Saudi Arabian Culture

Table of Contents Introduction Family, Marriage, and Children Norms, Religion, and Education Superstitions, Taboos, and Gestures Important Events in History Conclusion References Introduction Across the world, different countries have different cultures depending on racial and ethnic composition of citizens. Countries that have diverse races or ethnicities appear to have diverse cultures, while countries that have one race or ethnicity have common culture. Normally, the culture of a given population comprises of several elements of culture. Andersen and Taylor (2011) assert that elements of culture are norms, beliefs, values, and language, which comprise of material and immaterial things.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Saudi Arabian Culture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In essence, culture consists of concrete and abstract elements that shape human and societal behaviors across all ages. Since different c ountries have different cultures due to their racial and ethnic differences, people exhibit unique behaviors that reflect their respective norms, beliefs, values, and languages. Owing to globalization and increased intercultural interaction, people need to learn about other cultures. Learning other cultures is necessary because it enhances intercultural communication, which plays an important role in promoting economic, social, and political aspects of a country. In this view, by having common norms, beliefs, values, and languages, people can easily interact and perform businesses without undue cultural restrictions. Therefore, this essay examines elements of the Saudi Arabian culture with the objective of helping visitors to enjoy their stay in Saudi Arabia. Family, Marriage, and Children Family and marriage are central in the Saudi Arabian culture because they signify the procreative ability of the society. In Saudi Arabia, family is a crucial social institution because it enhance s the social status of an individual. The family provides an opportunity for parents to take care of their children and create businesses for the benefit of the family and society. The Saudi Arabian family has patriarchal structure, which makes husband the head the family with great responsibilities of protecting and providing for the family. Owing to the patriarchal structure, the family assumes the identity of the father. In this case, Sharia law (Islamic law) makes the father to be the custodian of the children when they are still young. According to Bowen (2008), Sharia law favors men because â€Å"in case of divorce, they receive custody of all children; boys at the age of seven and girls at the age of nine† (p. 11). This means that Saudi Arabian culture gives men the right to be custodians of children in the event of separation or divorce. Therefore, a foreign woman needs to know the state of family law in Saudi Arabia before marrying a Saudi Arabian man. In Saudi Arabi a, marriage is a civil contract where a husband pays dowry in the presence of family witnesses who sign marriage agreement. The aged family members have the responsibility of discussing marriage issues and signing the marriage agreement. Bowen (2008) states that, â€Å"marriage in Saudi Arabia is contractual, with rights and obligations established by means of a formal prenuptial agreement† (p. 11).Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Throughout the marriage period, wives are subject to their respective husbands who have absolute authority over what they do. Before marriage, fathers or male relatives dictate what women do in terms of work, education, and behavior, while husbands take over the role when they marry them. In the society, the responsibilities of women lie within the family, while the responsibilities of men lie in the public realm. Women have powers in making de cisions regarding household duties and upbringing of children. Moreover, Sharia law allows men to marry up to four wives provided they treat them equally. Hence, foreigners need to understand that women in Saudi Arabia are under absolute authority of men and that polygamy is legal. Norms, Religion, and Education Saudi Arabia is a country in the Middle East that exhibit cultural homogeneity as the citizens have a common culture. Cultural homogeneity is evident as Arabic is an official language and people believe in one religion of Sunni Islam. Additionally, Saudi Arabian monarchy is a political culture that supports homogeneity of the Saudi Arabian culture in the Middle East. The Saudi Arabians, therefore, share cultural elements that define their norms, beliefs, customs, traditions, superstitions, taboos, and language. Cultural elements of the Saudi Arabian culture are familiar in the Arab countries. Transfer of cultural elements from one generation to another depends on beliefs and norms govern families. In Saudi Arabia, beliefs and values that shape the culture of Saudi Arabians emanate from families and social structures. Norris and Inglehart (2012) argue that theories of multiculturalism envisage that people â€Å"acquire deep-rooted and enduring social norms and cultural values through the process of childhood socialization within the family, local community, and country† (p. 235). Thus, family and social structures of the Saudi Arabian culture have significant impact on beliefs, norms, and values of the people. Sunni Islam is a dominant religion in Saudi Arabia as it dictates the culture of people. Beliefs, norms, and values that Saudi Arabians uphold mirror Islamic teachings that are in the Quran and Sharia law. For example, the Quran teaches Muslims to dress in a decent and modest manner to discourage sexual temptations (Aziz, 2010). The dress code of Muslims in Saudi Arabia aims at concealing rather than revealing sensitive areas of the body th at the culture considers private. Unlike in the United States where people have freedom of dressing so long as the dress code is not explicit. Since legislations support the dress code, everyone in Saudi Arabia including foreigners must dress decently. While men wear white caps (taiga) and robe (throbe), women wear cloak (abayah) and head scarf.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Saudi Arabian Culture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to the Saudi Arabian culture, foreign men must put on long trousers that loosely fit and dress in shirts that cover upper part of the body well. The culture also dictates women to dress in long skirts, which fit loosely with hem covering the knees. In this view, foreigners need to understand how to dress lest they violate dress code that the Saudi Arabian culture and legislations stipulate. Saudi Arabia has integrated Islamic religion into its education system. The government of Saudi Arabia has made basic education compulsory, and thus many students have been able to pursue their education. Through education, students study theology and cultural studies, which have enabled Islamic monarchy to thrive in Saudi Arabia (Hefner, Zaman, 2010). Though men have higher literacy levels than women, current statistics indicate that Saudi Arabia has the highest number of graduates in the Middle East (Sabry, 2012). Despite the fact that the official language is Arabic, the education system of Saudi Arabia provides quality education. Superstitions, Taboos, and Gestures Islamic religion, which shapes Saudi Arabian culture, has numerous superstitions that revolve around many issues that affect humanity. For example, Sikhism (2013) states that, â€Å"if a fly falls on your food, take it and immerse it once more because according to the prophet Mohammed, the fly carries the medicine on one wing to counter the disease it carries on the other wing† (para. 1). Such superstition portrays a different way of how Muslims deal with flies when compared to other cultures. Another superstition is that when Satan urinates into ears, a person sleeps until sunrise (Sikhism, 2013). The superstition encourages people to wake up early so that they do not appear as if Satan has urinated on their ears. In addition to superstitions, the Saudi Arabian culture has some taboos. For instance, pointing at a person using a heel, toe, or any part of the foot is offensive in the Saudi Arabian culture. Moreover, nudity is a taboo because it demeans the dignity of human beings. Concerning food, Wang (2008) states that the Saudi Arabian culture regard eating of pork and drinking of alcohol as taboos. Hence, basing on these few taboos, one needs to understand their relevance in the Saudi Arabian culture. Saudi Arabian culture restricts gestures that people use. For example, the culture does not allow men and women to have direct eye contact because it encourages promiscuo us behavior. Moreover, the Saudi Arabian culture does not allow men and women to interact freely to prevent sexual temptation.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, women and men do not hug or hold one another in a suggestive manner, unless they are married couples (Center for Intercultural Learning, 2009). Hence, foreigners should be cautious when using gestures in Saudi Arabia because some gestures are offensive to Arabs. Important Events in History Mecca and Medina are historical places that tourists must visit in Saudi Arabia because they are sacred places that have significant importance to the Saudi Arabian culture. Soharwardy (2012) states Mecca and Medina are sacred sanctuaries where Muslims across the world visit during their pilgrimage. As Muslims mark Ramadan and Hajj, they visit pilgrim sites where they worship and celebrate their religious festivities. Mecca Medina Conclusion Saudi Arabian culture is a culture that has dominant beliefs, values, norms, and traditions that reflect Islamic culture. In this view, observation of Islamic beliefs, norms, values, and traditions enables people to understand the Saudi Arabian culture a nd adopt it. Islamic religion defines family structure, marriage, dress code, superstitions, taboos, food, gestures, and social interaction. Hence, foreigners need to adhere to Islamic beliefs, norms, values, and traditions while in Saudi Arabia to prevent occurrence of intercultural conflicts. References Andersen, M., Taylor, H. (2011). Sociology: The essentials (7th ed.). New York: Cengage Learning. Aziz, R. (2010). Hijab-The Islamic dress code: Its historical development, evidence from  scared sources and views of selected Muslim scholars. Web. Bowen, W. (2008). The history of Saudi Arabia. London: Greenwood Publishing Group. Center for Intercultural Learning (2009). Cultural information: Saudi Arabia. Web. Hefner, R., Zaman, M. (2010). Schooling Islam: the culture and politics of modern  Muslim education. New York: Princeton University Press. Norris, P., Inglehart, R. (2012). Muslim integration into Western cultures. Political  Studies, 60(1), 228-251. Sabry, T. (2012). Arab cultural studies: Mapping the field. London: I.B. Tauris. Sikhism, I. (2013). ‘Superstitious’ Hadiths Explained. Web. Soharwardy, S. (2012). Makkah and Madinah. Web. Wang, H. (2008). Communication with Saudis. Asian Social Science, 4(11), 124-130. This essay on Saudi Arabian Culture was written and submitted by user Devin Mitchell to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Microbes Petri Dish Experiment (Lab Report) Essays

Microbes Petri Dish Experiment (Lab Report) Essays Microbes Petri Dish Experiment (Lab Report) Paper Microbes Petri Dish Experiment (Lab Report) Paper Also, pupils from the senior school are going through puberty and tend to sweat a lot more than little kids, especially the boys. Sweat glands also work more rapidly with boys going through puberty, as their hormone levels are beginning to increase. During P. E classes, girls also are more reserved and are not as intense about sports during the day as the boys are. This is more of a social aspect than a scientific one, but is relatively true. On top of that, girls and boys generally have different standards when it comes to hygiene. Judging from personal experience, loud assume that girls tend to care more about their hygiene and aesthetics than boys do. Lastly, the Senior School gym has been there for quite a long time. The elementary school is still relatively new, especially compared to the senior one. Therefore, I also would assume that the senior school gym would have more microbes than the elementary. Variables: Independent variables: The independent variable for this experiment will be the location/area in which we will take samples from (Senior School, Elementary School girls and boys locker rooms). Independent variables generally answer the question What do we change? In this case, we get to alter the areas in which we will be sampling from. Dependent variables: Our dependent variable will be the number of microbes growing in an area. Dependent variables tend to answer the question What will we observe or measure? In this case, we will indeed be observing the microbes growing on the Petri dish after put in an incubator for 72 hours. Controlled variables: Controlled variables are there for us to keep constant. The temperature, time, medium, the way the sample is collected and the incubation will be our controlled variables. It is important that they remain the same throughout our whole experiment. Also, we will be having an open controlled as well as a closed Petri dish. We will be testing the agar dishes, to see if they really are as sterile as we think. If the open controlled will have bacteria growing on it after being incubated, that is as expected. However, the closed control should be spotless in order for our other results to be completely accurate. Apparatus: 3 Petri dishes with lids Agar jelly 4 cotton buds Incubator set at 25 degrees Celsius Tape Screw top vials Bunsen burner Soap Ethanol Four different locations Risk assessment: We must make sure to follow certain rules for this investigation. It is important to wash hands before eating and before class/at the beginning of class. Also, once the dish has been incubated, we should not open the lid. The incubator, for this experiment, must be kept below human pathogenic growing levels, which is 37 degrees Celsius. Sterile gloves should also be worn to collect samples for accurate results. Petri dishes should definitely be safely and properly disposed of when the experiment has ended. Method (sterile technique included): Before anything is done, it is important that hands are disinfected. Wash them with warm water and soap. It is important to wash them with warm water, as cold water does not clear away most of the bacteria. Afterwards, put on some sterile gloves to make sure sampling is done accurately. Following, make sure that there are two Petri dishes, one open controlled and closed controlled. One should be kept open the entire time, while the other should be kept closed. This is to test the sterility of the Petri dishes. Afterwards, take four cotton buds and screw top vials. For good results, you should wet the cotton buds with distilled water and then swab the areas you wanted to sample. After that is done, head back to the science lab, making sure that you have Petri dishes with agar jelly, tape, a Bunsen burner and ethanol. (All of this shouldve been done with sterile gloves on). For the best effect, operate the Bunsen burner with the safety flame. This should ensure that the atmosphere is relatively bacteria free. After, clean the table using ethanol (also to sterilize the area) and place the Petri dish (which you will swab with your samples) on top of the table. When that is done, swish the cotton buds lightly inside the Petri dish (one in each separate quarter) where the agar jelly should already be. Make sure you do not dig the cotton bud in, as we do not want the microbes to be growing in the middle of the jelly. We want to be able to observe the microbes from above. Finally, after all four quarters of the Petri dish are finished with swabbing, tape the open controlled, closed controlled and the experiment dish closed. To save place, tape those three altogether and place them in an incubator (25 degrees Celsius). This must stay constant, as e WOUld not like the incubator to reach human pathogenic temperature (37 degrees Celsius). After 72 hours have passed, take the Petri dish out, but do not open it. Observe and record the results. Below is a diagram of how everything was set up. Processed Data Discussion/Evaluation Overall, the experiment went quite smoothly. Of course, there couldve been improvements. The results shouldve definitely been more accurate, especially for the counting of the colonies that we did, and the percentage cover. We had a lot of microbes growing in our Petri dish and it was very difficult to count the exact amount of colonies. These were just estimated approximately. Perhaps we couldve had more people verify our counting skills, for example, get someone else to count the colonies after we did for comparison and accuracy. Also, for these four locker rooms, we swabbed different places/areas each time. Since locker rooms are quite large, this is rather imprecise. We shouldve stuck to swishing only the floors with the cotton buds or the walls instead of taking a variety. Our results showed that the place with the most microbes out of the four areas was the elementary boys locker room. In that quarter of the Petri dish, there ere a total of 78 colonies. Actually, I think there definitely were more. However, it was just too difficult to count, as most of them were clustered together, relatively small and the color was hard to see. Also, compared to the rest of the results, the elementary school boys locker room had a significantly higher percentage coverage and colony number. The next place with the most microbes was the elementary girls. They had a total of 47 colonies and a percentage cover of 43%. The difference between this quarter of the Petri dish and the elementary boys was that this one had larger colonies which were easier to count. They also werent so clustered and were scattered all over their quarter. Perhaps this is to do with how we swished the cotton buds on top of the agar jelly. The last two with the least microbes were the girls and boys senior locker rooms. The boys had about 34 colonies covering 30% of their quarter. This area looked quite similar to the elementary boys quarter. The colonies were both extremely small, very hard to count and clustered altogether. The only difference between them is that the senior boys generally had less in numbers. The senior girls had 19 colonies covering 20%. This was one of the most interesting quarters. The colonies itself were relatively small, however, they were clustered very tightly together to form almost a large group and was most definitely scattered around the quarter. The larger groups were definitely not in each others vicinities. This again, perhaps, has something to do with the way my partner and I worked with the Petri dish. We took turns swabbing the dishes, so perhaps that affected our results in some way. For example, maybe I put more pressure on the agar jelly than my partner did, or vice versa. Conclusion Unfortunately, for this experiment, most of my hypothesis was incorrect. However, now that Ive done the experiment, I can see why. The elementary boys locker room proved to be the one with the most microbes. I can deduce that this is because elementary school children tend to go outside a lot more and run around, getting themselves dirty in the process. One would hardly find any middle and high-school pupils running around and getting dirty. After all, small children even like to run around in the rain and cold, where certain microbes love to thrive in. My partner and I did guess right about the girls locker room having fewer microbes than the boys though. The elementary girls had less than the elementary boys and the senior girls had less than the senior boys. However, am not yet ready to accept these results.

Ideal Gas Law Example Problem

Ideal Gas Law Example Problem The ideal gas law is  an equation of state the describes the behavior of an ideal gas and also a real gas under conditions of ordinary temperature and low pressure. This is one of the most useful gas laws to know because it can be used to find pressure, volume, number of moles, or temperature of a gas. The formula for the ideal gas law is: PV nRT P pressureV volumen number of moles of gasR   ideal or universal  gas constant   0.08 L atm / mol KT   absolute temperature  in Kelvin Sometimes, you may use another version of the ideal gas law: PV NkT where: N number of moleculesk   Boltzmann constant 1.38066 x 10-23  J/K 8.617385 x 10-5  eV/K Ideal Gas Law Example One of the easiest applications of the ideal gas law is to find the unknown value, given all the others. 6.2 liters of an ideal gas is contained at 3.0 atm and 37  °C. How many moles of this gas are present? Solution The ideal gas law states PV nRT Because the units of the gas constant are given using atmospheres, moles, and Kelvin, its important to make sure you convert values given in other temperature or pressure scales. For this problem, convert  °C temperature to K using the equation: T  °C 273 T 37  °C 273T 310 K Now, you can plug in the values. Solve ideal gas law for the number of moles n PV / RT n ( 3.0 atm x 6.2 L ) / ( 0.08 L atm /mol K x 310 K)n 0.75 mol Answer There are 0.75 mol of the ideal gas present in the system.

Should college athletes be paid to play Research Paper

Should college athletes be paid to play - Research Paper Example Yet again, not all students are interested in playing sports as a side activity. Consequently, apart from their initially decided terms of a sports scholarship, they often get little part in the revenue these sports generate for their school. Critics and coaches are, therefore, now arguing in favor of these players saying that they deserve a share of the revenue, as they for the most part contribute towards generating. The debate is a highly heated one with each side feeling just as strongly of their opinion. The number of college athletes in a particular college can be very significant and all these athletes have a choice of which sport they want to take part at the college level. Some sports may have a high popularity level while others low. Deciding upon paying athletes for playing may compel the college to pay all the athletes for all the different kinds of sports in the college. This may result in heavy payments at the end of the day and it may also reduce the profits earned by the colleges at a massive level. Those who argue in favor of paying athletes generally say that colleges make millions of dollars off these athletes abilities and, therefore, for them to get no money from it is unfair, and, in a sense, exploitation to them (Haden 673). Without these players there would be no generated money, and without this money, many colleges would be unable to function. Colleges gain popularity at the sports arena due to the talented athletes that represent the college in the sports. Earning by the talent of the athletes and not paying those athletes sounds an unfair practice. Accordingly, it seems fair to pay to these players, just as any national sports association would pay its players. But, of course, the counter-argument to this claim is that students should be kept away from the business side of a college, regardless of the link between both elements (Parent 226). College level is the stage where the students explore their talents and

Compensation Plan Outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Compensation Plan Outline - Essay Example In addition to providing its employees with competitive salaries, the company undertakes regular review of the pay thus ensuring that the workers are equally compensated for their hard work. To ensure that the company gives competitive salaries, it benchmarks the pay against similar positions in the competing companies. Another aspect that makes PepsiCo compensation policy appropriate is the annual incentive compensation. By providing performance-related annual incentive compensation to the executives, their performance is enhanced thus increasing the profitability of the company. The 2004 EIC Plan is a policy that is adopted by PepsiCo in its executive compensation. During the compensation, the company considers financial position of the company, the company strategic position and the extent to which the managers motivate and manage other employees. Additionally, the company uses pre-approved earnings per share target to compensate its executives. Pepsi compensation philosophy entai ls long-term incentive compensation. According to the management team, the interest of company shareholders and those of the executive can be effectively aligned by providing stock-based incentives as well as stock ownership awards (Heneman, 2002).   . With a history of linking stock-performance to the employees pay, PepsiCo has benefited from effective compensation policy that is fair. In the same way, the company offers target grant to the executives once they meet their goals. Based on the stiff compensation in the soft drink industry.... Another aspect that makes PepsiCo compensation policy appropriate is the annual incentive compensation. By providing performance-related annual incentive compensation to the executives, their performance is enhanced thus increasing the profitability of the company. The 2004 EIC Plan is a policy that is adopted by PepsiCo in its executive compensation. During the compensation, the company considers financial position of the company, the company strategic position and the extent to which the managers motivate and manage other employees. Additionally, the company uses pre-approved earnings per share target to compensate its executives. Pepsi compensation philosophy entails long-term incentive compensation. According to the management team, the interest of company shareholders and those of the executive can be effectively aligned by providing stock-based incentives as well as stock ownership awards (Heneman, 2002). . With a history of linking stock-performance to the employees pay, Pepsi Co has benefited from effective compensation policy that is fair. In the same way, the company offers target grant to the executives once they meet their goals. Based on the stiff compensation in the soft drink industry, offering a target grant to the executives is an essential policy since it result to the attainment of the corporate goals. In this way, the company is able to effectively compete with Coca-Cola Company despite the latter being a market leader. To ensure that all the employees are motivated, it is imperative for employers to come up with appropriate beneficial ratio in their compensation system. Internally, Pepsi should ensure that employees in all the department earns three quarter of what the departmental mangers are earning. Through the ratio of 3:4,

Scene where Eddie kisses Catherine and Rodolfo Essay Example for Free

Scene where Eddie kisses Catherine and Rodolfo Essay In this scene Eddie comes home early from work because it is Christmas holiday. He is drunk and seems unsteady. He calls out to Beatrice to see if she is at home. Catherine enters the room you got home early she says knocked off for Christmas early he replies. Rodolfo then appears in the bedroom doorway, Eddie sees him and he is slightly shocked. This scene shows Eddies character to be quite angry. He loses his temper very quickly, he threatens Rodolfo and at one point you think he might actually hit Rodolfo. Eddie shouts very loudly at Catherine and he makes her cry because he doesnt usually talk to her in this way. He is usually very nice to her but lately since Rodolfo moved in, he has been very unsupportive of her and he is trying to get her to change her mind about him because Rodolfo is not like him. There is evidence of this when Eddie says he marries you hes got a right to be an American citizen. Thats whats going on here the guy is looking for a break, thats all. Eddie does not approve of Rodolfo because he has blond hair, he sings, cooks and he doesnt know how to box! Eddie thinks that all men should be physically strong, hard working and supporting his family. Eddie is more favoured towards Marco because he has the same qualities as he does. Eddie doesnt have anything in common with Rodolfo because he thinks Rodolfo is different and that he isnt right. Basically Eddie doesnt think Rodolfo is anything that a man should be. Eddie is not pleased to find Catherine and Rodolfo at home alone together. Catherine seems distressed and frightened at Eddies behaviour towards her. This is when she becomes rather tearful. Catherine is bold enough to stand up to Eddie but Eddie suddenly grabs her and kisses her on the mouth. Rodolfo jumps to Catherines rescue by yelling at Eddie and forcing him to let go of Catherine. Rodolfo then flies at Eddie in attack and then Eddie pins his arms, laughing and suddenly kisses him. Catherine is raged at Eddies behaviour; she is horrified by what he did. Rodolfo is rigid. Both Eddie and Rodolfo are like animals torn at one another and broken up without decision, each waiting for the others mood. The tensions being explored in this scene are the ones between Eddie and Rodolfo and also the tensions between Catherine and Eddie. Eddie kisses Catherine because he is sexually attracted to her. There is proof of this in the beginning of the play when Eddie says you been giving me the willies the way you walk down the street, I mean it. Kissing Catherine could be something that Eddie has been waiting to do for a while. Eddies obsession with Catherine is something he is not able to recognize or understand for himself. Instead he focuses all his anger and frustration on Rodolfo. Rodolfo has no responsibilities and has a more frivolous, light-hearted attitude towards life. If it is this that Catherine finds attractive about Rodolfo, Eddie finds it repulsive and unmanly. Eddie is suspicious of Rodolfos interest in Catherine; he thinks that Rodolfo only wants to marry her in order to gain American citizenship. In the play evidence is given to prove this point when Eddie says Katie, he is only bowing to his passport, he marries you and hes got the right to be a citizen! It becomes clear to Catherine that Rodolfos intentions towards are honourable and motivated by his love for her. There is evidence of this when she tells Eddie that hes got all kinds of respect for me. And you to! We walk across the streets and he takes my arm he almost bows to me! You got him all wrong. When you analyse the way in which Eddie talks, looks and acts towards Catherine gives you the impression that Eddie has feelings for her. Eddie has intense desires for Catherine and he wants to have a sexual relationship with his wife. This is shown when Beatrice says to Eddie when am I gonna be a wife again. Eddie makes excuses and says that he hasnt been feeling good since Marco and Rodolfo moved in. Beatrice thinks that Eddie doesnt find her sexually attractive anymore. It is shown when she says whats the matter Eddie, you dont like me heh? She asks whether something is wrong.

To what extent did Solidarity contribute to undermining Communism in Poland? :: European Europe History

To what extent did Solidarity contribute to undermining Communism in Poland? Communism in Poland was self-consciously the workers-state, largely responsible for creating the modern Polish working class through industrialization and raising expectations of equality and of higher living standards. It is widely believed that Solidarity undermined Communism in Poland, partly by disrupting the Communist program of production through strikes, but more by transferring the trust and loyalty of the Polish people from Communism to itself. The supposed "adversaries" of Polish workers - the church, the officer class, the national leadership - were in fact combined by Solidarity as allies of the workers to "break the resistance" of Communism to reform. What the state never appreciated in Poland was that it was seen as Russian, oppressive, and corrupt, having created the working class they then, in line with Marx's prediction, demonstrated their control of the means of production (strikes) and undermined Communism in Poland. However, one cannot ignore the pull of the capit alist west in displacing communism in the eyes of the people. In this essay I plan to show the extent to which Solidarity was responsible for undermining communism and also to question how far other factors, such as the Poles hatred of Russians, their strong allegiance to the Catholic church, and the raging Cold War, displaced communism in the eyes, and from the hearts of the people. Solidarity weakened Polish Communism providing a vehicle of transmission for years of grievances against a government out of touch with the ideals of the Polish people. This is shown below in the picture taken from: "http://encarta.msn.com/find/MediaMax.asp." Solidarity took workers grievances, and grafted onto them more general national grievances (Russian dictatorship, suppression of the church etc.). Photographs of Solidarity led demonstrations show how they united people to challenge what they believed to be wrong. The challenge to the government's principles undermined it as a unit, lost any credibility, and weakened it in the eyes and minds of the people. Solidarity not only weakened Communism by providing an organized channel for grievances, but also gave people new ideas, as seen in the "1980 Gdansk Agreement", article 4, issued by Solidarity: "To re-establish the rights...of all students who have been excluded from...higher education because of their opinions" This idea of free speech and thought was new as Communists devoted mass energies to suppressing this. The Church also received active support, where it had been oppressed by the government, turning the masses towards Solidarity, and against the present government, this possibly being Solidarity's trump card.

Selena Quintanilla a Gifted Icon

When I was a little girl, I was a big fan of Selena Quintanilla. I had all her music, disks and posters all over my room. My dream was to meet her in person and it came true when I assisted one of her concerts. I knew everything about her even though I was 4 years old. She was a role model for me, she was family oriented and she is still today living in my memory. I memorized every song of hers word by word, and I would imitate her dancing all day long. As a little girl I could not understand why someone would have wanted to take her life away when she was a good person. Selena Quintanilla is considered to be one of the most popular and influential Hispanic music icons of all times because of her history, culture, and all the people she influenced with her charisma. Selena Quintanilla in her early years was a girl who had the spirit to believe in a dream, blessed by being born in a musical family. Quintanilla was a Mexican-American singer born in Lake Jackson, Texas, where her musical career began. Her father Abraham Quintanilla was the greatest influence and inspiration in her music career (). Mr. Quintanilla stimulated the musical talents in all his children, teaching them to play instruments and sing in Spanish. Selena Quintanilla made her first performance at the age of 8 in the year of 1980 at her father’s Mexican restaurant (PapaGayo), and recorded her first record at 9(). Through her adolescence years she was mostly on the tour bus â€Å"Big Bertha†. Everything was not a bed of roses, her education was probably the hardest she ha d to accomplished. Her father made her dropped from regular school education permanently when she was in 8th grade. His major concern was to give her the opportunity to concentrate and devote more time to music. Selena Quintanilla in order to perform the music with her family on long trips crossing the states was forced by the nature of the music venture to complete her high school diploma through the American School in Chicago, Illinois by mail(encyclopedia supplement/library vcc)and this was the way she earned her general education diploma(GED) in 1989. She enrolled at Pacific Western University as a correspondence student taking business classes(contemporary/vcc library). Quintanilla had a love life like any other girl. The singer fell deeply in love with guitarist Chris Perez. This relationship led the singer to a very troubled life and finally her family accepted him because they realized he made her happy. The Queen of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla had multiple talents. Since the age of 8 she was a vivacious entertainer. Her passion for music took her to the stage of being one of the most recognized Latino singers in the United States. Her ability to sing in a sexy and charismatic way made her an idol of the American and Latin markets. Throughout her short life filled with success Quintanilla was a singer, song writer, record producer, and to add to those multiple talents she also dabbled in acting, making a cameo in a romantic comedy in the Johnny Deep Film ‘Don Juan de Marco’. She also danced at the stage making her performance more appealing to the audience. Included among other qualities she enjoyed to design her own clothes. Her unique way of designing her own bustier earned her the nickname of â€Å"The Mexican Madonna†(BD). Among her career successes as a singer vocalist it is obvious why she got so famous, she was hooked on music and her passion for it brought her success, music was in her heart. In 1982 the family band moves to Corpus Christi, Texas and the Tejano music flourishes making Quintanilla a Tejano music star. Her first album was â€Å"Ya Se Va†; the second album was â€Å"The New Girl in Town† in 1985; â€Å"Alpha† and â€Å"Munequito Ea Trapo† in 1986. Also in 1986 Quintanilla was discovered by two huge names in the tejano music industry, Rick Trevi, founder of The Tejano Music Award, and Johnny Canales, the host of one of the top Spanish television shows. She won the tejano music award for â€Å"female entertainer of the year† in year of 1987, and in the same year the â€Å"female vocalist of the year† and â€Å"performer of the year† honors at the annual Tejano music awards. Other awards follow, in the late 1980’s Quintanilla’s was known as â€Å"La Reina de la Honda Tejana† (â€Å"The Queen of Tejano Music†). Her popularity attracted her with annual awards and a contract EME Latin Records in 1989. The band attracted 11,041 people, more than Clint Black, George Straight, Vince Gil and Reba McIntyre. All of Quintanilla’s efforts pay of quickly. Her band reaches their popularity to the highest peak in 1993 with â€Å"Entre a mi Mundo† making Quintanilla the first tejana to sell more than 300,000 albums. In 1993 she signed with SBK Records to produce an all-English album, and eventually replaced with the bilingual â€Å"Dreaming of You†. The record â€Å"Dreaming of You† sold 175,000 copies on its first day of release, making its debut number one on billboard magazine pop chart. Also in 1993 Selena Live received a Grammy Award for best Mexican album (notable Hispanic American women). The song â€Å"Fotos y Recuerdos† reached the top ten on Billboard magazine’s Latino charts. By 1995, â€Å"Bidi Bidi Bon Bon† won the singer a song of the year award at The Tejano Music Award, making her the winner of an additional 5 more awards, including â€Å"Female Entertainer†, â€Å"best female vocalist†, album of the year, record of the year, and tejano crossover song. Quintanilla quoted, â€Å"Never in my dreams would I have thought I would become this big. I am still freaking out. †(notable Hispanic, 5) She was recipient for ten consecutive years of the â€Å"Best Vocalist† award. Quintanilla becomes a millionaire By the year of 1995 Selena Quintanilla had become an icon in the Hispanic community, a beloved figure to whom Mexican-Americans attached their aspirations and their feelings about their cultural identities. Her music crossed cultural boundaries touching the lives of young and old. She will be remembered in the years to come by her fans for her kindness, her positive attitude and the wonderful music she made. The American and Spanish speaking Western Hemisphere markets had been influenced by Quintanilla’s music were she took the Tejano music into new stylistic realms. Her death has perpetuated and immortalized her image for future generations. The queen of tejano will live forever in the people’s heart(SME). Quintanilla’s death shocked Latinos and non-Latin across the United States. She was cried by thousands of fans who rendered the ‘Queen of Tejano music’ the last goodbye in the Friday she died; this day will always be known as black Friday, March 31, 1995 (IP). Her body was displayed at the Bayfront Plaza in Corpus Christi. Two weeks after her death Governor George W. Bush declared Selena’s Day in Texas(biography based ). The violent death of Selena by Yolanda Saldivar, her fan club president, compares to the grief to the one experience by American people after the death of such major cultural figure as President John F. Kennedy. Quintanilla became immortalized after her death. In conclusion, Quintanilla influenced millions of people around her from young to old, including g me. Everyone has been able to know Quintanilla’s history and appreciate what she was as a person to her people. I understand what her family went through at the time of losing their Selena. I also recognize that as a human being she was like any other person with troubles and economic problems. I can related to her as a person now that I have learned as about her as a cultural icon. Sometimes we just have to go with the short but successful happy life.

Direct Digial Control (Building Automation)

The Importance and Understanding of having a Building Automation System Herbert Cuthbertson UAE210 — DIRECT DIGITAL CONTROLS In the past, there was little worry about energy consumption and costs associated with keeping Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC), lighting and mechanical machines running at all hours of the day and night possibly. But due to the energy crises of the 1970’s and the last decade of rising costs of oil, the costs of energy not has forced not only families to conserve energy but companies, schools and businesses as well. In comes Direct Digital Controls (DDC) and/or Building Automation System (BAS) Basically a BAS/DDC system is a system that uses microprocessors, digital controls, to control not only hvac, but security, lighting, paging, and telecommunications if necessary. I recently spoke with a neighbor of mine who in the 1970’s worked for facilities management company representing various building in Cincinnati, Ohio. He explained to me that in the past, he and others, at the end of the day/night would have to go to every floor of these buildings and physically switch off the lights and hvac systems to try to conserve energy. With a BAS system, a lot of that time could be eliminated. A BAS system can now turn on a particular set of lights based time, occupancy indicators, or an outside light sensor. It can turn on and off a hvac system in a certain area of the building based on occupancy, provide additional heating or cooling based on a afterhours switch on a thermostat, send out alarms to a facility technician, security, police and fire personnel, and allow trained personnel to remotely access the system and change certain parameters instead of making a possible trip to the building. Preventive Maintenance (PM) on hvac equipment can also be integrated in the BAS. Instead of predicting the amount of run time hours, the BAS can show the correct amount of run time hours and notify personnel when equipment is due for its preventive maintenance. This ensures the equipment is routinely serviced according to the equipment manufacturers schedule. If a building does not have any BAS installed and management personnel is ready to invest in its installation, then this will take a well thought out plan. This plan will need to be constructed by trained personnel who will do the job correctly. This will enable both the building owners and the occupants of the building to enjoy the benefits of future financial gains and a more comfortable building.

The History of Vending Machines

The History of Vending Machines Vending or automatic retailing, as the process of selling merchandise via automated machine is increasingly known, has a long history. The first recorded example of the vending machine comes from the Greek mathematician Hero of Alexandria, who  invented a device that dispensed  holy water inside Egyptian temples.   Other early examples include small machines made of brass that dispensed tobacco, were found in  some taverns in England around  1615.  In 1822, an English  publisher and bookshop owner named  Richard Carlile built a newspaper dispensing machine  that allowed patrons to purchase banned works. And it was in  1867 that the first fully automatic vending machine, which  dispensed  stamps, appeared.   Coin-Operated Vending Machines During the early 1880s, the first commercial coin-operated vending machines were introduced in London, England. Invented in 1883 by  Percival Everitt, the machines were found at railway stations and  post offices, as they were a convenient way to purchase  envelopes,  postcards, and  notepaper. And in 1887, the first vending machine servicer, the  Sweetmeat Automatic Delivery Company, was founded.   In 1888, the Thomas Adams Gum Company introduced the very first vending machines to the United States. The machines were installed on the elevated subway platforms in New York City and sold Tutti-Fruiti gum. In 1897, the Pulver Manufacturing Company added animated figures to its gum machines as an added attraction. The round, candy-coated gumball, and gumball vending machines were introduced in 1907. Coin-Operated Restaurants Soon, vending machines were available that offered almost everything, including cigars, postcards, and stamps. In Philadelphia, a completely coin-operated automat restaurant called Horn Hardart was opened in 1902 and stayed opened until 1962. Such fast-food restaurants, called automats, only took nickels and were popular among struggling  songwriters and  actors, as well as celebrities of that era.   Beverage Vending Machines Machines that dispensed drinks go as far back as 1890. The very first beverage vending machine was located in Paris, France and allowed people to buy beer wine and liquor. In the early 1920s, the first automatic vending machines started dispensing  sodas  into cups. Today, beverages are among the most popular items sold through vending machines.   Cigarettes in Vending Machines In 1926, an American inventor named William Rowe invented the cigarette vending machine. Over time, however, they became increasingly less common in the United States due to concerns over underage buyers. In other countries, vendors have addressed the issue by requiring that some sort of age verification, such as a drivers license, bank card or ID be inserted before a purchase can be made. Cigarette dispensing machines are still common in  Germany, Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Japan.   Specialty Vending Machines Food, beverages, and cigarettes are the most common items sold in vending machines, but the list of specialty items sold by this form of automation is almost endless, as a quick survey of any airport or bus terminal will tell you. The vending machine industry took a big jump around 2006 when credit card scanners started to become common on vending machines. Within ten years, almost every new vending machine was equipped to accept credit cards. This opened the door to the sale of many high-priced items through vending machines. Here are just some of the specialty products that have been offered via vending machine:   Fishing baitOn-line internet timeLottery ticketsBooksElectronics, including I-pads,  cell phones, digital cameras, and computers.  Hot foods, such as french fries and pizzaLife insuranceCondoms and other contraceptivesOver-the-counter drugsMarijuanaAutomobiles Yes, you read that last item correctly.  In late 2016, Autobahn Motors in Singapore opened a luxury car vending machine that offered Ferrari  and  Lamborghini  cars. Buyers clearly need hefty limits on their credit cards.   Japan, Land of the Vending Machines Japan has gained a reputation for having some of the most innovative use of vending machines, offering machines that offer products including fresh fruits and vegetables, sake, hot foods, batteries, flowers, clothing and, of course, sushi. In fact, Japan has the highest per capita rate of vending machines in the world.   The Future of Vending Machines A coming trend is the advent of smart vending machines that offer things like cashless payment; face, eye, or fingerprint recognition,  and social media connectivity. It is likely that the vending machines of the future will recognize your identity and tailor their offerings to your interests and tastes. A beverage vending machine, for example, may well recognize what you have purchased at other vending machines all around the world and ask you if you want your usual skim latte with a double shot of vanilla.   Market research projects that by 2020, 20% of all vending machines will be smart machines, with at least 3.6 million units knowing who you are and what youd like.

ANALYSIS AND COMPANY PROFILE of Hewlett Packard

ANALYSIS AND COMPANY PROFILE of Hewlett Packard On 1 January 1939, there are Stanford University graduates which are Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, they formed their partnership and decided to start a business. They decide the company’s name with a coin toss. They made a historic commitment to innovation when they founded HP in a garage. The first product they created was an audio oscillator used by Walt Disney to make Fantasia. For over 70 years since then, HP has continued innovating and helping people, businesses, and communities worldwide use technology to improve their businesses and lives. In 1957, the company goes to public. In keeping with Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard’s respect for workers, HP takes the then-unusual step of giving stock grants to employees. The growing company begins building on the site that will become its corporate headquarters in Palo Alto, California. HP also embarks on a path toward globalization, establishing manufacturing and marketing operations in Europe. In the 1980s, HP becomes a major player in the computer with a full range of computers, from desktop machines to portables to powerful minicomputers. HP also links computers with its electronic instruments and medical and analytical products, making them faster and more powerful. HP makes its entry into the printer market with the launch of inkjet printers and laser printers that connect to personal computers. HP’s high-quality, inexpensive inkjet printers spell the end of dot-matrix printers. In 1984, HP debuts the LaserJet printer line, goes on to become the company’s most successful single product line ever. The quality and reliability of HP’s printers make HP a highly recognizable brand by both consumers and businesses. HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers, from individual consumers to the largest businesses at the beginning of the 21st century. HP grows to become the world’s largest technology company with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. Later in the decade, a steady stream of acquisitions increases HP’s influence in the software, personal computing and printing markets, and in 2007, HP achieves $100 billion in revenue. In 2009, after the acquisition of EDS, HP moves up to No. 9 on the Fortune 500 list. GENERAL PEST The PEST analysis is the macro-environment or defined as external environment in business point of view. It has been affirmed to be important strategic tools to assess the market growth or decline and it is also a business measurement tool to analyze the external impact of the strategic development of a business. The factors of the PEST are Political, economic, social and technological. These elements are likely to impact your future business. It is drag in an organization considering of the external environment before the project is began. PEST analysis is very simple to complete, is a good material for the workshop session and it is also an effective brainstorming session. Political environment, including a country’s social system, the nature of the ruling party, the Government’s guidelines, policies, laws and so on. Different countries have different social nature, different social system of the organization have different restrictions on activities and requirements. Even if the social system is constant of the country, due to distinct of the ruling party, the government policy features and influence of policy orientation of the Organization is changing at different stages. There are several important political and legal variables which are the nature of ruling party, political system, economic system, tax policy, trade and tariff controls, social and employment legislation.

Marriage between Hijra and men in modern India Research Paper

Marriage between Hijra and men in modern India - Research Paper Example Hijras are used to cite people who regard themselves as transgender or transsexual. It is a typical error within the South Asians and absence of courtesy for wanting to understand the transgender community that they presume hijras to be men who adopt feminine gender roles, have feminine identity and dress up like women. A long recorded history of hijras is present in the Indian subcontinent, from ancient times onwards. This history highlights a number of conventional roles within the sub continental cultures that are part survival and part spiritual. The word ‘hijra’ is Urdu-Hindustani and is derives from Semitic Arabic root and has been borrowed into Hindi. Since, there is mix up among the real hijras and the ‘invented’ one, some hijra activists and western non-government organizations (NGOs) are working together to locate and separate the born hijras from the artificial ones and educate them. Fanatics of the mother Goddess Bahuchara Mata, their precious power are fortuitous upon their asexuality. However, in reality most of the hijras are actually prostitutes, who are frowned upon in the society, therefore to be out of the circle of criticism and humiliation many of the prostitutes prefer to have a husband (Nanda. 1986). Transgender may be rejected in the society and are frequently insulted and robbed off their right, but no one can deny the fact that as a human being they are eligible to have basic rights no matter what they look like or how the society perceive them to be. Therefore, to have some warm and affectionate relationship in their life they look forward to the institution of marriage. Following is an example of a hijra living in Mumbai and working as a sex worker was married for nine years. Lalita, a very feminine looking hijra was married to a well stabled man and enjoyed the marital bliss for nine years until his husband got married to a real woman and left him, but still