical dance developed in the Royal courts of the Mughals. Folk dances are still popular in Pakistan and vary according to region such as: Bhangra – Punjab Luddi – Punjab Sammi – Punjab Jhumar – Saraiki and Balochi folk dance Lewa – Baluch folk dance Chap – Baluch folk dance performed at weddings Jhumar – Saraiki and Balochi folk dance Attan – Folk dance of Pashtuns tribes of Pakistan including the unique styles of Quetta and Waziristan Khattak Dance – Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chitrali Dance – Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Dhammal – Performed at Sufi shrines/ dargahs in Punjab and Sindh Ho Jamalo – Sindhi dance Drama and theatre These are very similar to stage plays in theatres. They are performed by well-known actors and actresses in the Lollywood industry. The dramas and plays deal with many themes from life events, often with a humorous touch. Bollywood movies are also popular. Visual arts Painting Abdul Rehman Chughtai, Sughra Rababi, Ustad Allah Baksh, Ajaz Anwar, Ismail Gulgee, Jamil Naqsh, and Sadequain are prominent painters of Pakistan also known as the old masters. Pakistan is now producing a variety of contemporary art and Pakistani Artists have become world famous. Pakistani vehicle art is a popular folk art. Architecture The architecture of the areas now constituting Pakistan can be traced to four distinct periods: pre-Islamic, Hindu heritage, Buddhist culture, Islamic, colonial, and post-colonial. With the beginning of the Indus civilization around the middle of the 3rd millennium B.C., an advanced urban culture developed for the first time in the region, with large structural facilities, some of which survive to this day.[Mohenjo Daro, Harappa and Kot Diji belong to the pre-Islamic era settlements. The rise of Buddhism, Guptas, Mouryas, and the Persian and Greek influence led to the development of the Greco-Buddhist style, starting from the 1st century CE. The high point of this era was reached with the culmination of the Gandhara style. An example of Buddhist architecture is the ruins of the Buddhist monastery Takht-i-Bahi in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The arrival of Islam in today’s Pakistan introduced the classical Islamic construction techniques into Pakistan’s architectural landscape. However, a smooth transition to predominantly  picture-less Islamic architecture occurred. The town of Uch Sharif contains the tombs of Bibi Jawindi, Baha’al-Halim, and Jalaluddin Bukhari, which are considered some of the earliest examples of Islamic architecture in Pakistan and are on the UNESCO Tentative World Heritage Site list since 2004.[5] One of the most important of the few examples of the Persian style of architecture is the tomb of the Shah Rukn-i-Alam in Multan. During the Mughal era, design elements of Islamic-Persian architecture were fused with, and often produced playful forms of, Hindustani art. Lahore, occasional residence of Mughal rulers, exhibits a multiplicity of important buildings from the empire, among them the Badshahi mosque, the fortress of Lahore with the famous Alamgiri Gate, the colourful, still strongly Persian seeming Wazir Khan Mosque as well as numerous other mosques and mausoleums. The Shahjahan Mosque of Thatta in Sindh also originates from the epoch of the Mughals, as does the Mohabbat Khan Mosque in Peshawar. In the British colonial age, the buildings developed were predominantly of the Indo-European style, with a mixture of European and Indian-Islamic components. Post-colonial national identity is expressed in modern structures like the Faisal Mosque, the Minar-e-Pakistan and the Mazar-e-Quaid. Recreation and sports The official national sport of Pakistan is field hockey, but cricket and squash are the most popular sports. The Pakistan national field hockey team has won the Hockey World Cup a record four times. The Pakistan national cricket team has won the Cricket World Cup once (in 1992), were runners-up once (in 1999), and co-hosted the games twice (in 1987 and 1996). Additionally, they have also won the ICC World Twenty20 once (in 2009), and were runners-up (in 2007). The team has also won the Austral-Asia Cup in 1986, 1990, and 1994. At the international level, Pakistan has competed many times at the Summer Olympics in field hockey, boxing, athletics, swimming, and shooting. Hockey is the sport in which Pakistan has been most successful at the Olympics, winning three gold medals (1960, 1968, and 1984). Pakistan has also won the Hockey World Cup four times (1971, 1978, 1982, and 1994).[6] Pakistan has hosted several international competitions, including the South Asian Federation Games in 1989 and 2004. A1 Grand Prix racing is also becoming popular with the entry of a Pakistani team in the 2005 season.  The Tour de Pakistan, modelled on the Tour de France, is an annual cycling competition that covers the length and breadth of Pakistan. Recently, football has grown in popularity across the country, where traditionally it had been played almost exclusively in the western province of Balochistan. FIFA has recently teamed up with the government to bring football closer to the northern areas too. Cuisine Culinary art in Pakistan comprises a mix of Middle Eastern, Iranian, Afghan, Indian, and Turkish influences that reflect the country’s history as well as the variation of cooking practices from across the surrounding regions. Urban centres of the country offer an amalgamation of recipes from all parts of the country, while food with specific local ingredients and tastes is available in rural areas and villages. Besides the main dishes of salan, with or without meat and cooked with vegetables or lentils, there are a number of provincial specialties such as karahi, biryani, and tikka, in various forms and flavours, eaten alongside a variety of breads such as naan, chapati, and roti. There are also local forms of grilled meat or kebabs, desserts, and a variety of hot and cold drinks. Festivals Ramadan The holiest month of the Islamic Calendar, which is a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset and self-discipline, it is widely observed in Pakistan. Muslim Pakistanis (about 97% of the population) fast, attend mosques with increased frequency, and recite Qur’an. Special foods are cooked in greater quantities, parties are held, and special accommodation is made by workplaces and educational institutes. Chand Raat Occurs after the Islamic month of Ramadan. Chand Raat occurs the night before Eid day celebrations commence, marking the end of the month of Ramadan. In the night known as Chand Raat, people celebrate by various means, such as girls putting henna on their hands. People buy gifts and sweets that will be given to friends and families who come over to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Eid celebrations The two Eids, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha, commemorate the passing of the month of fasting, Ramadan, and the willingness of Ibrahim A.S to sacrifice his son Ishmael for God. On these days, there are national holidays and many festival events that take place to celebrate Eid. As Pakistan is a Muslim state, there are three days off for all businesses and government offices. On the night before Eid, people search for the new moon to mark the end of Ramadan and arrival of Eid ul-Fitr. The day starts with morning prayers, then returning home for a large breakfast with family members. The day is spent visiting relatives and friends and sharing gifts and sweets with everyone. During the evening people hit the town for some partying, going to restaurants or relaxing in city parks. On Eid ul-Fitr, money is given for charity and as gifts to young children. On Eid ul-Adha, people may also distribute meat to relatives and neighbors and donate food for charity. Milaad un Nabi Milaad un Nabi is a known religious festival which is celebrated in many parts of Pakistan. The Milaad is the celebration for the birthday of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. Muharram (Ashura)  In Pakistan, the first ten days of Muharram are observed officially. The 10th day of Muharram is marked in the memory of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Muhammad, who was a martyr, along with 72 family members, friends and followers during the Battle of Karbala. Jashn-e-Baharan Jashn-e-Baharan aometimes referred to as Basant, is a pre-Islamic Punjabi festival that marks the coming of spring. Celebrations in Pakistan are centered in Lahore, and people from all over the country and abroad come to the city for the annual festivities. Kite flying competitions take place all over the city’s rooftops during Basant (now prohibited).[7] The fertile province of Punjab was intimately tied via its agriculture to the different seasons of the year. The arrival of spring was an important event for all farmers and was welcomed with a celebration, hence the name Jashn (celebration) Baharan (spring). Christmas Christmas is usually celebrated by Pakistani Christians who account more than 3 percent of Pakistan and mostly reside in Punjab of Pakistan. Other Pakistanis also commemorate this event to promote inter-communal harmony. Holi Holi is celebrated by Pakistani Hindus. Other Pakistanis celebrate with them as well to promote communal harmony. Nowruz This festival is like Nowruz of Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. In Northern Pakistan (Chitral, Gilgit, Baltistan), and Northern Punjab, Nowruz is celebrated as a socio-religious festival. It is also celebrated with much fervour in Balochistan, and in almost all of Pakistan’s major urban centres. In Baltistan, the main features of Nowruz are the giving of coloured eggs to friends and polo matches. In Balochistan, the festival is marked with outdoor feasts, and the traditional jumping over a fire to wash away sins and usher in a fresh start. The origins of this festival are pre-Islamic and date back to when Pakistan was part of the Achaemenid and Sassanid Persian empires. Independence Day On August 14, the people of Pakistan celebrate the day when Pakistan gained its independence from British India, and formed an independent state for Muslims. There are many celebrations all over the country, with people singing and dancing in the streets. Concerts are held with many pop and classical singers. Parades are held in the capital city (Islamabad). Many people decorate their houses and fly the flag of Pakistan. At night, fireworks are used in many cities. Many people pray for the country and reflect on their pride in the country of Pakistan. Defence Day September 6 is another patriotic day, when the Army of Pakistan is put on display for the general public to show Pakistan arms. All Government officials attend the ceremony and recognitions are awarded to special people for their work. In March 2007, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) put on display the new joint manufactured Chinese-Pakistani aircraft called the JF-17 Thunder. Popular media Television Traditionally, the government-owned Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) has been the dominant media player in Pakistan. The PTV channels are controlled  by the government and opposition views are not given much time. The past decade has seen the emergence of several private TV channels showing news and entertainment, such as GEO TV, AAJ TV, ARY Digital, HUM, MTV Pakistan, and others. Traditionally the bulk of TV shows have been plays or soap operas, some of them critically acclaimed. Various American, European, Asian TV channels, and movies are available to a majority of the population via Cable TV. Television accounted for almost half of the advertising expenditure in Pakistan in 2002. Radio The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) was formed on 14 August 1947, the day of Pakistani independence. It was a direct descendant of the Indian Broadcasting Company, which later became All India Radio. At independence, Pakistan had radio stations in Dhaka, Lahore, and Peshawar. A major programme of expansion saw new stations open at Karachi and Rawalpindi in 1948, and a new broadcasting house at Karachi in 1950. This was followed by new radio stations at Hyderabad (1951), Quetta (1956), a second station at Rawalpindi (1960), and a receiving centre at Peshawar (1960). During the 1980s and 1990s, the corporation expanded its network to many cities and towns of Pakistan to provide greater service to the local people. Today, there are over a hundred radio stations due to more liberal media regulations. Cinema An indigenous movie industry exists in Pakistan and is known as â€Å"Lollywood†, as it is based in Lahore, producing over forty feature-length films a year. National Dress The national dress is Shalwar Qameez for both men and women. It consists of a long, loose fitting tunic with very baggy trousers. The dress is believed to be an amalgamation of the dresses worn by the ancient Persians, and Mughal Empire who have left their impression on the people and culture of Pakistan.[10] The men’s version consists of solid, masculine colours, and is almost always accompanied by a collar and buttons (similar to a polo shirt). Men often wear an outer waistcoat over the shalwar kameez. The women’s version almost never contains collar and buttons but is often embroidered and consists of feminine colors and may feature lace or flower patterns. In the summer, a light, cotton version is often worn, while during the winter,  a heavier, wool version is worn. The sherwani or achkan, with karakul hat is the recommended dress for male government employees and officials, as it is not specifically associated with any of the provinces. Most male government officials wear the formal black sherwani on state occasions. A large Pakistani diaspora exists in the Western world and the Middle East. Whereas Pakistanis in the United States, Canada and Australia tend to be professionals, the majority of them in the United Kingdom, Germany and Scandinavia originally came from a rural background belonging to the working class. These emigrants and their children influence Pakistan culturally and economically, keeping close ties with their roots by travelling to Pakistan and especially by returning or investing there. Cultural traditions Pakistanis have evolved an often distinct and unique set of culture, traditions and customs in the region. Shalwar Qameez is the dress commonly worn, both by men and women, and Kashmiru, etc. put and dances are distinctly unique with their own melodies, instruments, patterns and styles. Pakistani arts in metal work, tiles, furniture, rugs, designs/paintings, literature, calligraphy, and much more are diverse and renowned internationally. Pakistani architecture is unique with its infusion of Islamic, Persian, Turkish and Indigenous styles. The manners and lifestyles are guided by a blend of traditions as well as the culture. Food dishes are also attracting quite a lot of attention with its wide blend of flavours and spices. Ethnic groups The vast majority of Pakistanis are Caucasoid by race but many other distinct minority are also present. The majority of Pakistanis are of average to above average height. Pakistan is notable for having several individuals in the Guinness Book of World Records, such as Alam Channa for the tallest man in the world. Pakistanis are diverse, many possessing dark hair and eyes but light coloured eyes and light coloured hair do occur in significant portions of the population as well, notably in the North amongst the Dardic, Kalash, Burusho, Wakhi, and north western Pashtun tribes. The typical Pakistani can range from light to dark brown skin tones with a few exceptions in mountainous regions of the north. Many of the people inhabiting Pakistan’s  western regions share genetic affinities with ethnic groups in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. While the racial features of each ethnic group in Pakistan are not uniform, Chitralis and some of the Dardic tribes in the north are the most Caucasoid phenotypically, followed by the Pashtuns (also known as Pakhtuns), Kashmiris, Paharis/Potoharis, Balochis, Punjabis, and Sindhis, Muhajirs, and Seraikis. The Negroid people live along the Makran coast and are a small minority known as the Sheedi who came from East Africa in the 15th century. Panjabis, Seraiki and The Sindhis have considerable admixture and show a diverse phenotypic features representative of their multicultural history. The Mongoloid people also inhabit Pakistan are of Central Asian origin where oftentimes their racial elements are infused within the dominant Caucasoid genes of the vast majority of Pakistanis, however there are many instances in which some have retained their distinct racial characteristics. Pakistan’s genetic diversity is due to various factors including the numerous waves of migration from other regions and include Aryans mainly, in smaller amounts Greeks, Iranians, Arabs, Turks, Scythians, Afghans to name a few and also because of its geopolitical location straddling the Iranian Plateau, Central Asian, Tibetan, and South Asian genetic spheres and as a result, the phenotypic expression of its people is reflective of this diversity. Large influxes of refugees from the surrounding nations have further exacerbated this change.