Race Determining Music Preference Essay

Music in the United States is a reflection of the nation’s multi-ethnic population with regard to its diverse array of styles. The most famous of these genres include; rock n roll, country, rhythm & blues, jazz, hip-hop. The developments of most of the genres of music began during the civil war period. During this time the roots of such popular forms like blues, gospel, jazz, as well as country took shape. In the early 20th century there forms of music emerged as the core of American popular music and later underwent evolution to such styles as rhythm and blues, rock and roll and hip-hop (Daniel Gilbert Perret, (2005). Music integrates South American social and cultural identity, entailing social class, race and ethnicity among many others. The link and co relationship between is perhaps the to potent of all the factors within the United States than any other. Race seems to the most potent determiner of musical mean within America. The evolution of the Afro American musical identity as a result of disparate sources form Africa as well as Europe has consistently been the main theme within the music domain and history in the United States. During the mid 1800s, the Afro American had developed a district folk tradition that was well-recognized and very wide spread. African American techniques, their instrumentation as well as images were integrated and became part of what was then known mainstream music. Via spirituals, slave songs as well as minstrel shows. Through jazz, rhythm and blues, and blues and later on through rock n roll, soul a swell as hip-hop. Even through all these genres were accepted and adapted by all races within the United States they were developed from an afro American styles as well as idioms before eventually setting to become very common in consumption as well as performance that had no racial boundary. Differently, country music was driven from the European and an African context as well as Hawaiian and Native American. The untied states due to her diverse culture and her propensity to taking in influences form across the globe and building characteristically new methods through which artists can culturally express themselves. Even though many aspects of the American aspects of the American music is traceable back to certain specific origins it is usually inherently difficult to put claim on any respective original culture as the source of any musical element, because of the even evolving American music through transplanting as well as techniques of hybridizations, instruments and genres (Blush, Steven (2001). Very distinctly American music stems form the cross-cultural hybridization through a very close interaction. For instance, during slavery mixed persons form various tribes in very closely enclosed living quarter resulted in a shared musical tradition that was done through an extended hybridization. The process which music was being transplanted between various cultures within the United States brought with it various implications. For example, the revival of folk during the mid 1900s appropriated the music of different village person, partially to enhance particular political causes. The use of Afro American techniques as well as images, instruments during performances by white Americans have been on the rise since the mid 1800s. The music industry in the United States has been very active with her attempts to make popular white performers of African American music due to their palatability to mainstream as well as middle class American. From this process such many stars like Benny Goodman, Eminem as well as Elvis Presley have emerged in various genres of music. The nature of folk music within the united is as varied as the nature of her multi-ethical culture. Generally, the Native Americans have each played their variety of folk music, which has basically been spiritual. In its development stage spirituals was basically expressions of religious faith, and was a common song by slaves on southern plantations. It however, spread out of the south in the late 1800s. Its diversification increased with emergence of fekleg in the early 1900s as well as the rise of the singing preachers from which the gospel type of music originated (Chase, Gilbert (2000). Blues on the other hand is conglomeration of African folk songs, shouts as well as field hollers. It emerged form the rural south during 1900-1910. It was characterized in its use of the blue scale with a flatted/in determinate third. The various ethnic communities that have migrated to the untied have managed to keep alive the folk traditions of the culture and usually providing a characteristically American styles with foreign flair. The European musical tradition was imported to the United States with the advent of the first colonialists. This classical traditional music is deeply rooted within the traditions of the European art, as well as concern music. Majorly of American tried to work entirely with their music centered on the European models until the 1800s. By early 1900s, many American composers started incorporating such disparate elements into their musical art, from the jazz and blues to the Native American music. Big corporations that produce in both small and large scale largely dominate the music industry in the untied states. Often, these companies do not appeal to large audiences, as such small companies have sprung up to fill the void left. They produce in various styles with ranging variety that appeal to very large audiences. These small firms are normally built on the foundation of a core fun base that may happen to be strategically located in one region. The largest make music industry is that centered on Latin music. This kind of music has greatly impacted on the popular American music and was a very essential component in the development of jazz music. In view of this it is sufficient to conclude that to a greater extent race has a bearing on the preference of the type of music one performs or listens to this is born out of the fact that part of a child’s development stage, the cognitive part begins to encode the mothers language from the womb until he or she reaches the external environment (Daniel G. 2005). Thus, even if there are many Americans who have crossed the racial lines as has music still the culture is a determinant the choice of music.

Belonging: An Individual’s Interaction with Others

Social interaction is an essential part of any relationship; it is the determining factor for one’s perceptions of the society around them and their own identity. Relationships are initially built upon mutual interests and acceptance and this is closely linked with one’s innate desire to be able to affiliate with a group or another individual. Both these ideas are explored in the ‘Namesake’ by Jhumpa Lahiri and the picture book: ‘The Lost Thing’ by Shaun Tan. Lahiri explores the importance of shared values and experiences in a relationship for it to prosper rather than the need for social interaction. This notion is shown through the relationship Ashoke and Ashima forge throughout their life. Despite having an arranged marriage, without having known each other beforehand, Ashoke and Ashima form a powerful emotional bond during their married life. Throughout the book, the interaction between Ashima and Ashoke is somewhat limited in speech but their bond is shown through emotive passages instead. An example of this is when Ashima tries on Ashoke’s shoes; this action is a symbolic harbinger of how well they both ‘fit’ together over the years. Furthermore, the quote: â€Å"Eight thousand miles away in Cambridge she has come to know him† illustrates how the challenges of being migrants together and the mutual experiences in America and in India serve to strengthen their conjugal ties. Their relationship, hence, is an intuitive one instead of one where verbal communication is needed. The ostracism experienced by one unable to interact with others is shown in ‘The Lost Thing’ by Shaun Tan. The lost thing is an anomalous creature in a bureaucratic society searching for a place to fit in. However wherever it goes, it is met with an apathetic attitude from the citizens. The citizens of this society are so innately obsessed with practical outcomes that they have lost all sense of creativity and even conversation for the sake of conversation. Tan illustrates the austerity of this world by depicting it with rigid angles and an overall sepia tone. However one boy forms a relationship with the lost thing out of pity and tries to find its home. The boy provides food, shelter and care to the lost thing and these simple actions fuel their temporary feelings of belonging. Their relationship is encouraged by the need to fulfill an action; in this case-finding the lost thing its home. The brevity of their relationship is highlighted by the abrupt separation of the two: â€Å"It seemed as good a time as any to say goodbye to each other. So we did. † The objective language and the truncated sentence demonstrate the brief and conditional nature of their bond. Once the condition was fulfilled, the need to belong was abated. This shows the necessity of interaction in creating a sense of belonging; had the citizens of the society acknowledged the presence of the lost thing, the lost thing may have remained there. Lahiri also goes on to demonstrate how social interaction can lead to one’s compromise of their identity. Gogol is a prime example of this; as a child of migrants, Gogol is confronted by two different cultures and feels he must be one or the other. As Gogol’s relationship with Maxine develops, we see him conform to Maxine’s standards, hiding his Bengali identity: â€Å"She is surprised to hear certain things about his life: that all his parents’ friends are Bengali, that they had had an arranged marriage, that his mother cooks Indian food every day, that she wears saris and a bindi. .. ’But you’re so different; i never would have thought that’. He is not insulted, but he is aware a line has been drawn all the same†. To be a part of Maxine’s life, Gogol realises that he has to live her way of life; the American way. This compromise of identity led to even more confusion on Gogol’s behalf and in the end, as he starts to embrace his heritage, he rejects Maxine and her life. This shows how one’s perceptions of identity are crucial in determining and maintaining relationships with others. The need for conformity in the society of ‘The Lost Thing’ in order to gain acceptance is shown by Shaun Tan. As the boy takes the lost thing around town, it is taken to the boy’s home. There, it takes up a huge amount of space and is impossible to ignore, however the parents of the boy do not even glance at it. Another instance where this lack of acknowledgement is shown is when the lost thing stands in line of banal, grey citizens. The lost thing clearly stands out as it is big, red and round, but no one notices it. Tan uses this confining imagery as a way to effectively convey the segregation between society and the lost thing. The lost thing is unable to integrate itself into the society as it is both unable to conform to the dull criterion of the society and unable to gain acknowledgment of its presence. The shunned lost thing finds no admission into this society where the citizens do not dare stray from their quotidian routine for fear of exclusion. There is a place in this society that odds things are taken o: â€Å"The Federal Department of Odds and Ends† with the motto â€Å"sweepus underum carpatae†. At the end of the book, the lost thing does not find its home but it does find a place where its individuality is accepted. The boy even goes as far as saying â€Å"I mean, I can’t say that the thing actually belonged in the place where it ended up. In fact, none of the things there really belonged. They all seemed happy enough though, so maybe that didn’t matter . † Consequently, what is shown here is that social interaction is needed, no matter what form of interaction, to gain a feeling of acceptance. Ultimately, social interaction is inherent in all aspects of belonging. It is the basis of all relationships and also a factor for one’s self perception of identity. This complex process is vital for one’s mental and physical health as it challenges the barriers in place that one automatically establishes in a new setting. The ‘Namesake’ by Jhumpa Lahiri and ‘The Lost Thing’ by Shaun Tan explore the ways in which social interaction can affect relationships and identity which in turn affect one’s perceptions of belonging.

Tourism in Mexico Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tourism in Mexico - Essay Example Mexico’s temperature and unique culture, which is a blend of European (predominantly Spanish) and Meso-American cultures, make good tourist attraction. Tourist season peaks during mid-summer, December, Easter holiday and Spring Break. Tourist season is not without brief surges over winter. WTTC notes that Mexico’s tourism consumer segment comprises mostly college and university students from the US and Canada. It indicates as well a burgeoning consumer segment of local tourists with the emergence of an affluent middle class in Mexico. Mission Statement According to Mexico’s Tourist Board, the mission statement is to elevate the country’s attractiveness to tourists through addressing a wide range of tourist needs. The goal is to make Mexico the leading leisure tourism destination through a comprehensive program of research, promotions, advertising, social media, public relations, Internet marketing, and other marketing strategies. Their mission statement al so includes promoting environmental sustainability under the auspices of the going green movement. (Wilkerson 47) Pillars of Tourism Mexico is endowed with enormous tourist resources ranging from historical artifacts and lavish beach resorts to geographical terrain and a unique culture. Mexico City, an ancient Meso-American city, is a major tourist attraction in itself with the National Museum of Anthropology and History, Metropolitan Cathedral and Mexican National Palace (Berger & Wood 78). On the Pacific coast lays Acapulco Bay and Cabo San Lucas, which are major tourist attraction sites. Sun bathers often frequent the beautiful beach resorts at the San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur stretching all the way Ixtapa and the Riviera Maya costal strip where they find the Playa del Carmen beach town. Meso-American ruins include "The Castle" of Chichen-Itza, which is one of the New Seven Wonders. Tourists have also expressed a growing curiosity to the unique culture especially as it relates to the love of football as a sport, mode of dressing and the unmatched traditional cuisine, which is an integral part of the Mexican culinary delights (World Economic Forum 1). Competitiveness Mexico emerges as a key player in the global tourism industry with its tourism sector registering an inflow of billions of dollars every year. The tourist competitiveness of any given country is a measure of the capacity of that country to create a higher proportionate growth rate and wealth capacity than other countries. Mexico’s competitiveness is thus the extent to which it can produce tourist services that overcome global market challenges under free and equitable market conditions while increasing the national income at home. In 2011, the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, which included 139 major global tourist competitors, highlighted Mexico’s competitiveness under the auspices of the Travel and Tourism Competitive Index (World Travel and Tourism Council 1) . The TCCI is a measure of the factors that make a country a major tourist attraction by way of comparison of recent patterns and tourist trends and the factors responsible for such trends (Theobald 6). TCCI elaborates how these trends contribute to the tourism sector of the given country. Mexico’s Travel and Tourism

National Public Health Performance Standards Assignment

National Public Health Performance Standards - Assignment Example While answering these questions, responses given to the National Public Health Performance Standards helps in identifying the strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities available for investment by the public health. One of the national performance standards is to Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues. According to the crafters of this standard, its main service include providing health information, offering the public with health education and promotion of health activities which are designed to reduce the risk of health among the people, consequently promoting better health to the public (â€Å"Centre For Disease Control And Prevention†, 2013). Focusing on partnering health education and health promotion programs with schools, faith communities, and work sites, personal care providers, among others so as to implement and reinforce health promotion programs strengthens the standard. Through such programs, the public is aware of the most important health messages they wish to send across to the people. More particularly, the exploitation of a number of channels to communicate these messages such as the social media and media advocacy has successfully communicated these m essages to the people. Thus, the biggest strength of this standard is the effective communication of important health information and education to the public through different channels. School programs and religious organizations used as platforms for the spread of the information successfully make sure that all people receive the information on time. Outbreaks of diseases and immunization as well as education of the public on the various ways of maintaining their health is strength of the standard (â€Å"Centre for Disease Control and Prevention† 2013). Because of the application of these standards, I would expect the public to be more vigilant on the need to maintain their health. According to the feeding activities of the

Effects of Food Pricing on Low and Middle Class Americans Essay

Effects of Food Pricing on Low and Middle Class Americans - Essay Example There is a growing the consensus about food prices increase, has been primarily occasioned by three key elements. Firstly, the changes in climatic conditions have been blamed for decreasing farmer's production in the United States. Because of global warming and environmental degradation, the extreme weather conditions have resulted in poor harvest due to reduced rains, harsh snowy conditions that destroy crops and inhibit dairy production in the North America. Consequently, food prices have continued to rise due to fundamental shifts in demand and supply in global markets. The increase in genetically modified foods has resulted in an increase of prices due to expensive technology employed. Besides, many food-processing companies have laid down expensive groundwork leading to high prices of canned food items (French, 841S). In America’s social life, the lower-middle class families are struggling just as the families living in poverty since they cannot be able to afford sufficient diet meals due to increasing pricing on such commodities. With the families not able to purchase enough food for the entire family, it results in food insecurity. Food security is widespread in any American societies living in lower-middle class and who have children (Grossmann and Varnum, 81). Since food price is an essential determinant of diet, it is then likely that these families are unable to feed on balance diet, and their nutritional status is compromised. It is not surprising that these families are only able to access, and buy lowest cost diets and these diets are the least unhealthy in the market. With high food prices in the market, such families are not able to meet their costs hence fail to buy the nutrients dense diets that they need. In the market, the diets that are composed of low energy density rich food products are expensive compared to the ones composed if refined grains with added sugars and fats (Powell and Chaloupka, 229). The increase in food pricing thus creates a barrier for the lower-middle income class of American citizens to access the nutrients dense diets.  

Markteing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Markteing - Essay Example The company offers a wide range of products that are certainly unique and different from those offered by the other rival competitors. This company grew through different stages in its history to reach its present status. This study will attempt to analyse different strategies used by the company such as differentiation, its strategy in segmenting the market, competitive advantage as well as consumer behaviour. Recommendations will also be given in this study about what can be done by the company in order to remain a force to reckon with in terms of mobile computer technology. Apple was established in the 1976. On April 1st, Steve jobs agreed to sell only 50 Apple I personal computers to the Byte shop which was the first retail computer store chain in the America. Following this development, Apple was incorporated in 1977 when Wayne sold all his shares of the company to the Jobs and Wozniak and then the company was later renamed Apple Computer Inc. After a few years, Apple II revolutionized its operations to focus on manufacturing of personal computers. The Apple II mainly developed a personal computer market which created hundreds of millions dollars. Apple Inc was ranged to be among the Top 500 companies in America just 5 years after its establishment (Apple Inc). In the 1980’s, Apple launched two different kinds of computers namely Lisa and Macintosh. The Lisa was a commercial failure because of its software limitation and high price tag. The Macintosh was the next product to be launched and sold well at the beginning, but sales were weak in the days that later followed. The reason for failure of Macintosh was the same as Lisa which included high prices and limited software capabilities (Apple Inc). In the late 1980’s, Apple witnessed a significant decline in business as a result of wrong decisions that were made. During that time, Apple failed to satisfy at a lot of targeted customers

Essay discussion Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discussion - Essay Example Therefore, in order to build a child’s rapport with literacy, it is imperative that the social and culture capital of children’s engagement with one another is appreciated. Literacy should be perceived as a social practice. This is the way we can achieve expertise on the use of emerging technology that is required in the profession, and is also the need of the present age. Educationalists have conventionally been reluctant to include the popular culture in their pedagogy because it is believed that the popular culture is based on the themes of sexism, racism and violence. Corporate media has always highlighted Black youth culture as the basis of sexism in the society (Rhymes, 2007). In my professional practice, when I would be working with children and families, I will incorporate popular culture in my pedagogy, though I would make sure that I teach the children how to criticize and reject the negative elements of the popular culture and appreciate and adopt the positiv e ones. Reflection upon Class mate 2’s presentation: In the contemporary age, technology is being increasingly employed in the educational setup for pedagogical purposes. Websites have made it easy for teachers and parents to make the children learn alphabets and figures. Research has shown that incorporation of popular culture into pedagogy boosts a child’s interest in studies and the child’s critical thinking and analyzing skills are polished. However, some teachers are reluctant to incorporate popular culture into their pedagogy because popular culture considers man superior to woman, frequently projects adult material and promotes racism. There has occurred a lot of debate on the violent video games as the cause violence in the society (Sternheimer, 2009). Also, mass media has always been influencing white Americans’ perceptions of the African Americans (Balkaran, 1999). Bianca et al. (2011) have favored the popular culture and have said that it shoul d be wisely used to gain maximum benefits. Popular culture must be used in child education so that the children can be made aware of the controversial issues of the society at a very young age. This is conducive for the development of their better understanding of the society and they can behave as responsible citizens when they grow up. As I discussed before, I shall definitely incorporate popular culture in early child education because it would not only help me making the children learn, but would also improve the quality of education, not to mention that I would be very prudent in the selection of material. References: Anon. (n.d.). Pop Culture. Retrieved from http://english.berkeley.edu/Postwar/pop.html. Balkaran, S. (1999). Mass Media and Racism. The Yale Political Quarterly. 21(1). Retrieved from http://www.yale.edu/ypq/articles/oct99/oct99b.html. Bianca, Melissa, Sarah, and Rebecca. (2011). Popular Culture and Literacy. Powerpoint. Jaksic, A., Fulton, H., Capps, S., Jacobs, D., Sultani, M., and Stojcevska, M. (2011). Popular Culture. Powerpoint. Rhymes, E. (2007). White Culture: Sexism, Racism and Violence. Retrieved from http://www.africaresource.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=277:white-culture-sexism-racism-and-violence&catid=136:race&Itemid=351. Sternheimer, K., (2009). Connecting Social Problems and Popular Culture: Why Media is not the Answer. Retrieved from

Curriculum in a Learning Institution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Curriculum in a Learning Institution - Assignment Example According to Freire (2014), most the curriculum fails due to lack of consideration of the learners in the process of designing curricula. This, in turn, serves to exclude some of the students from the positive learning process. The main need of education in providing knowledge to transform the society remains left out. For a curriculum to be inclusive, the students ought to have an opportunity of dialoguing with their teachers or mentors. Nevertheless, the act of dialogue must have love, bravery, and critical thinking. Designing curricula that allow students to have a dialogue with their teachers are fundament in transforming learning process. This kind of education from humanist educator allow for the transformation of both educator and students. Students need to be oppressed in to love what they are being taught. Learning is the fundamental right to any child and I had the privilege of attending a public school. In my personal learning experience, I knew early enough what I had to in school. Being in the old classrooms for hours did not bother that much. I had a passion for education with an aim of becoming a better citizen to build the nation. I spent hours perfecting my knowledge in various subjects except for mathematics that proved torturous to my brain. I tried to spend lesser time in trying to understand the formulas and concept. I had completely lost interest in the subject and perhaps it was due to my arrogant teacher. He had least humility to discuss any difficulty we experienced in his subject imposing fear among us. I developed the negative attitude towards the teacher and lost interest in the subject he taught. Assessing the effect of my mathematics teacher to my learning influence, it is clear to me that teachers and school leader have roles in the impact of students’ atti tude towards learning. If the teachers embrace, the dialogue in their teachings and enable interaction rather than imposing their knowledge on the students (Freire, 2014).  

Toyota International Corporation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Toyota International Corporation - Research Paper Example The reason behind their success is the deployment of strategic planning throughout the years since 1937. They focus on a more efficient human resource by understanding the individuals who possess several unique capabilities. Toyota is head quartered in Japan and operates 75 manufacturing companies in 28 countries around the world (Toyota in the world, 2010). Toyota has set up its market in more than 170 countries with a 320,000-strong workforce. The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda by renovating his father automobile manufacturing company Toyota Industries. The company operates its business at its full swing starting from Japan and throughout North America, The Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. The annual report of the company shows that even though there is a slight decrease in the production, the company will manage to survive the declining economy with the expected sales turnover. 2. Types of market and legal systems Toyota formulates marketing str ategies based on the social, environmental, and economical conditions of each region where the company operates its business. The legal system of the particular country or region is also taken into consideration before implementing marketing policies in the specific country. In 2004, as Gale (n.d.) points out, Toyota in Europe was in a quandary as new environmental friendly vehicles were in high demand when the administration implemented environmental regulations; it was necessary to train the staff with the new technologies of the advanced vehicles. The company integrated the three important elements – marketing, sales, and manufacturing to overcome the problem in Europe. The marketing strategies in China and US were seen successful in 2005 when profits rose up against the worldwide automobile industry trends. When entering into the market of another country, almost all companies are faced with the financial risk of exchange rate variances due to interference of the legal an d political systems. The legal proceeding of the foreign markets must be clearly analyzed before investing in that market. Toyota is noted well for its management in the international markets. The company procured a considerable market in the United States by initially bringing inexpensive vehicles. Later on, it widened the markets and expanded its share in the U.S. automobile market. To overcome the market issue of dollar exchange rates, Toyota introduced manufacturing facilities in the United States. 3. Political Risk One of the major political risks that the Toyota motors faced was the backlash against American corporations. It imposes increased parameters on different production levels and on nationalization of its products. This change can influence the operations of the company. The political changes can positively and negatively affect the firm. By the end of 2006, Toyota manufactured 1.5 million cars in North America, but had to import an additional 1.2 million cars (Toyota) . While being costly, the high reliance on imports poses political risks in the United States. Managing political risk in the international market is not an easy task. While the political changes contribute direct risks to the firm, the politics also constitutes other external risks. In order to overcome these kinds of possible political risks, Toyota can set up strong relations with various trade organizations. At the same time, the political consultant must make sure that the firm builds up a strong relationship with the governments also. In

Developing New Design Strategies Essay Example for Free

Developing New Design Strategies Essay The ignorance of environmental values/impacts that are ranged from local to regional scales in the design and construction processes, burdens the inconveniences of the â€Å"contemporary† living milieus. Locality bears particular values in terms of natural, built and cultural context that constantly shape the local identity throughout the ages. Exclusion of this set of values in the development of the built environment, in conjunction with the consumer wise approaches of global trends, is ended up with an unsatisfactory living milieu. In this respect, the lack of environmental and socio-cultural aspects especially in the building design is the vital issue behind the questioning of existing understanding towards the context and its products. As it is faced with the challenging global circumstances related to the destructive effects of human activity on the nature, the need for the perspective of vernacular cultures and traditions, which are developed within local natural context, becomes essential. Quick Outlook to the Residential Developments of Cyprus Cyprus vernacular kept its consistent evolution and reserved its distinctive identity in the Mediterranean basin in spite of political fluctuations in its history (Hill). The interaction between migration, political change and vernacular distress is a process, which influences the culture of the Island all through the history. The vernacular architecture of Cyprus has always been influenced by the immigrant communities in time. These communities, who moved to or conquered Cyprus in different periods, were entirely foreign and unfamiliar to this new context. Consequently, the prevailing vernacular architecture started to lose its peculiar values and distinct architectural characteristics according to this reciprocal interaction. Although, the vernacular house is constantly developed by the considerable alterations of its mass in the form of limited additions and subtractions for responding the changing lifestyle and immigrants’ demands in time, the general characteristics of the rural house form is sustained (Numan and Dincyurek, I.112). Especially, after 1950’s, the sustainability of the vernacular architectural identity is only limited to the conscious or unconscious conservation of the existing vernacular settings instead of the continuation of the vernacular building activities. The impacts of â€Å"Annan Plan and its Referenda for Re-unification of the Island†, which was proposed and organized by General Secretary of UN in 2004, extremely influenced important features, including political, socio-cultural, and economical parameters, of the Island. Undoubtedly, the vernacular architecture of the Island implicitly affected from this important development (Dincyurek and Turker, 3385). Although, the reunification was not realized because of its rejection in the referenda by the majority in the Southern (Greek) region, the encouraging (opportunistic) atmosphere of this reunification and optimistic projection for the common future are kept before and after the referenda. This positive atmosphere accelerated the growth of the construction activities especially in the Northern (Turkish) region in terms of summer houses or second houses for the local people and foreign investors. After â€Å"Annan Plan†, the sudden increase in the housing developments particularly in Northern part is noticeable. Despite of this boom in construction activity, the format of this development cannot be considered as the improvement in the field because of the repetition of the ready-made design schemes, which are not related with the contextual realities. Besides the other reasons, the search for economically cheaper global trends in architecture (Turker and Pulhan), which can bring the most of the benefits for the recently established construction firms, can be stated as amongst the reasons to the construction activities, which are deviating from the quality and characteristics of the vernacular architecture. In brief, the recent housing developments have no relation at all with the vernacular architecture of Cyprus. The Search in Understanding the Association between Cyprus Vernacular and Current Architectural Developments Many scholars stated the different associations between vernacular building traditions and current architectural developments (Asquith and Vellinga; Oliver; Warren, Worthington and Taylor). Rapoport attracts the attention of the researchers to four main points on the issue: mainly, the ignorance of the vernacular context; the acceptance of vernacular but no attempt for getting useful lessons; the copy of the vern acular settings; and the use to get lessons and applied to the new design (55). According to our investigations, similar series of attitudes can be observed in the interpretation of vernacular architecture of Cyprus. These are; †¢ To ignore the presence of vernacular totally †¢ To imitate the whole form of vernacular †¢ To establish an association with the vernacular †¢ To interpret and to get valuable lessons from the vernacular building heritage. In general, the vernacular architecture is a course that is generated by local values and needs, environmental necessities and availabilities, and continuously changing impacts. It is an evolving process which is shaped by trial and errors. It is also influenced by the local and regional constraints. This process does not deny the accumulation of the building tradition of the past. Furthermore, it may adapt itself to the changing parameters of the context. The conscious and unconscious responses are quite influential on this kind of evolution. There is no place for direct interference to this proce ss. These general characteristics of vernacular architecture can be observed in Cyprus vernacular as well until 1950’s. The process of Cyprus vernacular architecture suddenly stopped by the rapid introduction of the new â€Å"modern lifestyle† and its requirements to the Island, especially in the second quarter of the 20th century (qtd. in Schaar, et al.). The vernacular building tradition could not adjust itself to these significant changes in the way of life and building activities. After this interference to the vernacular building process, different approaches and attitudes can be noticed in the built environment of Cyprus, which are mentioned in the above lines. a. To ignore the presence of vernacular totally The penetration of almost similar houses, which are the repetitive products of the modern trends, into the vernacular environments is extensively developed in the Island. The realm of high-style or grandiose architecture and its necessities are familiarized in bot h urban and rural areas of Cyprus (Figure 1a). In some examples, the harmonization of the stylistic understanding of modern architecture and the local needs is developed (Figure 1b). On one hand, these limited examples are providing correct answers to the response of the contextual needs by considering modern lifestyle and technological advancement. On the other hand, the majority of the recently built architectural examples exhibits the repetition of the unsatisfactory and insufficient architectural, structural and constructional solutions, which do not correspond with the realities of modern lifestyle, new building materials, techniques and technologies (Figure 1c). b. To imitate the whole form of vernacular In the new building design, the approach of copying or imitating the whole form of vernacular houses is rarely encountered in Cyprus. However particularly in the rural areas of Cyprus, only a negligible number of examples, which are totally copied or imitated from vernacular house by the traditional builders has seen. The rarity in this kind of examples is due to the adaptation of the new modern lifestyles by the natives and also the formal unfamiliarity of the immigrants of the Island. On the other hand, the exceptional examples of the imitation of existing forms cannot verify the efficiently continuation of the vernacular building tradition. a. Grandiose attitude of domestic architecture b. Synthesis of modernist lines with local realms c. Unfamiliar approach to the context Figure 1. Different design attempts in modern residential architecture of Cyprus c. To establish an association with the vernacular The design attitude of conscious or unconscious establishment of association with the vernacular in the new design is extensively practiced in the recent building activities of the Island. However, it is not an attempt to completely copy the existing form. Without understanding the vernacular building tradition, the examples of this approach show signs of either too romantic or superficial attempt of an architect. Instead of identifying all aspects, which generate the vernacular building tradition, only few design parameters, or considerations, or architectural elements of vernacular building are particularly emphasized in this approach. In general, the architectural elements or spatial formations are repetitively used in the recent housing developments without considering their genuine reasons and usages in the vernacular building tradition. According to the varying emphasis of establishing an association with the vernacular, different concepts and attempts are noticed. c.1. Making association with the vernacular through the senses In some examples, the design is mainly based on the reference to the memories of the past spatial experiences. In other examples, it is also possible to establish an association with vernacular either by emphasizing the sense of place/building or by the repeating of the shared images of vernacular in the new design. One of the examples is extremely remarkable. The architect (who he is also the owner) achieved an association with the vernacular in his new house by recalling the past experiences based on vernacular forms, shapes, and space. This example is not indicating a particular house type of Cyprus vernacular. With a romantic/passionate approach, the formations of space are based on the possible resemblances of his past spatial experiences, whereas he is forced to leave his own house in his childhood because of the bi-communal conflicts. However, the reconstruction of a house form, which is existing in the memories, in another place actually does not meet the realms of new context but only fulfilling the sense of identity and belonging. Instead of using earth as available local building material, and adobe as locally accepted construction system, the architect preferred to use stone as material and bearing wall as structural system for achieving the rebirth of his dreams in an existing vernacular house. Therefore, the aim for â€Å"the sense of belonging† is experienced. (Figure 2) c.2. Making association with the vernacular through the building materials and construction techniques Besides, the formal, visual and textural peculiarities of the traditional building material and construction techniques, which help to constitute a vernacular image in the new projects, they are still preferred in some of recently built houses because of their environmental, especially climatic performances. The stone wall construction, where the local material is available, is widely used with the purpose of achieving micro climate in the interior spaces. Figure 2. The house example which was developed based on recalls of past spatial experiences To create an accentuation in the similar pattern is another reason for the usage of traditional building material and methods in the recently developed areas (Figure 3). Stone as a construction material is selected and applied especially in some parts of the typical reinforced concrete frame buildings. Sometimes, it is possible to observe the re-use of old building materials, or existing structural/architectural members in the new constructions. This harmful attitude of professionals accelerates the destruction of vernacular houses and settings in sake of gaining unethical profits. Figure 3. Traditional materials were used in this example to make accentuation in the context c.3. Making association with the vernacular through the use of building elements The building elements, which form the essential components of vernacular architecture, are commonly used in the new buildings. The formation of significant building elements of vernacular such as arch, arcade, inner or outer hall, is realized in the recent building developments by using either traditional or contemporary building materials and its techniques. However, in these examples, where they convey particular building elements of the vernacular form, it is possible to notice the repetition of common mistakes in terms of environmental, architectural, structural or functional aspects. †¢ Position and orientation Position and orientation decisions of the house and its components, are important design concerns in the vernacular architecture of Cyprus.

Building Peace After Armed Conflict in Bosnia

Building Peace After Armed Conflict in Bosnia Provide a critical assessment of international efforts to build peace after armed conflict in Bosnia The Bosnian War broke out in March 1992, and persisted virulently along ethnic lines until the signature of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina on December 14, 1995. Also known as the Dayton Accords, the peace treaty was arguably the international community’s [1] most substantial contribution to ending the armed conflict. Many observers and Bosnians assess the immediate goals of the Dayton Accords as successful: Bosnians are no longer at war, and NATO forces enforced peace with few casualties. [2] Yet, while the Dayton Accords ended the war, the structural framework that it set up perpetuates the confrontation that drove the conflict. Thus, durable peace remains elusive. This paper critically assesses the international community’s strategy to build peace in post-armed conflict Bosnia by analysing three main variables: policy, political economy, and security and rule-of-law. This paper can do justice in a brief analysis to the complex dyna mics and issues of post-war Bosnia. Nonetheless, it demonstrates that the need for cooperative, local peacebuilding ownership is dire, and Bosnia requires systemic reform to enable it. Bosnia and the international actors have made great strides in forming positive peace. To date, however, the international coalition has lacked the political will and foresight to address the conflict’s underlying issues, creating a status quo that is unsustainable in the long term. The Dayton Accords structured Bosnia as one state with two autonomous components: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the Republika Srpska (RS). [3] The Accords institutionalised dysfunction within the political system, creating a state with uncertain capacity and legitimacy that relies on international actors and institutions. [4] Bosnia’s problems during war consisted of massacre, rape, and ethnic cleansing; today, Bosnia must deal with lawlessness, corruption, and economic stagnation. Overcoming the latter issues is critical to social, political, and economic growth. Since the end of armed conflict in December 1995, the international coalition has been attempting to transform power in war-torn Bosnia to realize a prosperous future. An effective transformation simultaneously addresses political, political-economic, and security dynamics. [5] The international community approaches these variables disparately and therefore counterproductively, detrimentally affe cting social, political, and economic development. Transforming political power and promoting self-governance A political transformation entails channelling the competition for power through non-violent outlets, most simply manifested through free and fair elections and legitimate governance. [6] Competition in Bosnia is now focused non-violently through its political system, though this accomplishment is only a half-success. The Dayton Accords implemented a highly fractured political system that has led to a fragmented state; ethnic rivalries—relatively quiescent under Josip Tito’s Yugoslavian regime, but enflamed through the conflicts following its dissolution—are entrenched in every political decision. [7] Bosnia’s decentralised power sharing prevents violence, but it does not promote peace; it instigates political gridlock. While the decentralisation may have been necessary to frame a successful peace agreement, the systemic dysfunction was not a necessary outcome of the armed conflict. Rather, it is (at least in part) a result of rushed elections after Dayton , propped up by an inefficient electoral system. [8] This is in addition to a failure to support the creation of alternative political and social projects in civil society, which exists isolated from Bosnia’s socio-political context. [9] The international coalition hoped that the Dayton Accords would lead to a political and social system that would help Bosnians develop a shared Bosnian identity. [10] The Accord had the opposite effect. In order to secure Bosnian-Serb support during peace talks, the negotiators agreed to establish a weak central government that would lack authority over ethnically based entities. Bosnia separated into two autonomous regions with 13 overlapping constitutions, officially dividing Bosnians into three separate ethnic groups. [11] After concluding negotiations, the international community rushed elections with a counter-productive electoral system. Rather than encourage compromise across divisions, the system reinforced ethnocentrism and the power of obstinate, nationalistic leaders. [12] Voters consistently cast ballots along ethnic lines, and the cumbersome political system masks corruption and incompetence once the leaders are in office. [13] The nationalists that entered office follow ing the Dayton Accords delayed institutional development that may have worked to unify the highly fractured society, out of fear of giving one party too much power. [14]This has become a pattern, with the main nationalist parties from Bosniak, Serb, and Croat factions maintaining control of the country’s three-seat presidency after elections in October 2014. [15] In the current system, no party has incentive to cooperate with another, and its decentralized nature allows one party to paralyze the frequently protracted negotiations that precede nearly every decision. [16] Political inaction has compelled the High Representative, with the power to force legislation and dismiss elected officials, to intervene multiple times. Meanwhile, doing so stymies democratic development toward a self-governing state independent of any international administrator. [17] The constitutional structure requires reform, though change proves to be difficult. To its credit, the international community has recognized this. However, diverse packages of carrots and sticks to incentivize economic and political progressincluding prospective European Union membership and sanctions, respectively proved ineffective. Even using these potent weapons, it has not been possible to force amendments to the constitution, says Matthew Parish, a former legal advisor to the international supervisor of Bosnias Brcko Districtks. [18] Nonetheless, the European Union and NATO continue to dangle membership prospects in front of the Bosnian government in hopes of encouraging reform. Any reform to improve the political system would likely strengthen the central government, thereby weakening the RS. This is the impasse between BiH and the RS. The RS frequently threatens secession in response to centralisation efforts. [19] There is no guarantee that movement toward EU or NATO member ship would end the zero-sum relationship between the RS and BiH. Instead, a strong civil society may be a viable method to resolve tensions between the two entities. The OSCE [20]has defined civil society in Bosnia as ‘the sum of public wills that act independently of the state without obstructing the state in carrying out its responsibilities’. [21]It is a space where civilian collectivization, through a diverse set of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), counterbalances the state’s power and prevents it from dominating society. [22] Ideally, a strong and functioning civil society would generate tolerance, modernisation and social participation, emphasising local participation in peacebuilding. [23] Given this potential, the international community has exerted significant effort to cultivate a strong civil society. Despite its attempts, however, the international community’s extensive influence in the country undermines its efforts. International efforts to bolster civil society growth are more often associated with the quantity of NGOs rather than their quality, and Bosnian citizens see civil society building programs as discounting local history and social dynamics. [24] Further undercutting its significance, political officials are arguably more accountable to the international community than to their voters. The High Representative ultimately determines the course of Bosnia’s politics. ‘Thus, the expectation that local organizations will hold political leaders accountable is a fundamental illusion,’ and civil society will remain weak and insecure. [25] Bosnian politics—opaque, unaccountable, and corrupt—are consequentially unaccountable to civilians. [26] The constitutional structure, while preventing violence, maintains ethnic tensions and causes citizens to pragmatically adhere to ethnic politics in response to their perceived insecurity and lack of political participation . [27] A strong civil society is not an antidote for Bosnian politics’ ills, though it is vital for long-term democratic growth. [28] Presently, citizens’ insecurity and its isolation from the state provide it with little space to promote reconciliation and contribute to peace. Establishing security and the rule of law While it may not necessarily be causal, one of the most accurate predictors of whether or not a state will descend into civil war is whether it has already experienced one. [29] A vital factor to prevent resurgent conflict is to establish a secure environment which precludes militant factions from pursuing goals through violence. [30] It is equally important to secure this environment with an institutional capacity to maintain the rule of law and to exact justice. [31] The international community in Bosnia has prevented conflict relapse, though it has done so by institutionalising the conflict, maintaining tensions. Simply put, the international community has created an environment in which it is costlier to fight a war than it is to compete for power through politics. [32] While resurging war may not be a likely possibility, Bosnia is mired in corruption, organized crime, ethnic tension, and violence that prevents political, social, and economic development—maintaining a stat us quo between armed conflict and durable peace. This is partially a result of internationally mandated post-conflict amnesty laws, prolonged war-criminal prosecutions, and a failure to transform the wartime economy into a legitimate formal economy. The international community demanded the establishment of the Federal Amnesty Law to prevent political prosecution of returning refugees, draft dodgers, and soldiers ‘charged with a crime, other than serious violation of international humanitarian law.’ [33] The international community intended to provide Bosnian citizens security whilst they rebuild their lives following the conflict. A number of Bosnian politicians and elites took advantage of the amnesty laws to include crimes like illegal commerce, tax evasion, and illegal use of humanitarian aid, and they expanded the time the amnesty covered to include January 1991. [34] These pardoned offenses may have provided relief to a number of soldiers that had committed regular wartime acts in line with the terms of the Amnesty Law. However, the expanded time-period also provided cover for corrupt officials’ crimes more than a year prior to the war. Amnesty laws forced prosecutors to drop pending investigations and i ndictments for politicians in the main nationalist parties, allowing them to continue to compete for power after the war. International actors sought prosecution for the alleged criminals that the Amnesty Law did not excuse. Chief among these prosecutions was that of the leaders of the warring factions for committing crimes against humanity, including genocide. As the international community saw was necessary following the Second World War, the Rwandan Genocide, and East Timor, justice is often requisite to attain durable peace. [35] The international community lacked the political will after the Dayton Accords to pursue war criminals for arrest, despite indicting them for their acts. The United States, for one, NATO’s member with the greatest capacity for force, refused to risk another Somalia-like war criminal hunt. The international tribunal had to rely on its member states to extradite the alleged criminals. This proved ineffective until the early 2000s: the international community was unwilling to take meaningful action to hasten or force extradition, and the states where war criminals resid ed were either unwilling or incapable of pursuing them. [36] Nearly twenty years after the war’s end, Ratko MladiĆ¡, Radovan KaradÃ…Â ¾iĆ¡, Goran HadÃ…Â ¾iĆ¡, and Vojislav Ã…  eÃ… ¡eljfour of the conflict’s most notorious war criminalsremain on trial. While 141 proceedings of the 161 indicted criminals have concluded, many critics state that the international tribunal has taken far too long to bring the accused to trial, and that those who have been found guilty have received lenient sentences. [37] This perceived lack of justice prevents closure, and perpetuates the doctrine of collective guilt over individual responsibility for atrocities. As a 2013 UN poll demonstrated, Bosnians must reconcile their past before they embrace their future. [38] The international community’s role in this has so far been mixed: the atmosphere of impunity is now over, though the results have been demonstrably underwhelming. [39] Bosnia’s unreformed political economy The World Bank estimates that Bosnia’s shadow economy composes X percent of its GDP. [40] The formal, legitimate economy remains highly dependent on external support, and founders in comparison to the underground market. The Dayton Accords catalysed an internationally led privatisation effort that led to rent-seeking and corruption; organized crime is woven tightly through the public and private sectors. Consequentially, the current situation in Bosnia is rife with contradicting relationships: the shadow economy complicates peacebuilding and international efforts, though international intervention has fuelled organized crime; moreover, while the clandestine economy frustrates reconstruction, citizens depend on it for survivalthe formal economy cannot support them. [41] The international community imposed an arms embargo on Bosnia in September 1991. The Bosnian-Serbs were better positioned geographically and financially to circumvent the embargo, and armed themselves through relatively accessible smuggling channels. [42] The Bosnian faction relied on international actors and, despite the United States’ tacit refusal to enforce the embargo and Iran’s assistance, was unable to obtain much more than small arms. At the start of the war, the Bosnian-Serbs possessed far superior artillery and firepower, outgunning the Bosnians nine to one. [43] Partially because of the military imbalance, the Bosnian-Serb forces were able to stage the longest siege in modern history on Sarajevo. Supplemented by the UN’s massive humanitarian relief aid effort, the Bosnians survived the siege through its reliance on diverse and ubiquitous smuggling networks—which the international community supported, often directly. [44] People most connected to the underground economy allowed the war economy, and thus the people, to survive. Throughout each side of the conflict, the newly enriched criminal elite formed ties with political leaders that persisted after the conflict. The international community has largely ignored a key correlation, and has thus failed to create a gainful, legitimate political economy: ‘The more criminalised the conflict, the more criminalised the state, economy, and society that emerge†¦criminal capital accumulated during a criminalized war has been converted to political [and economic] capital after the war.’ [45] `International finance institutions, particularly the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, mandated widespread privatisation. Bosnia, especially immediately after the Dayton Accords, lacked coherent regulatory institutions to manage market liberalisation and fair economic competition (Paris 2004). The international actors approached liberalisation before institutionalisation. Despite international oversight, this led war-time criminal elite to co-opt privatisation and deregulation. Corruption and botched privatisation efforts are in part responsible for today’s 44.5 percent unemployment rate (60 percent for 15-to-24-year-olds) and a $545/ month average wage. [46] Ostensibly, this partly caused protests in February 2014 across 30 cities throughout BiH and calls for the government’s wholesale resignation. [47] Bosnia’s post-Dayton political system facilitates this corruption through its radical decentralisation and weak regulation, failing to dismantle t he criminalized war-time economy. Bosnia’s future and the international intervention The international community’s direct intervention, in seeking to end the conflict swiftly, entrenched the confrontation in a top-down, zero-sum political system that lacks local legitimacy. If politicians adhere to international mandates, they risk alienating citizens. Local ownership, in its current form, would therefore limit external assistance. One possible remedy is to convert Bosnia to a welfare state. The international finance agencies have so far focused on establishing an environment conducive to private business. Privatisation, however, has returned few positive results. Massive, state-driven job creation could give citizens a stake in the government and spur economic development that private sector oligarchs are unwilling to approach. However, the state lacks the coherence and self-regulation to work across ethnic groups; it would require reform before taking such action, and if history is any indicator, opposing parties are likely to block any changes. Nonetheless, the international community’s neoliberal, one-size-fits-all approach may not be suitable to Bosnian economic development. Bosnia faces a number of structural challenges that limit development. While it has managed to transform the competition for power through political channels, it maintains an insecure atmosphere in which Bosnians cannot hold their state accountable. In order to become more centralisedand therefore more efficientthe RS would necessarily relinquish power to the Bosniak majority. This is zero-sum dynamic that the Bosnian-Serbs find threatening. Reflecting on past tensions, they fear tyranny of the majority. Proponents of NATO and EU membership aver that membership would relieve the Bosnian factions of the fear that prevents constitutional reform. While EU membership would require the reform that it would ultimately allow, NATO membership requires less and is a relatively achievable future. [48] Nonetheless, NATO’s security guarantee does not necessarily extend to intrastate conflict. It is highly likely that NATO would intervene much swifter in a resurgent conflict in order to pr event a Srebrenica massacre redux, but that is already the case. Membership would provide measures to prevent the RS from seceding, but only to an extent; after all, this did not stop Scotland’s 2014 attempt at secession. International peacebuilding has so far provided Bosnians with security from armed conflict, though it has maintained an otherwise politically and economically insecure state. The ethnically divided country requires reform—that much is evident. While the international community is partially responsible for state’s dysfunctional structure, this does mean it should disengage from the country. On the contrary, the dysfunction has created a situation in which Bosnia is entirely dependent on international actors—disengagement could prove cataclysmic. Rather, the international community must change its strategy. Until it does, the international community must maintain a dysfunctional state, otherwise doomed to languish under ineffective domesti c leadership and international stewardship. [1] See Appendix A for a list of international actors [2] Hendrickson, Ryan. 2005. ‘History Crossing the Rubicon’. NATO Review. NATO. http://www.nato.int/docu/review/2005/issue3/english/history.html#top. [3] ‘Peace Support Operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina’. 2014. NATO. NATO. November 11. http://www.nato.int/cps/fr/natohq/topics_52122.htm?selectedLocale=en. [4] Bliesemann de Guevara, Berit States of Conflict: A case Study on Peace-Building in Bosnia-Herzegovina [5] Hawley, Leanard. 2007. Keynote Presentation: Policy and Strategies for International Intervention. The Cornwallis Group XII: Analysis for Multi-Agency Support. [6] Hawley, Keynote Presentation [7] Toal, Gerard, and Carl Dahlman. 2011. Bosnia Remade: Ethnic Cleansing and Its Reversal. Oxford University Press. [8] Roland, Paris. 2010. Saving liberal peacebuilding. Review of International Studies, 36, pp337-365. [9] Belloni, Robert. 2001. ‘Civil Society and Peacebuilding in Bosnia and Herzegovina’. Journal of Peace Research 38(2). [10] Silber, Laura. 2005. ‘Dayton, 10 Years After’. The New York Times, November 5. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/21/opinion/21Silber.html?pagewanted=print_r=0. [11]Silber, Laura, and Allan Little. 1998. Yugoslavia: Death of a Nation. United States: TV Books Inc. [12] Bliesemann de Guevara, Berit. 2009. Institute for Public Policy Research. [13] idib [14] idib [15] Staff. 2014. ‘Divided Nationalists Win Bosnia Elections’. Al Jazeera, October 13. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/10/divided-nationalists-win-bosnia-elections-2014101314183747199.html. [16] Bennett, Christopher. 2010. Bosnia’s Paralysed Peace. United Kingdom: C Hurst Co Publishers Ltd. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/21/opinion/21Silber.html?pagewanted=2_r=2sq=dayton peace accordsst=nytscp=4 [17] Chandler, David. 2007. ‘The High Representative for Bosnia Still Runs It like a Feudal Fiefdom’. The Guardian, November 20. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/nov/20/russia.eu. [18] Salem, Harriet. 2014. ‘Bosnia Burning’. Foreign Policy, November 2. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/02/11/bosnia_burning. [19] source [20] Define [21] Belloni osce 1998b:3 [22] Belloni, Ernest Hellner 1994:5 [23] Belloni [24] Belloni, Curran 1998:4 [25] Cite quote [26] Transparency international [27] Belloni [28] source [29] Collier, Paul and Anke Hoeffler. (2004) „Greed and Grievance in Civil Warà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸, Oxford Economic Papers. [30] http://web.worldbank.org/archive/website01306/web/pdf/wdr background paper_walter_0.pdf [31] Secretary of defence [32] source [33] See for list of covered offenses: UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Amnesty Laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 19 March 1998, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b33214.html [accessed 30 November 2014] [34] The Clandestine Political economy of war and peace in Bosnia [35] Judge Richard Holdstone, chief prosecutor of International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, has argued the same: http://www.ecfr.eu/ijp/case/israel_palestine#fn1 [36] Source [37] http://www.icty.org/sections/TheCases/KeyFiguresoftheCases [38] UN poll [39] Twenty Years of International Criminal Law: From the ICTY to the ICC and Beyond Theodor Meron and Fatou Bensouda Proceedings of the Annual Meeting (American Society of International Law), Vol. 107, (April 2013), pp. 407-420 [40] World Bank [41] [42] Cigar 1995 [43] Source [44] Source [45] Source [46] [47] Source [48] Sou

Censorship and Information Privacy Policies in Eastern Asia and the Uni

Censorship and Information Privacy Policies in Eastern Asia and the United States of America Introduction Fifteen or twenty years ago, no one would have been able to predict the magnitude of the impact that the evolution of computer internetworking technologies has had on the world. The advancement of computers and networking technologies, as well as the constant flow of new innovations has forever changed the way the human race communicates. People across the globe have been given a medium through which they can express their ideas and beliefs freely†¦for the most part. Many cultures span this great planet of ours, each with different cultural, spiritual and governmental beliefs. Some of these cultures share common beliefs, but as far as censorship and information privacy are concerned, there are some notable differences. Here in the United States, Internet communication is a way of life. Instant messaging, e-commerce, and World Wide Web surfing are staples in many American’s lives. Citizens are allowed to post web pages containing various types of material with minim al fear of governmental interference. On the contrary, East Asian countries such as China and Singapore are subject to far more intense scrutiny. While it would be easy to judge these sorts of censorship and privacy invasion policies as being immoral, there is definitely more to these policies than meets the eye. Censorship and Information Policies in the USA The United States has been a breeding ground for many of the major developments in the realm of internetworking. With the releases of these technologies come practical applications for them in the consumer world. Once computer networks became affordable for the general public, the World Wid... ...he beauty of the study of philosophy and ethics allows there to be different points of view; this case is no different. References Aneki.com (Facts taken from CIA World Factbook) http://www.aneki.com/facts/Singapore.html Ang, Peng Hwa. Nadarajan, Berlinda. June 1996. Censorship of the Internet: A Singapore Perspective. http://0-portal.acm.org.sculib.scu.edu/ft_gateway.cfm?id=228520&type=pdf&coll=portal&dl=ACM&CFID=20568552&CFTOKEN=95543504 Tan, Zixiang (Alex). Foster, William. Goodman, Seymour. China's State-coordinated Internet Infrastructure http://0-portal.acm.org.sculib.scu.edu/ft_gateway.cfm?id=303861&type=pdf&coll=portal&dl=ACM&CFID=20568552&CFTOKEN=95543504 Wiese, Kelly. April 27, 2004. USA Today Missouri tracks scofflaws via pizza-delivery databases. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/internetprivacy/2004-04-27-pizza-no-privacy_x.htm

Dance Difficulties Essay -- essays research papers

As an extremely challenging and physically demanding pastime, it makes sense that a career in dance has lots of pressures that go along with it. This should come as no surprise seeing that every professional sport requires hard work and at least some sacrifice. It is questionable, however, if there is maybe too much pressure put on dancers in this day and age. Many people do not realize what it takes for a person to make it as a dancer, the dedication and drive the person must have. The fact of the matter is, the outcome of a dancer’s career may not outweigh the physical and emotional damages left over from the long journey to the top.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the eighteenth century, the most prominent dancer of the time, Marie Camargo, set the standard for the typical dancer’s physique. The body characteristics of no hips, breasts, or stomach became the customary body shape for dancers at that time, and in the future (Gim). George Balanchine, one of the most prominent dance choreographers in dance history is responsible for the basic look of a thin ballet dancer. His goal within a dance company was for all of the females to look as identical as possible. He wanted dancers who were tall and streamlined with beautifully arched feet, long, elegant legs and a graceful extension (Solway 57). He believed that the thinner the dancer, the better one could see their bodies and movements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Due to the views of George Balanchine, it soon became the norm for a dancer to be a certain height and weight. Soon that is what company producers, directors, choreographers, and the public expected. Even today, â€Å"an ideal has been set in place in the dance community which reflects the general public’s desire to see thin women on stage† (10-6). The main goal of a dance company is to have viewers, and for that to happen the public must be visually pleased. Cultural ideas of feminine beauty cause young women to feel a strong desire to be thinner than their bodies naturally tend to be (10-1). This idea is even more widespread in the dance world; literally, people who are not thin do not get jobs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Certain sports create environments that harbor unhealthy eating habits, and dance is one of the most common (Despres). These eating habits can eventually escalate into an eating disorder if not treated correctly. Every eati... ...s to do what they love to do. Applegate, Liz. â€Å"Athletes Are More Vulnerable to Anorexia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Than Non-Athletes.† Opposable Viewpoints. 24 Jan 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . Binks, Georgie. â€Å"Eating Disorders are Not Necessarily Harmful.† Opposable Viewpoints. 24 Jan 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . Despres, Renee. â€Å"Female Athletes Are at Risk of Eating Disorders.† Opposable Viewpoints. 24 Jan 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . Dobie, Michael. â€Å"The Eating-Disordered Male Athlete.† Opposable Viewpoints. 24 Jan 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . Gim, Kari. â€Å"The Perfect Ballet Body.† Opposable Viewpoints. 24 Jan 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . Hood, Joel. â€Å"Dying to Win: Athletes and Eating Disorders.† Opposable Viewpoints. 24 Jan 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . Levenkrom, Steven. Anatomy of Anorexia. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2001. Neale, Wendy. Ballet Life Behind the Scenes. New York: Crown Publishing Inc, 1982. Solway, Diane. A Dance Against Time. New York: Pocket Books, 1994. Thompson, Ron A. Sherman; Trattner, Roberta. Helping Athletes With Eating Disorders. Illinois: Human Kinetics Publishers, 1993.

nigeria and us women and development :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Women as a group make up an enormous portion of the world’s population. Thus the development of women, the changes implemented that affect them both positively and negatively are integral in study the world. Introduction to the field of women and development can be traced back to the 1950’s post World War II., specifically the period of reconstruction. Due to focus on external issues rather than internal issues, programs like the United States Marshall Plan were created, emphasizing the need to bridge the gap between developing and developed nations. The study of women and development gives an overall perspective of women’s development in comparison to other areas. Women’s development shapes many things including our perspectives and our public policies. I will assess the contributions of the three major theoretical debates applied to the field of women and development and explain how they shaped the field.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first and perhaps the most dominant perspective, Women in Development (WID) stresses western values and targets individuals as catalysts for social change. The origins of this perspective came about after the release of Esther Boserup’s book entitled Women’s Role in Economic Development. The theory points out that modernization had somehow bypassed women and that some segments actually destabilized the prevailing position of women. The theory argues that legal and administration modifications are needed to facilitate change and integrate women into economic systems. The most notable contribution of WID is that it drew attention to women’s questions in the arena of development theory and practice. While WID emphasizes the productive role of women, it overlooks the direct influence of race, class and culture and it minimizes the reproductive role of women entirely.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Women and Development (WAD) emerged in the 1970’s; its primary basis was critiquing the earlier theory of WID. Essentially, WAD contends that economic growth and the industrialization of the West were based upon the exploitation of nations that were subjected to colonial rule. The theory focuses on the idea that countries are core, semi-peripheral and peripheral. Power–dependency relationships are reflected in an international division of labor that encompasses each of these types. Core nations, including the major powers of Western Europe, the United States, Canada, and Japan dominate globally by virtue of their domestic and international strength. According to conventional world-system arguments, the countries in the periphery of the world-system, the least developed nations in Africa and Asia, such as Bangladesh and Rwanda are relatively weaker than the core nations and to a lesser extent, the semi-periphery nations such as Chile and Libya.

Conditioning and Mind Control Essay

An Orange, a Tomato, and Mind Control: A comparison between Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange; Jonathan Demme’s The Manchurian Candidate; and George Orwell’s 1984 in relation to mind control and human conditioning. Mr. Robinson ENG 4U Nykki Armstrong January 10. 13 The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse – Edmund Burke Muammar Gaddafi, Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler all have one vital thing in common; these men all had an overwhelming greed for power and control.It was through fear and subtle conditioning that they won their power, and it was at the height of their power that the societies they had oppressed rebelled. Just as Edmund Burke says â€Å"the greater the power the more dangerous the abuse†, it was their abuse of power that led to their demise. This idea of how achieving complete power over society and the individuals therein through conditioning cannot last forever, and will inevitable lead to a rebellion and retaliation is explored by the novels 1984 by George Orwell and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, as well Jonathan Demme’s film The Manchurian Candidate.Both A Clockwork Orange and The Manchurian Candidate develop this theme through the use of an unlikely anti-hero (who is also the spokesperson for the authority attempting to gain control), the individual struggle to maintain the most basic control (while the authority counters their every effort), and the juxtaposing symbols (that mirror how society is violating the natural order). In Burgess’ novel the protagonist, Alex, is a typical delinquent; he breaks any and all rules without any concern for the repercussions.Naturally, the reader comes to dislike him. Unexpectedly though, Burgess makes the reader feel Pathos for Alex, as he becomes a test subject for the government’s new Ludovico Technique. In an attempt to rid the streets of teenagers like Alex, they select him – being the worst of them all – to become their spokesman of sorts. The doctors involved in his â€Å"treatment† go to extreme lengths to rid him of any qualities they have deemed unacceptable in a perfect society.The beginnings of their treatment seems to mimic the basis of Skinner’s operant conditioning, although they take things many steps farther than he could, â€Å"Skinner employed punishment in one early experiment and was so disturbed that he never used it again†, whereas the doctors in A Clockwork Orange do anything they feel necessary (Freedman). The doctors turn his every action against him, and cause him seemingly endless mental anguish, eventually conditioning him to conform to essentially anything they decide. The plan of the government backfires as soon as they release him.Once society has seen what the government has done, they vehemently reject the idea. After this, society’s view of Alex changes drastically; he switches from a fearsome troublemaker to a fragile victim: â €Å"Another victim†¦A victim of the modern age† (Burgess 113). This idea of society and the individuals therein rejecting the controversial plans of their government is also prevalent in the film The Manchurian Candidate. In an attempt to gain all the governmental power, Sergeant Raymond Prentiss Shaw has his mind controlled by high authorities.Due to his own ideology, without being under anyone’s control, Sergeant Shaw would be an ideal presidential candidate, but he would be an independent one, â€Å"I believe in freedom†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (The Manchurian Candidate). The people of power in the film believe that in order to achieve a perfect utopia, they must govern everything. When presented with the idea that his thoughts may not be his own, Sergeant Shaw is in disbelief, and thus begins the viewer’s idea of him as a protagonist. Similarly to Alex in A Clockwork Orange he begins an internal struggle to overcome the conditioning and mind control that has been imposed on him.At the end of the film, he successfully overpowers the control that was being held over him, and rebels against it. It is his rebellion that causes the entire plan to fail, thus making him a victimised anti-hero in the same sense as Alex. Contrastingly to both Alex and Sergeant Shaw, the protagonist in Orwell’s 1984 does not become a hero at all. While he does struggle to gain power and the most basic control over his life, Winston does not succeed. Rather than being the force to overthrow the corrupt and suppressive society in which he ives, he becomes yet another powerless victim. In this sense, he mirrors both Alex and Sergeant Shaw; they are all powerless against their oppressors. The key flaw in the strategies of the government in both A Clockwork Orange and The Manchurian Candidate is that they explicitly tried to condition their subjects using physical and intimidation processes. The reason that Big Brother in 1984 was so successful in oppressing nearly everyone is that they did their controlling more implicitly through â€Å"reality control†, and by coercing the citizens to condition themselves.They began using a Hitler-like control method – turning everyone against each other to guarantee that no one will help anyone. The society in 1984 is a mob mentality; everyone is so caught up in the moment that they do not dare counter the group, â€Å"Of course he chanted with the rest [during the two minutes hate]: it was impossible to do otherwise†¦ to do what everyone else was doing, was an instinctive reaction† (Orwell 19). It is through the events that victimised him that Sergeant Raymond Shaw begins to understand his own thoughts and his unclear past.Once he begins to question specific aspects of his life – such as the events that occurred while he was at war – he is able to discover what is really going on. In order for him to be controlled, a specific line must be recited. When Sergeant Shaw is aware of how his mind is being controlled, he is able to attempt to fight it. This is depicting his mental struggle to maintain control over himself. At one point, Rosie, a woman affiliated with Sergeant Shaw’s platoon-mate says â€Å"Maybe I was feeling fragile at the time† (The Manchurian Candidate).This line encapsulates the underlying theme throughout the entire movie – the fragility of the human psyche, especially when one is out of control of themselves. It is Sergeant Shaw’s battle to overcome this fragility that leads to his eventual rebellion. This fragility is mimicked by Alex in Burgess’ novel, through Alex’s reaction his life and his struggle to maintain his personality while undergoing the Ludovico Treatment. Alex views himself as a leader, and therefore he must conserve that powerful role in his gang to continue to have his sense of self.When that power is threatened by George, Alex’s preservation instinct is triggere d and he physically fights to regain the order that had previously been established; â€Å"Now we’re back to where we were, yes? † (Burgess 42). This struggle to cope with a change of power is also seen during his stay in the Ludovico Treatment center when he realizes he has been conditioned, â€Å"‘You are being made sane, you are being made healthy’ ‘That I will not have†¦nor can I understand at all’† (Burgess 81). When all power has been taken by the higher authority, Alex has been â€Å"turned into something other than a human being† (Burgess 115).This sense of dehumanising a person coincides with the theme of countering the natural order to gain ultimate power shown through the symbols used in Burgess’ novel. One of the key symbols is that of the clockwork orange. Creating a clockwork orange is to completely destroy all that is natural about it, thus ruining it, in an effort to create something controllable and m echanised. Bruce Olsen states in his analysis of the novel that â€Å"a clockwork orange applies to the conditioned Alex as well: Though he appears natural from the outside, he is thoroughly unnatural within†.This statement becomes a theme in both the novel and the movie The Manchurian Candidate. Another symbol is Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony which is a peaceful song, and for Alex, the only way to feel appropriate emotions. During the Ludovico Treatment, the song is used against him in order to condition him – again, taking something beloved and natural and making it evil, â€Å"Using Ludwig like that†¦ and I was really sick† (Burgess 85). Another reoccurring symbol is that of water. Water is typically associated with renewal and life, which is how it is portrayed in Burgess’ novel.Alex imagines his body â€Å"being like emptied of as it might be dirty water and then filled up again with clean†, symbolizing his new start after his rebelli on against his oppressors (Burgess 127). Another piece of literature in which water is used to wash away sins and aid in the renewal process is Shakespeare’s â€Å"Macbeth†. The main instance in which the symbol of water is used for cleansing the spiritual body is when Lady Macbeth is attempting to wash the blood from her hands in her sleep. Like Alex, she realizes it makes her impure and yearns for an opportunity to remove it from her body and mind.Water is also a prevalent symbol in The Manchurian Candidate. Unlike in A Clockwork Orange the water in the film is juxtaposing its typical meaning. In the film, Sergeant Shaw kills his competitor in the lake. Clearly, murder is unnatural and for Sergeant Shaw, as is the case for most people, it is unthinkable. Unthinkable that is, until the authority controlling him tells him otherwise. This illustrates the complete control held over him by whoever is dictating his actions, leaving him with â€Å"no power of choice any lo nger† (Burgess 115).Coinciding with the clockwork orange motif in Burgess’ novel, there is a tomato motif in Demme’s film. Likewise to an orange, a tomato is natural. In the film, it is used for testing to reconfigure genetics and implantation of memories. The government plans on taking something natural, and using it for their own awful needs in their quest for ultimate power. Finally, though it is natural to want basic control and power over oneself, violating another individual or society’s right to that same control will have dire consequences.As seen through Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange, Demme’s The Manchurian Candidate, and Orwell’s 1984, oppression and gross abuses of power will ultimately lead to the destruction of said power and the rebellion of the oppressed. Referencing what Edmund Burke is quoted as saying above, any large amount of power will eventually cause greed and destruction. Burgess and Demme use the archetypal anti- hero, the internal conflict within that hero, and the reoccurring symbols to explore that theme of the destruction caused by misused power, whereas Orwell offers the alternative – succumbing to the power, and accepting a total loss of control.Works Cited Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. London: Penguin Books, 1972. Print. Orwell, George. 1984. London: Penguin Books, 1987. Print. Demme, Jonathan, dir. The Manchurian Candidate. 2004. Paramount Pictures. DVD-ROM. Olsen, Bruce. â€Å"A Clockwork Orange. †Ã‚  Masterplots, Fourth Edition  (2010). Journal. Freedman, David H. â€Å"The Perfected Self. †Ã‚  Atlantic Monthly  June 2012: 42-52. Literary Reference Center. Web. 9 Jan. 2013. .

Great Depression

Mrs. Russell Cause and Effect Essay English 101-80 Great Depression What caused the Great Depression, the worst economic depression in US history? It was not just one factor, but instead a combination of domestic and worldwide conditions that led to the Great Depression. The causes aand effects of the Great Depression was huge across the world, here are three top causes and effects of the Great Depression. Stock Market Crash of 1929 was one of the major causes that led to the Great Depression.Two months after the original crash in October, stockholderzs had lost more than $40 billion dollars. By the end of 1930, the stock market tried to regain some of its losses but it was not enough and America truly entered the Great Depression. Throughout the 1930s, over 9,000 banks failed. Bank deposits were uninsured and thus as banks failed people simply lost their savings. Surviving banks was unsure of the economic situation and concerned for their own survival, stopped being as willing to cr eate new loans.This exacerbated the situation leadig to less and less expenditures. When the stock market crashed, and the banks failed and unemployment levels reached higher and higher pointsw people understandably stopped spending money, which also deeped the economic crisis as demand for products and services slowly stopped. First effect is Stock Market and Banking regulations, after the stock market crash of 1929 and collapse of more then 40% of American banks, strict trading and banking regulations put in place.For financial protection newly formed Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for financial protection. Second effect is when Franklin D. Roosevelt’s introduced programs between 1933 and 1930, designed to help America pull out of the Great Depression by addressing high rates of unemployment and poverty. FDR and Congress introduced regulationzs and subside: the cornerstones of the New Deal wetre the Public Works Administrati on and the National Recovery Administration.Third effect is when many people learned some valuable things about managing their money and doing the best they could with what they had. Children grew up to be very imaginative and inventive. They appreciated the things they had access to in their life because they never forgot just how little they once had. The Great Depression ended in the 1939 as the world increased the production of the war materials with the outbreak of WWII. War production increased jobs and hence large amounts of money were reintrodu ced to circuklate in the economy. Great Depression Steinbeck teaches us that as humans, loneliness and the desire for companionship is inevitable and in this cruel world where we are all set again t one another as rivals for the resources needed to survive, true friendships are to be cherisher d for they are hard to come by. As humans, we are all subject to loneliness at some points in our lives, and we all desire companionship, no matter how indifferent we may act to mask that desire. In by John Steinbeck, Curler's wife is incredibly lonely as the only woman on the ranch and is often isolated from the ranch hands who view her as trouble.She is often see n prancing around the ranch in the pretense of searching for her husband and often attempts to engage other ranch hands in friendly conversation. During her conversation in the stables with Car kooks, Candy, and Leonie, she remarked, ‘Effendi I don't like to talk to somebody ever' once in a w hill? Think like to stick in that house all time? â€Å"‘ (Steinbeck, 77). This was particularly imp rotary as it displays her loneliness and desire for companionship. However, her friendly sees is often seen as flirtatiousness to the other men, and this results in their view of her as an unfed dutiful and dangerous woman.Crooks, just like Curlers wife, suffers from loneliness as w ell, though his isolation results from his race instead of his words and actions. As shown during Eng his conversation with Leonie in the stables, Crooks remarks that â€Å"if he sees something', he don't know whether its right or not† and he has no one to ask and â€Å"nothing to measure by† (Steinbeck 73). He had also cried that if â€Å"a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick† (Steinbeck 73). This was IM portent as well for it showed just how desperately we desire companionship.If we had no on e besides us, we get so lonely and desperate that we became sick due to the lack of company. The desire for companionship and loneliness are inevitable parts of human li fe that we all ex pertinence from time o time, though we may all deal with it in various methods, with some acting more indifferent than others. In this world with a population of around 7 billion and extremely limited ores urges, we are born into a dotage world. The competition for resources took a turn f or the worse when the Great Depression hit in the asses. Futures this harsh reality in which men are set against each other in a competition for the sparse jobs and machined De money, which was then used to purchase a piece of land. This was the dream of every men, but alas, in a world of worsening economy, very few saw their dream to fruition. As Curlers wife had observed in the novella, if she engaged one man in a conversation, they'd get along just if en and have a nice chat. However, if she attempts to engage a group of men in a conversation, the eyed all be too scared of each to talk to her, they'd be too scared that the others may â€Å"get so meeting' on them.This observat ion shows the hostility hidden beneath the pretense of friendly sees the men have with one another. The minute the rest â€Å"gets something† on one of the men, the eyed eliminate him so they'd have less competition for the resources, in this case, money and job s. When Candy, George, and Leonie were first entertaining the idea of owning a stake together r, George had warned them not to tell a soul for ‘they liable to can us so we can't make no SST aka† (Steinbeck 61 This warning displays the distrust among the men.Perhaps this is why true e friends pips are cherished and mourned when lost, for in this hostile world, it is difficult to co me by, but a great blessing in times of hardship. The world is cruel and hostile, and men are all says out to get one another. Loneliness and the desire for companionship is inevitable, we will all expire once it in our bedtime at one point or another, and it will only teach us to cherish our comma onions more.After all, true com panions are hard to come by in this harsh reality in which we are all born as rivals battling for the same limited resources we need to survive. Steinbeck had, thro cough his profound use and command of the English language, taught us, to put it in the simplest way, how to understand one another better. The key to communication and relations ammo Eng people is the understanding of each other, and through , Steinbeck has taught us just how we can begin to understand one another. Great Depression Mrs. Russell Cause and Effect Essay English 101-80 Great Depression What caused the Great Depression, the worst economic depression in US history? It was not just one factor, but instead a combination of domestic and worldwide conditions that led to the Great Depression. The causes aand effects of the Great Depression was huge across the world, here are three top causes and effects of the Great Depression. Stock Market Crash of 1929 was one of the major causes that led to the Great Depression.Two months after the original crash in October, stockholderzs had lost more than $40 billion dollars. By the end of 1930, the stock market tried to regain some of its losses but it was not enough and America truly entered the Great Depression. Throughout the 1930s, over 9,000 banks failed. Bank deposits were uninsured and thus as banks failed people simply lost their savings. Surviving banks was unsure of the economic situation and concerned for their own survival, stopped being as willing to cr eate new loans.This exacerbated the situation leadig to less and less expenditures. When the stock market crashed, and the banks failed and unemployment levels reached higher and higher pointsw people understandably stopped spending money, which also deeped the economic crisis as demand for products and services slowly stopped. First effect is Stock Market and Banking regulations, after the stock market crash of 1929 and collapse of more then 40% of American banks, strict trading and banking regulations put in place.For financial protection newly formed Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for financial protection. Second effect is when Franklin D. Roosevelt’s introduced programs between 1933 and 1930, designed to help America pull out of the Great Depression by addressing high rates of unemployment and poverty. FDR and Congress introduced regulationzs and subside: the cornerstones of the New Deal wetre the Public Works Administrati on and the National Recovery Administration.Third effect is when many people learned some valuable things about managing their money and doing the best they could with what they had. Children grew up to be very imaginative and inventive. They appreciated the things they had access to in their life because they never forgot just how little they once had. The Great Depression ended in the 1939 as the world increased the production of the war materials with the outbreak of WWII. War production increased jobs and hence large amounts of money were reintrodu ced to circuklate in the economy. Great Depression If someone went to prison in 1989 and was released in the year 2000, he would probably be surprised by how drastic change can be in ten years can bring. When 1990 started, people were still communicating through letters and the telephone. The Bible was still the greatest bestseller and people used the word â€Å"terror† to describe how scared they were of their neighbor’s dog. By the end of 1999, however, children were engrossed with a new book. People were sending e-mails to their loved ones, and our idea of terror has been redefined.The 90s was shaped by things we could not have imagined, things that have brought about major changes in our lives. Though the decade was made of numerous and note-worthy events, this paper will zero in on three factors that best define the 1990s in America: the story that mattered to the young, the technology that changed the face of communication, and the heartbreak that we suffered as a nation. In trying to define the 1990s in America, it is important that we take a look at the decade’s popular literary works. Literature is an important indicator of the times.By reading the popular literature of the early 1920s, we see a generation dried out by the. If we read the poetry and fiction of the Beat writers, we see a carefree generation of the late 50’s ready to break into the sexual revolution of the 60s. I’ve always thought of literature as a reflection of a people’s state of mind. It is, after all, the collection of stories of people. And people only write stories of the things that truly matter to them. Ironically, in the 90s, the most popular story ever told could not have happened to anyone.That would just be silly. No 11-year-old boy could have found out that he was a wizard and then went off to wizardry school. But that is exactly the premise of the most popular book of the 90s —Harry Potter. The premise does sound pretty simple, but author JK Rowling managed to craft intricat e storylines of various adventures, with mysteries being deliciously unraveled along the way. The result? The highest selling children’s book in history. No other children’s book has ever made much of an impact as â€Å"the boy who lived†.From then on there were several other books written about magic, wizards, vampires, robots, things not of this earth. And I think this is indicative of what we as a people are ready for. We are a generation ready to be bewildered, to consider things outside our immediate reality. Wiktorin, in his paper about how the Harry Potter books relate to contemporary life, states that â€Å"constructing a world different to the ordinary one and marketing this, can certainly be a very lucrative enterprise† (2). This is exactly what Harry Potter and all the fantasy books of the nineties have offered us.A constructed world so different from our own, but governed by the rules and emotions that are quintessentially human. This readines s to consider things outside our realm went hand in hand with the explosion of the internet in the nineties. In 1984, if you were a lonely kid in school, you went home and dealt with it. In 1998, a nerdy 13-year-old who probably feels ill at ease with his schoolmates can log in on the internet after school and find an online community of people to talk to. In the 1990s, the internet was really primarily used for communication.The e-mail and the chat functions were the most popular internet activities. A study conducted by Axel Franzen shows that email increases social involvement and regression analysis shows that Internet users have 24% more friends (Lesnard, 4). The world got a lot smaller, and getting in touch was just a few clicks away. The amount of information that the World Wide Web has brought to individuals cannot be emphasized enough. If Harry Potter led us to believe or consider things that are outside our realm, the internet allowed us to think of the things that existed beyond our personal reality.It allowed us to be tolerant of differences, because these differences are no longer miles away from us. We hear about it a few clicks away. The things that we can see on the internet can also be seen by people with internet in China. It equalizes us somehow and allows us to interact in astounding ways. As much as Harry Potter brought about a considerable amount of whimsical escape and the internet allowed us to be more aware of others’ cultures and differences, certain events of the 90s unfortunately gave us first-hand experience of evil.In the middle of the decade, America experienced its first terror attack through the Oklahoma Bombing. Despite the number of wars that have been fought by our country, a terror attack was so surprising because it just didn’t make sense. The Oklahoma bombing wasn’t an unfortunate result of any military operation. It wasn’t the work of some psychotic man. It wasn’t an accidental occurren ce. Rather, it was a carefully calculated plan with the sole purpose of terrorizing people. The perpetrators were apprehended and convicted, and the reasons behind their actions was said to be disappointment with how the U.S government handled past issues. Instead of letting their opinions known through protests, they took a course of action as arbitrary as it is terrorizing. The Oklahoma Bombing killed 108 people, including babies on daycare. This terrorist attack reminded us of the need for security, to protect our nation from people who are on the mission to destroy it. When it comes to vigilance against terrorism, â€Å"unlike most other enterprises, success and failure are measured according to the number of lives saved and lost† (Manzi, et. al. , 10).We cannot afford to lose the war against terror, as it will mean losing precious lives. After the Oklahoma bombing, the government implemented tighter security measures and that has stopped numerous other terror attempts. H owever there still continues to be groups of people who vehemently disagree with what America stands for as a nation. So much so, that they are willing to kill thousands of people just to show their hatred and defiance. Sadly, they succeeded again in 2001, when we found ourselves dealing with the horror that is 9/11.Every year we learn something new. Every decade stands for something. But during 1990s, aside from learning the Macarena and wearing baby doll dresses with high cut boots, aside from thinking that boy bands were actually cool, we grew a lot as a nation. The internet has shown us that the world as we know it could be perceived as an entirely different world for others. And it is important to be tolerant of differences, to respect differences. Terror attacks have shown us the extreme effects of our intolerance.Even the preferred choice of reading material shows that we are ready to tolerate changes, unlike Harry Pottter’s human family who can’t accept the fac t that he’s a wizard. There is still so much to be learned, so many virtues to put into practice, and knowledge to be put in use. But I’d love to believe that the experiences we had in the 90s helped us a lot. And in retrospect, I hope that I will also consider this decade as great as the one it preceded. Works Cited: Lesnard, L. †Social Change, Daily Life, and the Internet†, Chimera Working Paper, 2005-07: Retrieved on 17 November 2008, http://hal.archives-ouvertes. fr/docs/00/04/46/29/PDF/CWP-2005-07-Lesnard-Social-Change. pdf Wiktorin, Pierre. â€Å"Constructing a Distinct Other: Harry Potter and the Enchantment of the Future† 17 May 2005. Retrieved on 17 November 2008, http://www. anpere. net/2007/12. pdf Manzi, Powers, & Zetterlund. â€Å"Critical Information Flows in the Alfred P. Murrah Building Bombing: A Case Study†. The Terrorism Studies Series. Retrieved on 17 November 2008. http://www. mipt. org/pdf/murrahcasestudy. pdf