Baroque Opera Development and Cultural Values Essay Example for Free

Baroque Opera Development and Cultural Values Essay â€Å"Derived from the Portuguese barroco, or â€Å"oddly shaped pearl,† the term â€Å"baroque† has been widely used since the nineteenth century to describe the period in Western European art music from about 1600 to 1750† http://www. baroque. org. Following the Renaissance, the baroque period was known for its expressivity of boldness, extravagance, overall balance, and use of heavy use of ornamentation. These features can be seen in everything from the clothing styles, to the architecture, and in particular the arts. The baroque period is generally divided into 2 timeframes, the early baroque period (1600-1680) and the late baroque period (1680-1750). In terms of music, the early baroque period notes a new interest in the use of monody. Monody is the use of one voice or instrument, typically accompanied by basso continuo. The Renaissance period is known for its use of polyphony. In the late baroque period, concerto grosso became the more popular style written. Concerto grosso shows two groups of instruments or voices in contrast to each other singing or playing lines back and forth, thus introducing the first melody and harmony performances. The key instrumental form of the late Baroque period was the concerto grosso, which reflected the contrast between two groups of instruments. The two groups either alternated with one another or play together. A majority of the baroque music composed was for the church, royalty, and the social elite. This may have clouded the composer’s true vision for their music, as their works were dictated by the payer’s taste. â€Å"The greatest legacy by the late Baroque period was the creation of operas and oratorios, considered greatest and most magnificent is Handels Messiah, and J. S. Bachs St Matthew Passion† http://www. usicedmagic. com. An opera is a story that is performed by singing. The plot is expressed by speech-like songs called recitatives and arias which are more indicative of the mood or feeling at that particular moment in the performance. â€Å"The first surviving opera was Jacopo Peri’s Dafne, based on a libretto by Ottavio Rinuccini and performe d in Florence in 1598; the earliest opera still performed today is Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo (1607). The subjects of the first operas are all taken from Greek myth, reflecting the genre’s close alliances with attempts to recreate the music and drama of ancient cultures, nd were performed solely in aristocratic circles for invited guests† http://www. baroque. org. In the 1630s the first opera houses were opened in Venice, Italy. The audience dictated what the performers would sing and how it was performed. The crowds typically liked the arias, so that is what was primarily performed during that time. This led to a decline in dances and choruses in Italian opera. By the early 1700s, two styles became prevalent, operas with a serious tone (da capo aria) and operas with a comedic tone (opera buffa). As the baroque period and its operas progressed, the styles became more dramatic. This led to the changes and popularity of the oratorios and the cantatas. Oratorios began as small religious-based operas and ended up being huge productions mixed with non-religious texts. The cantatas began as very small secular operas performed as duets, trios, and quartets. They were performed by amateurs and professionals. As time went on, they became incorporating orchestral accompaniments and primarily performed by professionals. â€Å"Essays in classical oratory by Quintillian and Cicero provided a model for Baroque actors, as did posture and gestures taken from both classical and contemporary paintings and sculpture. Rhetorical gesture was designed to accompany individual words of text, rather than to display the pervading emotions† http://www. operaatelier. com. Baroque operas were difficult to perform due to the density of the text to be performed. To effectively convey the emotion to the audience the performers had to vividly perform to evoke emotion from the audience while maintaining the structure of the baroque style. This proves a challenge even for today’s performers. The singing style was heavily ornamented and exaggerated by the use of vibratos, dynamic changes of volume, and many other techniques. Not only was the introduction of the opera a demarcation of the baroque, but the instrumental solos and orchestral pieces as well. Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel were great composers of instrumental masterpieces. Handle’s music for the royal fireworks is a great example of the baroque style orchestra. The instruments are played with staccato (short â€Å"poppy† style with a hint of separation between notes), lots of variation of volume, trills, etc. These all are methods used by the musicians to ornament the song. There were also layers of different instruments at varying times, and a contraposto style expressed between the different sections of the orchestra. It’s almost as the different sections are talking back and forth to one another. Another great example of a baroque masterpiece is Bach’s Toccata Fugue in D minor. This was written for the pipe organ by Bach, but there is no surviving copy in Bach’s own handwriting. Several masters have rewritten the work and that is how it survives today. The piece begins with a few short notes followed by a single long note. The sounds are soon followed by the accompaniment of long deep bass tones. Throughout the song there are arguments and accompaniments between the harmony and melody of the deep rumbling bass and the high shrills produced by the pipe organ. At times the song is soft and beautiful, other times the song is strong and loud, displaying aggressive dissonance. This truly is a magnificent piece displaying all of the classic signs of the late baroque evoking emotion from all listeners. The song is still very popular and used in many ads and movies today. As listeners’ tastes grew and changed, so did the style of music. Audiences began to prefer a new melodic expression of clean musical architecture which is quite different from the heavily ornamented and opulent baroque style. This new preference ushered in the new classical style and the age of Hyden and Mozart. â€Å"Although the baroque period ended over 250 years ago, vestiges of the era can be heard everywhere. Some of the most influential and beloved compositions are regularly performed in concert halls, and a wealth of recordings make the baroque available on demand. Many of the musical genres still in use today, like the oratorio, concerto and opera, originated in the period. Twentieth century composers such as Ralph Vaughn Williams, Igor Stravinsky and Benjamin Britten paid homage to the baroque in their works. Its influence can even be heard outside the realm of art music: the free movement between solo and group in jazz is sometimes compared to baroque music, and snippets of Bach and Vivaldi frequently appear in the solos of heavy metal guitarists. And the spirit of the baroque—an unwavering belief in the power of music to touch people’s lives—changed music history forever† http://www. baroque. org.

An Analysis Of Family Structure And Dynamics Social Work Essay

An Analysis Of Family Structure And Dynamics Social Work Essay The concept of family identity can be defined as a familys subjective understanding of reality based on shared beliefs and experiences that determine how individual members interact and relate to each other and the world outside the family (Bennett, Wolin, McAvity, 1988). Throughout my childhood my family had two identities: a public identity that was shaped by societal expectations and norms, and a private identity that was governed by the unique needs and issues that plagued our family life. From a public perspective we were a traditional middle class family complete with a married couple, three children, and two dogs. We lived in a modest but nice home in a suburban community, my sisters and I attended private schools, and we were financially secure. However, few people were aware of the conflict, chaos, and abuse that occurred behind closed doors within our home. Our private identity, characterized by dysfunctional behaviors and interactions that occurred between various members of the family, told a very different story. The structure or organization of my family based on patterns of interactions, subsystems, and boundaries is important in understanding the dynamics within my family of origin (Minuchin, 1974; Nichols, 2011). The genogram, or family diagram, provided in the appendix illustrates a multigenerational view of structure and relationships within my extended family (Bowen, 1978; Nichols, 2011). However, for the purpose of this paper I will focus on the structure of my family of origin. My family consists of my father, Gerald, my mother, Alma, and three children: Michelle, the eldest, Jennifer, the middle child, and myself the youngest child. Our family structure was governed by familial roles, rules, and expectations (Nichols, 2011). My father held the role of financial provider within the family. His responsibility was to ensure that the family had financial security. My mother maintained the role of caregiver and leader. She was the matriarch of the family and was charged with the task of maintaining every aspect of the home and family. My oldest sister was the scapegoat and protector within the family. Family issues were often projected onto her forcing her to take responsibility and blame for family dysfunction (Shulman, 2006). She also held the role of protector within the sibling subsystem, and frequently shielded my middle sister and I from danger and harm within and outside the home. My middle sister was the quiet member and model child of the family. She is passive and rarely expressed opinions regarding family issues, and always made an attempt to satisfy familial expectations and demands (Shulman, 2006). As the youngest child, I played the role of gatekeeper within the family. My goal as the gatekeeper was to use my wit and humor to help the family return to a state of homeostasis by easing tension and restoring calm and peace within the family (Shulman, 2006). My family was also governed by a set of explicit and implicit rules and expectations (Nichols, 201 1). Explicit rules and expectations consisted of good behavior, high academic achievement, and the completion of various chores and duties within the household. Implicit rules helped fortify family secrets and included keeping family issues private, and forbidding family members to discuss or acknowledge the dysfunction within the family. Additionally, my family operated as a closed system with rigid boundaries limiting input from outside sources (Minuchin, 1974; Nichols, 2011). We were not open or welcoming to outside influences and support; rather, we internalized familial issues and problems. My mothers mental illness complicated family dynamics and contributed to the pathology within the home. My mother has Borderline Personality Disorder which made her a polarizing presence within our home due to her frequent fits of rage and unstable mental health (Nichols, 2011). Thus, the familys attention and energy was primarily focused on my mother and her needs (Nichols, 2011). My mother would frequently displace her anger and rage onto my sisters and I in the form of physical and emotional abuse. Her behavior affected relationships, boundaries, and attachment patterns within the family as illustrated in the family genogram. My mother exhibited an anxious-ambivalent attachment to my father due to her imminent fear of abandonment (Bowlby, 1988; Nichols, 2011). She desperately desired my fathers love and attention, but would behave in ways that created conflict and chaos within the marital subsystem (Bowlby, 1988; Nichols, 2011). As a result, my father developed an anxious-avoidant attachment to my mother, which resulted in him creating a rigid boundary within the marital subsystem in order to protect and distance himself from my mothers anger and concomitant feelings of helpless and frustration (Bowlby, 1988; Minuchin, 1974; Nichols, 2011). My parents were involved in a cyclical pursuer-distancer pattern of interaction that resulted in my fathers disengagement within the marital subsystem (Minuchin, 1974; Nichols, 2011). The dynamics, boundaries, and attachments between the parental and child subsystems were equally complicated. The relationship between my mother and my oldest sister was filled with conflict and tension. My mother was exceptionally abusive to my oldest sister which resulted in the establishment of disorganized attachment (Bowlby, 1988; Nichols, 2011). My oldest sister perceived my mother as frightening; yet, she desperately desired nurturance from my mother and fluctuated between distancing herself from my mother and desperately seeking comfort and security (Bowlby, 1988; Nichols, 2011). My oldest sister and my mother were psychologically and emotionally entwined or fused with one another despite years of abuse (Bowen, 1978; Nichols, 2011). My middle sister established an anxious-avoidant attachment with my mother (Bowlby, 1988; Nichols, 2011). As a child, my middle sister rarely sought help, guidance, or comfort from my mother as a result of the abuse she endured and my mothers inab ility to adequately address her needs for safety and comfort (Bowlby, 1988; Nichols, 2011). I established an anxious-ambivalent attachment to my mother in which I desperately depended on her for emotional support and encouragement despite her abuse, but rarely received adequate comfort and nurturance (Bowlby, 1988; Nichols, 2011). My sisters and I have an anxious-avoidant attachment with my father as a result of his inability to consistently provide us with comfort and safety in response to my mothers abuse (Bowlby, 1988; Nichols, 2011). The family dynamics, however, strengthened the sibling subsystem. My sisters and I have a secure attachment and are able to rely on each other for support, comfort, and nurturance in the face of adversity (Bowlby, 1988; Nichols, 2011). Culture and ethnicity also played an integral role in my family identity and dynamics. My parents are first generation Mexican-Americans and were raised in families that emphasized traditional Mexican cultural values and beliefs including a strong commitment to family, respect, trust, and religion (Rothman, Gant, Hnat, 1985). However, my parents raised my sisters and I in a bi-cultural environment that incorporated various aspects of American and Mexican culture and traditions. My parents emphasized trust, respect, and commitment within the family, but they also introduced American language, food, celebrations, and values including a focus on individuality, privacy, and achievement (Rothman et al., 1985; Beane, 2011). Additionally, contrary to traditional Mexican culture, there was a stronger emphasis on immediate rather than extended family (Rothman et al., 1985). Religion was also an important cultural aspect of our lives. My family is Catholic and placed a strong emphasis on relig ious beliefs and rituals such as praying before meals and attending church together every Sunday. Family Crisis/Transition In June of 1992 my family, as we knew it, changed forever. My father left our home without any prior notice or discussion and filed for divorce from my mother. His abrupt and unanticipated departure from our home left every family member struggling with feelings of shock, confusion, disdain, anger, and anxiety. The initial phase of the divorce process is identified as the most stressful time for a family due to the changes in family structure as a result of the absence of a parent, and subsequent pressures and demands for family members to take on new roles and responsibilities (Cooper, McLanahan, Meadows, Brooks-Gunn, 2009; Kelly Emery, 2003). Additionally, families often experience significant changes in socioeconomic, social, and health resources as the result of a divorce that often increases the level of stress within a family and complicates the coping and adaptation process (Cooper et al., 2009, p. 559; Kelly Emery, 2003). According to the ABC-X Model of Family Crisis, a fam ilys ability to adjust and cope with transitions and crises is based on the interaction of the following variables: A-the situation or stressor event, B-available resources, C-the familys perception of the event, and X-the degree of stress or crisis experienced by a family (McKenry Price, 1994). Let us now apply the ABC-X Model of Family Crisis to analyze my familys initial response to the stressful transition of my parents divorce. The stressor facing my family was the separation, and subsequent divorce, of my parents which left the family in a state of distress and significantly altered our family identity, structure, dynamics, and functioning. My fathers absence resulted in significant financial hardship for the family, which forced my mother to enter the workforce and take on the new and unfamiliar role of financial provider. The responsibility and demands of this new role affected my mothers ability to maintain her caregiver role within the family. As a result, my sisters and I had to take on many of her responsibilities within the home. Initially, my oldest sister took on the role of caregiver in my mothers absence. However, my oldest sister left for college shortly after my fathers departure which resulted in significant changes to the sibling subsystem and further complicated our familys ability to adapt and cope. My middle sister was forced to abandon her usual role as the quiet member, and assume the r ole of protector and caregiver. This new role placed a great deal of pressure on my middle sister and changed the dynamic within the new sibling dyad by increasing tension. Additionally, I was no longer able to successfully ease family tension and chaos as the gatekeeper, and assumed the new role of helping my middle sister maintain the household. The divorce also affected family attachment needs, boundaries, and relationships. After the divorce, my father was physically and emotionally cut-off from my mother and the rest of the family (Bowen, 1978; Nichols, 2011). My sisters and I had no contact with my father for a year following the divorce, which created a rigid boundary between him and the child subsystem and contributed to our inability to reconcile our grief and heal (Minuchin, 1974; Nichols, 2011). Additionally, boundaries between the parental and child subsystems, and within the sibling subsystem, became more diffuse as a result of the new roles and responsibilities of each family member (Minuchin, 1974; Nichols, 2011). The changes in family structure forced my middle sister to take on more of a parental role within the sibling subsystem. Additionally, my mother was unable to spend as much time within the home due to the demands of her new role as financial provider, which created a distance and disengagement between the parent and child subsystems (Minuchin, 1974; Nichols, 2011). My mothers relationship with my oldest sister was equally affected as a result of the transition. After she left home, my oldest sister was able to emotionally separate or cut-off my mother and the chaos within the home (Bowen, 1978; Nichols, 2011). However, my oldest sister continued to provide emotional support within the sibling subsystem. My mothers mental illness complicated her ability to cope with the transition and adequately address the attachment needs of my sisters and I (Minuchin, 1974; Nichols, 2011). Despite the complicated and chaotic relationship we each had with my mother we desperately needed and wanted her comfort, guidance, and nurturance in response to the pain, confusion, and anguish we were feeling. However, my mothers own emotional instability rendered her unable to adequately address our needs for attachment. My mother was preoccupied with her own needs for emotional comfort and responded in a cold and rejecting manner to our need for comfort and security. Rather, my middle sister and I were forced to provide comfort and solace to my mother and put our own needs aside. This role reversal further complicated the interactions and boundaries between the parent and child subsystems. Culture also influenced my familys perception of the divorce and ability to cope with the transition. The dissolution of a marriage and family is not well accepted within the Mexican culture due to the strong emphasis on family connection and commitment. In fact, families that experience divorce are often shamed and ostracized by extended family as was the case in our family system. My maternal grandparents expressed disdain and disappointment in my mothers inability to salvage her marriage and family, which created more tension within our family. Additionally, divorce was uncommon within our suburban community. We were the first family in our community to experience a divorce and this contributed to my familys feelings of embarrassment and shame. The divorce also altered our familys public identity of the ideal middle class family, and revealed some of the conflict and chaos within our home. Our family identity now reflected marital discord and a broken home. Our religious beliefs a lso complicated our ability to adapt after the divorce. Divorce is not supported or condoned within Catholicism which increased our feelings of embarrassment and shame in the Catholic community. My family had limited access to resources following the divorce. As previously mentioned, our family operated as a closed system which complicated our ability to attain adequate financial, social, and emotional support and assistance from external systems (Minuchin, 1974; Nichols, 2011). Our socioeconomic status, financial resources, and standard of living were significantly minimized. We transitioned from being a financially secure middle class family to living below the poverty line in a matter of months. Our access to social support was also limited as a result of the rigid boundaries separating my family from external systems of support such as family friends and mental health professionals (Minuchin, 1974; Nichols, 2011). Rather, each member of the family sought individual resources within and outside the family to help alleviate emotional distress and attain support. For example, my sisters and I sought support from external systems including friends and teachers (Nichols, 2011 ). We also relied on the secure attachment we had with each other for emotional support and guidance (Bowlby, 1988; Nichols, 2011). My mother sought emotional support from extended family, the child subsystem, and her new co-workers. My parents divorce was an unexpected event that significantly increased the level of stress within my family and contributed to changes in family identity, structure, roles, relationships, and resources. My familys resistance to seek and accept external resources and support further complicated our ability as a system to recover from our loss and adaptively cope with the transition. Cultural influences also contributed to a negative appraisal of the situation. My familys negative perception of the divorce resulted in feelings of hopelessness and despair rather than an emphasis on problem-solving and growth (McKenry Price, 1994). This negative perception significantly inhibited our ability to adaptively cope with the transition and associated stressors. My family was able to readjust structure and roles, but lacked cohesion and stability. The culmination of the event, the lack of sufficient resources, and the negative perception of the transition resulted in my familys appraisal of t he event as a crisis that disrupted equilibrium, increased pressure and stress within the family system, and negatively affected family functioning (McKenry Price, 1994).

Case study Del Montes vision

Case study Del Montes vision Brand Del Monte is a 118 year old brand which is synonymous with quality and taste. The brand  originated in the US and is now available all across the globe. Del Monte has branded processed food and beverage products. The Del Monte range include Fruit drinks, Ketchup Sauces, Packaged Fruits and the Italian Range consisting of Pasta, Olive Oil and Olives/Jalapenos and a Culinary range which is aimed at HORECA, Foodservices and QSR industries. Bharti Del Monte Joint Venture Del Monte came to India in 2007 courtesy a joint venture company known a FieldFresh Foods Pvt between Bharti Enterprises and Del Monte Pacific. It sells fresh and processed fruits and vegetables in the domestic as well as international markets, including Europe and the Middle East. Bharti enterprise has interests in telecom, agri business, financial services, retail and manufacturing businesses in India. Del Monte Pacific Ltd, headquartered in Manila, Philippines, is a company engaged in the production, marketing, and distribution of Del Monte products in the select Asian markets. Del Monte has following product lines in India: Sauces, Juices, Italian cuisine and Packaged fruit. The market size of these products approximately Rs 4000 crore and it will grow at 20% per annum and faces competition from players like Nestle, Hindustan Unilever, Dabur, Parle Agro, Pepsi, ITC, Heinz in India. The company has invested Rs 300 crore in a food processing plant at Hosur in Tamil Nadu and in research on fruit and vegetables which will be operational by 2011. It is now selling products in 25 cities in India. Product Lines in India Ketchups and Sauces Del Monte has launched following four variants in this product line in India and they are : Del Monte Tomato Ketchup: Is made from quality tomato paste and secret blend of spices natural fragrant oils. Del Monte Zingo: Is made from of Red chillies, Red Bell Pepper, Garlic and Ginger. It offers sweet and spicy eastern taste to the consumers. Del Monte Twango: Del Monte TWANGO is a tangy and fruity sauce specially aimed at the younger audiences, and brings a twist to the tomato taste with a splash of the goodness Del Monte Tomato Chilli Sauce: Del Monte Tomato Chilli Sauce is made from tomato paste and hint of red chillies it has a pungent and tangy taste. Packaged Fruit Corn Del Monte has launched Pineapple Tidbits, Pineapple slices, Peach halves, Prunes and Fruit Cocktails in India. Italian Range Del Monte has launched Olives, Pasta and Extra Virgin Oil in India. These product lines popularly used by Restaurants, Caterers and consumers are also using these products at home. Fruit Drinks Del Monte has launched 5 variants under the Fruit drinks in 240 ml cans and dispensers. Percentage Share of Different Product Lines The graph given below gives the current percentage share of different product lines in India: Chapter 5: Current Marketing Strategy Chapter Highlights: Target Market Positioning Product Strategy Distribution Strategy Pricing Strategy Promotional Strategy CURRENT MARKETING STRATEGY Target Market: The Indian youth segment residing in Indian cities age 16-25 is Del Montes primary target market. Positioning: Del Monte Fruit Drinks current positioning is delivering Refreshment, convenience and nutritional value to the youth. Product Strategy Del Monte Fruit Drinks have 5 flavours: Pineapple Fruit Drink (with real fruit pulp) Four Seasons Fruit Drink (a delightful mix of guava, pineapple and mango) Pineapple-Orange Fruit Drink Green Apple Fruit Drink Orange Fruit Drink Product Benefits: Del Monte fruit drinks are naturally fat and cholesterol free, they are rich in antioxidants, they are a good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin B1 and do not have any artificial preservatives. Packaging: Del Monte Fruit Drink is selling its juices in aluminium cans of 240 ml and so it possible to have a shelf life of 24 months. Del Monte Fruit Drink has setup dispensers which can dispense 20 cups a minute. Distribution Strategy COMPANY WAREHOUSE DISTRIBUTOR GENERAL TRADE RETAILERS/ WHOLESALERS MODERN TRADE RETAILERS END USER HOTELS RESTAURANTS CATERING B2B MARKET B2C MARKET Del Monte products are sold in B2C and B2B markets: B2B market In the Business to Business Market Del Monte fruit drink cans along with other Del Monte products are sold to and used over 2200 institutions in the HORECA: Hotels/Restaurants/ Catering(Airlines) segments. Restaurants like: Coffee Day Xpress, Dominos, Subway and Barista, and low cost airlines like: Jet Lite, Jet Connect and Indigo. Del Monte has over 70 persons they help the distributors to sell to institutions. B2C Market Del Monte operates in B2C market and these products are available in 25 cities including major cities like Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata. The company has Distributors and Retailers (Modern Trade and General Trade) as its Channel partners. Del Monte has also setup vending machines and dispensers in institutions and tourist spots to reach the end users more effectively. Distributors The company appoints distributors who supply Del Montes product lines (Ketchups Sauces, Italian Range, Fruit Drinks Packaged Fruit Corn) to general trade outlets and to some modern trade outlets in the major cities. Each distributor has approximately 200 -600 retailers under him and the average monthly sales for each distributor is between Rs 250000- Rs 1500000. Del Monte offers a margin of 7% to its distributors. General Trade Retailers/Wholesalers Del Monte supplies products to 30,000 retailers in 25 cities. It supplies to major General Trade Retailers or the Kirana Shops (neighbourhood grocery stores)/Wholesalers in these cities. These retailers/wholesalers get their supply from distributors who take orders on a fortnightly/weekly basis. These shops have an average purchase ticket of Rs 30,000 per month. Modern Trade Retailers Del Monte is supplying its supermarkets, convenient stores (In and Out store at IOCL Petrol pumps) and speciality food stores (Eg: Le Marche) and the company is selling to them directly through its sales force and some of the modern trade outlets are also supplied through distributors. These are organisations purchase their products weekly and their average purchase ticket vary between Rs 20,000 to Rs 2000000. Distribution Penetration Pricing Strategy Del Monte Fruit Drinks are available in 240 ml cans for Rs. 25. The Del Monte fruit drink offered through dispensers is available in 200 ml cups for Rs 20. Promotion Strategy Del Monte has relied on in store promotions for its Fruit Drinks i.e. price discounts, buy one get one offers and promotional material such as posters displays to promote Fruit Drinks in retail outlets. Del Monte launched Legend Brigade to popularise the range of Del Monte fruit drinks in pineapple, four seasons, pineapple-orange and the newly-launched green apple and orange flavours. This activation will travel to metros and mini-metros where the winner will receive a custom-made bike worth Rs 200,000. Del Monte has also launched an online biker game is on at its micro site, www.worldfoody.com to promote thrill of biking.

Siddhartha Essay -- essays research papers

In the days of Siddhartha, there were different ways of achieving the Enlightenment. Learning about the Enlightenment couldn’t be taught with words, but can be taught mentally, and individually. Siddhartha went on a voyage to achieve enlightenment and finally learned about it. It all takes place in ancient India where he lived with his father who is a Brahmin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Siddhartha was a handsome man who lived with his father in ancient India. Everyone in the village wants Siddhartha to become a Brahmin like his father. Govinda, who is Siddhartha’s best friend, together they perform all the rituals of religion and does all the rituals which bring him peace and happiness. Siddhartha doesn’t want to become like his father, he feels that his father and the elders of the village have not achieved enlightenment and he feels if he keeps living with his father, he will never learn. Siddhartha longs for something more, that the elders haven’t done. Siddhartha and Govinda want answers for the achievement of the enlightenment. One day, Samanas passed through the town begging for food. Samanas believed enlightenment can be reached through asceticism. Siddhartha believes that the Samanas can provide him with some answers. Siddhartha then joins the Samanas even though his father doesn’t want him to join. Govinda als o wants to find a path to enlightenment, and he joins Siddhartha in his new life. Siddhartha adjusts quickly to the ways of the Samanas. The Samanas have be...

Explain And Evaluate Critically Malthuss Population Theory. Essay examp

Explain and Evaluate Critically Malthus's Population Theory. In 1798 Thomas Robert Malthus, a British clergyman and professor, wrote an essay showing the way to modern demography. In 1824 he wrote a shorter final version, the article on population for that year's Encyclopedia Britannica. Malthus has been criticized for his lack of scientific foresight—he did not foresee modern advances leading to increased life expectancy, food production and birth control. He has been criticized for his politics—he thought welfare immorally increased population and hunger. He has been criticized for pessimism— the adjective Malthusian is associated with a gloomy outlook for humanity. But he showed the way for the study of human population. People. To learn how fast people might reproduce, Malthus examined the United States census. Conveniently, that count was required each decade, starting in 1790, by the Constitution of the former British colonies. Land was so fertile and uncrowded that food production seemed not to limit population growth. Immigration counts were available to subtract from natural rates of population growth, thus revealing net reproductive growth. Malthus observed that under such ideal conditions, during each 25 years the human population tends to double. So if world population is represented by 1, then after each 25 years it would be 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and so on, provided there were no limits on such "natural" rates of population in...

The Story of my Life

As a 15-year-old, in my life, there has been a lot of setbacks, challenge and some failure in my personal and in my academic life, though I am not proud to admit. When I was a little girl I was the happiest person you would ever mean, well for the most part. No matter what people did to me, I would instantly forgive and move on regardless of what they did to me or the pain they cost me. Now it may seem like I would go from being happy and content to bleak and dull, because of the most important people in my life, who was supposed to be there for me when others are trying to tear me down, but the person tearing me down is my own mom and dad.All I did and do was try and be good enough for them, but no matter what I did, it's like I will never be good enough for them. Sure they loved me, or that's what I wanted to think, but when it comes to showing it, it was like they don't care. Emotional and physical abuse was a daily routine in my everyday life. My father had no patience and always assumed he was right about everything, and my mom always assumed the worst in me and followed my father with his accusation, so as a child my voice was taken. I begin to keep everything to myself and became a shadow of my former self. No one noticed because of the smile on my face I would force every time I leave my home, the place I would fear to return, without noticing.At first, school failed to be my safe haven. People saw me as the new quiet and fragile girl, so they took advantage of me by verbally and emotionally abuse me. If someone wanted something from me, I would willingly give it to them, fearing they would say or do something to me. I was always trying to please everyone and trying to change something about myself that people did not like. I remember on the mouth after school starting all my teachers would ask everyone to describe their partner, my partners would say that I was nice to work with, but behind my teacher back spiteful words were being thrown at me like dodgeball except I was not dodging it. Sure I had friends, but none that was very close because my parents would not let me go to my friend's house or let them come over to mine and of course they couldn't stop the hateful words that were being thrown at me all they did was pity me. I never like being pity by someone, so I never told anyone about what happened at my home, I would avoid the subject but couldn't keep avoiding it the subject, so I would tell my friends, my fantasy of the family I wanted as if it was the reality. I never understand why people and my parents were mean to me. It took me years to realize that it was impossible to please everyone, so I just didn't even try to please them. When I realize this, it's like the world was lifted off my shoulder. I did not care about anyone's opinion of me because I was too distracted by my new founded happiness and was too busy living my life. I stopped have the urge and need to have everyone like me. I start standing up for myself, saying no to people and speaking what's on my mind, but at sometime's I would keep quiet when necessary. The naive part of me was out of my mind, things were improving in my life and was more than better.The man who was supposed to protect me and love me would leave early in the morning and come in the afternoon. If he asks for something and I didn't do it at the same time, he would yell at me and threaten to hit me saying he ‘would slap me' or ‘knock some of my teeth out', sometime if he would accuse me of doing things I did not do or acts like he know everything and if I dare to say otherwise he would yell and sometime he would slap me, and my mom would stand there and do nothing, sometimes she would try and stop him. He was the only person I truly fear but will not show it, he would be the only person that can bring me to my lowest point. Despite what happened at my home, at my middle school I would be in one of the highest classes in my school and always passing my classes with the high score. All of the hardship I have been through in my life made me a stronger person. I pray and hope God gives me the strength to keep going forward despite all the obstacles in my life. I am my own person and I will never change myself to please anyone ever again. My future is in my hands and I also believe in myself, to make anything possible for myself.

Major Parties Platforms Essay

Party platform is a list of the principles which a political party has set in order to convince the general public to vote in the political party into the office. It gives the party the objectives and goals that it will follow if it is voted in the office. In the United States they are two major political parties that is the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The democratic party historically has supported the following platforms: ethnic minorities ,organized labor where it has emphasized on labor unions which provide a voting base that support the party and progressive reforms i. e. democratic party in it platform has always supported a more progressive tax structure that is able offer proper services and rule justly to its people. The Party has always favored greater government intervention in the U . S economy and opposed government intervention in the private sector since private sector are effective in helping the poor than the ruling government. On the other hand there is Republican party which historically has supported the following platforms: low taxation to the people due to the increases in the growth domestic product growth and also generate more income to the government, environmental standards , reduction in environment regulation, development of conservative policies in order to promote prosperity in the economy and also government protection. The party also advocates for a strong national defense for its people until recently when interventionist action ended. Republican has also stood up for corporation and individual decision making in promoting economic prosperity whereby one is economically responsible for the action and decision that he decide to incorporate. . Describe the Role of Third Parties in The Past Presidential Elections. The third parties have been of crucial importance in the US electoral process for a very long time. Third parties have sprung up from ideological spectrum although none of them has managed to win the election since the time of Abraham Lincoln. Third parties have much contributed in by pushing issues into light which would have been ignored by majority parties. For example if the issue looked at by third party finds resonance with the voters the major parties are likely to adapt the issue into their platform. Third parties have also helped in increasing voters turnout by bringing more people to the polls therefore impacting the chances major party candidate winning by gathering enough votes, for example in 2004 it was estimated that 33% registered republicans ,43%democrats and other parties contributing for 25%. Third parties also play a major role in the US policy and the political debates despite their minor presence in the congress. Therefore they end up contributing to the changing of the political debate and also the policy making process. Though this contribution the role of the third party depends on seriousness of the candidacy because he or she helps in Making the debate of issues more substantive and less vitriolic for example in 1992 when reform party nominated Ross Perot as the candidate for president. Ross Perot advocated for the reduction of budget federal deficit an issue that was not seriously looked upon in previous elections. By so this was where Perot Ross received a 19% of the total votes. REFERENCES George C. E, Martin P. W and Robert L. (2002). Government in America: People, Politics and Policy. Longman publishers: Texas http://www. wikipedia. com