Final Study Guide for Livanis Intl 1101 Free Essays

string(212) " Chinese triad Food security – All people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, self-nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life\." INTL 1101 Final Exam Study Guide Americanization – Consumerism, individualism – American products and values – Cultural imperialism? Trying to homogenize world? McDonaldization – Fast-food principles dominant in American and other societies – Uniform standards – Lack of human creativity – Dehumanization of social relations Infantilization – Benjamin Barber â€Å"consumed† – Against â€Å"ethos of infantilization† that sustains global capitalism – Turning of adults into children through dumbed down advertising and consumer goods – Targeting children as consumers Homogeneous global products for young and wealthy, and for children = soulless and unethical global consumerism in pursuit of profit Cultural homogenization – â€Å"More alike† theory of effects of globalization – Western culture industry – Homogenization of popular culture – Can be within western socie ties (McDonaldization) Market for loyalties – Regulation of communications to organize cartels of imagery – Domestic broadcast regulation maintains distribution of power – National identity reframed to political views and cultural attitudes that maintain existing power structure Facilitates predominance of one ideology Cultural imperialism – World patterns of cultural flow, mirror the system of domination in world economic and political order – Not confined to the west: see Mexico, Brazil (Latin America), India (East Asia), Hong Kong, Taiwan (China) Sustainable development – Long-term economic growth depends on careful stewardship of the natural environment – Environmentalists – Liberalization= unequal economic growth, resources for debt, competition (race to the bottom), increased pollution, unsustainable consumption of resources, political unrest – Free Trade Trade promotes growth and alleviates poverty= environmental benefits – Elimination of trade barriers= increased value of resources – Environmental progress is easier to achieve under conditions of prosperity Deterritiorlization of religion – Primarily caused by migration – The case of Islam: – Muslim Ummah – Re-islamisation as deculturalisation of Islam (not linked to a particular pristine culture, global Islam) – Quest for definition: Islam to fit every culture – By bridging the gap between secularism and religiosity, Fundamentalism overstretches religion to the point that it cannot become embedded in real culture Free trade and the environment Technological Change and Disease – Transportation – Short term travel: 940 million tourists – Meningitis: 70,000 pilgrims to Mecca every year, secondary pandemics upon return – Expensive diseases in developing countries and eradicated diseases in developed countries – Medical technologies – Greater collaboration, more information – BUT, new technologies can be badly used – Ebola in DRC, AIDS epidemics in China from unsterilized needles Demographic Change and Disease – Population mobility Conditions that lead people to move are the same that favor the emergence of infections (poverty, overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, state failure) – Refugees: sanitation, food, healthcare – 50,000 dead in a month (Rwanda, 1994) – Haiti: cholera from Nepal? (4,800 mortalities) – Long-term migration – Disease to non-immune populations, and transfer of new disease back home – Eradicated diseases re-introduced – Migrant workers in Africa (AIDS epidemics) – Urbanization – Megacities=megaspread Global economy and disease – Global trade IMF/structural adjustments and liberalization reduces the role of governments (mostly in providing healthcare) – Trade in food – Change in dietary habits, convergence of tastes – Demand for year-round availability of fresh fruit and vegetables – Products from less expensive labor markets, worldwide ingredients and transport – Food may be contaminated – Unhygienic irrigation, packaging practices, storage, non-indigenous crops more susceptible to indigenous pathogens – E-coli in Germany: 2,800 affected, 26 dead (91 in EU) – Mad Cow Disease Environmental change and disease Climate change-global warming – Higher ambient air temperature, precipitation/humidity (mosquitoes) – Water supply-dams etc – Profound ecological changes that affects disease vectors-most dams associated with increase in malaria – Deforestation – Increases contact between humans and pathogens – Decreases natural predators of disease vectors – Increases in malaria (runoff water stagnant in pools) – Loss of biodiversity Jihad and McWorld – Dialectical nature: one cannot exist without the other – Babel: retribalization – Global jihad against globalization – Disneyland Globalizations – Jihad and McWorld make war on the sovereign nation state – Indifference to civil liberty – McWorld, focus on consumption and â€Å"invisible hand† for common good (rather than democratic institutions), repeal government regulations – Jihad, bloody politics of identity, exclusion and hatred, paternalism and tribalism – Neither global markets nor blood communities service public goods or pursue equality and justice – Future? – In th e short run – Jihad likely to dominate? – In the long run – McWorld dominates? – Convergence of political ideologies? Triumph of liberalism? Convergence of political cultures? Triumph of Western individualism? – Or greater divergence and even conflict? Ethnicity – High ethnic solidarity: willing to redistribute resources within the group – No â€Å"master list†; what differentiates groups in one place may not be important in another – Example: in Serbia, common language and culture, but religion divides (Hutu and Tutsi) – Ethnicity as a â€Å"social construction†Ã¢â‚¬â€not inherently political Ethnic identity – Any specific attributes and societal institutions that make one group of people culturally different from others Language, religion, geography, customs, history, and others – Ascription—an identity assigned at birth – Largely fixed during our lives Clash of civilizations – Samuel Huntington: â€Å"The Clash of Civilizations† – â€Å"The next world war, if there is one, will be a war between civilizations† – De-Westernization and indigenization of societies – Hinduization of India and Islamic fundamentalism (Iran, Algeria, Egypt, Turkey) – The Confucian-Islamic connection – Kin-country syndrome (Bosnia, Iraq) – Civilizations do not control states; states control civilizations Interpreted the same events as Fukuyama, but made very different conclusions †¦ — Outlined 7 main cultures (and a possible 8th); equates â€Å"culture† with â€Å"religion†: â€Å"people who share ethnicity and language but differ in religion may slaughter each other, as happened in Lebanon, the former Yugoslavia, and the Subcontinent. † 1. Western 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Final Study Guide for Livanis Intl 1101 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Confucian 3. Japanese 4. Islamic 5. Hindu 6. Slavic-Orthodox 7. Latin American 8. Possibly African – Why will they clash? – Differences are both real and basic (â€Å"fundamental†) – World smaller due to globalization – Nation-state as source of identity grows weaker Fundamentalist religion grows stronger – Backlash against West enhances civilization consciousness – Cultural differences less easily compromised than political and economic ones (can you be both Catholic and Muslim? ) – Economic regionalism is growing – Result: unable to mobilize support for governments based on ideology, turn to religion and civilization identity Environmentalism and the developing south Collectivity Irreducibility Characteristics of environmental issues – Complexity – Interpenetration, pollution down the road. – Temporal and spatial uncertainty – What will happen in the future, how much is it going to affect us . Irreducibility – Holistic in nature, we cannot approach only one part, we have to consider them as a whole. – Spontaneity – Things tend to happen fast especially in environmental disasters. – Collectivity – Collective action problems, common pool resources, shirking/free-riding Chinese triad Food security – All people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, self-nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. You read "Final Study Guide for Livanis Intl 1101" in category "Papers" (UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization) – Peak oil, peak water, peak phosphorus, peak grain, and peak fish Green revolution Problems in beginning of 20th c: not producing enough food to feed expanding population – Green Revolution: 1950-1984 – Development of high-yielding varieties of cereal grains – Expansion of irrigation infrastructure – Hybridized seeds – Synthetic fertilizers – Pesticides to farmers in developing countries – Transformed agriculture around the globe – World agricultural production more than doubled (world grain production increased by 250%) – Increased fossil fuel-based energy use: – Natural gas (for production of synthetic fertilizers) – Oil (for development of pesticides) – Hydrocarbon fuelled irrigation Unsustainable? (Malthusian argument) – May not necessarily increase food security (other political causes) – Promotion of monocultures, hunger vs malnutrition – Benefited wealthier farmers at the expense of poorer ones = urban migration – Extensive use and abuse of pesticides and fertilizers associated with negative health effects (cancer) – Land degradation, soil nutrients depletion Earth’s carrying capacity – No one knows!!! The Future of Food – Film watched in class, google if can’t re member GMOs Montreal Protocol – The 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer mandated that industrialized countries reduce their production and use of the five most widely used CFCs by 50 percent. – Delegates agree to give developing countries a ten-year grace period, allowing them to increase their use of CFCs before taking on commitments – Without the Montreal Protocol, global CFC consumption would have reached about 3 million tons in 2010 and 8 million tons in 2060, resulting in a 50 percent depletion of the ozone layer by 2035 – Montreal Protocol currently calls for a complete phaseout of HCFCs by 2030 (does not place any restriction on HFCs) Arms Trade Treaty – 2003, Control Arms Campaign was launched (Controlarms. org) – 2006, Control Arms handed over a global petition called â€Å"Million Faces† to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan 2006 – 2006, 153 states vote resolution 61/89 requesting the UN Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States (U. S. votes against, national controls better) – 2009, UN General Assembly launches a time frame for the negotiation of the Arms Trade Treaty. U. S. osition overturned – 2-27 July, 2012 (New York) – Currently under final negotiations – Require states to have national mechanisms for express authorization of international transfers of arms – Prohibit transfers of arms that could violate human rights and international law – Treaty Failure: – United States said it â€Å"needed more time† to review the short, 11-page treaty text (Obama administration torpedoed the treaty exactly one week after th e massacre in Aurora, Colorado) Not to export weapons to countries that are under an arms embargo, or to export weapons that would facilitate â€Å"the commission of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes† or other violations of international humanitarian law. – Exports of arms are banned if they will facilitate â€Å"gender-based violence or violence against children† or be used for â€Å"transnational organized crime. † – The sides, now: – Nearly 120 countries, led by Mexico, issued a joint statement on Monday saying â€Å"the overwhelming majority of (U. N. ) Member States agree with us on the necessity and the urgency of adopting a strong Arms Trade Treaty. Our voice must be heard. † – The five permanent Security Council members – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia – issued their own joint statement of support for a treaty that â€Å"sets the highest possible common standards by which states will regulate the international transfer of conventional arms. † – Important Points: – Ammunition. – Exports of ammunition are covered in the draft treaty but not imports. – Self-defense. – Some major arms-importing states (Middle East), expressed concern that their ability to import weapons could suffer if the treaty comes into force. Exemptions. – There are a number of scenarios under which arms deals would be exempt in the current draft, such as defense cooperation agreements (India) – and gifts, loans and leases of weapons. – Reporting. – Current draft says countries will send reports to the U. N. on their international arms trade b ut does not call for them to be made public. China, Iran and others do not want that information disseminated openly. – The NRA says the treaty would undermine gun ownership rights under the Second Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. Malnourishment Obstacles to cooperation on environmental issues (regime, actor, general) National Identity – National identity is inherently political – Defined as a sense of belonging to a nation and a belief in its political aspirations – Often, but not always, develops from existing ethnic identity – Sense enhancers: – Common history, territory, culture, economy, rights – Why form? – Ethnic group may feel oppressed – Ethnic group may form a minority population – These conditions may call for self-government Boat people Ozone success – The 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer mandated that industrialized countries reduce their production and use of the five most widely used CFCs by 50 percent. – Delegates agree to give developing countries a ten-year grace period, allowing them to increase their use of CFCs before taking on commitments – New scientific evidence late 1987 – scien tists announced that CFCs probably were responsible for the ozone hole – 1988, satellite data revealed that stratospheric ozone above the heavily populated Northern Hemisphere had begun to thin – Changes in the pattern of economic interests Du Pont announced that they would soon be able to produce CFC substitutes – Followed the next year by other large chemical manufacturers, including several in Europe – Major producers no longer opposed a CFC phase-out – Lobbied for extended transition periods and against controls on potential substitutes – Particularly hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)—a class of CFC substitutes that deplete ozone but at a significantly reduced rate. – The ozone regime stands as the strongest and most effective global environmental regime. – The worldwide consumption of CFCs, which was about 1. million tons in 1986, was approximately 100,000 tons in 2010. – Without the Montreal Protocol, global CFC consumption would have reached about 3 million tons in 2010 and 8 million tons in 2060, resulting in a 50 percent depletion of the ozone layer by 2035 – HCFCs, and HFCs, are now thought to contribute to anthropogenic global warming – Up to 10,000 times more potent greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide – Montreal Protocol currently calls for a complete phaseout of HCFCs by 2030 (does not place any restriction on HFCs) Restaveks (or stay-withs) 300,000 children in domestic bondage in Haiti – Forced – Unpaid Overcropping – Deplete soil by continuously growing crops on it Overpopulation – Carrying capacity – Estimates vary widely – Inadequate fresh water – Depletion of natural resources, especially fossil fuels – Increased levels of air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination – Deforestation and loss of ecosystems – Changes in atmospheric composition and consequent global warming â€⠀œ Irreversible loss of arable land and increases in desertification – Mass species extinctions from reduced habitat in tropical forests due to lash-and-burn techniques (140,000 species lost per year – High infant and child mortality. – Intensive industrial farming: evolution and spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria diseases – Increased chance of the emergence of new epidemics and pandemics. – Low life expectancy in countries with fastest growing populations. – Unhygienic living conditions – Increased levels of warfare – Elevated crime rate – Less Personal Freedom / More Restrictive Laws. Demographic Transition – If standard of living and life expectancy increase, family sizes and birth rates decline Later ages of marriage, careers outside child rearing and domestic work, decreased need of children in industrialized settings – Led to increased worry about aging populations and decreased worry about futur e impact of population growth – BUT, after a certain level of development the fertility increases again! – Fertility-opportunity hypothesis Food vs. fuel Precision farming – Soil erosion dropped, no-till seed planting – Drip irrigation, level fields (eliminate runoff) – Global positioning: efficient harvest, less chemicals Citizenship Citizenship: individual’s or group’s relationship to the state – Swear allegiance to the state – State provides benefits – People have obligations in return – Ethnicity is fixed but citizenship is not – Can be changed by individual or state – Potentially more inclusive concept than ethnicity or national identity – Three (ethnicity, citizenship, national identity) are often connected—an ethnic group forms the nation, and they represent the citizens of a country Nationalism – Nationalism as a pride in one’s people and belief in sovereign destiny Seek to create or preserve one’s own nation (political group) through an independent state – Sovereignty is thus key – Example: Great Britain – Governments determine nationality – 1707 – The United Kingdom came into existence – Yet there was no British nation since the people of the English isles were thinking of themselves as English, Welsh, Scots, or Irish. – Propagation of the dominant English culture and language through the years created a sense of English identity. – During the 19th century non-English cultures were suffocated. Global fundamentalism Return to traditional religious values as a reaction to modernity and global culture – Restoration of sacred tradition as basis for society – Cultural authenticity vs universalizing global culture – Global phenomenon – Modern phenomenon – Fundamentalism vs globalization or fundamentalism as part of globalization? AIDS – Peaked in 2005 with 3. 4 million deaths – ~35 million infected – 14,500 new infections daily – Approximately 8000 deaths daily (3million/year) – 90% new infections in Global South – Global responses – Millennium Development Goal 6 – Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Government-subsidized antiretroviral medications (Brazil, Argentina etc) – Samaritan’s Purse – The importance of Global Health Partnerships – Improving access to medicines – Financing health activities – BUT, primarily â€Å"vertical† (focus on specific diseases, and development/distribution of medicines) – Retroactive: does not focus on improving health care systems and primary care – Multiplicity of donors and actors: not aligned with government priorities International Organized Crime – Effort to exploit mechanisms of globalization – Transportation and communications technology Aide d by deregulation – Possible through corruption of authorities, unethical practices of individuals and corporations – Extremely large profits (and high risk) – Global cities are main areas of activity (New York, London, Tokyo, etc. ) – Using financial services to disguise criminal activities – Defy the state, offer parallel black market structure Deforestation – Increases contact between humans and pathogens – Decreases natural predators of diseases vectors – Increases in malaria (runoff water stagnant in pools) (mosquitos) – Loss of biodiversity Arms Trafficking Lack of international treaty regulating legal arms trade – Illegal arms trade – Arms fuel conflict and crime – $60 billion a year industry – Lack of transparent data – UN: attempt to â€Å"crush illicit trade of small arms† – Cold War – Preoccupation with nuclear arms control – Small arms were not as widely disseminated – End of Cold War – Small arms â€Å"surplus† – Warsaw Pact/NATO upgrades – Difficulty in negotiations? – U. S. position – Nuclear weapons easier to negotiate Human trafficking – Labor trafficking – Sex trafficking – Victims are primarily women and children – Organ trafficking Trafficking of babies and pregnant women – Baby farm in Nigeria: sold for illegal adoption or for use in ritual witchcraft Child Soldiers Slavery – â€Å"A slave is a human being forced to work through fraud or threat of violence for no pay beyond subsistence. † (Benjamin Skinner) – â€Å"Do you want a job? † – Modern slavery: – More slaves now than ever before in history, 27 million – Each year 50,000 children and teenagers enter the US against their will for purposes of sexual slavery (CIA est. ) – Over 2 million trafficked slaves forced into prostit ution and labor around the world 10 million slaves in South Asia (many through more than one generations) until they pay off their â€Å"debt† – 300,000 children in domestic bondage in Haiti Small arms – Over half a million people are killed each year with small arms across the world – In the United States 34,000 people are killed per year by small arms – The cost of small arms on public health, in Latin America at 14% of GDP, 10% of GDP in Brazil, and 25% of GDP in Colombia. – Registered homicide rates for Colombia, the United States, Brazil, and Venezuela among males aged 15–24 have doubled in the last ten years Monocultures – The agricultural practice of producing or growing a single crop or plant species over a wide area and for a large number of consecutive years. – It is widely used in modern industrial agriculture and its implementation has allowed for large harvests from minimal labor. – Monocultures can lead to the quicker spread of diseases, where a uniform crop is susceptible to a pathogen Sustainable agriculture – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sustainable_agriculture Environmental change and conflict – http://www. accord. org. za/downloads/ct/ct_2011_2. pdf Environmental security Environmental change is an important source of social conflict – Many societies face more dangers from environmental change than from traditional military threats – Security policies must be redefined to take account of these new realities – Only by framing the environmental problem in security terms can the necessary level of governmental attention and social mobilization be ensured – Security institutions could contribute directly to environmental protection, given their financial resources, monitoring and intelligence-gathering capabilities, and scientific and technological expertise – Is there enough evidence to support the claim that ecological change is, or will be, a major new source of conflict? – Proponents: – Environmental scarcities are already contributing to violent conflicts in many parts of the developing world. These conflicts are probably the early signs of an upsurge of violence in the coming decades that will be induced or aggravated by scarcity – Opponents – Environmental problems are a symptom of conflict-prone social systems rather than a root cause of conflict – Are the advantages of linking environmental problems to security concerns worth the risk of militarizing a society’s responses to environmental problems? Risks undercutting the globalist and common fate understanding that may be necessary to solve the problem – If pollution a national security problem, then pollution by other countries worse than home born – It is analytically misleading to think of environmental degradation as a national security threat. – Environmental degradation and violence are very different types of threats – Organizations that provide protection from violence differ greatly from those in environmental protection – Military organizations are secretive, extremely hierarchical and centralized, and normally deploy vastly expensive, highly specialized and advanced technologies – Is environmental security an idea with more appeal in the North than the South? An excuse to continue the North’s longstanding practice of military and economic intervention – Focus on the South is a way for the North to deny its own responsibility – Calls to link the environment with security raise deep suspicion s about ulterior motives Concern, contractual environment, capacity – da fuk? Fertility opportunity hypothesis – Fertility follows perceived economic opportunity – Against food aid, and development Transnational organized crime groups – Operate above and below the state – Create demand – Reach to the marginalized, impoverished and other â€Å"losers† of globalization – Use market strategies: – Hierarchically structured – Strategic alliances – investing/laundering capital – New growth areas (ex. umping toxic waste in developing countries and then negotiating lucrative contracts for the cleanup industry) – RD – Modern accounting systems, information technologies, insuring against risk Global health partnerships Global food crisis – Enough food in the world to feed everyone but†¦ – 925 million people experience hunger – 2/3 of these people are in Asia and the Paci fic region – Highest concentrations in India, China, DRC, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Ethiopia – 5 million children under 5 die of hunger in developing countries – Charity may help immediate problem but is no long-term sustainable solution – Causes for food crisis 1: Natural disasters – Floods, tropical storms, and, especially, long droughts – More common and more intense (global warming) – Wars – Population displacement – Famine used as a weapon – Fields and water wells mined or contaminated – Poverty trap – Lack of seed money, land and agricultural education – Trapped in poverty by hunger – Causes for food crisis 2: – Lack of agricultural infrastructure – Lack of roads, irrigation systems, warehouses – Emphasis on urban development – Overexploitation of the environment – Poor farming practices – Deforestation – Overcropping  œ Overgrazing – Economic downturns FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Policy and technical assistance to developing countries for food security, nutrition and agriculture – Forum for negotiation of agreements and debate on policies Fukuyama (the end of history) – Francis Fukuyama, â€Å"The End of History† – â€Å"The triumph of the West†¦an unabashed victory of economic political liberalism†¦ the total exhaustion of viable systematic alternatives to Western liberalism. † – Liberal democracy will make the world safer – Democracies do not go to war against each other – Globalization – interdependence – Great faith in International Organizations – Washington Consensus – Critics: – Environmentalists – Marxists – Anarco-capitalism – Etc. How to cite Final Study Guide for Livanis Intl 1101, Papers

East of the Mountains By David Gutterson Essay Example For Students

East of the Mountains By David Gutterson Essay This Book was written by David Guterson. He wrote another book which Idont know much about called Snow Falling on Cedars. But he wrote thisbook which I was interested in certain parts of it, such as his ideal of wantingto commit suicide, a drifter who gave him some help on lessening the pain,and when he talked about his pass of when he was recruited from Camp Hale. This was a good book in my opinion. This book was set in the season of fall and it was around 1997. In thebook he talked of his past when he was a little kid with his dad and when hewas growing up meeting his wife. The area was a country type place in a richapple growing region. In the state of Washington were he goes to manymountains in the surrounding area. This was the setting of the book. There were many characters in this book. The main character of thisbook was Ben Givens a seventy- three year old retired heart surgeon. Thewhole story was set around him. Then there was his family which he talkedabout, Rachel who was his wife which who had pass away before him, Reneehis daughter, Chris his grandson, Emma his granddaughter, Aidan his brother,and Wright Givens his father. Also he had two hunting dogs which werebrow and white Brittanies named Rex and Tristan. On his hunting trip werehe had planed on committing suicide he had met many people. A youngcouple who really get along with each other, a drifter who gave him somemarijuana to ease the pain of his cancer, a veterinarian, a rancher and amigrant worker. The summary of this story starts when Ben wakes up from anothernight of suffering from colon cancer. This day he had planned on his huntingtrip that would ease his suffering. He had everything ready in the morningand he made it seem like he was just going on a hunting trip. Right when hestarts his journey he gets into a car wreck destroying his car. But he is pickedup by a couple that takes him to place that Ben thinks he can rent a car from. When he finds he cant and is trying to hitch a ride he meets a man that giveshim some medical marijuana to help ease his pain. Ben gives up and goesto hunt in the near by mountains. He started out hunting the chukars with his hunting dogs. At the end ofthe day he tries one of the hand rolled cigarettes the man gave him and hestarts dreaming of his past when it was him and his brother doing things withthere mom and there dad, this is the time were he met Rachel. When Benwoke up he found Rex injured and Tristian dead. Then he met a veterinarianwho fixed Rex up. Next he had got to a hotel were he smoked some moreand started thinking of his past again. When he was in W.W.II. When he awoke he at some point in time called his daughter and toldher about his journey he had so far. He then met some Hispanic people whohe was around with. He helped Emilio and got him apple picking. He thenhelped give birth to a baby. The he meets Bea and her, him, and Rex gohome. When he gets home everything is the way he left it, and he calls hisdaughter and tells her that he is now home. .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b , .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b .postImageUrl , .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b , .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b:hover , .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b:visited , .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b:active { border:0!important; } .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b:active , .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u00901f8d4e7243ba2fab34be55079f7b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Daniel Juarez (709 words) EssayI think this book had a pretty good ending. He went on a journey andran into so many things. Also he met so many people most good, but somebad, like the person that took his fathers gun. After everything he went forhe decided that suicide was not the right thing to do. I am glad my teacherrecommended this book for me.

Globalisation Identity free essay sample

It is a complex concept has several dimensions such as political, technological, human, environmental and cultural (Pais, 2006). Identity often refers to the ways in which individuals take to distinguish themselves or are perceived to be distinguished, in their social relations with other individuals and collectivities (Jenkins, 1996). But James Fearon (1999) argues that the term identity is used in two senses namely social and personal. While in the former sense the reference is only towards a social classification of a group of people differentiated by the rules and attributes, the latter sense of personal identity is more closely related to the individual and is taken to be the set of distinguishing characteristics and sense of pride that a person takes while representing these characteristics. It is these concepts of globalization and identity that this essay seeks to explore in context to India. India, as a country is vast with each of its twenty eight states representing diversity not only in terms of geography but with regards to language, lifestyle and essentially the culture. We will write a custom essay sample on Globalisation Identity or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The demographics pose another enormity including men, women, youth, aging population, lower, middle and upper class. Considering this immense range, the scope of the essay has been narrowed down to represent the issues of globalization and identity and the effects of these issues particularly on the youth of India, in two of its major cities of Bangalore and Delhi. This scope has been selected as irrespective of what age limits are taken to define the age of youth, majority of India’s population is young and globalization has had a profound effect on the youth, especially in metropolitan cities such as Bangalore and Delhi (Athyal, n. d. ). The essay commences by giving a brief historical background of globalization in India along with an introduction about both the cities of Bangalore and Delhi. It argues that globalization has both pros and cons with regards to the youth and discusses both advantages and disadvantages of the situation n the process of analyzing the issues of globalization and identity faced by the youth, in both the cities. The essay ends by concluding that while there are areas of progress and enhancement, there are also numerous issues of grave concern with regards to globalization and identity. These issues pose a threat to the well being of youth of India, particularly in metropolitan cities such as Bangalore and De lhi and there is a need to maintain a right balance in order to gain from globalization History The process of globalization has been an integral part of the recent economic progress made by India. Whereas in the 1960s and 1970s the image of India was synonymous with poverty, in the 1980s and 1990s the attention increasingly shifted towards the process of economic liberalisation and globalisation (Lakha, 2005). India opened up the economy in the early nineties and the new policies radically pushed forward in favour of a more open and market oriented economy, with measures including scrapping of the industrial licensing regime and a notable reduction in the number of areas reserved for the public sector. This marked an important period sparking the interest of multinational companies in India and it still continues to be one of the most favourable destinations for international investment owing to factors such as the high potential of domestic market driven by an emerging middle class and an enormous talent pool (Ersnt amp; Young survey, 2012) Globalization has played a major role in export led growth and enlargement of job market in India. One of the major forces of globalization in the last fifteen years has been the growth of outsourced Information Technology sector and Business Process outsourcing. There has been a sharp rise in the number of skilled professionals in India employed by both local and foreign companies to service customers in the US and Europe in particular. Taking advantage of India’s lower cost but educated and English speaking work force and utilizing global communications technologies such as voice-over IP, email and the internet, international enterprises have been able to lower their cost base by establishing outsourced knowledge-worker operations in India (www. economywatch. com, 2010). Bangalore Few places in the world have seen the dramatic effects of globalization like Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India. Bangalore is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka and experienced an unprecedented IT (Information Technology) boom that is transforming the prospects of the Indian economy. India is one of the worlds leading exporter of IT services, with its volume of offshore business doubling every three years. Bangalore accounts for being a major hub and the nation’s leading exporter of IT enabled services. It is among the top 10 preferred entrepreneurial locations in the world. Several dynamic Indian companies headquartered here, including Infosys and WIPRO, are now challenging the multinationals for global leadership in the field. Every major international company in the IT industry now has a presence in Bangalore and plans to further expand its investments (Schifferes, 2007). Apart from new multinational companies springing all over the city a specialized suburb area termed as Electronics City spread over 332 acres of land is one of the largest electronic industrial parks of the country. Walking through the x-ray machines and past the security, the workforce seems to enter into another world with office blocks inspired by and resembling global icons such as the campuses at Silicon valley, I M Pei’s pyramid at Louvre and the Sydney Opera House. This scene is quite different from the India that most of its 1. 2 billion population inhabits (Bernstein, 2011). Growth indicators include the Net Domestic Income 52,346 Crore Rupees (US$9. 89 billion) in 2007 making it one of the largest economic centres in India. With an economic growth of 10. 3%, Bangalore is the second fastest growing major metropolis in India. With a per capita income of 74,709 (US$1,412) in 2006, this city is the third largest national hub for high net worth individuals. Gross Domestic Income of Bangalore’s urban district have increased exponentially over the years and shows a sizeable increase from 36. 58 (Billion Rupees) in 1980-81 to 15294. 08 (Billion Rupees) in 2004-2005 (Narayana, 2011). Delhi Delhi is often regarded as India’s eternal city. From sixth century B. C, when it was believed to be the legendary capital of the Pandavas in the Indian epic Mahabharata, to the present it has been prominent to Indian life be it in the area of politics or culture. From the time it became India’s official capital during the British rule it has been a symbol of India’s nationalism. With its current 22. 2 million population, the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi is the largest Indian metropolitan region by area and includes neighboring cities such as Gurgaon, Sonepat and Noida (Ghosh, 2007). One of the recent surge in job opportunities came from the boom of Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) sector in India. Delhi along with its adjoining cities such as Gurgaon records one of the highest growth rates of the BPO sector. A newly emerging transnational labour force comprises of the call center workers in Delhi, who provide voice-to-voice service to clients dialing for customer support in the United States or Europe. Multinational companies that have outsourced their customer support centers to India and are located at Delhi include British Airways, TechneCall, Dell Computers, America On-Line, GE Capital, Cap Gemini, Swiss Air and American Express (Mirchandani, 2003). The growth indicators include an estimated net State Domestic Product of 157,817 Crore Rupees (US$29. 3 billion) for the year 2010, making it the largest commercial centre in northern India. As of 2010, the per capita income of Delhi was 135,820 Rupees (US$2,567) with one of the highest growth rates in the country of 10. 7%, for the past five years (Govt of NCT Delhi, 2011). Being one of the fastest growing city in the region also makes it one of the most livable cities in the country. Youth in India A major impact of globalization in Ind ia is the extension of the period in which people are defined as youth. But going by the traditional definitions, if people under the age of 30 are considered the youth then well over 50 percent of India’s population is young. About 47 percent of India’s 1 billion population is under the age of 20 and teenagers among them are about 160 million (Kriplani, 1999). This demographic is among one of the most critical factors to the ways in which globalization influences India. According to Sakhi Athyal, Indian youth are increasingly attached to and affected by the positive and negative impacts of globalization and are embracing it ways not imagined by the previous generations. Globalization – Analysis of its positive impact on the youth and their Identity India’s strong position in the field of digital technology and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services sector has given rise to a new found confidence which many hope will allow the country become what Bill Gates termed as a software superpower. This embrace of software technology has challenged the typical perceptions of India as the underdeveloped, poverty stricken nation. Images of a high-tech youth and the software companies have come replace the stereotypes of snake charmers and starving children (Greenspan, 2004). With a billion people, the world’s largest democracy, an enormous pool of English-speaking engineers among the youth, an expanding middle class and one of the greatest untapped markets on the planet, India’s encounter with cyberspace has a far-reaching impact on the future of globalization. Major US corporations such as Dell, Citibank, AOL, Delta, General Electrics, ATamp;T, Goldman Sachs, among numerous others have large bases in India. These companies are also among the major multinationals moving their customer support centers to India. Hundreds of thousands of Indians are employed in call centers with the youth making up the majority of the employee strength. A typical entry-level worker in India earns around US$250 month, which would seem considerably less compared to international salaries but by Indian standards and cost of living, this figure is a significant entry-level salary for a fresh college graduate (Shome, 2006). The affluence of the young workers in the IT sector has provided significant levels of financial independence and change in attitudes towards wealth and consumption in India. Educated young people are increasingly able to afford home ownership, consumer white goods and cars previously regarded as luxuries becoming affordable at much later ages (Schifferes, 2007) Urban Indian youth are also influenced to a large extent by the popular culture promoted by the media, dictating their choice of how to dress, where to be seen, what music to listen to even to the extent of what opinions to adopt. An exponential growth in the number of television channels took place from one state-controlled channel in 1991 to nearly seventy in 1998. With the youth aspirations for a western lifestyle and a fast-growing advertising sector led to the Indian media market becoming exceptionally attractive for multinational broadcasters (Thussu, 1999). Western movies, Mumbai based franchise of MTV and Rupert Murdoch’s Hong Kong based Star TV have come to play a large role in setting trends conducive to youth culture. Indian youth are becoming more comfortable with the western culture and are adapting to it in order to be regarded as global citizens (Srinivas, 2002). Due to these vast influences there is a shift towards the decrease of visuals that are traditionally typical of Indian identity. The traditional Indian dress is declining, especially among urban youth, in favour of new fashions, allowing them to assimilate more easily with the west. Jeans and T-shirts, ladies dresses and skirts have become the increasingly popular choices (Gonsalves, 2012 ). Liberalization of India’s economy is encouraging its interaction with the world and increasing economic prosperity. The traditional family structure has given way which has its advantages in terms of giving providing mobility and empowering women as they begin to occupy non-traditional roles. According to 2004, Delhi police reported that deaths of about six women everyday in the city were related to dowry and domestic violence (Pais, 2006). Globalization offers new opportunities for women allowing to them to become economically independent. The opportunities to find employment in the Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) sector, arising from offshore outsourcing by global corporations are rising on a large scale. There are already more than 160,000 employees on the payroll of Indian call centers in India of which about 45 percent are women (Mitter, Fernandez amp; Verghese, 2004). Globalization – Analysis of its negative impact on the youth and their Identity With increased globalization and economic development, the problems confronting youth are changing. The more modern problems for youth arise from social alienation due to the demise of the support provided by the family. As Fahey and Gale (2005) put it, the youth are no longer satisfied to watch drama on television, they want to be a part of the drama. As a part of the learning of cross cultural management communication unit concepts related to identity formation such as belonging and in-groups and out-groups, voluntary and involuntary identity have been discussed. A reflection of these is observed incase of the youth of India. The focus of youth has shifted from the family to their personal selves. They increasingly look towards gaining approvals of friends before family, as the company they keep provides them with the much needed sense of belonging and interconnectedness helping to define themselves. The sense of belonging helps to develop associations and friendships and most importantly to prevent social isolation. Often young Bangaloreans skip university classes or family get-togethers and prefer to spend time their friends instead. The ones working during night shifts at call centers have the daytime available to do the same. The friendships allow formation of their own in-groups. There has been an exponential increase in the number of clubs, pubs and entertainment options in Bangalore over the last ten years, being the places where they prefer to spend their time with the friends. For the youth these in-groups provide them with means to interact with people having the similar perceptions, beliefs and values rather than just those from the same religion, ethnic heritage and social class. When dealing with their challenges these in-groups are highly significant in providing a sense of comfort and a means to decrease the anxiety levels. But being immersed in their groups also might lead the youth to breaking away from the reality and issues which are prevalent and of significance to India such as poverty, education, duty and collectivism (Saldanha, 2002). As discussed rising incomes as a result of globalization has provided much needed financial independence to some it can be argued a lot of these available incomes might be spent carelessly the hands of the youth. Where a vast majority of the country lives below the poverty line the young often living and financially supported by their parents are increasingly observed to splurge on luxury items. Their spending habits may include things such as mid-day parties which are becoming popular, as it is easier for the teenagers to get away from their homes during daytime (Saldanha, 2002). The youth of India has access to about $2. 8 billion worth of discretionary income, with their families spending an additional $3. 7 billion on them every year (Athyal, n. d. ). Another factor adding to the negative perception among the older generation of the impact of globalization on youth, is the apparent erosion of traditional values among Indians, especially those which define the family such as filial piety, patriarchy and the extended family as an economic unit (Fahey amp; Gale, 2005). As nuclear family becomes the norm there is fragmentation of the traditional family network is leading to decline of the support available for the parents and grandparents. Migration of younger generations from rural to urban areas or from one urban area to another has resulted results in the elderly being left to fend for themselves at a time when family support becomes more crucial (Pais, 2006). This has led a rise in sentiments of polarization amongst the older generations and disapproval with regards the effects of globalization. Identity among the youth is also seen as being adversely affected by the norms of their modern work life, especially for those working shifts as per western timings. Taking the case of Indian call center workers, they live and work in India but are required to organize their lives as per American or European times and communication styles which might lead to identity confusion, often experienced by the youth (Pais, 2006). Workers are expected to speak with local accents of the client locations, take on western names, adapt to their holidays and greetings. Employees are taught such strategies so as to minimize customer knowledge about the location of their work. They often need to follow scripts and are advised not reveal anything about their real selves however at the same time are forced to reinforce notions of themselves as ready to taking on roles of the client locals, for example the role of an American local at whichever state in USA they might happen to be calling in (Mirchandani, 2003). Another area of growing concern is of the rise of hybridization or hybrid identity among the youth. Hybrid identity is quite common these days and implies one part of the individual’s identity being rooted in the local culture while another part arises from the person’s relations and interactions with the global world (Pais, 2006). But a more detrimental form of the usual harmless hybridization has been observed among the youth of India, especially in the metropolitan cities such as Delhi and Bangalore. The essay attempts to throw light at the gravity of the situation by relating the case of Simran, a call center employee, as described by Raka Shome, 2006. Simran a twenty three year old works the graveyard or midnight shift. She begins her shift entering the glass and concrete building in the suburbs of Delhi. As the telephone rings her persona undergoes a transformation and she becomes Simone with an American accent speaking to JC Penney customer in Philadelphia. Even though she might have never been in a large department store the size of her client company, she handles the call with confidence talking about weather conditions and the perfect day in Philly as the weather conditions flash on her computer screen. She hangs up by wishing the customer a good day while looking on the pitch dark outside where the spatiality of Delhi and Philly collide in her virtual world. The employees, an increasing number of which comprise of youth, describe their lives as living in India by day and the west by night thinking like an Indian by day and needing to think an international by night. They often cite problems readjusting back to their Indian families and lifestyles on reaching home after pretending to be their seudo selves at work. They have difficulties switching identities and while pretending to be somebody else they could quite possibly begin to feel like one to. Further as with usual hybridizations in these cases there is no physical or transnational territorial migration rather there is a virtual migration. This virtual migration occurs where the mind departs into another place and time in the performances of westernness through virtual technology with the body physically remaining situated in India. The stress of living dual lives stretched across multiple times and geographies often takes forms of emotional toll and a transnational identity crisis of an unique nature (Shome, 2006). Conclusion Globalization has most definitely resulted in economic development, empowerment of women, generating employment and financial independence of the youth. This is particularly true in the field of Information Technology Enabled Services projecting India as a software giant and helping to shape a positive image and identity (Fahey amp; Gale, 2005). Bangalore and Delhi being areas of high significance and home to the Indian headquarters of numerous multinationals have been recipients of these benefits. Indian youth are also becoming more aware. Globalization has also enabled Indian youth to make their presence felt along with increasing their global awareness with majority of them learning and adapting to the western ways (Athyal, n. d. ). Although this process is an invaluable opportunity for the youth to raise their skills there are also fears that it is merely a modern version of cultural imperialism that would lead to erosion of the traditional Indian values such as strong family ties (Chinnammai, 2005). Financial independence which is so crucial to economic advancement can turn into a bane in hands of the youth splurging it to foster the needs of their confused identities. The area causing most concern is with regards to the form of detrimental hybridization experienced mostly by the youth working as call center employees. It is resulting in formation of a virtual worlds in the minds of the youth along with their real world and they are increasingly finding it hard to switch back and forth between the two. As India modernizes and comes under the western influences there seems to exist two Indias in the mental map of the youth, one the local and traditional India which is part of their involuntary identity and the other as the global, modern and occidental India they are beginning to identity more and more with, forming an important part of their voluntary identity (Rose, 1995).

Turner Thesis essays

Turner Thesis essays Fredrick Jackson Turner developed the thesis that the American West created and reinforced the American ideals of: equality, democracy, opportunity, and individualism. I disagree with Turners thesis and feel that the American West created just the opposite. It created a period of inopportunity and inequality especially between the rich and the poor classes of the time period. There are many things to show that Turners thesis was off beam. The Homestead Act was one such thing. This act gave every person who wanted it the opportunity to take free land. However, the government gave more plots of land to important people that they did to ordinary people. Also, land speculators snatched up big portions of land and held on to them so that they could sell them for profit at a later time. This left the ordinary people with much less land to live on and much less opportunity. This shows inequality between the different classes of this time period. Another thing to show inequality between the different classes in the period of 1865 to 1900 was the new version of the reaper invented by Cyrus McCormick. This was expensive and not all could afford it, once again showing unequal opportunity. This led to a disadvantage for the poorer folk and left them with much more labor. The people who could afford this reaper profited more than those who didnt, thus showing inequality between the rich and poor. A final example that showed how Turners thesis was erroneous was the Sand Creek Massacre. Seven hundred Colorado drunkards marched their way to the Indians fort and started to maim and mutilate them. They ended up killing a lot of Indians. This is obviously unequal treatment between the whites and the Indians. The whites could freely kill Indians on a whim without any punishment. Indians were forced to leave their lands, move onto reservations, and flee their homelands. In essence, Native America...

Answer Question Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer Question - Article Example Often times, the form of abuse can go undiagnosed in the abused because the medical professionals do not see an abuser in the person of the caregiver, but rather a caring individual who wants to help the medical professionals cure the illness. Oftentimes, the parents - as it could be either the mother or the father, although it is normally the mother who is the abuser in this instance, suffered some form of child abuse themselves and managed to survive it (Kaneshiro, N., â€Å"Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy†). As mentioned earlier, it is difficult to detect these instances of medical illness in the adult caretaker. However, once it is diagnosed, it is important to remove the child or elderly from the dangerous situation in order for them to receive the proper medical and mental care to help them get over the trauma of what happened to them. The abuser is also taken in for treatment that often includes individual and family therapy. Due to the child or elderly abuse involved the abuser will need to be reported to the authorities and appropriate charges should be filed against

Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reform - Essay Example Majority of the largest pro-temperance groups in all nations have been females, often as component of what others pertain to as feminism. The powerful temperance advocacies of the early years had most of their aids in females who were not agreeing to the potential life risks and threats connected with excessive alcohol consumption, and the big share of family profits that are being eaten up by it, which was particularly very difficult to hold for poor families. In most countries, informal social management in the household and societies supported to maintain that the excessive consumption of alcohol can not be accepted. As the communities expanded from rural communities into modernized societies, alcohol consumption trends started to develop as well. As modernization unfolded its impacts on all kinds of people, financial development and modernization were accompanied by the existence of poverty, lack of job opportunities, and violence. These existing social dilemmas were often connected to alcohol abuse. Social advocacy over excessive alcohol consumption reduced significantly, anti-drunkenness policies became timid and alcohol dilemmas grew significantly (Tarrow 5). The future of some Temperance movements all over the world seemed positive even if their members where mostly young people and women, which advised temperance rather than the total abolition of alcohol. But most of the leaders where not determined in their efforts, and these resulted to the downfall of these movements. Due to the connection between alcohol abuse and crimes even within households—most drunkard husbands performed unthinkable violence within their families-- the temperance movement became present hand in hand with different female rights and other organizations, involving the progressive organization, and most of the time the similar advocates were included in all of the organizations mentioned. Most past advocates of anti-slavery became

Ways Of Knowing More Likely To Lead Truth Philosophy Essay

Ways Of Knowing More Likely To Lead Truth Philosophy Essay Truth is a term that is multifaceted, and has been a popular topic of discussion by scholars and philosophers for thousands of years. Yet some fundamental basics for something to considered true have arisen after all the discussions and theories: it must be a fact, is justified in a way that that it corresponds to a fact that exists in the world, matches with ones overall sets of belief and/or it is useful and works in practice. A justified true belief is what is knowledge is composed of. Sense perception, reason, language and emotions are the four Ways of Knowing, each one a powerful tool that enables us to reach closer the truth. Sense perception is the active selective and interpretative process of recording or becoming conscious of the external world; reasoning is using logical, critical thinking to establish knowledge; emotion is the experience of a bodily reaction to an event where we are aware and involved; lastly, language is a tool for communication and a system of persuasio n and implication through the use of conventionalized signs, sound gestures or marks having understood meaning. However these four ways of approaching the truth vary in that one may help yield more precise answers and is more reliable than others, depending on the their strengths and weaknesses. I believe that sense perception and reason creates a dominant combination, carrying a high degree of certainty, in discovering global truths, compared to emotion and language, which are also vital but have greater limitations that provide challenges in finding the truth. Buddha once said, Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by manyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ But after observation and analysis, when you find anything that agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it. This quote claims that perception, which is then supported by reason, is the ways most likely to lead to the truth, and I definitely agree. We experience the world and obtain direct, immediate, constant data through our senses: sight, hear, smell, touch, taste, movement, balance and huger/thirst etc. The brain then processes these stimuli to create meaning to them and organize these sense data into schemas in our brain, reassembling reality to become organized, meaningful patterns, so that most of the time our world will be rational, steady and predictable. Hence we rely heavily on sense perception as our primary source of data collection of our surroundings. In biology, for example, I did a lab testing the effects of caffeine and adrenaline on the heart rate of transparent water fleas, called Daphnia. After exposing a daphnia in an adrenalin or caffeine solution, I relied solely on my sight to observe the thumping action of their heart beat and then count it. The heart beat dramatically increased from a 25 beats per second in controlled water fleas to around 44 in adrenaline and caffeine solution. By direct observation, my brain then gives meaning to this data input; resulting in me, knowing the immediate effects of what consuming these chemicals does to a Daphnias heart. However sensory perception has a handful of limitations, the major ones including our biological and physiological limitation such a incapability of seeing wavelengths outside the visible light spectrum; our cognitive apparatus and processes cant distinguish perception from illusion; who we are as a knower, our built-in assumptions and prejudices alters the expectations and interpretations of situations- causing bia s, subjective views; sensory input is relative, hence data from is s not always valid alone; sensory input is also discontinuous and outdated. Conversely the invention of digital video, computer technology and modern technology helps fix these problems or even eliminate it all altogether. For instance, when watching the figure skating world championships on TV, both Mao Asada and Kim-Yuna skated perfectly, executing all their elements. My individuality- the fact that I favor and adore Maos skating style over Yunas, and my pity towards Mao for always winning silver- contributed to my perception of the competition as being unfair when Yuna won gold. But when clips of the performances were previewed side by side, it illustrates how Mao did not fully finish her rotations on her triple jumps and thus was deducted points- ultimately justifying that Kim Yuna did deserve gold and performed a cleaner program than Mao. This example proves technology can overcome major limitations such as filt ers and seeing what we want opposed to the reality, by justifying what we see with more scrutiny through technology since technology can record the world around us, provide instant replay and allow unbiased evaluation. On the other hand reason, is most advantageous due to its outcome of valid and coherent information- information with such a high degree of certainty that no other ways of knowing can reach. Reason assesses arguments, and provides support for claims and statements established through all the different experiments, studies etc. It is especially vital for areas with an empirical basis like science, history and math; these areas have been so developed and consist of such reliable, coherent and corresponding theories due to reason. Judgments and errors plague the certainty of truth for other ways of knowing; such as sense perception can be distorted; language is too vague and ambiguous leading to multiple interpretations, and emotion is the least reason-based due to its unpredictable, instinctive nature. Logic controls the outcome of rigid conclusions with evidence. Yet reason has its flaws as well such as the range of informal fallacies and when premises that construct the arguments mig ht be valid the truthfulness is still questionable, hence other ways of knowing is required to justify it such as the case of euthanasia where the argument Taking a life is morally wrong, euthanasia is the act of taking away a life, hence euthanasia is wrong. Is perfectly valid but the truthfulness must be enhanced through the use scientific observations like using technology to see if the persons brain is responding to stimuli. The use of sense perception and reason together complements each other to provide even sturdier, valid, reasoned-based knowledge with sufficient verification. The fact that global warming is occurring is derived from both reason and perception. According to NASA 80% of ice field have been lost in the last century as see through satellite pictures, hence we can use deductive reasoning to conclude that if Drastic climate change and melting ice caps indicate global warming, NASA claims that 80% of ice field have melted , and United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that 11 of the past 12 years are among the dozen warmest since 1850, hence global warming is occurring Emotions and Language has principal problems that override its benefits, and hence is less likely to lead to the truth. Although language is central in communication; performing many functions such as conveying emotions (expressive), express creativity, used for social and representational purposes, it is deceptive and treacherous due to its vagueness and ambiguity.( Not so much for math and science, since language is controlled, neutral and rigid in these areas but in the other AOKs. Take Stalin for example, he used language as propaganda to establish a personal dictatorship, attack enemies and disguise the reign of terror and purges as well. Putting up slogans like Peasants can live like human beings filled with emotionally-arousing words, appealing connotations and glittering generalities manipulated the peasants into believing Stalin will bring back the glory days in Russia just like before World War I. Similarly emotion reinforces problems such as blurring reason, bias our perce ptions and color our language; humans are helpless in controlling emotions- it is irrational and occurs at fluctuating, urgent impulses. For example when my friend and I watched Valentines Day, she had just broken up with her boyfriend so was feeling distressed and gloomy, whereas I was joyous and excited to see Ashton Kutcher in it. By the end of the movie, her emotions has shaped a negative perception of the movie, thinking it was cheesy and gay, and divert from rational thinking to blame me for wasting her time watching it. On the contrary sometimes our reasoning is based on emotion; for example during a mandarin test, I had a cheat sheet ready in my pocket, but I decided not to cheat because of the guilt and fear I will feel. Suggesting that emotion mustnt be totally ignored since without emotion, the world will be dull, cause the uniformity of values and everything will pass unnoticed. So emotions can help humans acquire knowledge and enhance the search for knowledge, but the voice of reason is more rational. All the areas of knowledge are interconnected, one fails to work alone, and one effects the other, whether it is to enhance or limit the quest for truth. The advantageous combination of sense perception and reasoning creating highly valid, justified truths, with solvable limitations, whereas others, like emotions and language are overshadowed by its limitations. Citations: Buddha Buddhism Reality. On Truth and Reality. Web. Apr. 2010. . Mount Kilimanjaro Vanishing Icecaps. Scientific Visualizing Studio. 02 June 2002. Web. 30 Apr. 2010. . Global Warming Fast Facts. Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News. Web. 03 May 2010. . Alchin, Nicholas. The Theory of Knowledge. Heinemann, blue book Powerpoints up on Moodle