Outline the main elements in Karl Marxs social theory and examine the Essay

Outline the main elements in Karl Marxs social theory and examine the strengths and weaknesses of his theory. Explain why Marxs social theory has had such a - Essay Example Ideologies in this context refer to the values, feelings and ideas by which people perceive their particular societies which the upper-class controls so as to prevent people in the lower-class from knowing how society truly operates. For example, literature can be used to form a society’s ideology as was prevalent in eighteenth century England. The fundamental conception behind Marxism is identified as materialism, socialism and the unification of action and structure. Marx’s idealistic view of socialism involved actions that would better serve society within the realm of unselfish inspiration, a society not interested in existing social inclinations. The wealth of a nation should be divided not according to greed but to need. He sees the technological advances as the basis for entire societies to be redistributed in accordance to the requirements of the upper class. Marx â€Å"sees the source of these changes in changing technologies, ‘productive relations,†™ which bring changes in the way people are organised or ‘social relations.’† (Sowell, 1985: 70). His theory does not suggest philosophical concerns or the study of social structures alone but the actions necessary to implement social change as well. One of the most often used axioms in the Marxist ideology is that their ambition is ‘not to study society but to change it.’ According to Applebaum (1988: 15), society should â€Å"understand how Marx sought to bridge the concerns of both philosophy and science in developing a theory that operates simultaneously at the levels of structure and action [†¦] the philosophic critique of consciousness, the ‘scientific’ analysis of capitalist economic institutions, and the historical study of politics and society.† This is the intent of this discussion along with identifying various strengths and weaknesses of the theory and to examine the reasons why Marx’s social theory has

United States Labor Movement Essay Example for Free

United States Labor Movement Essay The Labor Movement in the United States of America started in the formative years of our nation. Its purpose being to organize workers to strive for better working conditions, reasonable pay and better treatment in the workplace. From it’s beginnings in the early to mid nineteenth century during the Industrial Revolution to the modern era of today, the labor movement has fought hard forming labor parties and labor laws to give the American worker the rights they deserve. One of the earliest and more influential of labor organizations came to be in 1860; The Knights of Labor. The Knights of Labor mission was to â€Å"inform, and support working families, and to organize them to better represent their rights† (The Knights of Labor, 2011,  ¶1) By the end of the 1800s the Knights had become a national fixture and included all workers into the group such as lawyers, doctors, gamblers and bankers. The main focus of the Knights of Labor were to push for an eight-hour work day; to rid child labor from existence, to do away with convict contract labor as they opposed the source of cheap labor taking jobs away from workers who needed a job; and equal pay for all their workers. In the early goings, they were opposed to the use of strikes however that trend changed and work stoppages had become a very good tool to use. The Knights of Labor had reached its apex in 1886 with over 700,000 members however their organizational structure was not up to the task and the movement was all but abandoned. They remained a fixture in the labor movement until 1949 when t he remaining members dropped their affiliation (The Knights of Labor, 2011). The Labor Movement in the late 1800s experienced a number of incidents that escalated into violence. In 1877; railroad workers in West Virginia protested a ten percent wage cut leveled by Baltimore Ohio Railroad. The strike occurred during a time of economic depression and spread westward across the country. Attempts to control unruly crowds just made the worker protest stronger and ignited violence. To add to the walkouts and protests by the rail workers, sympathetic actions by other wage workers brought Chicago close to a state of general strike. As the tensions continued and the violence started to escalate between the workers and police, the mayor relied on the assistance of six companies from the U.S. Army infantry to quell the protests. Quiet was restored but only after eighteen people had died from the protest violence. (Foner, 1977) The Homestead Steel Strike of 1892 resulted in violence as well. This particular strike came about during a time of conflict between labor and m anagement throughout the entire country. Workers belonging to the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers went on strike to protest a wage cut implemented by Andrew Carnegie’s Steel Company in Homestead, Pennsylvania. Henry Frick, the plants General Manager, was given unwavering support by Carnegie to do what he deemed fit, which was to cut wages and try to break the Amalgamated Association union. Of the 3,800 workers at the plant, only 750 belonged to the union; but 3,000 employees voted together for a workers strike. Henry Frick got word of the vote and built a fence around the steelworks plant with holes in the fence to fit rifles through and topped it with barbed wire and Frick had hired 300 Pinkerton detectives for protection of the plant. When workers got word of the newly hired police force, they mobilized and a fire fight between the two groups erupted. 3 detectives and 9 workers were laid to rest from the fighting. After the fighting stopped, the Governor ordered a state militia into Homestead. Four months after the strike started, the workers resources were severely depleted and they all returned to work. When the dust settled, the strike leaders were charged with murder while hundreds of others were charged with lesser crimes. Sympathetic jurors didn’t convict any of the men; however this incident allowed Carnegie to sweep unions out of Homestead dealing a major blow to the labor movement and weakened unionism in the steel industry up until the 1930’s. (The Homestead Strike, 1999) The last significant labor movement incident in the 1800s occurred in 1894 with the first national strike in the United States. The Pullman Strike wreaked havoc on the nation’s railway system as an entire labor force walked from their jobs with the notion that workers were to receive several pay cuts and the increase rent of company owned homes in Pullman. President Grover Cleveland sent in federal troops to fire on and kill United States citizens against the wishes of the states. The federal courts outlawed striking by passing the Omnibus indictment which was a massive blow to unionized labor. During the strike, national guardsmen fired into a crowd of protesters; killing four and wounding twenty. The strike showed the power of unified national unions but also showed the willingness of the government to intervene and support the capitalists against unified labor. The results of the strike were disastrous as the union workers never did get their rents lowered (The Pullman Strike, 1998) As the 20th Century came about, the labor movement sought to gain strength with new unions and tactics. The International Workers of the World was formed in an attempt to overthrow capitalism and replace it with the socialist system. The United States government helped out the movement with the implementation of the Department of Labor, which protected the rights of workers. The Clayton Antitrust Act legalized nonviolent strikes and boycotts. One of the more important Acts to come about in the early 1900s was that of the Wagner Act. The Wagner Act, also called National Labor Relations Act, of 1935 was created to protect workers’ right to unionization. The Act guarantees un-supervised employees the right to self-organize, choose their own representatives, and bargain collectively (National Labor Relations Act, n.d.). The NLRA and the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) are still going strong today in 2012 as my employment, the IUE-CWA GE Aerospace Conference Board, have asked for their assistance when organizing a new Local union shop on numerous occasions. In 1938 an act was passed that benefited the labor movement in monumental ways. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was enacted in 1938 and thus protected the rights of workers and supported economic fair play between management and labor. The Act also proposed a national minimum wage. An amendment to the FLSA in 1948 outlawed child labor in the United States. As the nation moved from industrial production to information management, many aspects of the FLSA became ineffective and outdated (Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) History, 2006). The Fair Labor Standards Act is still relevant in today’s world, just not in the scope it was when it was created. The establishment of the minimum wage rate and the outlawing of child labor was a huge success for the labor movement and its affects can be felt in today’s modern age. In 1955 the largest United States labor organization, the AFL (American Federation of Labor) merged with the CIO (Committee for Industrial Organization). The AFL was a federation that organized only unions of skilled workers while the CIO carried on the effort for industrial unionism, which are unions that organize an entire industry regardless of their sill set. With the merger of the AFL and the CIO, it brought about eliminating jurisdictional disputes between unions which would now help the labor movement like never before. They placed a new priority on organizing workers in areas, industries and plants where there was no system of labor representation. (The Labor Union Movement in America, 2012) The AFL-CIO saw many decades of prosperity for unions and workers but was tested in 2005 when the Service Employees (SEIU), Teamsters (IBT), and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) departed ways from the AFL-CIO. Chris Kutalik states that the split has generated a great deal of focus, attention, and talk about the depth of the crisis of U.S. unions ( ¶3) and asks important questions regarding the split in the AFL-CIO such as if the union leaders will be open to local members’ efforts to democratize and revitalize their unions? Will new programs build enough power and leverage to fight concessions and how serious are leaders about pushing the pace and scale of change? ( ¶10). It’s no surprise to anyone working within a union, such as myself, the challenges we face to stay relevant, to expand, to win the hearts and minds of the American people when so many see the unions as a problem rather than a solution. More and more businesses are trying to keep it a union-free workplace, and while it’s promising to see President Obama working towards getting more manufacturing plants back in the states, these plants are mostly set up as a right-to-work plant and will stop at nothing to keep outside forces from organizing the workers at these plants. When I started working for the IUE-CWA ten years ago, we represented over 90 locals from General Electric, Lockheed Martin, British Aerospace Engineering, Momentive Performances, and Bechtel. Ten years later we are down to around 50 locals due to plant shutdowns and outsourcing of the plants. The labor movement must stay strong and work harder than ever just to keep its head above the water, but from the experiences I’ve had in the decade of being employed within a union, I feel this is a battle that may not be won in the end. REFERENCES: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) History, (2006) Retrieved from: http://www.resource4flsalaw.com/historyoffairlaborstandardsact.html Foner, Phillip S. (1977) The Great Labor Uprising of 1877. New York, New York: Pathfinder Books The Homestead Strike (1999) Retrieved from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/peopleevents/pande04.html The Knights of Labor (2011) Retrieved from: http://www.knightsoflabor.com Kutalik, Chris (2005) What Does the AFL-CIO Split Mean? Retrieved from: http://labornotes.org/node/776 The Labor Union Movement in America (2012) Retrieved from: http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/eco_unionization.htm The National Labor Relations Act (n.d.) Retrieved from: https://www.nlrb.gov/national-labor-relations-act The Pullman Strike: Chicago, 1894 (1998) Retrieved from: http://www.kansasheritage.org/pullman/index.html

The Southern Dialect as Seen in the Works of William Faulkner Essays

The Southern Dialect as Seen in the Works of William Faulkner In the writings of William Faulkner, the reader may sense that the author has created an entire world, which directly reflects his own personal experience. Faulkner writes about the area in and around Mississippi, where he is from, during the post-Civil War period. It is most frequently Northern Mississippi that Faulkner uses for his literary territory, changing Oxford to â€Å"Jefferson† and Lafayette County to â€Å"Yoknapatawpha County,† because it is here that he lived most of his life and wrote of the people he knew. Faulkner’s stories focus on the Southeastern United States at a time period when old traditions began to clash with new ideals. This is an era in American history with which most people can quickly identify, whether they are Southern or not. The South in Faulkner’s works are complete with all the expected features: an agricultural society, Southern belles and gentlemen, racial tensions, and especially the common characteristics of Southern speech. Faulkner strays from the normal customs of Northern literature to present a realistic portrait of the South that he grew up in. In doing so, he comes up with an excellent sample of the Southern language, including linguistic qualities of both black and white speech. Faulkner establishes a unique literary voice which is recognizable due to variances from standard English in vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammatical form, while juxtaposing speech elements foreign to anyone not familiar with Southern heritage. The works of William Faulkner succeed in creating a literary dialect which is relatively consistent throughout all of his stories. A literary dialect is best defined as an â€Å"author’s attempt to represent in w... ...n, 1971. 145-177. 7) Lockyer, Judith. Ordered By Words: Language and Narration in the Novels of William Faulkner. Southern Illinois University Press, 1991. 8) McDavid, Raven I., Jr. â€Å"Dialectology: Where Linguistics Meets the People.† The Emory University Quarterly XXIII (Winter, 1967), 219. 9) McDavid, Raven I., Jr. â€Å"Go Slow in Ethnic Attribution: Geographic Mobility and Dialect Prejudices.† Varieties of Present-Day English. Ed. Richard W. Bailey and Jay L. Robinson. New York: Macmillan Company, 1973. 258-270. 10)McDavid, Raven I., Jr., and Virginia McDavid. â€Å"Kentucky Verb Forms.† Montgomery and Bailey, 1986. 264-293. Smith, Alphonso. Cambridge History of American Literature. New York: Macmillan Company, 1951. 11)Stewart, William A. â€Å"Observations on the Problem of Defining Negro Dialect.† The Florida FL Reporter IX, Nos. 1 and 2 (Spring/Fall, 1971), 47-57.

John Wayne :: essays research papers

Arguably the most popular — and certainly the busiest — movie leading man in Hollywood history, John Wayne entered the film business while working as a laborer on the Fox Studios lot during summer vacations from university, which he attended on a football scholarship. He met and was befriended by John Ford, a young director who was beginning to make a name for himself in action films, comedies, and dramas. Wayne was cast in small roles in Ford's late-'20s films, occasionally under the name Duke Morrison. It was Ford who recommended Wayne to director Raoul Walsh for the male lead in the 1930 epic Western The Big Trail, it was a failure at the box office, but the movie showed Wayne's potential as a leading actor. During the next nine years, be busied himself in a multitude of B-Westerns and serials — most notably Shadow of the Eagle in between occasional bit parts in larger features such as Warner Bros.' Baby Face. But it was in action roles that Wayne excelled, e xuding a warm and imposing manliness onscreen to which both men and women could respond.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1939, Ford cast Wayne as the Ringo Kid in the adventure Stagecoach, a brilliant Western of modest scale but tremendous power, and the actor finally showed what he could do. Wayne nearly stole a picture filled with Oscar-caliber performances, and his career was made. He starred in most of Ford's subsequent major films, whether Westerns (Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Rio Grande, The Searchers ); war pictures (They Were Expendable); or serious dramas (The Quiet Man). He also starred in numerous movies for other directors, including several extremely popular World War II thrillers (Flying Tigers, Back to Bataan, Fighting Seabees, Sands of Iwo Jima); costume action films (Reap the Wild Wind, Wake of the Red Witch); and Westerns (Red River). His box-office popularity rose steadily through the 1940s, and by the beginning of the 1950s he'd also begun producing movies through his company Wayne-Fellowes, later Batjac, in association with his sons. Most of these films were extremely successful, and included such titles as Angel and the Badman, Island in the Sky , The High and the Mighty ( my personal favorite), and Hondo. The 1958 Western Rio Bravo, directed by Howard Hawks, proved so popular that it was remade by Hawks and Wayne twice, once as El Dorado and later as Rio Lobo.

Analisis of Obamas victory speech Essay

Obama’s Victory Speech Obama’s Victory Speech has impressed the whole world. Obama have used a lot of techniques which make people in the USA believe in him and make them feel united. In this essay of Obama’s victory speech, I will explain some of the techniques Obama uses and for what purpose. Besides that I will comment on important and meaningful quotes. Obama’s Victory Speech is separated in a lot of small sections. After flnlshlng one secuon of his speech, he makes a long dramatic pause. That makes the speech very intimate. These dramatic pauses are used by almost any good peaker. Obama’s manner of speaking Is very natural, he tells about experiences he have had, he shows a lot of gratitude, he speak with humility of a high degree and shows a very high amount of empathy for his people. An example of Obama’s great humility is when Obama kind of praise Mitt Romney. â€Å"We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about Its future. † I think it is very humble of Obama to show such recognition for Mitt Romney. He also applies that he looks forward to work together with Mitt Romney, so by that tatement Obama want everybody to have a positive point of view at Mitt Romney. So he actually does Romney a favor. Obama made a great Job winning the skeptics over. â€Å"And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics who tell us that polltlcs Is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests† It is very important for Obama to show that this Isnt about him Just wanting to win. Obama really wants to make a difference. He point out that the people under his lead, really fight hard to make sure Obama’s political ideas is going to be reality. â€Å"You’ll hear the etermination in the voice of a young field organizer who’s working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity So by that quote the skeptics is going to have hard time arguing that Obama and other politicians are just some egomaniacs. Obama is not just claiming what he want to do, he have already taken action. The audience can almost feel the changes of a greater country within the speech. Obama also shows his great love for his one and only wife Michelle. † Let me say this publicly: Michelle, I have never loved you more. I have ever been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you, too, as our nation’s first lady. † He doesn’t make this romantic declaration Just to show he Isnt afraid of showing Michelle how much he love her in front of the whole world, but he also shows that he appreciate the hard work she have put into the campaign. and also to show that everybody should recognize her as an important fgure for America. The first lady In the USA has a great responsibility, for being a kind of role model. The first lady is often volunteering in support for poor areas for example. So by those words Obama really wants everybody In America to love her. â€Å"But that doesnt mean your work is done† In this quote Obama really make it personal for his listeners, by telling the audience that it is also your Job to make the USA a greater country. The frequent use of different pronouns Is one of the most conspicuous techniques Obama uses in his victory speech. Obama wants to draw you in to his speech. So he does not use the word † † I nearly as much as ne use mfou/you’re/your† and â€Å"W Our† Even though Obama mostly uses miou/you’re/your† and â€Å"We/Us/Our† he still nvolves himself in the speech, but he does it in a slightly more humble manner than just bragging about himself. That is a great way of making Obama’s audience know that it’s not only about him but it’s mostly about you. In that way Obama makes the audience listen and care for what Obama is saying, and it also makes it more personal between Obama and the single listener, plus he doesn’t separate the people who voted for himself with the people who voted for Mitt Romney.

Richard II essays

Richard II essays Richard II is located in various parts of England and Wales. The tournament scene (Act I, Scene 2) is at Coventry, in the Midlands. Bolingbroke, although coming from Brittany, in France, lands on the north coast of England and undertakes the tediously long march southwest through the Cotswolds to Berkeley and on to Bristol. Richard returns from Ireland and lands at Barkloughly. He moves in a northwesterly direction towards Flint Castle, where he encounters Bolingbroke. The climactic scene takes place in Parliament in London. Then Richard is sent to the prison of Pomfret Castle, which is in Yorkshire. King Richard - Richard, the play's protagonist, is a poetic and intensely charming man, but a fatally weak monarch. His unshakable faith in his own quasi-divinity constitutes his tragic flaw, as does his bad judgment. He enjoys the role of performer, and after he is deposed, he casts himself as a martyr. Henry Bolingbroke - Bolingbroke is the Duke of Hereford and the son of John of Gaunt. After the latter's death, he becomes the Duke of Lancaster. Bolingbroke is a practical and ambitious man who replaces Richard on the throne. At the beginning of the play, Bolingbroke believes in the divinity of kings and in the need to obey them, regardless of their cruelty. He meekly accepts his sentence of exile. Only after his father dies and Richard reveals the extent of his corruption does Bolingbroke transform. However, he has misgivings about assuming power. As king he becomes Henry IV. John of Gaunt - He is the Duke of Lancaster and uncle to Richard. Gaunt is immensely powerful and wealthy. Shakespeare also casts him as a figure of great wisdom and dignity. He is loyal to Richard and cautions him from his deathbed against the flatterers who surround him; he also berates him for misappropriating royal funds. Duke of York - The Duke is modeled on the historical figure, Edmund of Langley. Initially, he is the strongest supporter ...

The effects of internet crime Essay Example

The effects of internet crime Essay Example The effects of internet crime Essay The effects of internet crime Essay As technology develops, Internet crime is becoming more common (Rewrite). The advent of computers has brought significant changes. In recent years, with the development of technology, people use an Internet more than in the past. Many people think computers lead to Internet crime. The increase in internet crime has bought many disadvantages. This essay describes the main causes and effects of Internet crime. There are two major causes of Internet crime. One Is the technology has developed rapidly. Most banks and companies can be done online, so they save important information of customers on computers and transfer money through computers, which creates more opportunities for internet crime. Another point is that people fall for scam. For example, people receive an email that it looks like trustworthy message from a bank and it will ask them to click a link to provide information. They think It Is true so they click the link and log Into what looks Like their banks website. As a result, criminals who take their bank password can use It to eke money. Internet crime has a variety of effects. First of all, internet crime can result in emotional and psychological problems. To illustrate, criminals who can open bank accounts use accounts to buy everything and create a huge amount of debt. Moreover, they also use stolen information to make fake passports and drivers licenses. In addition, internet crime can affect many companies and banks. Criminals can steal money and Information from many companies through Internet. According to BBC news. Sony was attacked by hackers In 2011. It caused Songs website to stop working for a long time and to lose a huge amount of customer information. This attack cost about $170 billion. In conclusion, internet crime is becoming more common. The rise in internet crime is caused by the developing technology and people falling for scam. As a consequence, internet crime can lead to psychological problems and affect companies. People should protect their private Information carefully and learn how to avoid Internet scams. The effects of internet crime By hamster Name: G. Nigh Date: 21/5/2014 internet crime. There are two major causes of internet crime. One is the technology information. They think it is true so they click the link and log into what looks like their banks website. As a result, criminals who take their bank password can use it to can steal money and information from many companies through Internet. According to BBC news, Sony was attacked by hackers in 2011. It caused Sonnys website to stop problems and affect companies. People should protect their private information carefully and learn how to avoid internet scams.

The Flat Tax essays

The Flat Tax essays The United States tax system is in complete disarray. Republicans and Democrats agree that the current tax code is complex, unfair, and costly. The income tax system is so complex; the IRS publishes 480 tax forms and 280 forms to explain the 480 forms (Armey 1). The main reason the tax system is so complex is because of the special preferences such as deductions and tax credits. Complexity in the current tax system forces Americans to spend 5.4 billion hours complying with the tax code, which is more time than it takes to manufacture every car, truck and van produced in the United States (Armey 1). Time is not the only thing that is lost with the current tax system; Americans also lose great deal of money complying with the tax code. Resources that are currently wasted on record keeping, filing forms, learning the tax code, litigation, and tax avoidance. The cost of complying with the current tax code totals about $200 billion annually, or $700 for every man, woman, and child i n America (Armey 1). The overwhelming consensus that the current tax system is inadequate has ignited the search for tax reform. There are numerous proposals for tax reform; one particular proposal brought forth by various conservatives is the idea of national flat rate income tax. The idea is to replace the current income tax with a single rate that everyone pays. This paper will take a close look at the concepts of the flat tax, and look at the possible benefits and potential failings. Although there is a basic format to the flat tax, there are multiple flat tax proposals that have been offered by conservatives. Along with critiquing the basic format of the flat tax, this paper will compare and contrast the different flat tax proposals. There is no doubt among Americans and politicians that there is need for tax reform, the flat tax and one of its proposals could possibly be the answer to tax reform. The American people are in t...

Financial analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Financial analysis - Essay Example First, it would be reasonable to determine the absolute changes that occurred between different items of the financial statements. The percentage changes can then be computed to facilitate comparisons between the changes that occurred in the items of the financial statement. Comparisons of different items and financial ratios can also be determined to identify areas that have problems and might have caused a decrease in profit. The financial ratios will aid in determining the managements efficiency (Brigham and Houston, 2004). This section will entail performing several calculations to get the absolute changes, percentage changes, comparison changes, and financial ratios of different items in the financial statements. The changes will then be explained according to financial, industrial, and economic angles to try to explain the reasons behind the changes. Later in the section, various recommendations and suggestions will be made to the management in a bid to improve the financial situation of the company. The company’s revenue had a drop of 39440000 sterling pounds, resulting to a 15.46% decrease in sales. This shows that the company’s current performance was quite low from the previous year’s performance. Deeper scrutiny in this issue at hand revealed that there was a drop in the average industrial revenue of the clothing sector. This was mainly because of the economic conditions that prevail currently. The economy is currently at a recession making consumers to substitute purchasing clothes from luxury brands such those Excellent Clothing Company produce. The company is also faced with intense competition from the new entrants in the industry. The competition reduces the market share of the company resulting to a significant reduction of revenue (Retail-excellence.com). The company’s cost of goods has also had a drop 12300000 sterling pounds, resulting to a 12.71% fall in cost of revenue. This fall is due

Nutrition, health, and wellness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nutrition, health, and wellness - Essay Example Considering the general health of people, several organizations have come with a food guide pyramid, which serves as a guide for healthy eating. While the focus is on food, daily exercise and weight control form the basis of the pyramid as these, according to research conducted in several countries, have a strong influence on keeping the mind and body fit. The pyramid has a broad base which includes vegetables and whole grains and these should be consumed in sufficient quantities as they provide the much needed proteins to the body. This is followed by whole breads, fruits, olive oil and leafy vegetables which need to be consumed in lesser amounts compared to the first. Plant-based products are generally suggested by nutritionists as they provide the necessary vitamins and minerals to the body and they have low carbohydrates and are usually devoid of fats. The next portion in the pyramid includes fish, poultry and other sea foods and nuts which could be consumed in moderate amounts a s they contain considerable amount of healthy fats. Milk and other dairy products can be consumed in limited quantities mainly for their protein content and finally the upper tip of the pyramid contains red meat, potatoes and aerated drinks which are unhealthy nutrition wise and are can be avoided. Thus the pyramid is constructed keeping in mind the nutritional benefits provided by foods and the amount in which they can be consumed (The Nutrition). Both governmental and independent organizations formulate dietary guidelines and these are published for public viewing. The health department and the agricultural department of the US government have released their dietary guidelines. A similar healthy eating pyramid has been designed by the faculty of the nutrition department at Harvard School. The Food and Drug Administration has released its set of dietary guidelines for Americans. In addition there is also a dietary guidelines advisory committee (DGAC)

Philosophy-Licensing Parents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy-Licensing Parents - Essay Example The process of licensing individuals would inevitably hassle or perhaps devastate individuals seeking to participate in such an activity. However, LaFollette argues that this is the cost of protecting innocent victims from actions that Frisch classifies into four broad categories: (1) risks arising out of ignorance, (2) risks arising through physical or mental incapacity, (3) risks arising from willful misconduct, and (4) risks arising through negligence or inability to exert self-control over behavior (Frisch, 1981, p. 173). LaFollette’s case relies on proving two criteria for regulatory licensing: that â€Å"parenting is an activity potentially very harmful to children† and that â€Å"a parent must be competent if he is to avoid harming his children† (LaFollette, 1980, pp. 184-5). These two claims cannot be disproved: they are clear facts, as both LaFollette and Frisch acknowledge. Frisch also acknowledges the strength of LaFollette’s claim that regulation is â€Å"a fundamental task of any stable society† (Frisch, 1981, p. 173). Nevertheless, the dispute originates from whether parenting is analogous to other activities, or if it can be controlled by regulation. It may be that parenting cannot be modified or changed by any amount government control. LaFollette argues the prior restraint of licensing for drivers or physicians is â€Å"not terribly onerous† but that the â€Å"restricted activity is one which could lead easily to serious harm† (LaFollette, 1980, p. 189). These are the risks (that could happen) Frisch believes societies undertake licensing to reduce. Frisch proceeds to develop, based on his four categories of risks, a non-arbitrary distinction between parenting and other regulated activities. With respect to ignorance, there is no empirical reason to believe that with more knowledge of parenting (knowledge that can be taught descriptively anyway) parents will be more competent to raise a child in the same way

Criminal Technology from the Past into the Future Assignment

Criminal Technology from the Past into the Future - Assignment Example Moreover, extensive technology application has heightened as crime prevention units try to keep up with advancement in application of modern day appliances to engage in criminal activities. Past Evolution of Technology Effects on Policing Styles and Public Relations Advancement of information technology has led to IT fragmentation where criminal are utilizing technology to commit crime, which may become a problem to security. In the past, the police force applied ancient technology such as pocket book to record information and source information while the night stick was used as a weapon to maintain law and order. A more advanced weapon as at that time was the multiple shot revolvers. However, technology advanced more where criminal were identified and arrested with the aid of photographs taken, after which the telephone came in. indeed, evolution of technology in the past fifty years has developed from use of cars, two way radio communication and guns into the recent times advance t echnology such as body armor, in-car computers and video cameras. ... Among the earliest forms of technology that are still being used at the moment is the use of finger print for criminal investigations, with the application of sound waves for measuring distance between the prints with automated fingerprints identification system. For instance, application of fingerprints and photographs has helped a great deal in identifying criminals and suspects during application and use of visa. Indeed, fraud and identity theft were the most applicable areas of the technology (Siegel, 2008, p 457). Technology is mostly characterized by computers that can carry out complex calculations within a fraction of seconds and the internet for networking in the developed global village. Combination of these two technologies has enabled easy access and storage of large quantities of information with high efficiency. Impact of Information Technology on Criminal Justice Information technology has developed in a dynamic way, with its application by criminals in their activitie s becoming more rampant with time. The society was not prepared to solve criminal technology that has outpaced counteractive measures to solve these problems. Therefore, information technology development mainly in the internet and computer sector has been a great challenge in putting in place security measures to curb the emerging and advancing criminal technologies activities such as cyber crime, identity theft, unauthorized intrusion to systems and sexually related violations. Computers and internet have impacted on the society negatively rather than helping in positive development of the society. In developed countries, criminal technology was extreme due to rapid development of technology easily available for criminals and terrorists. Although security forces have

Strategy for BP investment in Norway Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategy for BP investment in Norway - Case Study Example This investment strategy has been especially popular in the last thirty years. For example, joint ventures between European firms and foreign-based firms have increased by almost 30% since 1985 (Hess & Siegwart, 2013). While not all joint ventures in the oil and gas industry have been successful in the past, BP should use a joint venture for several reasons, most importantly because of the capital-intensive nature of the oil and gas industry. Using the joint venture strategy has become popular for oil and gas companies operating in foreign markets because it saves money. Along with metals processing and mineral extraction, oil and gas exploration and development is a capital intensive industry. Since Norways oil and gas industry is already well-developed, financing such an investment on its own would be a risky undertaking for BP, necessitating the use of a joint venture strategy to share costs and risk, as well as create economies of scale (Grandell et al, 2011). In addition, BP should use a joint venture strategy because of the high costs that will be involved in continuing their operations in such a capital-intensive industry. BP and other petroleum companies are heavily dependent on technology advances so as to achieve lower costs. A joint venture should enable BP to pool its personnel and funds with a Norwegian company with knowledge about the Norwegian petroleum sector in developing advanced technologies, specifica lly to reduce production and exploration costs, while also increasing profit margins. Ideally, BP and its Norwegian partner will contribute roughly the same amount of capital and resources into the joint venture, although Norway does not allow foreign companies to own majority stakes in their oil sector (Grandell et al, 2011). International financial institutions like the WTO, World Bank, and the IMF have been heavily involved in fostering international

Criminal Technology from the Past into the Future Assignment

Criminal Technology from the Past into the Future - Assignment Example Moreover, extensive technology application has heightened as crime prevention units try to keep up with advancement in application of modern day appliances to engage in criminal activities. Past Evolution of Technology Effects on Policing Styles and Public Relations Advancement of information technology has led to IT fragmentation where criminal are utilizing technology to commit crime, which may become a problem to security. In the past, the police force applied ancient technology such as pocket book to record information and source information while the night stick was used as a weapon to maintain law and order. A more advanced weapon as at that time was the multiple shot revolvers. However, technology advanced more where criminal were identified and arrested with the aid of photographs taken, after which the telephone came in. indeed, evolution of technology in the past fifty years has developed from use of cars, two way radio communication and guns into the recent times advance t echnology such as body armor, in-car computers and video cameras. ... Among the earliest forms of technology that are still being used at the moment is the use of finger print for criminal investigations, with the application of sound waves for measuring distance between the prints with automated fingerprints identification system. For instance, application of fingerprints and photographs has helped a great deal in identifying criminals and suspects during application and use of visa. Indeed, fraud and identity theft were the most applicable areas of the technology (Siegel, 2008, p 457). Technology is mostly characterized by computers that can carry out complex calculations within a fraction of seconds and the internet for networking in the developed global village. Combination of these two technologies has enabled easy access and storage of large quantities of information with high efficiency. Impact of Information Technology on Criminal Justice Information technology has developed in a dynamic way, with its application by criminals in their activitie s becoming more rampant with time. The society was not prepared to solve criminal technology that has outpaced counteractive measures to solve these problems. Therefore, information technology development mainly in the internet and computer sector has been a great challenge in putting in place security measures to curb the emerging and advancing criminal technologies activities such as cyber crime, identity theft, unauthorized intrusion to systems and sexually related violations. Computers and internet have impacted on the society negatively rather than helping in positive development of the society. In developed countries, criminal technology was extreme due to rapid development of technology easily available for criminals and terrorists. Although security forces have

Comprehensive Analysis Outline and Presentation Essay

Comprehensive Analysis Outline and Presentation - Essay Example It is much to the favor of Wine Selling Place to choose this particular region of the country due to the limited business restrictions here and to ensure that the organization can expand or improve distribution with limited governmental regulation and influence. There are over 60 million potential customers in Italy, a nation that is well-known for its diverse tastes and preference for wine as a household beverage. The country is currently experiencing a 1.3 percent growth rate in GDP, suggesting that this particular nation in Europe has overcome some of the economic troubles currently plaguing many European nations. Inflation is a moderate 1.6 percent, much lower than many other industrialized nations. This provides opportunities to cater the business’ wine products to those with moderate household incomes that can afford high quality or even lower cost wine without concern over lack of disposable income due to increasing economic restraints related to inflationary environments. As with most companies, the first method of procuring finance is to assess the viability of banking loans. Italy maintains many different banks that are regulated by EU finance ministers and those that have well-respected international reputations (i.e. Barclay’s, etc). Financing can be achieved through the production of a detailed, well-researched business plan and then presented to banking representatives for approval based on credit worthiness and future strategic business planning. Additional funding sources include the local Chamber of Commerce, financial institutions associated with the European Union, reimbursable grants from various agencies designed to foster growth in small businesses, and even subsidies. Seeing that Italy is highly involved with the World Trade Organization and also promotes small business growth through

Otto Von Bismarck Essay Example for Free

Otto Von Bismarck Essay Otto Von Bismarck was made Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Prussia by I in 1862. He stayed in power until 1890. His conduct of foreign policy between 1862 and 1871 is one of the most fascinating and complex parts of the nineteenth century. It ended with the unification of Germany on 18th January 1871, under Prussian dominance, with King William of Prussia being coroneted as Kaiser in Versailles. The German unification is possibly the most important and significant events in history, as it has had so many effects and consequences across the whole world, and still does to this day. One of the most widely debated topics of the nineteenth century is to what extent is Bismarck responsible for the unification. Basically, was Bismarck’s foreign policy more about conscious design, or a policy by default largely determined by other key personalities and events? Some people try and say that Bismarck was always heading towards German unification, and that he had been planning how to get there all along; but actually, Bismarck hardly planned a thing – he instead was just very good at taking things as they came. His main aim was to strengthen Prussia, and make it into a stronger country. An example of how Bismarck did not plan what he did is how he came to power. He was not elected, so he was not planning ways in which to gain votes etc. ; instead, he was suddenly catapulted from being ambassador to St. Petersburg, and then Paris, to being chancellor of Prussia. Bismarck was also known for his personality. It was this that initially got him to where he was. He was nicknamed ‘The Iron Chancellor†, and he fitted this name very well. In 1862, when William was refused money by liberals to pay for his army, he threatened to abdicate, but was persuaded to elect Bismarck as chancellor instead. Everybody who knew Bismarck knew him as being wild, and a bully, a conservative, an army man, and as being a ‘Machiavellian’. He was cunning, scheming, unscrupulous, vicious, manipulative, calculating, brutal, and devious, and also very good at improvising. It was these things that William liked about him, and Williams’s expectations of Bismarck were achieved. Immediately after being put in office, Bismarck suspended the constitution and gave the army the money it needed. Now he was in control of Prussia as it was maturing and reaching power. Another event that shows how Bismarck did not plan things is the Danish Crisis in Schleswig and Holstein in 1864. Some people say that Bismarck planned this, and did it to get Austria involved, and to be nice to her by giving her some land, but which he could take at any time as it was next to Prussia, and cause up rise. In reality, Denmark unexpectedly attempted to annex Schleswig and Holstein, and Bismarck just saw a chance to gain some land, respect, popularity, and a small advantage over Austria; he did not previously plan any of this, he just ‘played the cards he was dealt well’ e. g. e ended up doing it with Austria – this made him look good in front of everyone else, and also lulled Austria into a false sense of security. This was a first step towards Bismarck thinking cleverly about how he could get an upper hand over Austria. Although Bismarck did not necessarily plan all of the things that he did, he was very good at playing what came along well, and thinking about all of the consequences of his actions, and how he could use what he had to his best advantage; because of this, he was a great man who was clever and quick thinking, so we have not at all been deceived about him. It has often been said that Bismarck never meant for what most of what he did to happen, and that what he did was just mainly luck e. g. there was an extraordinary interlude of calmness during his time. This meant that he was able to many things that he should not have been able to do without risking international intervention. Britain is a good example of this international calmness. We were far more concerned with looking after ourselves, and keeping our empire strong and wealthy, than in events in Europe. The one thing that we did have a view on, and it was a strong view, was that we hated France, and this ended up being good for Bismarck anyway. Austria and France were also calm when Bismarck needed them to be – after Austria lost the war, it took her a reasonable amount of time to recover, and Bismarck used this time wisely; France had previously been hammered during Napoleon Bonaparte’s conquest of Europe, and was hated by many, and so was lying low for some time, and again, Bismarck used this greatly to his advantage. A handful people believe that Bismarck’s legacy is too big for his own good. As some people say that he caused German unification single-handedly, because this was a huge event which had enormous consequences and effects, people automatically think of Bismarck as being a greater and better person than he actually was, and that he shifted history his way more than he actually did. But, without Bismarck, luck and other things would not have been a big enough factor to cause German unification, and so he was needed, and he was a great man. Bismarck is said to have unified Germany, but there are several other people who contributed to it more than people think, who are often forgotten about, and not so well known. One of these people is Napoleon III of France. Napoleon III was a very weak, feeble, useless and pathetic ruler. When he was anxious to gain compensation and maintain France’s role as a great power, he was looking at Bismarck and Prussia for anything to grab onto and attack, but Bismarck gave him nothing to react to. This just angered Napoleon even more, and made it easy for Bismarck to use Napoleon when he wanted. Napoleon was such a weak and terrible ruler, that he automatically gave Bismarck an advantage, as Bismarck could easily control Napoleon, and trick him into doing things that he did not realize the consequences of. Bismarck very easily irritated Napoleon on purpose, but he did not go too far e. g. the Hohenzollem candidature, where Bismarck tried to put a Prussian prince in the Spanish throne. This would mean that Prussia would have a massive advantage, as France would be surrounded by Prussia, and could even face fighting on two fronts. Obviously Napoleon was furious when he heard about this, but Bismarck quickly withdrew the candidature, meaning that Napoleon did not act at all, and Bismarck looked good, as he had withdrawn it ‘to be nice to France’. Napoleon did not see what was happening, which meant that Bismarck could do almost what he wanted around him. Ludwig of Bavaria was an obstacle to Bismarck. He led the biggest German state (apart from Prussia). When Bismarck was making all of the head of the states agree to letting, acknowledging, and going to William’s coronation of becoming Kaiser of Germany, Ludwig was the only person to refuse, but Bismarck easily got around this problem by coming to an agreement with Ludwig, which was that Ludwig would accept the demands if Bismarck let him keep his ornate postboxes. This was a major victory for Bismarck, as it was the end of the very old state of Bavaria, which had lots of history, and patriotism, and was at one point a very strong power. Bismarck was controlled and told what to do mainly by William and also by the conservatives and the middle class taxpayers. William especially had absolute control over Bismarck. He had promoted him to chancellor. Prussia’s General (Moltke) was also very important. He was a superb General, and led Prussia’s army very well to its victories. Bismarck was not a military leader, and without Moltke could possibly not have done nearly as well as he did. Russia was massively important. She did not intervene during Prussia’s wars against Denmark and Austria in 1864 and 1866. If she had, Prussia would have probably lost, leading to a whole different outcome; the war with Austria led to the North German Confederation in 1867. Russia never once stopped the new central power from emerging, even though it was given plenty of opportunities. This may have been because of the Tsar. He always blamed Austria for his father’s death, and so refused to help her. Bismarck was helped on several occasions by certain countries not intervening in 1870 with the war with France, Britain did not intervene as she still hated France, neither would Italy, as she owed her acquisition of Venetia to Prussia’s victory over Austria in 1866 and also wanted to get the French out of Rome; and Austria was still recovering, and was held back by Russia, who threatened to send in 300,000 men if she got involved. This meant that Bismarck did not need to be scared of fighting on two fronts at all. Also, without the realignment of the great powers that resulted from the Crimean War, German Unification would probably not have happened. Bismarck himself even said: â€Å"It all began with the Crimean War†. Although all of these people and events were important, Bismarck was the fundamental key to the unification. Without him, it would not have happened, so we have not at all been deceived – he was a great man who was the key to the German Unification. When Bismarck came to power, Prussia was coming to its peak in almost every way. She had a brilliant General (Moltke), she was industrializing she had amazing railways and weapons and she had a thriving economy. Another help to Bismarck was the fact that Prussia was physically a large state. Some people believe that Bismarck did not need to do much, and he just did well, as it was a coincidence that he was in the right place at the right time. But, although Prussia was doing well at Bismarck’s time, it needed Bismarck to bring it all together, and make it happen! Many people say that German unification was inevitable, and would have happened even if Bismarck had never lived, because of certain preconditions. For example: nationalism had been growing for many years. This can be shown in the 1848 revolutions; also, it still kept on growing after the revolutions. Nationalism was now a talked about thing – people had written about it, and apart from the monarchs etc. who too were scared of it, people were discussing it among themselves. Also, gradually over the last few decades, there had been becoming less and less German states. Originally there were more than a hundred very small states, similar to the size of a large estate, or maybe a small county today; but as stronger states had engulfed other weaker states, fewer and larger states emerged. By the time Bismarck was around, there was not much more than twenty states. This gradual reduces in the number of states shows that eventually, there would have been a German unification without Bismarck anyway – he just sped the process up. The 1848 revolutions also showed that there was a want for change already there with the people, even before Bismarck, and so again, there would have been German unification without him. Another thing that shows that there would have been German unification without Bismarck anyway is that the Hapsburg Empire had slowly been on its downfall for many years, starting well before Bismarck’s time. At the height of its power, the Hapsburg Empire was enormous, and extremely powerful and very autocratic, but it had slowly been becoming less and less of a major power, and other countries were beginning to be able to almost rival it. Many people also say that the struggle between the German states and the struggle between Prussia and Austria had to be settled some time, and this would have happened regardless of whether Bismarck was there or not. By the time Bismarck came to power, there was as well a want for unification already there, which some say would have caused it anyway if Bismarck had not been there (liberals had wanted unification for a long time, but now there were also others who wanted it, like some of the working class, and some of the middle class – also, there were many who did not think about unification, but would have probably supported it if they could more easily). Also, in 1866, the southern states were becoming increasingly hostile to Prussia, and the other northern states. A war to resolve the hostility between France and Prussia, and to force the southern states into joining the North German Confederation seemed likely in 1869. This showed that even if Bismarck had not been there, then there would have been the unification anyway. People say that these points show that it was not Bismarck who caused the unification, but it was in fact going to happen anyway; but actually, it was Bismarck who brought all of these separate points together to make the unification happen. Without him these points would not have led to it, they need Bismarck! He brought these points together, and therefore it was Bismarck who made it possible. So we have not been deceived, as Bismarck was a great man, who shifted these points his way, leading to unification. Bismarck was a great man, and he had a great personality, and was always willing to do things. Bismarck was a great Machiavellian. He was brilliantly sly and cunning, and his truth was flexible. He was happy to put down anyone he needed to, even his friends. He always desired a stronger Prussia, and it was this desire that led to him unifying the German states. He was fundamentally a conservative, but he cleverly managed to get all different sorts of people to like him, and to be on his side – even many of the liberals. He was very gifted at making people believe something he wanted them to believe, or do what he wanted them to do e. g. he got William to agree to becoming the Kaiser, as he got all of the rulers of the other states to give him the crown. Bismarck was also very good at knowing when to stop – he would irritate someone a lot, but stop just before they exploded. He did this with Napoleon III. Bismarck also never took any risks that were too big. He always knew what he was doing, even though it often looked the opposite. He would only proceed with something if he was satisfied with his chance of success. This was his key strength – he was an unbelievable decision-maker. This meant that he was also very good at ‘playing things by ear’, which meant that he never had to plan things too far in advance, and he was very good at putting himself into other people’s shoes, and seeing what the consequences of all of his decisions could be. Bismarck was also very strong willed. He always did what he wanted, and never stopped or hesitated for anything. He was like a steam train going full speed, and having to make hundreds of decisions of what path to take – he was unstoppable. Proof of this is that when he came to power, the majority of people did not want unification, but he still managed to make it happen. William was also nearly useless without Bismarck. He was too weak and slow. Bismarck was a great man, and he certainly did shift history his way when he wanted to.

The Status Of The Arabic Language

The Status Of The Arabic Language Arabic is one of the widespread spoken languages among Arab speakers, especially in the Middle East and North Africa and its considered the central language of Semitic languages such as Hebrew and Aramaic languages (Zeina, 2008). Arabic is spoken by more than 280 million people as a first language and by 250 million as a second language. Regardless of the different varieties, there are three basic Arabics. To put it clearly, there are three types of Arabic: the classical language, the modern standard language and colloquial language (Zeina, 2008, Gonzalo, 2005). The first one is the language of the Holy Quran which is used by all Muslim people who perform their prayers or read the Holy Quran whether they understand what they read or not (Zeina, 2008). As for the Modern Standard Arabic, it was derived from the Classical Arabic and it is widely used in formal situations such as schools, universities, courts, government and the media. Regarding the last one, it is substantially used in daily life situations and activities among people. Arabic language is different from other languages; it has a system of its own (Back Walter Tim, 2004). It consists of 28 letters, 25 of them are consonant letters and the other three are vowels (Hattami, 2010). There is not capital letters and small letters. Moreover, it has a unique and different style because it starts from right to left in both reading and writing. (Zeina, 2008). The relationship between Arabic and other languages such as Hebrew, English, Spanish, Sicilian, and other European languages is a strong related one. It is common that languages borrow some lexical items from one another. Arabic has borrowed many words from English and other languages and other languages have done the same thing as well (wajih, 1991). In other words, Arabic has borrowed words from many languages, including Hebrew, Persian and Syriac in early centuries, Turkish in medieval times and contemporary European languages in modern times. In short, the Arabic language is a common language among Arab speakers and its roots have been taken from the Holy Quran which is considered the source of all literary works and poetry in the Arab world and all linguists refer to it when they search for some explanations of some words and meanings. Moreover, Arabic with its different writing system and varieties, it has a real and close contact to other languages, especially English. In this written assignment, I will be briefly touching on certain points. Firstly, the description of vowels and consonants found in the Arabic and English languages, and the comparison between them. Secondly, some problems that learners of the Arabic language might have in learning English. In spite of the similarities between the consonantal systems of English and Arabic, there are some differences in some aspects. For example, the Arabic language has uvular sounds Ghain / /, Qaaf, //, and Khaa //, the pharyngeal sounds Ain // and Haa // (Harakat, 1998), and emphatic sounds two plosives, / / and / /, and two fricatives, / / and / (Al-Muhtaseb et al., 2000; Ouni et al., 2005; Selouania and Caelen, 1998). These sounds actually give the Arabic language its own distinctive property. Since each language has its own system, as mentioned above, Arabic and English share common consonant sounds and some restricted-language sounds.(Eid, 2006). 1-Arabic consonant sounds The Arabic language has some consonant sounds that are not existed in the English language. In fact, there are 28 consonants in Arabic, eight stops, thirteen fricatives, one affricate, two nasals, two liquids and two glides (Mousa M. Amayreh, 2003). The following table illustrates the place, manner, and voicing of Arabic consonants. Consonant Chart for Arabic 2-English consonant sounds In English phonetics we describe consonants according to three criteria: place of articulation, manner of articulation and voicing. There are 25 consonants in English, six stops, nine fricatives, two affricates, three nasals, two glides, and two liquids. (Eid, 2006). The following table illustrates the place, manner, and voicing of English consonants. Consonant Chart for English 3- Comparison of English and Arabic consonants This part is a comparison between English and Arabic consonants. Some tables and other illustrations are provided below: 3.1 Stops Based on the tables above, one can clearly say that there are eight plosives in Arabic [ b,d,t,k,d,t,q,?] while there are six plosives in English [ ph,b,t,k,d,g]. The English language lacks the equivalents of the Arabic emphatics [dØ ¸, tØ · ], the uvular [qÙ‚] and the glottal stop [?Ù†¡]. On the other hand, the Arabic language also lacks some equivalents of the English plosives [ph, g]. The result of such difference results in some difficulties for students and speakers. As we will see later on, the difficulties that face Arab learners towards pronouncing vowels and consonants. The following table summarizes the difference between Arabic and English plosives with IPA symbols. 3.2 Fricatives The English language has nine fricatives in the labio-denteal interdental, dento-alveolar and glottal areas i.e. most of its fricatives are in the front half of the vocal tract, while the Arabic language has thirteen ranging from the labiodental to the glottal areas. In addition to that, it also has parts of uvular [ xØ ®, Ø ¹] and pharyngeal fricatives [hØ ­, Ø ¹] as well as two emphatic ones (Eid, 2006). The following table summarizes the difference between Arabic and English fricatives with IPA symbols. 3.3 Affricates There are two basic affricates in English a voiceless post-alveolar affricate [th] and a voiced post-alveolar affricate [d3] while Arabic has only one affricate, a voiced post-alveolar one [d3] (Hattami, 2010). However, some Arabic dialects, such as the Iraqi one, have [th] sound and this helps Iraqi learners speak words containing such sound properly. (Andrzej Rouag, 1993, Hattami, 2010). 3.4 Nasals The English language has three nasal sounds [m,n,g] while Arabic has only two [m,n ] (Hattami, 2010). That is, the Arabic language lacks the [g] sound which is considered an allophone of [n] before velar and uvular stops, as in: English and Arabic have the same [m] and this doesnt cause problems. On the other hand, [n] is alveolar in English while it is dental in Arabic. English and Arabic nasal sounds 3.5 Approximants There are three differences between the approximants of Arabic and English. First, English has the nasal sound [g] while it is not found in the Arabic language. Second, [r] in Arabic does not follow the approximants but the un-sustained or R-sound (Odisho, 2003b). Third, the English approximant [r] causes problems for Arab learners. 3.6 Laterals There is only one lateral sound in English [l] while the Arabic language has two: non-emphatic one [l] and emphatic one [L] (Andrzej Rouag, 1993, Hattami, 2010), as in: 3.7 Flab The phonemic system of English language does not have the so-called flap sound. However, the system of the Arabic language may be a source of substitutions for the English / r/s. (Andrzej Rouag, 1993, Hattami, 2010) 4. Consonantal problems Arab learners face in learning English Since each language has a sound system and regardless of the similarities between these languages, there, indeed, must be some differences which cause problems for learners of languages. Thus, once the Arab learners are willing to learn the English language, they may make unconscious mistakes resulting from either the interference of the two languages or unawareness of the sound systems of each language or the inexistence of certain sounds. (Hattami, 2010) A list of such problems is outlined below: /p/ as stated earlier, English has the consonant aspirated sound /p/, and /b/, whereas there is only /b/ /Ø ¨/ in Arabic. In the result, Arab learners may not be able to differentiate between these two sounds and make mistakes when pronouncing them and replace /b/ in replace of /p/. For instance, / picture/ / bicture/. /g/ the standard Arabic does not consider /g/ as a fixed sound in its sound system, but in some Arabic dialects, this sound is considered such as the Egyptian dialect. Mostly, all Arab learners of English face difficulty in differentiating between them, and they substitute the Arabic /k/ for the English /g/. For example, /game/ / kame/. / tà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ «/ this sound is not also existed in the sound system of standard Arabic. However, it can be found in some Arabic dialects such as the Iraqi dialect. The counter-consonant in standard Arabic is /k/. Arab learners of English may have problems in the sound / tà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ «/ and they may tend to simplify this sound to / à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ «/ .Consequently, this results in wrong pronunciation of / tà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã‚ «/. For example, chair- shair. / Æ ·/ In some cases, the simplification of / dÊ’/ to / Æ ·/ is also found. Some Arabic dialects accept this sound such as Syrian and Lebanese ones. Speakers may simplify / / to / / such as / / / / . / Ã…Å  / doesnt exist in Arabic at all, in English, it has a restriction on occurrence: it doesnt occur initially. It only occurs medially and finally. For example, finger and sing. Consequently, an Arab student who learns English is strongly conditioned by the context in which allophone /Ã…Å  / occurs and will tend to insert the conditioning /k g / such as: Singing -Think . Conclusion I have presented a brief comparison between the consonant systems of English and Arabic. I have also listed some problems in pronouncing individual consonants faced by Arabic speakers and learners of English. According to (Hattami, 2010), the remedial solution can be placed on teachers. Teachers have to be fully aware of the two sound systems and then prepare remedial drills and train students to avoid such problems in learning and speaking. Arabic consonants. Adopted from (Hattami, 2010) English consonants. Adopted from (Hattami, 2010) 2- Arabic and English Vowels Like consonants, English and Arabic have different systems of vowels. They share three common vowels / / while English is characterized by four own vowels / / and only one vowel is restricted to Arabic/ /. Moreover, a laconic overview of the vowel systems of each language will be outlined below and then a comparison will also be provided. 2.1 Arabic vowels The Arabic vowel system has six vowel sounds, three short vowels and three long ones. (Eid, 2006). These are outlined below: 2.1.1 Short vowels: Fatha: the first short vowel in Arabic. Fatha is a diagonal stroke written above the consonant which precedes it in pronunciation. Its pronounced like A in English. For example, the Arabic consonant  ºÃ‚ = b in English, if we put the Fatha ÙÅ ½ above the consonant  ºÃ‚ , it will produce the sound  ºÃ‚  = ba in English. Another example is /Bat/. Damma: the second short vowel in Arabic. Damma is an apostrophe-like shape written above the consonant which precedes it in pronunciation its pronounced like o or u in English. For example, if you put Damma Ù  above the consonant  ºÃ‚ , it will produce the sound  ºÃ‚  and pronounce like /bo/ in the word / but /. Kasra: The third short vowel in Arabic is Kasra. Kasra is a diagonal stroke written below the consonant which precedes it in pronunciation, its the only short vowel that comes under the consonants, if we put Ù  under the sound  ºÃ‚  it will be pronounced like /be/ in English. Another example is / bit /. 2.1.2 Long vowels: Long vowels in Arabic are Alif /  ºÃ‚  / which is pronounced like /aa/ in English , Waw /  »Ã‚ ® / which is pronounced like /uu/ in English , and /  »Ã‚ ±/ which is pronounced like /ii/ in English. Alif / Ø / comes in three various situations front, central, and back. For example, in the word Ø ¨ÃƒËœÃƒËœÃ‚ ¨ which means door in English, the /aa/ is front vowel. A central vowel like bar, and back vowel like low. Another example is the English word / father / and / bat /. -Waw: / Ùˆ / the second long vowel in Arabic, its pronounced like /uu/ in English. For example Ø ªÃƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ ÃƒËœÃ‚ ª which means blueberry and is pronounced as /toot/ in English. Another example is the word / moon/. -Ya: / ii / the third long vowel in Arabic, we can pronounce it like /ii/ in English. For example Ø ¹ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¨Ãƒâ„¢Ã…   which relates to s/body Arabic, and pronounce /arabii/ in English. Another example is the word / sheep/. As for diphthongs and tripthongs, linguists are reluctant to accept the existence of these sounds in Arabic. (Odisho, p, 49). Arabic Name Arabic Romanization Vowel fatha(t) opening (of lips) Ù Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ ªÃƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒËœÃ‚ ­Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ ©Ãƒâ„¢Ã…’ a Short A a As in accept, ascend alif mamdooda(t) extended alif Ø £Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã…’ Ù†¦Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ ©Ãƒâ„¢Ã…’ aa Long A Ä  As in man, can kasra(t) breaking (of sound) ÙƒÙÅ ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ ³Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ ©Ãƒâ„¢Ã…’ i Short I i As in sit, hit yaa extended yaa ÙÅ  ÃƒËœÃƒËœÃ‚ ¡Ãƒâ„¢Ã…’ Ù†¦Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ ©Ãƒâ„¢Ã…’ ee Long I Ä « As in feel, deal damma(t) joining (of lips) Ø ¶Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ ©Ãƒâ„¢Ã…’ u Short U u As in put, foot waaw mamdooda(t) extended waaw ÙˆØÙˆÙŒ Ù†¦Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ ©Ãƒâ„¢Ã…’ oo Long U Ã…Â « As in sure, roof sukoon stillness Ø ³Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã†â€™Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒâ„¢Ã…’ No following vowel As in stay, drag Short and long Arabic vowels in Arabic: 2.2 English vowels The English language is rich in vowels, both simple and diphthongs. Simple vowels are divided into short and long. As it is shown in tables below, we have six short vowels and five long vowels while there are eight diphthongs.(Eid, 2006). They are produced when airstream is voiced through the vibration of the vocal cords. Vowel consonants can be classified as: vowel tongue height (close, mid, open) by raising or lowering the tongue; vowel tongue position(front, center, back) by advancing the body of the tongue; and lip rounding(spread, natural, and rounded). Monophthongs Short Long Front Back Front Central Close http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_i.jpg http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_u.jpg http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ii.jpg Mid http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_e.jpg http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_a.jpg http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ee.jpg Open http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ae.jpg http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_o.jpg http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_aa.jpg Lips loosely spread. Tongue lax with less tension than / i: / Bid)) http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_i.jpg Lips loosely spread and slightly wider apart than / É ª / (bed) http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_e.jpg Lips neutrally open and slightly wider apart than / e / Bat)) http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ae.jpg Lips loose, but closely rounded. Tongue not as tense as in / u: / (good) http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_u.jpg Lips neutrally open. Open jaws. Centralized quality.(cut) http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_a.jpg Open lip-rounding, wide open jaws, back of tongue low.(pot) http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_o.jpg Lips spread. Tongue tense (front raised) with sides touching upper molars. (bead) http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ii.jpg Lips neutrally spread. Tongue slightly higher than /Éâ„ ¢/ (no firm contact with upper molars). (girl) http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ee.jpg Lips neutrally open and jaws far apart. Centre to back of tongue fully open. (car) http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_aa.jpg Lips closely rounded. Back of tongue high. Tense compared with /ÊÅ  /. (booed) http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_uu.jpg Medium lip rounding. Tongue drawn back making no contact with upper molars.(bought) http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_oo.jpg Lips in neutral position. Centralized. Tongue slightly higher than in /ÊŒ/. (teacher) http://www.btinternet.com/~ted.power/ph07.gif Diphthongs Closing Centering to /http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_i_bg.jpg/ to /http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_u_bg.jpg/ Starting close http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ie.jpg http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ue.jpg Starting mid http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ei.jpg http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_oi.jpg http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_eu.jpg http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ee3.jpg Starting open http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ai.jpg http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_au.jpg http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ei.jpg Bay, say http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_oi.jpg Boy, foil http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ai.jpg Reply, high http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_eu.jpg Toe, show http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_au.jpg Cow, how http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ie.jpg Beer, http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ue.jpg boor http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ee3.jpg Bear, 3- Comparison of English and Arabic vowels 3.1- Front vowels In the English sound system there are five phonemes. On the other hand, Arabic has four phonemes. English Arabic two in the high area / I / higher high and /i/. lower high two in the high area one in the mid area /e/. two in the low area / / high long, / /. High short two in the low area 3.2- Back vowels English has five phonemes while Arabic has only two. English Arabic two in the low area / / low, low, back / / higher low back Two back phonemes One in the mid area / / mid back Two in the high area / / lower high back / /higher high back. 3.3- Central vowels English has two central vowels while Arabic has no central vowels. English One mid-central / / Non-mid central / / 4- Problems Arab learners encounter in vowels: /http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_a.jpg/, most Arab learners pronounce the /http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_a.jpg/ sound, which produces when the tongue is more central and the lips are relaxed, as /http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ae.jpg/ instead of /http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_a.jpg/. For example, the word cup as /khttp://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ae.jpgp/ instead of /khttp://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_a.jpgp/. /http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_e.jpg/, Arab speakers tend to lengthen the short vowel /http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_e.jpg/, as in the words pet and men. /http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_i.jpg/, which is produced when the tongue is more front and little high. For example, the word sit which pronounce as /set/ instead of /shttp://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_i.jpgt/. /http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_au.jpg/ which supposed to pronounce by using the tongue central, then tightly round the lips. For example, the word note /nhttp://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_o.jpgt/ instead of the correct pronounce /nhttp://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_au.jpgt/. /http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ei.jpg/, which produces when the tongue moves from front center to front high. For example, the word late, Arabic speakers pronounce it like /let/ instead of /lhttp://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ei.jpgt/. /http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ie.jpg/, tongue high and front then move to center. For example, the word beer as /beÉâ„ ¢(r)/ instead of /bhttp://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_ie.jpg(r)/. /http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_oo.jpg/, which produced by moving the tongue low, back and fixed. Jaws together. For example, the word bought /bhttp://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_eu.jpgt/ instead of the correct pronounce /bhttp://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/images/ipa/ipa_oo.jpgt/. Conclusion In this short part, a distinction between English and Arabic vowels sounds is given. The distinction showed some similarities and differences between the two systems. Some tables and figures have been given to illustrate the difference vividly.

Character Brett Ashley in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises Essay

The Character Brett Ashley in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises There is a common perception among casual readers--who hasn't heard it voiced?--that Ernest Hemingway did not respect women. The purpose of this essay is to examine one work in such a way as to challenge these heinous assumptions. Hemingway's persona will be left alone. What will be examined is the role of women, as evidenced by Brett Ashley in The Sun Also Rises, and what, if anything, it reveals in the way of settling this account of Hemingway as misogynist. Brett Ashley enjoys a unique position of power in the novel--in today's vernacular, she "wears the pants" in all her relationships. The feminist perspective, no doubt, will find this true, but rapidly move to the conclusion that Brett Ashley's power over men is Hemingway's means of showing what a bitch she is. I'd like to suggest another possibility. Despite Brett's many faults, she is worth loving, and Jake Barnes does just that. Again, the feminist may say, yes he loves her, but as an idol, a doll, a figure admired from afar, as if eternally suspended on a pedestal. I consent that Jake is guilty of this habit, yet; he is always there for her, no matter the pain it inflicts on his self-worth. At the end of the book, when Jake thinks the coast is clear, and he's gathering himself at San Sabastian after much revelry in Pamplona, Brett sends a telegram: COULD YOU COME TO HOTEL MONTANA MADRID AM RATHER IN TROUBLE BRETT. (238) Brett has ditched her intended husband Michael, her lover Robert Cohn, and her number one supporter Jake Barnes, in order to do what? To satisfy herself with a nineteen year old hero of the bull ring. To assuage her fears of aging. For wasn't it pleasant dear, to be ... ...it, and respond accordingly. Hemingway's gift of these characters says to the reader, "Embrace life." That message comes from one who loves people, even when they insist on games and head-trips and violence. Jake is a hero because he grabs the bull by the horns (I know, I know). He could be a pitiful mess of a man, but he is not. He is chivalrous, smart, and well-adjusted. He hurts, and has second thoughts, but he is quick to joke about it. The characters in the novel that show signs of male chauvinism are whipped about by events, and are in no way intended to be admired. Hemingway was no sexist. On the contrary, his work championed the woman's cause, and in Brett Ashley he has given readers a heroine, hell-bent on liberation. Work Cited Hemingway, Ernest. The Sun Also Rises. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1926. Reissued by Collier Books, 1986.

How Low Self-esteem Effects Anorexia Essay -- essays research papers

How Low Self-Esteem affects Anorexia Outline I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anorexia has no certain causes, but it has been determined that psychological, enviromental, and physiological factors play a role. A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Self-esteem is both a psychological and physiological factor of low self-esteem. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Girls and young women are most commonly associated with low self-esteem and anorexia. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “Self-Esteem is how you think and feel about yourself.';(McWilliams and Roger, 361) People can reach low self-esteem levels in a variety of ways. A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People with low self-esteem don’t think they’re worth taking care of. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Young people’s self-esteem can be effected by parents and peers. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With low self-esteem, a young girl wants to have the confidence that it seems everyone else has. A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They may develop anorexia because they are dissatisfied with themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An anorexia will take drastic measures to change   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  her body image in an attempt to fit in. An Conclusion:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has not yet been pin-pointed what the exact cause of anorexia is. Many factors play a role, including self-esteem. Children need to be showed love and caring in order to gain the appropriate levels of self-esteem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anorexia is a big issue in society today. Girls and boys are developing anorexic symptoms as young as age five. While anorexia can be detected in boys, girls, men, and/or women of all ages, “the most common ages of onset [remains] between thirteen and twenty-two.';(Levenkron,1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder. People who develop anorexia are usually “afraid of becoming obese and [have] such a distorted image of [their] body, that [they] steadfastly [refuse] to eat even when...hungry.';(Mathews, 29) The “[eating] disorder [becomes] a disease...when problems of the mind create problems for the body.'; (Levenkron,5)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scientists have been studying and researching the causes of anorexia sin... ...tory Approach, written by Gail E. Myers and Michele Tolela Myers, it is said that positive self-esteem is often developed in adolescents who have attitude of acceptance by parents, clearly defined and enforced limits and respect and latitude for individual action with the defined limits. (65) If children can maintain a healthy self-esteem level, they may not feel the need to turn to anorexia for comfort. While things like genes can be a cause of anorexia, it can be helpful for a parent to show that a child is accepted, which can raise self-esteem levels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited Johnson, Carol A. Self-Esteem Comes in All Sizes: How to be Happy and Healthy at your Natural Weight. New York: Bantam, 1995 Levenkron, Steven. Treating and Overcoming Anorexia Nervosa. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1982. Mathews, John R. Eating Disorders. New York: Facts on File Inc., 1991. McWilliams, Peter and Roger, John. Life 101: Everything we Wish we had Learned about in School--but didn’t. California: Prelude Press, 1990. Myers, Gail E. and Myers, Michele The T. Dynamics of Human Communication: A Laboratory Approach. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1973.

How does Wal-Mart Keep their competitive advantage Essay

Founded in 1962 by Sam Walton, Wal-Mart has grown to be the largest discount retail chain in the world. Wal-Mart currently has over 6,500 thousand stores in 14 different countries, 1.8 million plus associates and nets sales this last quarter of over 85 billion dollars, an increase of 8.3 percent (walmart.com). The only other corporation larger than Wal-Mart to date is Exxon Mobile. So how does Wal-Mart keep their competitive advantage and sustain their position in discount retailing?Historically Wal-Mart main competitive advantage has been their low price of brand name goods. Though their most important competitive advantage, it is not their only one. Wal-Mart’s competitive advantage is based off of many key strategic choices, not just their low prices. Their strategic choice of location has given Wal-Mart a first mover advantage. By Wal-Mart strategically placing their stores within the proximity of their distribution centers, Wal-Mart is able to keep their in-house inventory at a minimal. Their distribution network is based on the hub-and spoke concept, which places stores no more than a day’s drive from its distribution centers and replaces goods within 24 hours (refrigeratedtrans.com). Their distribution centers carry more than 85 percent of all merchandise sold by Wal-Mart. With over 3,000 tractors and 12,000 trailers, Wal-Mart has one of the largest private fleets in the country with an on-time delivery record of 99.5 percent, which Mauldin believes is not good enough, that anything less the 100% is unacceptable (refrigeratedtrans.com). Not only has Wal-Mart’s strategic placement of their stores and distribution centers given them a competitive advantage, their strategic operations and inventory management has played a vital role in their success. Wal-Mart’s in-store inventory is kept at a minimum, allowing them to achieve maximum efficiency of their store floor space. Inventory is tracked by UPC scanners allowing Wal-Mart to better communicate with vendors via satellite when supplies need to be replenished. This strategy helps Wal-Mart lower inventory cost, which allows them the ability to meet the demands of local consumers, and the ability to avoid overstocking. Thus in return giving them a higher operational efficiency and keeping their prices significantly lower  that other discount retail stores. According to A.T. Kearney, Wal-Mart’s three-biggest sources of cost advantage are low corporate overheads, the efficiencies of its supply chain and above all, it’s low labor cost. However, I believe their biggest source of cost advantage is their corporate culture. Not only is this their biggest source, it is also the one source that will help Wal-Mart sustain their position in the future. Wal-Mart’s corporate culture dates back to the beginning when Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart in 1962 with a vision to keep prices as low as possible. He also emphasized frugality, customer service, an open book policy, building loyalty among associates, suppliers and customers (Wilbert, 2007). He built Wal-Mart from leading by example, and instilling in his people and his business a belief system that is still currently in place today (walmart.com). Sam Walton had three basic beliefs and 10 rules for building a business that he believed to be the secret of their success. His three basic beliefs were respect the individual; service to the customer; and strive for excellence. He believed that applying these beliefs would make an associate a better person, which in return would make a better organization. All great beliefs and are still followed today (walmart.com). However it is the 10 basic principals where I believe gave Wal-Mart the competitive advantage and defines their culture. These basic principals are:†¢The customer is always right†¢We are a merchandise-driven company†¢Our people make the difference†¢We communicate with our associates†¢We maintain a strong work ethic†¢Associates are partners†¢Our leaders are also servants†¢Associates are empowered†¢We have integrity in all we do†¢We control our expensesThese basic principal are the driving force of Wal-Mart. Sam Walton knew that in order to be successful that the associates held the key. That an unhappy associate could project their feelings to the customer and a business could not succeed by attracting one-time customers (walmart.com). Walton also knew that in order to develop a successful corporate culture,  both management and employees had to work together, with the sole purpose of serving the customer. Wal-Mart has followed this culture for the past 45 years. Wal-Mart’s cost-leadership, culture, operations, geographic location, distribution system and organization strategy has all played a vital role in Wal-Mart’s success and will continue to play a vital role in their future. Though some more important than others, without each one Wal-Mart could not duplicate their competitive advantage. Wal-Mart is an organization that shows a strong culture. Associates as well as outsiders can observe many elements of the culture within Wal-Mart. Every aspect of the culture has been instilled in each associate of this company and has helped make Wal-Mart successful and will continue to help them be successful (Berg, 2001). Wal-Mart is a large corporation which stands for the small town community values, that operates with the efficiency of a major corporation. References Berg (2001, July 2). Wal-Mart and Organizational Culture. Retrieved on May 26, 2007 from http://academic.emporia.edu/smithwil/001smmg443/eja/ardmg443ej.htmBernstein, J. and Bivens, J. (2006, June 15). The Wal-Mart Debate. A False Choice between Price and Wages. Economic Policy Institute. Issue Brief #223Corporate Culture Provides Wal-Mart Competitive Advantage. 2002, July 1. Refrigerated Transporters. Retrieved on May 26, 2007 from http://refrigeratedtrans.com/mag/transportation_corporate_culture_provides/Wal-Mart Home Page. Retrieved on May 26, 2007 from http://walmart.comWilbert, C (2006). How Wal-Mart Works. How Stuff Works. Retrieved May 26, 2007 from http://money.howstuffworks.com/wal-mart.htm

Himachal Predesh

Himachal Pradesh (Hindi: à ¤ ¹Ã  ¤ ¿Ã  ¤ ®Ã  ¤ ¾Ã  ¤Å¡Ã  ¤ ² à ¤ ªÃ  ¥ Ã  ¤ °Ã  ¤ ¦Ã  ¥â€¡Ã  ¤ ¶ [É ¦Ã‰ ªmaË tÊÆ'É™l prÉ™dÃŒ ªeË ÃŠÆ'] ( listen)) is a state in Northern India. It is spread over 21,495 sq mi (55,670 km2),[3] and is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east.Himachal Pradesh is famous for its abundant natural beauty.[4] After the war between Nepal and Britain, also known as the Anglo-Gorkha War (1814–1816), the British colonial government came into power. In 1950 Himachal was declared a union territory, but after the State of Himachal Pradesh Act 1971, Himachal emerged as the 18th state of the Republic of India. Hima means snow in Sanskrit, and the literal meaning of the state's name is In the lap of Himalayas. It was named by Acharya Diwakar Datt Sharma, one of the great Sanskrit scholars of Himachal Pradesh.The economy of Himachal Pradesh is currently the third fastest growing economy in India.[citation needed] Himachal Pradesh has been ranked fourth in the list of the highest per capita incomes of Indian states. The abundance of perennial rivers enables Himachal to sell hydroelectricity to other states such as Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan. The economy of the state is highly dependent on three sources: hydroelectric power, tourism and agriculture.Himachal Pradesh is the least urbanized state in India with nearly 90% of population living in rural area, but the Shimla district is comparatively urbanized with nearly 25% population living in an urban area. According to a 2005 Transparency International survey, Himachal Pradesh is ranked the second-least corrupt state in the country after Kerala.Contents1 History 2 Geography and climate 3 Flora and fauna 4 Subdivisions 5 Government 5.1 Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh 6 Agriculture 7 Economy 8 Heritage 9 Transport 10 Demographics 10.1 Languages 11 Cultu re 11.1 Food 11.2 Famous people 12 Education 12.1 Universities and colleges 13 Media and communication 14 State profile 15 See also 16 Notes 17 References 18 External linksHistory Main article: History of Himachal PradeshThe history of the area that now constitutes Himachal Pradesh dates back to the time when the Indus valley civilisation flourished between 2250 and 1750 BCE.[7] Tribes such as the Koilis, Halis, Dagis, Dhaugris, Dasa, Khasas, Kinnars and Kirats inhabited the region from pre-historic era. During the Vedic period, several small republics known as â€Å"Janapada† existed which were later conquered by the Gupta Empire. After a brief period of supremacy by King Harshavardhana, the region was once again divided into several local powers headed by chieftains, including some Rajput principalities.These kingdoms enjoyed a large degree of independence and were invaded by Delhi Sultanate a number of times. Mahmud Ghaznavi conquered Kangra at the beginning of the 10th ce ntury. Timur and Sikander Lodi also marched through the lower hills of the state and captured a number of forts and fought many  battles. Several hill states acknowledged Mughal suzerainty and paid regular tribute to the Mughals. Sansar Chand (c.1765–1823)The Gurkhas, a martial tribe, came to power in Nepal in the year 1768. They consolidated their military power and began to expand their territory. Gradually the Gorkhas annexed Sirmour and Shimla. With the leadership of Amar Singh Thapa, Gorkhas laid siege to Kangra. They managed to defeat Sansar Chand Katoch, the ruler of Kangra, in 1806 with the help of many provincial chiefs. However Gorkhas could not capture Kangra fort which came under Maharaja Ranjeet Singh in 1809. After the defeat the Gorkhas began to expand towards the south of the state.However, Raja Ram Singh, Raja of Siba State managed to capture the fort of Siba from the remnants of Lahore Darbar in Samvat 1846, during the First Anglo-Sikh War. They came into direct conflict with the British along the tarai belt after which the British expelled them from the provinces of the Satluj. The British gradually emerged as the paramount power. In the revolt of 1857, or first Indian war of independence, arising from a number of grievances against the British, the people of the hill states were not as politically active as were those in other parts of the country. They and their rulers, with the exception of Bushahr, remained more or less inactive. Some, including the rulers of Chamba, Bilaspur, Bhagal and Dhami, rendered help to the British government during the revolt. Rock Cut Temple, MasroorThe British territories came under the British Crown after Queen Victoria's proclamation of 1858. The states of Chamba, Mandi and Bilaspur made good progress in many fields during the British rule.[7] During World War I, virtually all rulers of the hill states remained loyal and contributed to the British war effort, both in the form of men and materials. A mong these were the states of Kangra, Jaswan, Datarpur, Guler, Nurpur, Chamba, Suket, Mandi and Bilaspur.After independence the Chief Commissioner's Province of H.P. came into being on 15 April 1948 as a result of integration of 28 petty princely states (including feudatory princes and zaildars) in the promontories of the western Himalaya, known in full as the Simla Hills States & four Punjab southern hill States by issue of the Himachal Pradesh (Administration) Order, 1948 under Sections 3 & 4 of the Extra-Provincial Jurisdiction Act, 1947 (later renamed as the Foreign Jurisdiction Act, 1947 vide A.O. of 1950). The State of Bilaspur was merged in the Himachal Pradesh on 1 April 1954 by the Himachal Pradesh and Bilaspur (New State) Act, 1954. Himachal became a part C state on 26 January 1950 with the implementation of the Constitution of India and the Lt. Governor was appointed. Legislative Assembly was elected in 1952.Himachal Pradesh became a Union Territory on 1 November 1956. Fo llowing area of Punjab State namely Simla, Kangra, Kulu and Lahul and Spiti Districts, Nalagarh tehsil of Ambala District, Lohara, Amb and Una kanungo circles, some area of Santokhgarh kanungo circle and some other specified area of Una tehsil of Hoshiarpur District besides some parts of Dhar Kalan Kanungo circle of Pathankot tehsil of Gurdaspur District; were merged with Himachal Pradesh on 1 November 1966 on enactment of Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 by the Parliament. On 18 December 1970, the State of Himachal Pradesh Act was passed by Parliament and the new state came into being on 25 January 1971. Thus Himachal emerged as the eighteenth state of the Indian Union.Geography and climateMain article: Geography of Himachal Pradesh Key Gompa with Spiti River flowing behind. A summer view of Khajjiar. Climate Temperature [citation needed] †¢ Avg. Winter 7  °C (45  °F) †¢ Avg. Summer 28  °C (82  °F) Precipitation 1,469 mm (57.8 in) Asian Paradise Flycatcher in Kullu Himalyan Monal at Birds Park in ShimlaHimachal is situated in the western Himalayas. Covering an area of 55,673 kilometres (34,594 mi),[3] it is a mountainous state with elevation ranging from about 350 metres (1,148 ft) to 7,000 metres (22,966 ft) above the sea level.The drainage system of Himachal is composed both of rivers and glaciers. Himalayan rivers criss-cross the entire mountain chain. Himachal Pradesh provides water to both the Indus and Ganges basins.[10] The drainage systems of the region are the Chandra Bhaga or the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, the Sutlej and the Yamuna. These rivers are perennial and are fed by snow and rainfall. They are protected by an extensive cover of natural vegetation.There is great variation in the climatic conditions of Himachal due to extreme variation in elevation. The climate varies from hot and sub-humid tropical in the southern tracts to cold, alpine and glacial in the northern and eastern mountain ranges with more elevation.[11] The stat e has areas like Dharamsala that receive very heavy rainfall, as well as those like Lahaul and Spiti that are cold and almost rainless.Broadly, Himachal experiences three seasons: Summer, Winter and rainy season. Summer lasts from mid April till the end of June and most parts become very hot (except in alpine zone which experiences a mild summer) with the average temperature ranging from 28  °C (82  °F) to 32  °C (90  °F). Winter lasts from late November till mid March. Snowfall is common in alpine tracts (generally above 2,200 metres (7,218 ft) i.e. in the Higher and Trans-Himalayan region). Flora and faunaMain article: Protected areas of Himachal PradeshAccording to 2003 Forest Survey of India report, legally defined forest areas constitute 66.52% of the area of Himachal Pradesh, although area under tree cover is only 25.78%.[12] Vegetation in the state is dictated by elevation and precipitation.The southern part of the state, at lower elevations than the north, has both t ropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests.[12] These are represented by northwestern thorn scrub forests along the border with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and by Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests in the far southeast. Sal and shisham are found here.Rising into the hills, we find a mosaic of western Himalayan broadleaf forests and Himalayan subtropical pine forests. Various deciduous and evergreen oaks live in the broadleaf forests, while Chir pine dominates the pine forests. Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests grow near treeline, with species that include East Himalayan Fir, West Himalayan Spruce, Deodar (State tree), and Blue pine.The uppermost elevations have western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows in the northeast and northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows in the northwest. Trees are sturdy with a vast network of roots. Alders, birches, rhododendrons and moist alpine shrubs are there as the reg ional vegetation. The rhododendrons can be seen along the hillsides around Shimla from March to May. The shrublands and meadows give way to rock and ice around the highest peaks.Himachal is also said to be the fruit bowl of the country with orchards scattered all over the place. Meadows and pastures are also seen clinging to steep slopes. After the winter season, the hillsides and orchards bloom with wild flowers, while gladiolas, carnations, marigolds,[13] roses, chrysanthemums, tulips and lilies are carefully cultivated. The state government is gearing up to make Himachal Pradesh as the flower basket of the world.Himachal Pradesh has around 1200 bird and 359 animal species, including the leopard, snow leopard (State animal), ghoral, musk deer and Western Tragopan.[citation needed] It has 2 major national parks and sanctuaries — the largest number in the Himalayan region. The Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu district was created to conserve the flora and fauna of the m ain Himalayan range, while the Pin Valley National Park to conserve the flora and fauna of the cold desert. SubdivisionsMain article: List of districts of Himachal PradeshHimachal Pradesh is divided into 12 districts namely, Kangra, Hamirpur, Mandi, Bilaspur, Una, Chamba, Lahaul and Spiti, Sirmaur, Kinnaur, Kullu, Solan and Shimla. The state capital is Shimla which was formerly British India's summer capital under the name Simla.A district of Himachal Pradesh is an administrative geographical unit, headed by a Deputy Commissioner or District Magistrate, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service. The district magistrate or the deputy commissioner is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Himachal Administrative Service and other Himachal state services. Each district is subdivided into Sub-Divisions, governed by a sub-divisional magistrate, and again into Blocks. Blocks consists of panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities. A Superintendent of Polic e, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues of the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Himachal Police Service and other Himachal Police officials.GovernmentMain article: Government of Himachal Pradesh Town Hall in Shimla.The Legislative Assembly of Himachal Pradesh has no pre-Constitution history. The State itself is a post-Independence creation. It came into being as a centrally administered territory on 15 April 1948 from the integration of thirty erstwhile princely states.Himachal Pradesh is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy, a feature the state shares with other Indian states. Universal suffrage is granted to residents. The legislature consists of elected members and special office bearers such as the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker who are elected by the members. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker in th e Speaker's absence. The judiciary is composed of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and a system of lower courts. Executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister, although the titular head of government is the Governor.The Governor is the head of state appointed by the President of India. The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly  is appointed as the Chief Minister by the Governor, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Council of Ministers reports to the Legislative Assembly. The Assembly is unicameral with 68 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).[15] Terms of office run for 5 years, unless the Assembly is dissolved prior to the completion of the term. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs.Governments have seen alternates between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and In dian National Congress (INC), no third front ever has become significant. In 2003, the state legislative assembly was won by the Indian National Congress and Virbhadra Singh was elected as the chief minister of the state. In the assembly elections held in December 2007, the BJP secured a landslide victory. The BJP won 41 of the 68 seats while the Congress won only 23 of the 68 seats. BJP's Prem Kumar Dhumal was sworn in as Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on 30 December 2007.In the assembly elections held in November 2012, the Congress secured an absolute majority.[16] The Congress won 36 of the 68 seats while the BJP won only 26 of the 68 seats. Virbhadra Singh was sworn-in as Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister for a record sixth term in Shimla on 25 December 2012. Virbhadra Singh who has held the top office in Himachal five times in the past, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Urmila Singh at an open ceremony at the historic Ridge Maidan in Shimla.[17] Ch ief Ministers of Himachal PradeshYS+Parmar.jpg Thakur Ram Lal.jpg Virbhadra Singh HP.jpg Main article: List of Chief Ministers of Himachal PradeshYashwant Singh Parmar Thakur Ram Lal Shanta Kumar Virbhadra Singh Prem Kumar Dhumal Virbhadra SinghAgriculture Himalayas from Kullu ValleyAgriculture contributes nearly 45% to the net state domestic product. It is the main source of income as well as employment in Himachal. About 93% of the state population depends directly upon agriculture.However, agriculture in the state suffers from certain limitations, especially in the production of food grains. One of these reasons is that the area under cultivation can't be extended to an appreciable extent. Also, reclamation of land on slopes is not economical and increases environmental degradation. The state can profit more by cultivating cash crops as per the agro-climatic conditions.The main cereals grown in the state are wheat, maize, rice and barley. Kangra, Mandi and the Paonta valley of Si rmaur (to some extent) are the major producers of the first three cereals, while barley is mostly cultivated in Shimla.Though the state is deficient in food grains, it has gained a lot in other spheres of agricultural production such as seed potato, ginger, vegetables, vegetable seeds, mushrooms, chicory seeds, hops, olives and fig. Seed potato is mostly grown in the Shimla, Kullu and Lahaul areas. Special efforts are being made to promote cultivation of crops like olives, figs, hops, mushrooms, flowers, pistachio nuts, sarda melon and saffron.Fruit cultivation has also proved to be an economic boon. There are huge tracts of land suitable only for growing fruits. Fruit of all cultivation does not add to the problem of soil erosion and its employment potential is more than conventional farming. The yield per acre in terms of income is also much higher. Apple farming produces the maximum income. Fruit growing in the state is fetching over INR300 crore annually.Land husbandry initiativ es such as the Mid-Himalayan Watershed DevelopmentProject, which includes the Himachal Pradesh Reforestation Project (HPRP), the world’s largest clean development mechanism (CDM) undertaking, have improved agricultural yields and productivity, and raised rural household incomes.[18] EconomyMain article: Economy of Himachal Pradesh Gross State Domestic Product at Current Prices figures in millions of Indian Rupees Year Gross State Domestic Product1980 7,940 1985 13,720 1990 28,150 1995 66,980 2000 135,900 2005 230,240 2007 254,350The era of planning in Himachal Pradesh started 1948 along with the rest of India. The first five-year plan allocated INR5.27 crore to Himachal. More than 50% of this expenditure was incurred on road construction since it was felt that without proper transport facilities, the process of planning and development could not be carried to the people, who mostly lived an isolated existence in far away areas. Himachal now ranks fourth in respect of per capi ta income among the states of the Indian Union.Agriculture contributes over 45% to the net state domestic product. It is the main source of income and employment in Himachal. Over 93% of the population in Himachal depends directly upon agriculture which provides direct employment to 71% of its people. The main cereals grown are wheat, maize, rice and barley.Hydro Power is also one of the major source of income generation for the State.[19] Identified Hydroelectric Potential for the state is 23,000.43 MW in five rivers basins[20] i.e. (Yamuna, Satluj, Beas, Ravi and Chenab). HeritageHimachal has a rich heritage of handicrafts. These include woolen and pashmina shawls, carpets, silver and metal ware, embroidered chappals, grass shoes, Kangra and Gompa style paintings, wood work, horse-hair bangles, wooden and metal utensils and various other house hold items. These aesthetic and tasteful handicrafts declined under competition from machine made goods and also because of lack of marketi ng facilities. But now the demand for handicrafts has increased within and outside the country.Himachal is extremely rich in hydro electric resources. The state has about 25% of the national potential in this respect. It has been estimated that about 20,300MW of hydro electric power can be generated in the State by constructing various major, medium, small and mini/micro hydel projects on the five river basins. The state is also the first state in India to achieve the goal of having a bank account for every family.[citation needed] As per the current prices, the total GDP was estimated at INR25,435 crore as against INR23,024 crore in the year 2004–05, showing an increase of 10.5%.[21] TransportMain article: Transport in Himachal Pradesh Kalka-Shimla RailwayAir:State has three domestic airports in Shimla, Kullu and Kangra districts The air routes connect the state with Delhi and Chandigarh. Shimla Airport, which is around 21 km in west of city.Bhuntar Airport is in Kullu distr ict around 10 km away from district headquarter. Gaggal Airport is in Kangra district which is aorund 10 km from Kangra and 23 km from Dharamsala.Railway:Himachal is famous for its narrow gauge tracks railways, one is UNESCO World Heritage Kalka-Shimla Railway and another one is Pathankot–Jogindernagar. Total length of these two tracks is 259 km. Kalka-Shimla Railway track is  passes through lot of tunnels while Pathankot–Jogindernagar gently meanders through a maze of hills and valleys. It also has standard gauge railway track which connect Amb (Una district) to Delhi. Survey is being conducted to extend this railway line to Kangra (via Nadaun). Another proposed railway tracks in state are Baddi-Bilaspur, Dharamsala-Palampur and Bilaspur-Manali-Leh.Road:Roads are the major mode of transport in the hilly terrains. The state has road network of 28,208 km (17,528 mi),[22] including eight National Highways (NH) that constitute 1,234 km (767 mi) and 19 State Highways wit h total length of 1,625 km.[22] Some roads get closed during winter and monsoon seasons due to snowfall and landslides. It is quite interesting that Hamirpur, has got the highest road density in the country.[23] DemographicsTraditional home, Manali [show]Population Growth [show]Literacy RateHimachal Pradesh has a total population of 6,856,509 including 3,473,892 males and 3,382,617 females as per the provisional results of the Census of India 2011. This is only 0.57 per cent of India's total population, recording a growth of 12.81 per cent. Total fertility rate (TFR) per woman is 1.8 which is one of lowest in India.Himachal Pradesh has a literacy rate of 83.78 per cent and gender ratio at 974/1000, according to the 2011 Census figures.Census-wise, the state is placed 21st on the population chart followed by Tripura at 22nd place. Kangra district was top ranked with a population strength of 1,507,223 (21.98%), Mandi district 999,518 (14.58%), Shimla district 813,384 (11.86%), Solan d istrict 576,670 (8.41%), Sirmaur district 530,164 (7.73%), Una district 521,057 (7.60%), Chamba district 518,844 (7.57%), Hamirpur district 454,293 (6.63%), Kullu district 437,474 (6.38%),  Bilaspur district 382,056 (5.57%), Kinnaur district 84,298 (1.23%) and Lahaul Spiti 31,528 (0.46%).The main communities are Rajputs, Rathis, Brahmins and Ghirth. The Ghirth (choudhary) community is found mainly in Kangra District. Himachal has a sizeable population of Tibetans. Himachal Pradesh has the one of the highest proportion of Hindu population in India (95%). Other religions that form a small percentage are Buddhism and Sikhism. The Lahaulis of Lahaul and Spiti region are mainly Buddhists. Sikhs mostly live in towns and cities and constitute 1.23% of the state population.For example they form 10% of the population in Una District adjoining the state of Punjab and 17% in Shimla, the state capital. The Buddhists are mainly natives and tribals from Lahaul and Spiti, where they form majorit y of 60% and Kinnaur where they form 40%, however the bulk are refugees from Tibet.[25] The Muslims constitute slightly 1.63% of the population of Himachal Pradesh.The life expectancy at birth in Himachal Pradesh is 62.8 years (higher than the national average of 57.7 years) for 1986–1990. The infant mortality rate stood at 40 in 2010 and crude birth rate has declined from 37.3 in 1971 to 16.9 in 2010, below the national average of 26.5 in 1998. The crude death rate was 6.9 in 2010. Himachal Pradesh's literacy rate grew by 34.65% between 1981 and 2001.LanguagesHindi is both the official language and the lingua franca of Himachal Pradesh. However, much of the population speaks Pahari, which includes nearly all Western Pahari dialects. Medium of education in schools and colleges is Hindi, Punjabi, and English.CultureMain article: Culture of Himachal Pradesh `Kullu Dussehra festival The village of Nako in Kinnaur, Himachal PradeshHimachal was one of the few states that had remai ned largely untouched by external customs, largely due to its difficult terrain. With the technological advancements the state has changed very rapidly. It is a  multireligional, multicultural as well as multilingual state like other Indian states. Some of the most commonly spoken languages includes Hindi, Pahari, Dogri, Mandeali Kangri, Mandyali, Gojri and Kinnauri. The caste communities residing in Himachal include the Brahmins, Rajputs, Gujjars, Gaddis, Ghirth (choudhary), Kannets, Rathis and Kolis, Sood There are tribal populations in the state which mainly comprise Kinnars, Pangawals, Sulehria, and Lahaulis.The state is well known for its handicrafts. The carpets, leather works, shawls, metalware, woodwork and paintings are worth appreciating. Pashmina shawls are a product that is highly in demand in Himachal and all over the country. Himachali caps are famous art work of the people. Extreme cold winters of Himachal necessitated wool weaving. Nearly every household in Himacha l owns a pit-loom. Wool is considered as pure and is used as a ritual cloth. The well-known woven object is the shawl, ranging from fine pashmina to the coarse desar. Kullu is famous for its shawls with striking patterns and vibrant colours. Kangra and Dharamshala are famous for Kangra miniature paintings.Local music and dance reflect the cultural identity of the state. Through their dance and music, they entreat their gods during local festivals and other special occasions. Apart from the fairs and festivals that are celebrated all over India, there are number of other fairs and festivals that are of great significance to Himachal Pradesh.Shimla, the state capital, is home to Asia's only natural ice skating rink.FoodThe day to day diet of Himachalis is though similar to the rest of north India but is unique for its taste and ingredients used. They have lentil, rice, and vegetables. The rotis (breads) are made of flours like wheat and maze. Some of the specialties of the Himachali c uisine include Mandra, Maahni, Batt, Mitha Saloona, Bhujju, Saag, Palda, Redhu, chouck, bhagjery, jhoul,siddu/batooru, beduan, chutney, khatti dal, etc. Famous peopleProminent people associated with Himachal include The Great Khali, Anupam Kher, Amrish Puri (who studied here), Prem Chopra (brought up here), Mohit Chauhan, Anand Sharma (member of Rajya Sabha and Union Cabinet Minister for Commerce and Industry of the Government of India), Third Supreme Court Chief-Justice and former Prime Minister of Kashmir in 1947 Mehr Chand Mahajan, economist and former vice-president of World Bank Shahid Javed Burki, NSG Commando, Pritam Singh, Bollywood actresses Preity Zinta is the brand ambassador of the state while other famous people from Hindi cinema are Kangna Ranaut, Hollywood actress Namrata Singh Gujral, Satyananda Stokes who introduced the company â€Å"apple† in the region, writer Idries Shah, ornithologist Allan Octavian Hume (had his home here); former general of Pakistan Muh ammad Zia-ul-Haq and current president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai who both studied here.Vijay Kumar won silver medal in 25m shooting in 2012 Summer Olympics belong to village Harsore near Barsar in Hamirpur district. EducationMain articles: Education in Himachal Pradesh and List of institutions of higher education in Himachal Pradesh Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital at ShimlaIndian Institute of Advanced Study at Shimla National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, (Admin block)Himachal Pradesh has one of the highest literacy rates in India next to Kerala.[31] Hamirpur District is among the top districts in the country for literacy.[31] Education rates among women are quite encouraging in the state.[31] The standard of education in the state has reached a considerably high level as compared to other states in India[31] with several reputed educational institutes for higher studies.The Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Himachal Pradesh University Shimla, Institute of Hima layan Bioresource Technology (IHBT, CSIR Lab), Palampur, the National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, the Central University Dharamshala, the Baddi University of Emerging Sciences and Technologies Baddi, the Jaypee University of Information Technology Waknaghat, Eternal University, Sirmaur & Chitkara University Solan are some of the pioneer  universities in the state.CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishwavidyalya Palampur is one of the most renowned hill agriculture institutes in world. Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry has earned a unique distinction in India for imparting teaching, research and extension education in horticulture, forestry and allied disciplines. Further, state-run Jawaharlal Nehru Government Engineering College started in 2006 at Sundernagar is an important milestone in higher technical education in the state.The state government is working constantly to prepare plans and projects to strengthen the education system. The state gove rnment decided to start three nursing colleges to develop the health system.There are over 10,000 primary schools, 1,000 secondary schools and more than 1,300 high schools in Himachal. The state government has decided to start three major nursing colleges to develop the health system in the state.[31] In meeting the constitutional obligation to make primary education compulsory, Himachal has became the first state in India to make elementary education accessible to every child.The state has Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kumarhatti. Besides that there is Himachal Dental College which is the state's first recognised dental institute