“The Secrets of Haiti’s Living Dead” by Del Guárico

â€Å"The Secrets of Haiti’s living dead† by Del Guarico was a very interesting story o read. It shows how people of different places will believe something if they want or expect it to be true. This is especially true if it is deeply a part of their culture. In the story, this idea is illustrated through the examination of zombies in Haitian voodoo culture. The article describes a search by a Harvard student named Wade Davis for a drug causing zombie-like effects. Zombies are a fact of Haitian culture. When most people hear this they get their own perception about zombies and the culture. People in America tend to think of zombies as otherworldly and a source for tales of Horror and we are not more or less scared of the actually zombie, but the fact that we think that they can turn us into one. Davis soon finds this drug and discovers that zombies are faked in a material sense. They use the poison from the Japanese Fugu fish and other chemicals. He also found out that there is a secret society that is responsible for policing the society and the treat of zombification is a threat to keep everyone in line. He was not able to discover how common it was in Haiti He give credit for finding his answer on his approach. Some people might wonder why he wouldn't just make a general announcement and attempt to enlighten the Haitian people as to this fact. If he did that he would only be insulting they people and trying to take away the belief that they have had for hundreds of years.

How does Charlotte Bronte build up tension?

Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre in 1847. Throughout this novel Bronte criticises and challenges some views and believes that she experienced herself within the injustice of the Victorian society. In this essay I am going to use chapter 23 to show how tension is built up in terms of language, feelings and symbols. Firstly, I'm going to include a brief summery of the plot and at the same time highlight the main characters I'll be working with. Secondly, I will include the history of the time the book was written in and comment on how it links with the story. Finally, I am going to point out and explain the many different techniques Bronte uses to build up tension. Jane Eyre opens with the narrator, the adult Jane Eyre recalling her childhood experiences growing up as an orphan at Gateshead, the home of her unfriendly aunt, and her children. Jane is always wrongly punished, she was even sent away to Lowwood charity school where pupils are treated appallingly. There she passes six years as a student, then two as a teacher. After that Jane becomes a governess at Thornfield, owned by Mr. Rochester. Jane falls in love with her master and Rochester asks Jane to marry him, she agreed. On the day of their marriage Jane discovers that Rochester is already married, she then refuses to be Rochester's mistress and leaves Thornfield. Later she becomes a teacher at a new local school; she also meets her three cousins. St John [her cousin] proposes marriage to Jane; however she refuses as she still loves Rochester. Finally, she returns to her master to find out that he has been maimed and blinded when his first wife burned down Thornfield and killed her self. The novel ends with Rochester's marriage to Jane and a description of the happy life ahead of them. The main characters I'll be mentioning in this essay are Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester. The heroine and narrator of the novel, Jane is an intelligent, honest, plain-featured young girl forced to compete with oppression, inequality, and hardship. She has also developed a sense of right and wrong from an early age. Despite being naive and innocent she is still able to look after her self and became very independent. On the other hand, Edward Rochester is a passionate man with a dark secret that provides much of the novel's suspense. He was a very unhappy man when we first met him, however his pure love for Jane eventually changes him back to the man he was. By the end of the book his blinded and crippled state was used to metaphors his loss of arrogance and pride. Charlotte Bronte is attacking the social injustices that were present in the nineteenth century. She successfully does this and clearly portrays what life was like at the time the book is set. Today, men and women are treated equally, which was certainly not the case in the nineteenth century. Women, in the nineteenth century were treated as if they were inferior to men, ‘Seating himself in an armchair, he intimated by a gesture that I was to approach and stand before himi. At that time also, very few occupations were open to those who had to support themselves. Marriage was too seen to be the only desirable goal for women, and was taken very seriously as a financial or a business deal. Poor girls such as Jane had very few options open to them apart from using their education as a source of strength. Social status was very important in the nineteenth century. Class divisions were far more fixed and pronounced than they are today. In the novel, Jane is very conscious that, socially, she is inferior to many of those with whom she associates in spite of being a ‘lady'. At that time, money only can determine where anyone can fit on the social ladder. Therefore, the theme of respect being earned and not deserved due to one's bank balance is important in this novel. In this novel Bronte uses many ways to build up tension particularly in chapter 23. The most recurring and effective method is her use of ‘Pathetic Fallacy', which is the use of natural description to convey inner feelings or the status of the character. For example, in chapter 23 she uses a lovely night for the proposal to echo and reinforce Jane's happiness â€Å"the nightingale's song was then the only voice of the hour†. In contrast, Bronte uses a â€Å"heavy shower† in chapter 37 to convey Jane's pain and sorrow at seeing her master and loved one in that state. Yet, charlotte Bronte used the sudden change in weather at the end of chapter 23 to signify that Jane and Rochester's union is not right. One of the numerous ways in which Bronte builds up tension is her use of hints and clues which relates to things happening later in the novel. In the quote â€Å"the great horse-chestnut at the bottom of the orchard had been struck by lightning in the night, and half of it split away† Bronte used the chestnut tree which symbolises Jane and Rochester's future union in marriage separated into two by a bolt of lightening- a symbol of either God's unhappiness about Rochester's deed or Bertha coming between them- to hint to us that something is going to stop the couple from getting married later on. I think that this is very effective way to build up apprehension as the reader will wonder what kind of thing is going to break the great love between them; hence it is a good way to keep people reading until they find out. Later on in chapter 37 Mr. Rochester is comparing himself with the â€Å"the old lightening-struck chestnut tree† which reminds the reader that what happened was exactly as foreshadowed in chapter 23. The way Bronte uses questions to convey the status of power in both chapter 23 and 37 builds up a great deal of apprehension for the reader. In chapter 23 Rochester is asking Jane many questions he very well know their answers, â€Å"you must have become in some degree attached to house? † and â€Å"we have been good friends, Jane; have we not? † These questions and many others show clearly that Mr. Rochester is using his powerful position as Jane's employer to tease her, and since she is dependent on him for her living she can't by any mean treat him in the same way he treats her. This would draw the readers into the story by setting up expectations of what will happen later on, as they know that Jane had always refused to be dominated and that resulted in angry outbursts against people trying to control her. In the early chapters she returned the same bad treatment back to her cruel cousin. And in chapter 6, we see that again when she says: â€Å"when we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard†, this shows Jane's strong believe in standing up to oppression and undeserved cruelty, which is what is happening again in chapter 23. During their conversation, Rochester tells Jane she'll soon need to leave Thornfield forever because he's finally decided to marry Blanche Ingram. Teasingly Rochester also tells her of a governess position, undertaking the education of the five daughters of Mrs. Dionysius O'Gall of Bitternutt Lodge in Ireland, â€Å"indeed I have already, through my future mother-in-law, hearted of a place that I think will suit you†¦.. you'll like Ireland , I think: they're such warm-hearted people there, they say† . Here you can notice that Rochester is torturing Jane with the idea of marrying another. However, I personally think that his behavior could be interpreted in a different way; since Rochester is a proud man he forced Jane into confessing her real feelings in order to be sure that his suspicions are correct, still I think there are many other ways to do so which are not as unkind. Mr. Rochester tells Jane that he feels as though they are connected by a â€Å"cord of communion. † Jane sobs-â€Å"for I could repress what I endured no longer,† she tells us, â€Å"I was obliged to yield. Jane confesses her love for Rochester, and to her surprise, he proposes marriage. Yet she believes that Rochester may be still playing with her feelings, that he may see her as an automaton, â€Å"a machine without feelings†; because she is â€Å"poor, obscure, plain, and little,† he may mistakenly think she is also â€Å"soulless and heartless. † At this point, she speaks to him beyond the â€Å"medium of custom, conventionalities,† even flesh, and her spirit addresses his spirit in a relationship of equality. Again, Jane creates equality by moving the relationship outside of the material world, and into the spiritual: At â€Å"God's feet,† they can stand side-by-side, rather than with Rochester leading, Jane following. This section of chapter 23 creates lots of tension for the reader as they will set up expectations as what reactions will Mr. Rochester make. Rochester convinces Jane that he only brought up marrying Blanche in order to arouse Jane's jealousy; when she reads the truth in his face she accepts his proposal. He then savagely declares that God has sanctioned their union, so he doesn't care what society thinks of the relationship. However, it is also important to note that nowhere in Jane Eyre are society's boundaries bent, Jane is Rochester's intellectual, but not his social, equal; Jane is also hesitant to marry Rochester because she senses that she would feel indebted to him for â€Å"condescending† to marry her. Ultimately, Jane is only able to marry Rochester as his equal because she has almost magically come into her own inheritance from her uncle. After achieving independence by finding a family in the Riverses and wealth in her inheritance, Jane is now free to return to Rochester to complete her triumph. Additionally, because Rochester has been blinded by the fire and has lost his manor house at the end of the novel, he became dependent upon Jane to be his â€Å"prop and guide. † it is clear now that Mr. Rochester has become weaker while Jane has grown in strength-Jane claims that they are equals, but it is obvious that she is more powerful than him. This can also be seen noticeably in the way she teases Rochester with her answers in chapter 37. â€Å"his appearance-I forgot the description you gave me of his appearance; – a sort of raw curate†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. To provoke him Jane answers:†St John dresses well. He is a handsome man: tall, fair, with blue eyes, and a Grecian profile. † This is very entertaining and apprehensive for the readers in the same time. The reader will feel happy that Jane is now powerful enough to return the same teasing Rochester did in chapter 23, but at the same time the reader will be wondering about the Rochester's reaction. However, Rochester welcomes Jane back with open arms, realising that he will never possess her the way he once wanted to, but that she, in fact, will end up possessing him. The opening of chapter 38 without a doubt will shock readers in the 19th century as well as readers nowadays. Jane says: â€Å"Reader, I married him†. This proves how powerful and controlling Jane has become; she did not say usual stereotypes like â€Å"we got married† or â€Å"he married me†, which illustrates that she did not only become more powerful financially but also on the gender bases. The fact that Jane is the narrator creates a huge amount of anxiety to the reader. This is because the reader will wonder where she is in the future and what happened to her. This as a result will make the reader more attached to the book to find out. To conclude, I think that Jane Eyre is an interesting book that will appeal to readers both now and in the 19th century as some of the injustices are still occurring today. Bronte used many techniques in this book to build up tension. For example she uses the method of ‘Pathetic Fallacy' as well as many symbols to create suspense. She also uses aspects from the history of her time like class boundaries, equality very effectively to make the reader more anxious. Another way in which Bronte creates tension is by using the shifts in power between Jane and Rochester.

Speech Analysis or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis - Speech or Presentation Example Opening. Realizing the primacy effect of the beginning (Murdock, B.B., Jr., 1962, p. 482-488), Mike Schroeder started his speech strongly, clearly establishing his ideas and focusing the audience to grasp the meaning of his message positively. In just a few sentences, Schroeder grabbed the attention of the academic audience with the importance of the topic for everyone, what increased listeners’ receptiveness to the providing information. From the beginning, the speaker cared about the speech to remain memorable for the audience. For this purpose, Mike represented a story of a man that suffered from heart disease that had been treated with stem cells. The story was connected to the main idea of the speech – the necessity to find the effective way to save human lives in the struggle against dangerous diseases threatening the mankind. The story of the real medication with the help of stem cells brought Mike Schroeder’s presentation to life from the beginning. It he lped Mike to connect with his audiences even more, making the speech to resonate in people’s minds long after the telling with power effect. Having started with the core of his message and providing a brief  speech outline, the speaker demonstrated his awareness of academic audience expectations as for logical and professional explanation of the topic. Being aware that persuasive speaking is very connected to audience, Schroeder paid extra attention to audience analysis. He watched attentively any nonverbal reactions and signals from the members of the audience (frown, nodding head, rolling eyes, significant smiles), which expressed listeners’ approval or objection of speaker’s viewpoint. Having identified the subset of the audience that agreed, disagreed, and that was undecided about the positive acceptance of his opinion, Mike primarily focused on the part of the audience that was undecided on the issue. Speaking more directly to the group of undecided liste ners allowed Schroeder to address his speech more towards their concerns, explaining in detail some certain points, which could influence people’s positive attitude. Realizing, the audience had not the same beliefs that he, the speaker used the tactic of Osborn, M., & Osborn, S. (2000) to establish good understanding with the audience. First of all, Mike emphasized what he had in common with the audience, accentuating people’s attention on the problem of dangerous diseases, which concerned everyone. He also stressed on the importance to care of moral values, which were involved in the topic. Thus, Mike started with the areas of mutual agreement before discussing the points of disagreement, taking in account that the audience was concerned with the problem of using stem cells in practical medicine, willing to discuss new information and listen to speaker’s arguments. In fact, Mike set the modest goal for changing his audience. His nearest purpose was to get audie nce’s passive agreement with the necessity to continue research in the field of stem cells and the practical realization of stem cells therapy. The speaker didn’t push his audience to accept his point of view just immediately. He compared his position with the beliefs of other people, showing respect to different opinions. Vocal variety. The speaker was great with his vocal variety, and he was aware of his audience in the back. Mike

Motivation of Employees in the Real Estate Industry Research Paper

Motivation of Employees in the Real Estate Industry - Research Paper Example Alderfer’s ERG theory eradicates the limitations imposed by the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory to some extent. Unlike Maslow, Alderfer has identified three types of needs. E stands for existence, R stands for relatedness, while G stands for growth. There are quite a lot of similarities along with some differences between the Alderfer’s ERG theory and the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. Although the number of needs differs between the Alderfer’s ERG theory and the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, yet there is a correspondence between them. The existence needs in the Alderfer’s ERG theory correspond to the physiological and safety needs of the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. The relatedness needs correspond to the love and belongingness, and self-esteem needs whereas the growth needs represent the need for self-actualization. In this sense, Alderfer has confined Maslow’s needs to the ERG needs. Like the Maslo w’s hierarchy of needs theory, the Alderfer’s ERG theory is also hierarchical; the most important is the existence need, followed by the related needs and finally the growth needs. There are three fundamental ways in which the two theories differ (NetMBA, 2010). Firstly, Maslow’s theory suggests that different needs’ levels cannot be satisfied simultaneously whereas Alderfer’s ERG theory suggests that they can. Secondly, Maslow has standardized the hierarchical order of the needs for all people whereas Alderfer asserts that the order of needs can vary from one case to another.

Internet Marketing Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Internet Marketing Strategy - Case Study Example LVMH thus controlled a portfolio of 50 luxury brands and is the number one worldwide seller of champagne, cognac, fashion and leather goods and number three worldwide seller of perfumes and cosmetics. The company's revenues topped $10 billion in 2000. The growth of the internet has been a challenge in marketing for traditional companies as Louis Vuitton. Since internet is an egalitarian medium of retailing, Luis Vuitton which caters for the luxury customer did not view it as a brand multiplier in the initial stages, it has gradually developed its web presence over the years. There is however adequate scope for enhancement of internet marketing and branding by Luis Vuitton. Internet marketing strategies are build around segmentation, targeting and positioning(STP). A company utilising the web site as a tool for marketing has to take STP into account. (Tanahashi: 2001). Segmentation is carried out to identify the most suitable target market and position the brand to attain competitive edge. Simultaneously the customer's needs and expectations can be easily researched on the internet. Differentation with rivals, an essential marketing parameter can also be easily accomplished. (Tanahashi : 2001). Another issue is differentiation within the market, its level of maturity and customer segmentation based on the innovator theory. The innovator theory determines that every market has different levels of customers. A miniscule 2.5 percent are said to be innovators or those who will seek a new product for its novelty. These are followed by opinion leaders or early adapters (13.5%), early majority (34%), late majority (34%), and laggards or late adapters (16%). ( Rogers : 2002). The internet provides easy tools to assess the size of each segment. Internet marketing strategy also entails facets such as key word search. Customers are homing onto products on the web by keying in product identity. Search engines facilitate location of the best or most sought after product. There is a necessity to see how key word search results can provide market visibility to the product. For brand measurement on line, it is also necessary to understand why a particular product is not bought. This implies measurement of the clients product outside the conversion rate, which is possible on the internet. Thus click through and conversion rates can be achieved through better branding.(Key Word Search Marketing : 2005). Internet Marketing is carried out by using advertising banners, pay per click advertising, e mail marketing strategies, search engine optimization articles, blog marketing and business strategy to connect with a large number of customers simultaneously without the need for physical presence. Web marketing involves focusing and indivi dualizing advertising campaigns by using superior information available to market analysts through the internet. (Internet Marketing: 2005). Speed is of essence in internet marketing and it allows new products and services to reach the user within minutes if required. The key to effective internet marketing is ensuring the basics. The fundamentals entail assessing the needs of the consumer and providing these requirements as quickly as possible. This would

Key leadership principles, 5 Levels of listening, 4 developmental Essay

Key leadership principles, 5 Levels of listening, 4 developmental stages of empathic listening - Essay Example Going through the section on habit five, Covey asserts that even though individuals are always taken through other aspects of communication such as reading, writing and speaking, listening is similarly of great significance. According to Covey, any communication process involves five levels of listening. The first level is ignoring, which is characterized by not really paying attention to the perceptions of the other party, and that the practice of pretending is the second level of listening. Covey emphasizes that the aspect of hearing only a few positions, which is known as selective listening is the third level of listening and that attentive listening that is characterized by taking note of one’s energy on the words being said is the fourth level. The author strongly believes that in as much as people are able to make sense of the perceptions of others when they go through the four levels of listening highlighted above, there is need to practice emphatic listening, which is essentially skill based and truncated from both character and the relationship that exists between the parties at hand. Emphatic listening is of great significance in communication because it focuses on listening with intent to understand rather than concentrating on the how to reply, control and manipulate the conversation (Covey 248). Similarly, Covey holds the opinion that emphatic listening is far-reaching in communication, as it enables the parties involved to look inside their frames of reference and see through the worlds of each other, thereby understanding how each party feels instead of exhibiting sympathy. The author recommends that emphatic listening should make use of the ears, eyes and the heart and though it has often been put forward that s uch an approach makes individuals more susceptible to manipulation, it is important, as it provides accurate data to work with. To demonstrate how productive emphatic listening is during

Managing Poor performance at the hospital( case study) Essay

Managing Poor performance at the hospital( case study) - Essay Example 32). This council helps implement government and healthcare practice standards mandated by the different healthcare professions involved in ensuring quality healthcare practice. The health professionals have a professional responsibility to deliver the best quality of care to the patients. These responsibilities, when delivered well, will reflect on standards of care achieved by the department and consequently reflect on the services offered by the hospital where the patient is being cared for. Managing poor performance in health professionals rendering care in hospitals is a difficult task for health managers who are left with the challenge of evaluating the causes of poor performance in the staff member/s and the possible solutions that may be implemented in order to minimize impact of poor performance on the department’s overall status. This case study will attempt to assess poor performance of a staff member in a sleep apnoea lab, and come up with possible management practices in dealing with poor performance in the delivery of healthcare services. About two years ago, while working as a respiratory therapist in a specialist hospital, the hospital management decided to open a sleep apnoea laboratory. The plan of the hospital was to have the lab be managed by the respiratory department. The head of the department, Aziz (not his real name) called for a meeting on this matter. We then discussed what would be needed in order to have the lab run smoothly and effectively. We decided that all staff members would take an in-service training on the machine that will be used in the lab. We trained under Dr. Mohammad in order to be competent in managing the machine and the lab in general. It took three months for the entire staff to train in the use of the machine and another month for the machine to be installed in the unit. Aziz discussed that a rotation timetable would be used in order to give everybody a chance to handle the

Doing Business in Russia Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Doing Business in Russia - Research Proposal Example Soviet-era management practices, a decaying infrastructure, and inefficient supply systems hinder efficient utilization of those resources. For nearly sixty years, the Russian economy and that of the rest of the Soviet Union operated on the basis of central planning meaning state control over virtually all means of production and over investment, production, and consumption decisions throughout the economy. Economic policy was made according to directives from the Communist Party, which controlled all aspects of economic activity. The central planning system left a number of legacies with which the Russian economy must deal in its transition to a market economy. The constant changes in the business environment can make business activities hard to plan for managers. Taxes in Russia are high but some reforms are implemented in order to reduce the amount of taxes paid by companies. During recent years, the government has put emphasis on reducing regulation and lowering taxes. Depending on the company’s location, the tax can vary. The thorough tax code has recently been implemented including a new VAT law and a new profits tax law. The VAT is quite similar to the EU model; however, input VAT is only recoverable when paid whereas output VAT can be accrued on a cash or accrual basis. The government actions regarding the VAT are mixed. On one hand, the Russian government decided not to apply VAT on certain actions (i.e. inter-company loans or derivatives transactions), but on the other hand, some other fields that were not concerned by VAT are now subject to it (i.e. transfer of patents, trademarks, copyrights). The new Profits tax law is lowering the tax rate to a maximum of 24 % and reduced the number of non-deductible expenses.

Hamlet is a self-obsessed Essay Example for Free

Hamlet is a self-obsessed Essay Throughout the course of the play, the character of Hamlet undergoes major upheaval, so a transition in his psyche is to be expected. One interpretation behind the reason for this transition is the one stated in the title (i. e. that he is a self-obsessed, miserable typical teenager); another may be that he is simply the victim of exceptional circumstances (namely his fathers death and his mothers marriage to his uncle) either way, it is clear that Hamlet is acting under severe emotional stress during the play. That Hamlet is a very obsessive young man is easy enough to tell the list of things he obsesses about is extensive: the afterlife, his fathers murder, his new misogynistic feelings, suicide and general worldly dissatisfaction, to list the main bulk of his obsessions. Some of his soliloquies (which are the passages where Shakespeare allows Hamlet to reveal his complete emotions to the audience) are testament to this obsession, especially concerning suicide (O that this too too solid flesh would melt, To be or not to be). This self-obsession may be thought of as somewhat surprising when it is noted that Hamlet is meant to be heir to the Dane throne, as it portrays Hamlet as someone in a role of great social responsibility who only has the scope to think about his personal problems. Hamlet is by now old enough to attend university (although his age is unspecified), showing that he has reached an age where he can think independently and fully comprehend his duty to society, adding to the sense that he is being selfish in that he does not think of the well-being of his country, despite the numerous references to problems in Denmark (Something is rotten in the state of Denmark). It is this personal fixation and irresponsibility on Hamlets part that ends up bringing the ultimately Danish monarchy into ruin, with Fortinbras of Norway ascending to the throne. The claim that Hamlet is also miserable is also a valid one: the audience usually finds Hamlet in a highly melancholic state of mind (whether it is mere sullen impetuousness or full-blown suicidal depression). Hamlet seems dissatisfied with everything: his family, his nation, the world, his very existence. Part of the reason for this depressed nature is Hamlets tendency to philosophise and contemplate complex aspects of existence, such as the afterlife, which contrasts with the straight-forward action men that surround him, and is more typical of the modern moody teenager. For all of these reasons, it can be argued that Hamlet is indeed a self-obsessed, miserable typical teenager. However, a different interpretation of Hamlet is that he is the victim of exceptionally harrowing circumstances. His age is indeterminate, although the reader is sure that he is a young man. Already with the weight of an entire nation on his shoulders, his father dies, only for his mother to wed with wicked speed to his fathers brother: such a combination in such a short space of time for one as young as Hamlet is bound to have a detrimental effect on his outlook. Add to this the plainly insensitive handling of this shocking series of events by Claudius which serves only to exacerbate Hamlets sorrow and confusion (but to persever/ In obstinate condolement is a course/ Of impious stubbornness, tis unmanly grief,) and it becomes evident that Hamlet cannot be compared to a moody teenager, because the events that usually make teenagers stroppy cannot be compared in any way to the mental anguish that Hamlet is probably suffering. Such a comparison would be callous and thoughtless. Hamlets apparent descent into a self-crafted madness is indicative of the huge pressure placed upon him by the ghost of his father, who seems only interested in revenge rather than helping his son (Remember me. ). This emphasises the feeling that Hamlet is alone, with no-one truly understanding his situation (with the possible exception of Horatio). Teenagers nowadays have a vast array of methods in which they can seek help (i. e. relatives, hotlines, the police), again stressing the vast chasm between the situation of a moody teenager and the agonising plight which Hamlet finds himself in. The sheer exceptional scale of tragedy that occurs during the play and the profound effect they have on Hamlet are enough to ensure that he should not be compared to a moody teenager: to do so would be highly inconsiderate. Hence the interpretation that Hamlet is self-obsessed is a highly unfair one, as the world he knew previously has been shattered, and the one he finds himself in now is so intolerable to him that he ponders suicide, meaning that the affairs of Denmark do not find such a high priority in his mind because his personal life is in disarray. Even through the catastrophes in the play, as Hamlet lies on the ground dying, he names Fortinbras as the next ruler of Denmark this shows that, after he has resolved all of his issues, he starts to once again think of his nation, even as he is dying; the claim that he is miserable is a fair one, but he is justifiably miserable. He is not miserable because his parents will not let him attend a party: he is miserable because his father is dead and his mother has begun an incestuous relationship with his uncle. This is a legitimate reason for misery, and so Hamlet should be treated with a fitting level of compassion at least certainly not compared to typical teenagers. It is for the reasons above that the statement Hamlet is a self-obsessed, miserable typical teenager does not resonate well with the reader: the very fact that he is able to be sullen and even jocular initially (A little more than kin, and less than kind. Not so much, my lord, I am too much in the son. ) is a testament to his strong personality his true feelings are revealed in the following soliloquy. The character of Hamlet is far more complex than a comparatively simple teenager; the circumstances far more tragic; the pressure upon him far greater.

Persecution in the Church Essay Example for Free

Persecution in the Church Essay In the book of Matthew 28: 16-20 Jesus Christ give us what is known as the â€Å"Great Commission† in this passage of scripture Jesus says I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world. † 1 In the centuries following the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ the church did just that. However not without resistance from local governments, Christianity was considered a rouge movement that defied the governmental establishments of the time. While Christians were simply seeking to live their life in worship to the living God, the government especially in the Roman Empire saw them as outliers and a threat to the roman way of life. While other religions were generally accepted by the roman government, Christianity was different. Romans were religious people, they had their pantheon of gods, but they did not see Christianity as a religion, they saw it as â€Å"superstitio† or a superstition. In fact Pliny a Roman governor circa 110 AD called Christianity â€Å"superstition taken to extravagant lengths. 2 Roman distrust for this new religion continued to swell with each century. Some emperors were tolerant and some were intolerant to the point of killing Christian non-conformist. Despite growing and widespread persecutions, imprisonments, and Martyrdoms 2. Robert L. Wilkin, The Piety of the Persecutors. Christian History, Issue 27 (Vol. XI, No. 3), p. 18 Church of Jesus Christ grew. Through the bravery, tenacity, and audacity of early Christian men and women we today have a surviving legacy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When it would have been easier to succumb to the Roman government and its edicts and religious institutions, God gave his people the willingness and power to stand up for what they knew was the truth. The Roman Government thought they could intimidate Christians to silence but they were wrong. Persecution of the church started almost at the beginning and continued sporadically through the next three hundred and fifty years. During this period Christians endures minor persecutions to the more extreme measures of persecution. At times the persecutions were local and at times they were empire wide. There was generally what is considered tem great periods of persecution. History of Persecutions The Persecution under Emperor Nero in Circa 64-68AD The Persecution under Emperor Nero was the beginning of what is considered the ten periods of persecution. it was under Nero’s rule that the Apostle Paul was martyred. At his second trial before Nero he knew that he would not be acquitted of the offences against him, the Roman government saw him as a threat and wanted him dead. His exact manner of death is unknown however it is generally accepted that he was beheaded.3 Nero is also responsible for the _________________________ 3. Albert Barnes, Scenes and Incidents in the Life of the Apostle Paul: Viewed as Illustrating the Nature and Influence of the Christian Religion (Ulan Press, 2012), 1. Martyrdom of the apostle Peter. Peter was by all accounts crucified, but he was said that he felt himself to be unworthy to be put to death in the same manner as his Master, and was therefore, at his  own request, crucified with his head downward.4 this was only the Beginning of the persecutions, many more followed Persecution under Domitian (r. 81-96). The Emperor Domitian was a cruel man, not only to Christians he murdered his own brother, and killed high ranking governmental officials so that he could confiscate their land and estates. He successfully raised the second persecution of Christians by demanding that anyone who came from the lineage of David be killed. Fabricated stories were made up about Christian during this time in order to scare the roman public. For example people were told that just about any natural disaster was the fault of the Christians. Christians were brought before the magistrates and ordered to take a test oath, if the person failed to take the oath they were sentenced to death, if they claimed faith in Jesus the same sentence was pronounced. The Roman government passed a law, That no Christian, once brought before the tribunal, should be exempted from punishment without renouncing his religion.5 â€Å"The notable martyrs during this persecution were St. John, who was boiled in oil, and afterward banis hed to Patmos. Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem, who was crucified; and Flavia, the daughter of a Roman senator, was also banished to Pontus6 _________________________ 4. William Byron Forbush, ed., Foxs Book of Martyrs: a History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Deaths of the Early Christian and Protestant Martyrs (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), Chapter 11. 5. William Byron Forbush, ed., Foxs Book of Martyrs: a History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Deaths of the Early Christian and Protestant Martyrs (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), Chapter 11. 6. ibid Persecution under Trajan (112-117) During the third Persecution, the persecution of Trajan from 122-117 AD Christianity was officially outlawed, however the government of Rome did not seek out Christians to imprison or kill them at this time. If a Christian was imprisoned for some reason during this persecution they would have however been killed in particularly gruesome ways. For example many Christians were crucified on Mt. Ararat, the officials would use crowns of thorns as well as pierce the sides of Christians in mockery mimicking what was done to Jesus himself. Ignatius was probably the most noted martyr during this period. Appointed the Bishop of Antioch after Peter, because he confessed Christ he was handed over to the wild beast as tradition holds. He wrote to the church in Rome saying; Now I begin to be a disciple. I care for nothing, of visible or invisible things, so that I may but win Christ. Let fire and the cross, let the companies of wild beasts, let breaking of bones and tearing of limbs, let the grinding of the whole body, and all the malice of the devil, come upon me; be it so, only may I win Christ Jesus! I am the wheat of Christ: I am going to be ground with the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found pure bread. 7 Finally during this time Quadratus, bishop of Athens, made an apology to the emperor on behalf of Christians. This apology coupled with an epistle written by a philosopher in the city, relaxed the emperors views toward Christians to relent8 _________________________ 7. William Byron Forbush, ed., Foxs Book of Martyrs: a History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Deaths of the Early Christian and Protestant Martyrs (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), Chapter 11 8. ibid Persecution under Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180) During the persecution under Marchs Aureluis, The torture Christians received during this period, was so grievous that even spectators to the torture would shudder at the extent of it. Christians were severely tortured during this period. They were often scourged to the point that their muscles and veins were visible; they were made to walk over nails, sharp shells, and thorns with feet that were already badly injured. The fate of their lives weren’t much better, if they did not succumb to the torture they were made to endure, they were beheaded, pressed together with weights, or burnt at the steak. The notable Martyrs of this period are Polycarp, who after being captured by  Roman guards was permitted an hour to pray. After the hour was done the guards who had watched him pray so fervently, actually repented that they had been instrumental in his capture. He was then dragged before proconsul and urged Swear and I will release thee;reproach Christ. 9 Upon his refusal he was burned in the market place. Justin was another notable martyr during this period. Justin was a notable scholar, philosopher, and teacher. After finishing The Second Apology Justin the emperor was angry and as a result Justin and six of his companions were imprisoned and forced to make sacrifices to pagan gods, when they refused the were scourged and the beheaded. 9. William Byron Forbush, ed., Foxs Book of Martyrs: a History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Deaths of the Early Christian and Protestant Martyrs (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), Chapter 11 10. ibid Persecution under Septimus Severus A.D. 192 The emperor Severus, was not especially violent toward Christians. One had saved his life from a sever sickness. However ignorance in the people coupled with outdated laws put in place to execute Christians is what drove the persecution during this period. Pleasure on the Emperor by The masses, made Severus make a new edict that any new believer to Jesus Christ should be executed. Many Christians were inevitably killed under Severus because of this edict Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons was one of the notable martyrs of this period. His zeal for the things of God made the Emperor take notice of him, after a considerable amount of resentment grew Irenaeus was tortured and beheaded.11 Perpetua and Felicitas were two other notable figures in this period. Bothe women were married Perpetua was nursing and infant son and Felicitas was pregnant at the time of her capture and later gave birth in prison. On the day appointed for their execution, they were led to the amphitheater. Felicitas and Perpe tua were stripped, in order to be thrown to a mad bull, the bull attacked Perpetua first and then darted at Felicitas, and gored her. Both women survived being attacked by the bull, but were later executed by sword. The audience watching the torture and execution was said to have been sickened by the sight of Felisitas’ lactating breast from  her recent birth. 11. William Byron Forbush, ed., Foxs Book of Martyrs: a History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Deaths of the Early Christian and Protestant Martyrs (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), Chapter 11 12. Alexander Roberts et al., 10 Early Christian Saints: Polycarp, Perpetua and Felicitas, Cyprian, Eusebius, Antony, Athanasius, Chrysostom, Jerome, Patrick, Benedict (publication place: Error, 2012), 1. The Sixth Persecution, Under Maximus, A.D. 235, mn During the sixth persecution under the Emperor Maximus the president Seremianus was on a mission to kill as many Christians as he could. Many Christians were sentenced to death without ever even receiving a trial, Christians were killed in mass killings and dumped into mass graves not unlike the genocide bestowed upon the Jews, during Hitler’s reign of terror in the early part of the 1900’s. Christians were denied any or the respect or decency that so called â€Å"loyal Roman citizens† would expect in their death and burial. Many Christians were killed or tortured during this period; most notable are Pontianus, bishop of Rome, Anteros, his successor, who gave offence to the government by collecting the acts of the martyrs. As well as Hippolitus, a Christian prelate (high ranking member of the clergy) 13, who was cruelly tied to a wild horse, and dragged until he died. Persecution under Decius (250-251) After a time of relative peace and an emperor that was deemed a Christian, the emperor Decius had a decidedly vigorous hate for Christians. Decius goal was to erase even the name â€Å"Christian† at any cost. His decrees to kill Christians emboldened the heathens who were happy 13. Merriam-Webster, The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (Springfield, MA: Merriam Webster Mass Market, 2004), 1. 14. William Byron Forbush, ed., Foxs Book of Martyrs: a History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Deaths of the Early Christian and Protestant Martyrs (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), Chapter 11 to honor the decrees by killing any Christian they could find. The More Christian deaths attributed to one heathen the higher that heathen’s merit would be. Fabian, the bishop of Rome, was the first person of prominence to fall victim to this murderous rampage. The previous emperor, Phillip thought highly of Fabian and made the bishop his treasurer; however Decius did not think so highly of Fabian. On January 20, A.D. 250, he was beheaded Peter, a young, strong man, was stretched upon a wheel, by which all his bones were broken was beheaded for refusing to sacrifice to Venus. He was quoted as saying I am astonished you should sacrifice to an infamous woman, whose debaucheries even your own historian’s record, and whose life consisted of such actions as your laws would punish. No, I shall offer the true God the acceptable sacrifice of praises and prayers. 15 An innumerable amount of Christians were killed during this time. Christians are actively sought out by requiring public sacrifice. If they refused they would be killed or they could buy certificates (libelli) instead of sacrificing. The latter was against the rules of the church and carried a severe punishment16 Persecution under Valerian (257-59) Valerian took his position in A.D. 257 and maintained his position for three and a half years. During his reign there is no number that can be put on how many Christians were martyred during this time. A couple of the martyrs that were named were bishops with in Rome. There was Stephen who was beheaded and then there was a Toulouse who refused to sacrifice. 15. William Byron Forbush, ed., Foxs Book of Martyrs: a History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Deaths of the Early Christian and Protestant Martyrs (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), Chapter 11 16. Ferguson, Everett. Church History. 2 vols. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2005-2013. Pp 161-162 Idols, which had his feet tied to the tail of a bull that ran down stairs causes his head to be smashed. Sextus who succeeded Stephen was very  courageous during his time a bishop. It was during his time that the government released an order to put to death all Christian clergy in Rome, Stephen as well as his deacons where martyred. With no regard of age, sex, or title Valerian continued to martyr Christian until he was captured and brought into slavery by the emperor of Persia. After being a slave for seven years, Valerian had his eyes removed and was flayed alive by the emperor, which is what caused Valerian to die. In A.D. 260, Gallienus, who was Valerian, succeeded his father and actually during his time, enjoyed peace with the church17 Persecution under Aurelian (r. 270–275) In A.D 274 Aurelian was in emperor of Rome and had been mainly responsible for the martyrs of two known Christians. The first being a bishop named Felix, who was an advanced prelate to the Roman see. He was later martyred by being sentenced to death by being beheaded. The other known martyr was a gentleman named Agapetus, who sold everything and gave it all to the poor. He was arrested for being a Christian, tortured and then beheaded for this deed. Although Aurelian is not tied together with many martyrs, we planted the seed that was later picked up by a leader named Diocletian. 17. William Byron Forbush, ed., Foxs Book of Martyrs: a History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Deaths of the Early Christian and Protestant Martyrs (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), Chapter 11 Severe persecution under Diocletian and Galerius (303-324) In A.D 303 were succumbed to a new leader that had a vision of removing all Christians and everything related to the faith. A Roman leader named Galerius was persuaded by his adopted son Diocletian to start the  persecution of Christians. The persecution that was set forth towards became so bad that the time frame of these leaders became known as the Era of the Martyrs. This Era began on February 23, A.D 303 by churches being forced open and all books were removed and set to flames. Not being satisfied by the burning of the books Diocletian and Galerius had all churches levelled to the ground and all Christians render as outlaws. Many Christians were seized, severely tortured, and then burned alive. Enable to increase the persecution of Christians Galerius ordered the imperial palace to be set on fire and charge Christians with the crime. This lead to Christian homes being set on fire while families were in them and perishing in the fire. Some families were tied together with rocks around their necks and thrown into the sea. This kind of tortured last ten years and got to the level were new inventions were created on how to conduct torture as well as an entire city named Phrygia, was burnt to the ground with all the Christians from the town dying in the flames. At one point many of the governors came to the imperial court submitting how they were ti red with the slaughtering of the people. From that point on, since they could not be put to death, Christians had their ears, eyes, noses, or limbs removed to make life as hard as possible. During this time there was a Christian officer of the emperor’s guard at Rome named Sebastian. Not willing to give in to the pagan believe that was being taught to him as a guard, Sebastian was shot to death with arrows. Once the execution was completed, other Christians were allowed to recover his body for burial. It was during this time, that they found life in his body and proceeded to help him recover. Sebastian decided to confront Diocletian, who was overcome with surprise to see him alive, and reprehended him for various cruelties and prejudices against Christian. Sebastian was sentenced to death by beating and was thrown into the sewers where his body was later recovered and buried by Christians. The Christian Response One would expect for Christianity to have died out after so many centuries of  an all-out demonic attack against the people of God. That’s not what happened though. Despite all torture, discrimination. And mass killings. Christianity grew tremendously. In the face of immense persecution, many Christians decided that it was worth it to die before they would deny their Lord and Savior. Justin Martyr was quoted as saying Though beheaded, and crucified, and thrown to wild beasts, and chains, and fire, and all other kinds of torture, we do not give up our confession; but, the more such things happen, the more do others in larger numbers become faithful.20 The killing of Christians was meant to dissuade other citizens from becoming Christians and to persuade Christians to turn their back on God. Martyrdom was meant to be a dishonor; instead it became the highest honor for a Christian. Many onlookers marveled at the fact that Christians could be put through so much and still be str ong in their faith. 19. William Byron Forbush, ed., Foxs Book of Martyrs: a History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Deaths of the Early Christian and Protestant Martyrs (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), Chapter 11 20. Justin Martyr, Michael Slusser, and Justin, Dialogue with Trypho (Selections from the Fathers of the Church), Revised ed. (Washington, DC: Catholic Univ of Amer Pr, 2003), 1. The very thing that was supposed to deter Roman citizens from Christianity was in actuality driving them toward it. Another Christian response to persecution was to write an apology, not an apology in the sense of the way we use the term today, but as a defense of Christianity. The Apologist as they are known wrote apology’s to defend Christians and their faith, against pagan actions and misconceptions. These apologies were mainly aimed at emperors to dispute the erroneous claims that pagans held about Christians, and to promote Christians as Good citizens of the Roman Government that held differing religious beliefs. Christians were not cannibalistic, law breaking, people who involved in orgies and this is what the apologies tried to convey, in hopes that the persecution of the time would subside. Conclusion From the beginning of the Christian faith there was always demonic opposition to the growth of Christianity. Satan used people as his pawns from the moment of the birth of Jesus to exterminate Gods plan for the world. After the death and resurrection of our Savior this demonic influence was kicked into overdrive. Roman Emperor after Roman Emperor tried to eradicate Christianity, but because of the strength and faith of many early Christians this did not happen. Today we can thank the early church fathers for laying the foundation and planting the seeds of the Church that we have today and especially in America take for granted. This does not mean that the devils all-out assault on the Christian church is over; it is still under attack even today. Still in many party of the world Christians are tortured and die every day because they refuse to deny the truth. The struggle of the early church seems to be so far away for some of us who live comfortably and have the freedom to worship ho w we want. In reality as a people we are not that far removed from it. Every Christian person should be aware of the price that was paid for the Christianity there is today. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Wilken, Robert L. The Christians as the Romans Saw Them. 2nd ed. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2003. 2. Barnes, Albert. Scenes and Incidents in the Life of the Apostle Paul: Viewed as Illustrating the Nature and Influence of the Christian Religion. Publication place: Ulan Press, 2012. 3. Forbush, William Byron, ed. Foxs Book of Martyrs: a History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Deaths of the Early Christian and Protestant Martyrs. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978. 4. Roberts, Alexander, James Donaldson, St. Athanasius, Philip Schaff, St Patrick, and Tertullian. 10 Early Christian Saints: Polycarp, Perpetua and Felicitas, Cyprian, Eusebius, Antony, Athanasius, Chrysostom, Jerome, Patrick, Benedict. publication place: Error, 2012. 5. Merriam-Webster. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam Webster Mass Market, 2004. 6. Ferguson, Everett. Church History. 2 vols. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2005-2013. 7. Martyr, Justin, Michael Slusser, and Justin. Dialogue with Trypho (Selections from the Fathers of the Church). Revised ed. Washington, DC: Catholic Univ of Amer Pr, 2003.

Family Communication Plan for Parents of Deaf Children

Family Communication Plan for Parents of Deaf Children There have been many studies conducted concerning children who are born into deaf families who can hear. These studies identify how parents manage this change in life and how they can make the best decisions that can positively impact their children and family. However, a limited number of studies have actually been conducted for children who are born into deaf families who can hear. Moore Lane (2010) state that 90% of deaf parents have hearing children, unfortunately these children have the same amount of attention compared to those who are deaf in hearing families. Purpose The purpose of this review is to establish a plan for children born into deaf families that can best help them and their parents, identify other studies and articles that have researched this, and to identify key gaps that are missing from the research. This study will explore family communication with emphasis on expressiveness, family satisfaction, and motivation. It will also identify how these concepts relate to the roles of interpreting and protecting. Research The research was conducted using the Cornett Library database online, which includes the CINHAL and MEDLINE databases, along with others. We limited our search to scholarly journals only and searched within a five year window so all data would be up to date and accurate. I searched for â€Å"deaf adults† â€Å"children with deaf parents†, and â€Å"nursing and deafness†. I chose the selected articles based on familiarity of ideas, and consistency of information, along with the minor disagreements that each article had. Themes Communication: There are many different theories that try to explain and solve the issue of communication of children and their deaf parents. Koerner and Fitzpatrick (2012) established a communication model by using relational observations. These analyzations created a theory that addressed the level of â€Å"conversational orientation.† Families with a high degree of conversational orientation tended to be able to freely communicate about any topic. This kind of communication led to high satisfaction within all family members. This theory states that every family is unique, so it is up to each separate family member to contribute to how they best like to communicate so their satisfaction is higher within the family, or environment. Olson (2011) used created the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems and established a model that stated that communication, cohesion, flexibility, and family relationships are key to creating a healthy family balance. Expressiveness: With both theories, it is important for family members to express themselves with their own opinions and ideas to continue positive communication. Schrodt (2015) conducted a survey that questioned young adult children about their family communication. Schrodt (2015) states that the â€Å"perceptions of family expressiveness have a sizable, direct association with perceptions of family cohesiveness and flexibility†. Schrodt also voiced the when family members communicate effectively, it lowers stress within the family structure, and it also helps to lower the stress levels of members outside the family unit as well (Schrodt 2015). Cohesiveness is formed when family members commit to the idea that they are going to converse with each other about both the negative and the positive things that are happening to them as well as the other people within the family. It is also important that the flexibility within the family happens. This can only occur when each family member learns how to properly deal with the information that is being discussed. Family Satisfaction: The satisfaction family members have towards one another directly relates to the type of communication they have with each other. Burns Person (2011) conducted an online survey where two family members answered questions related to three categories: relationship talk, joking around, or summarizing their day. The study concluded that the three categories were predictors of the family’s satisfaction towards one another. A sense of unity was formed when family member discussed one of these three topics, and this led to a higher family satisfaction. Caughlin (2013) states that â€Å"a family’s satisfaction rate can be measured only by the family members’ standards they have set for themselves and their family as a unit.† This emphasizes that all families are different and although satisfaction can be generalized through the previously mentioned studies, these situations should be recorded and investigated more thoroughly, as every family communicates differently. Motives: Children communicate with their parents for many different reasons. Barbato, Graham Perse (2013) identified two key variables when children communicate with their parents: inclusion and control. Children will learn how to properly communicate with their parents because the main thing they truly want is to be included in their family’s conversations. Children should learn how to communicate with their parents so they can explain their ideas, ask questions and feel a sense of belonging. Also, children communicate to gain certainty with what is going on around them to feel more in control of their environment. Barbato, Graham Perse (2013) concluded that children are influenced by how their parents communicated. In the study, many children embraced the same communication habits as their parents. Limitations and Gaps All research studies have limitation that need to be considered. In the Burns and Pearson (2013) article they state that â€Å"future research should begin looking at families individually as units and then making comparisons with other family units to have a more accurate interpretation of ‘‘families’’ and not individuals. Complimenting these results with observations may also provide more validation.† Also in the Schrodt (2015) article, they state that the sample size that they used was too limited both in ethnic diversity and in number. This could have been easily corrected by expanding the number of individuals that participated and the different ethnic family that were included as well. Finally, Barbato, Graham, Perse (2013) states in their article that certain fundamental gap was noted after their study was performed with the age group of 12-16 year old females. There were only five female girls aging from 12-16 years old, compared to 20 childr en from every other age group tested, making this the weakest point in their study. Method Method Choice: In order to conduct my own inductive study, I would use a qualitative method throughout because I would be concerned about the effect family communication is impacted as a whole, not just only how the parent’s deafness impacts the family. Also, I would look for a similarity between the parents’ deafness and the family communication. I would study this by analyzing real participants it affects and in the actual environment with the communication occurs. To guarantee credibility, I would use three methods to form my data. The three methods I would use would be personal interview, focus groups, and ethnographic research. The ethnographic research would enable authentic reactions within a real life environment and provide a unique opportunity to view this interaction between a child and parent. Personal interviews could help better understand a person’s motives and feelings, and focus groups could help new ideas form. Sample Selection: For selecting a sample, I would use the Texas Association for the Deaf and receive a list of families that are living with hearing children and deaf parents. I would contact these families and explain my study and ask if they wanted to be a part of it. I would then choose a nonrandom sample of the participants that meet three criteria. First, they must be between 10 and 18 years old in order to answer all questions asked in the study. Secondly, they must live within a 20 mile radius of the Dallas Fort Worth area so I can properly and personally contact them all. Finally, both parents of the children chosen must be deaf. The minimum amount of families I would want to observe would be five. Overall, I would like to interview between 20 and 30 children Procedure: In the ethnographic research, I would only be an observer. I would witness applicants both in a public setting and at their personal home, knowing that the participants might act differently because of my presence. For personal interviews, I would have a pre-determined list of questions and would give opportunity to ask new questions depending on the direction of the interview. The interview is estimated to last between 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the extent of the participant. One question that I would ask would be, â€Å"Do you use regularly use voicing or sign language when you communicate with your parents?† In the focus group, I would use a facilitator who could both speak and use sign language. I would also take record the answers the participants stated and any other comments that could be useful concerning their communication within their family. After the data is collected, I would draw conclusions from it once it is interpreted and analyzed. Discussion and Conclusion The goal of this literature review was to establish a plan for children born into deaf families that can best help them and their parents, identify other studies and articles that have researched this, and to identify key gaps that are missing from the purposed research. Its intent was also to discuss family communication with emphasis on expressiveness, family satisfaction, and motivation. Overall, children with deaf parents can and do communicate with them every day. The goal, however, is to support and help them and their parents better communicate with each other in order to create a healthy and happy family dynamic. This will help within the nursing community by improving communication with deaf patients and will greatly help in healthcare service areas throughout the world. Though this is seen differently with each family because every family is unique, the goal is the same, and with more work and improvement in this field, we can make a difference and see lives changed. References Barbato, C., Graham, E., Perse, E. (2013). Communicating with the family: An examination of the relationship of the family communication environment and interpersonal communication motives. The Journal of Family Communication, 3(3), 123-148. Burns, M., Pearson, J. (2011). An investigation of communication atmosphere, everyday dialogue, and family satisfaction. Communication Studies, 62(2), 171-185. doi: 10.1080/10510974.2010.523507 Caughlin, J. (2013). Family communication standards what defining excellent family communication and how standards associated with family satisfaction? Human Communication Research, 29(1), 5-40. Koerner, A., Fitzpatrick, M. (2012). Toward a theory of family communication. Communication Theory, 12(1), 70-91. Moore, M., Lane, H. (2013). For hearing people only. Rochester: Deaf Life Press. Olson, D. H. (2010). Circumplex model of marital and family systems. Journal of family therapy, 22(2), 144-167. Schrodt, P. (2015). Family strength and satisfaction as functions of family communication environments. Communication Quarterly, 57(2), 171-186. doi: 10.1080/01463370902881650

Comparing Low Calorie, Low Fat, and Low Carbohydrate Diets Essay

Comparing Low Calorie, Low Fat, and Low Carbohydrate Diets Comparing low calorie diets, low fat diets, and low carbohydrate diets involves looking at how they work, what problems they have, and what foods are allowed, restricted, or prohibited on each diet. Therefore, it is essential to keep in mind the recommended daily allowances of each nutritional component of a diet at non-weight loss conditions. The major nutritional components of a diet are grouped into the major categories fat, carbohydrates and sugars, and proteins. There are also vitamins and minerals that are not a group of their own but are associated with each category – there are different vitamins in each category. The body uses each of these components for a different purpose and needs each in a different amount. One of these needs is energy – energy to keep the heart beating, the brain working and all the various mundane aspects of day-to-day living. Any excess energy is stored as body fat. If it ever needs energy, the body can dip into these reserves – burn fat. Schematically, a healthy, non-weight loss conditions diet can be represented by a pie chart with each nutritional component as one proportionally sized piece of the pie. Each different diet – low calorie, low fat, and low carbohydrate – changes the pie in a different way. On a low calorie diet, the entire pie is shrunk. The proportions of fat, carbohydrates and sugars, and protein are kept the same but fewer calories are consumed. This way, the body does not receive all the energy it needs from the food that it intakes and is thereby forced to dip into its energy reserves – i.e. body fat. But, in cutting down on calories, the amount of other essential nutritional components, such as vita... ...it into cheese. Sweets are completely forbidden. Meat is also allowed, hence the nickname ‘the meat and cheese diet.’ And, most vegetables are allowed and must be consumed to remain healthy. Low calorie, low fat and low carbohydrate diets all aim at reducing the amount of energy obtained from food so that the body is forced to burn fat for fuel. Each has a different proscribed menu. Low calorie diets focus on restricting portion size and overall amount of food eaten while low fat and low carbohydrate diets eliminate fats and carbohydrates respectively. Because each type of food contains a unique set of vitamins, people who practice each of these different diets must be mindful of which vitamins their diet is not providing in adequate amounts and compensate accordingly. Works Cited: http://www.weightlossforgood.co.uk/fat_information.htm

Essay --

Aditya A R Flat no 102, E.S. Apartments, F-73, Madhura Nagar, Hyderabad, India, 500038 Tel: +91-8333820576 E-mail : adityaalur@gmail.com Department of Computer Sciences, University of Pennsylvania Statement Of Purpose â€Å"What imagination makes possible, computer science makes real.† While there may be no limit to what technology can accomplish—from space travel to robots that can build cars—none of it is possible without key breakthroughs in computing theory, artificial intelligence, data analysis, and application design. For this reason, I want to develop a deep understanding of computing theory and applications that will serve as a springboard to future discoveries. Absorbing new technologies has always been a pleasure to me. I like to be ahead of others in knowing new technologies, and that’s why I want to study further. It is this desire that made me apply for the master’s degree in computer and information science at the University of Pennsylvania. During my Undergraduate degree program at SASTRA University, the area which was of special interest to me was the design and analysis of algorithms. My first encounter with algorithms was when I wrote code for the popular video game Pac-Man (in C++). Thereafter, I developed a liking for the subject and challenged myself with tougher algorithmic problems by participating in programming contests hosted on sites like Codechef , Sphere Online Judge and TopCoder. I stood 10th in India in the Codechef February challenge-2009 and was consistently ranked in top 200 in TopCoder. Later that year, our team of 3 members qualified for the Asian regionals of the prestigious ACM(Association For Computing Machinery) Inter-Collegiate Programming Contest . I also went on to top my department i... ...and innovative work, especially when it leads to practical applications. My ideal vision of a career has always been a job that involves creativity, innovation and flexibility. I am confident that higher education would give me the desired push towards a career in research and an opportunity to do well in my chosen field of interest. I am eager to work under the guidance of the distinguished faculty members of the University of Pennsylvania. I am convinced that the facilities in the department of computer and information science in your university will be very useful for dedicated involvement in research projects. I believe that the CIS program at UPenn is compelling enough to whet my appetite for solving difficult problems in the field of computing and the best impetus I can get to my career. It would be an honor to be accepted as a student in this institution.

Corporate Responsibility and Marketing Strategies Essay

Examine Apple’s current position on the company’s ethical and social responsibilities, and determine whether or not the company has met these responsibilities. Provide two (2) examples that support your position. In addition to maximizing profits, one of the main objectives to many corporations today is to be well known for their responsible management and ethical performance. Apple is one of the most important companies throughout the world because of its size and their innovative products and services (Sanchez-Barajas, 2012). Nevertheless, innovation is what drives the sector development and the basis for the economic development. Furthermore, Apple has created about 514,000 jobs in 2011, which is an astronomical commitment to the economy (Sanchez-Barajas, 2012). Additionally, because of their business model focusing on outsourcing and their product characteristics, Apple could summarize material issues in two categories: environmental impact and supply chain manageme nt (Sanchez-Barajas, 2012). These issues seem to be the basis for understanding Apple’s corporate social responsibility. First, Apple products are designed to eliminate environmental impact, by using less energy consumption, small packages, and recycling methods (Sanchez-Barajas, 2012). However, there are criticisms with the danger of some materials used for IPads or IPhones, and the development of material for production. When it comes to supply chain, Apple’s ethical performance policy aligning with the entire supply chain is very well explained. This goes further than the Foxconn scandal. According to Tyson (2013), â€Å"Foxconn, which is a popular Apple contractor for Apple, had terrible working conditions, where employees would rather kill themselves than build an Apple product. The lack of effective corporate governance and forceful establishments in where they do business has added to the challenges of the control of several suppliers, and high risk for the company when it comes to abusive labor practices and not complying with the law (Sanchez-Barajas, 2012). Apple has the frameworks, and the information and understanding about their influence on society (Sanchez-Barajas, 2012). The main challenge depends heavily on the control of that impact. Nevertheless, Apple seems to be acting as a rational corporate citizen (Sanchez-Barajas, 2012). Apple’s ambition concerning supply chain management is essential for a responsible business. Determine the impact that the  publication of ethics and social responsibilities violations made by Apple’s suppliers has had on Apple’s reputation. Support your response with examples of the impact in question. Apple developed their code of conduct in 2005 (Kaiser, 2012). It states â€Å"that working conditions in Apple’s supply chain are safe, that workers are treated with respect and dignity, and that manufacturing processes are environmentally responsible† (para. 3). Although their supplier code of conduct had great intentions, it was not being supported either by Apple or its major suppliers (Kaiser, 2012). For example, employees were complaining of working long hors in unsafe conditions with little pay (Kaiser, 2012). Foxconn, their supplier in Chengdu, China, was guilty in violating Apple’s supplier’s code of ethics. Many of the employees worked more than 60 hours per week. According to Kaiser (2012), sometimes there would be about 20 employees stuffed inside a three-bedroom apartment. Additionally, Foxconn were employing underage workers (Kaiser, 2012). Furthermore, the factories were poorly ventilated, and the factories were being flooded with aluminum dust from the machines that shines the casings for IPads Apple has been under fire since the Foxconn scandal. Neither the workers nor the factory leaders had much to say about the issue. Therefore, the problem lies with Apple. According to Karimova (2012), after checking Apple’s CSR policy there is more focus concerning the quality of products rather than the concerns of suppliers. According to Karimova (2012), more than 50% of the contractors being inspected by the company have disregarded the code at least one time annually since 2007. The company has been accused of turning the blind eye as their suppliers pollute the country of China (Hay, 2013). Toxic discharges have been trespassing the communities. These large volumes of discharge within the supply chain have caused great danger to the health and safety of the public. This was not the first time where Apple was scrutinized for environmental infractions and their secretive supply chain management in Chines manufacturing factories, where there products are assembled (Gray, 2013). Suggest two (2) methods that Apple can utilize to ensure that its suppliers adhere to wage and benefits standards going forward. Justify your response One method I wou ld suggest to Apple is to make sure that the suppliers are held accountable for any wrongdoings. My next suggestion would be for Apple to have surprise visits to their  supplier’s manufacturing facilities. Apple should start tracking the work hours of the suppliers themselves and not rely solely on what the supplier has to say. Furthermore the procurement team must interact with suppliers on a daily basis to make sure their labor demands are met. According to Supplier Responsibility (2014), Apple began tracking the weekly work hours for nearly 1 million workers; also they begin to publish their findings on a monthly basis. As a result, nearly 92% of contractors were in compliance with the company across all work weeks, and the average hour per week was under 50 hours (Supplier Responsibility, 2014). Next, Apple should not tolerate any form of underage labor. I would recommend no longer working with suppliers that have underage workers. This may mean moving their operations inside the United States. However, when Apple discovered that their suppliers had underage workers working for them, they demanded them to correct this problem immediately as part of [their] Underage Labor Remediatio n Program (Supplier Responsibility, 2014). If it is discovered that a supplier has underage workers, the supplier must retort that worker to an educational institution and fund their education to whichever institution they family chose (Supplier Responsibility, 2014). Additionally, the child would continue receiving compensation of what they were receiving while working for the supplier (Supplier Responsibility, 2014). I would also suggest that Apple follow up with the family to make sure the suppliers are holding up their end of the bargain. Determine whether or not you believe that Apple’s customers would be willing to pay more for its products if Apple had to increase selling prices in order to provide better wages and benefits for suppliers’ workers. Provide a rationale for your position I believe Apple customers would be willing to pay more for Apple products. This is all due to a simple concept called brand loyalty. Business dictionary (2014) defines brand loyalty as: â€Å"the extent of faithfulness of consumers to a particular brand, expressed through their repeat purchases, irrespective of the marketing pressure generated by the competing brand† (para. 1). I am a loyal customer of Apple. I own several Apple products, and I would be willing to pay increased prices for their products. Apple’s customers are so loyal that they will camp outside the Apple store waiting on the new release of the latest Apple product. Additionally, when there are problems with Apple products, consumers are very patient with Apple as they  resolve these issues (Goodson, 2011). They understand to the fact that technical issues will arise, and they will continue to buy the products regardless to any mistakes the company may make (Goodson, 2011). The late Steve Jobs was very passionate about Apple products, he always ensured that they were of the best quality and had an innovative design (Goodson, 2011). According to Goodson (2011), Brand loyalty is one of the main reasons Apple is so successful today. First, Apple has built relationships with their customers by being trustworthy and transparent (Goodson, 2011). Secondly, Apple has carried out some very innovative marketing strategies (Goodson, 2011). Furthermore, they do not focus on the actual product itself, however; they focus on what the product can do for the consumer. Apple’s mission statement is unique. It does not talk about their products, but what they actually believe in. It states: â€Å"Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative, software and Internet offerings† (Goodson, 2011, para. 11). The success of Apple is because their mission statement reverberates throughout every part of Apple’s operations (Goodson, 2011). Finally, passion and dedication goes into making Apple pro ducts, and people who buy those products understand. Analyze Apple’s current overall marketing strategy. Recommend two (2) actions that Apple can take in order to improve its competitive advantage in the global marketplace. Support your response with examples of instances where your recommendations yielded the desired results. Since the incorporation of Apple in 1977, investor/advisor, Mike Markkula created a 3-point marketing philosophy that has remained the core of the effectiveness of Apple today (Moorman, 2012). Here is Apple’s original 3 point according to Moorman (2012): 1.Empathy 2.Focus 3.Impute These principles made the company one of the worlds’ most valuable companies. (Moorman, 2012). Part of their marketing strategy is that they hire customer obsessed, empathetic employees. A major key to Apple’s success is that they create products that the customers are turned on to (Moorman, 2012). This  will usually mean that customers will get what they want because the employees are so enrooted in and committed to the experiences of the consumer. Next, Apple has enabled customer discovery and differentiation through retail stores (Moorman, 2012). Having retail store gives the company an opportunity to show off their design courageousness (Moorman, 2012). Lastly, Apple has conceived their business model that creates everlasting value for their customers (Moorman, 2012). One action to plan to ensure Apple maintains their competitive advantage in the industry is to lower the prices so people in various urban demographics can have the Apple experience. This strategy will allow Apple to capture high margins with early adopters and drive penetration among a broader, more price conscious audience at a later date (Stark & Stewart, 2012). Not every company has product launches that allow it to adopt this strategy, but there are always opportunities to evolve and re-price a successful product to address the needs of a new and different customer segment. Apple launched its most recent iPhone a year ago; it reduced the price of its 3G version to $99. Simultaneously, when it’s most recent launch of the new iPad, it reduced the price of the iPad 2 by $100. In both cases, Apple established a market for additional customer segments (Stark & Stewart, 2012). The second action plan I would suggest is to always focus on the future, and continue to focus on being the dominant player in the industry. As the company continues to create an innovative product, the expectations of consumers begin to rise. IPad sales for Apple’s fiscal first quarter increased 11% over the year-ago quarter, and the company still maintains 74% market share in tablets (Stark & Stewart, 2012). Apple competitors have created products similar to the IPad thinking they would gain an advantage over Apple. However, If Apple continues to create innovative products they will remain ahead of their competitors (Stark & Stewart, 2012). References Business Dictionary. (2014). Brand loyalty. Retrieved January 22, 2014. From http://www.businessdictionary.com./definition/brand-loyalty.html. Goodson, S. (2011). Is brand loyalty the core to Apple’s success? Retrieved January 22, 2014. From http://www.forbes.com/sites/marketshare//2011/11/27/is-brand-loyalty-the-core0to-apples-success-2/ Hays, J. (2013). Apple and Foxconn: Work conditions, problems and changes. Retrieved January 22, 2014. From http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat9/sub61/item2282.html. Kaiser, T. (2012). Report: Apple’s suppliers continuously violate code of conduct, Apple does nothing to change it. Retrieved Januray 22, 2014. From http://dailytech.com/report+Apples+suppliers+continously+violate+code+of+conduct+Apple+does+nothing+to+change+it/article23867.htm. Karimova, H. (2012). Apple’s road to innovation requires some sacrifice. Retrieved January 22, 2014. From http://eoi.es/blogs/hokumakarimova/2012/05/13/apple%/E2%80%99s-road-to-innovation-requires-some-sacrifice/ Moorman, C. (2012). Why Apple is a great marketer. Retrieved January 22, 2014. From http://www.forbes.com/sites/christinemoorman/2012/07/20/why-apple-is-a-great-marketer/2/ Sanchez-Barajas, D.P. (2012). Case st udy: Apple Inc. and the challenge of a social responsible management. Retrieved January 22, 2014. From http://eois.es/blogs/dianapatriciasanchez/2012/05/28/case-study-apple-inc-and-the-challenge-of-a-social-responsible-management/ Stark, K. & Stewart, B. (2012). 3 strategies to adopt from Apple. Retrieved January 22, 2014. From http://www.inc.com/karl-and-bill/3-strategies-to-adopt-from-apple.html Supplier Responsibility. (2014). If companies want to do business with us, they must act fairly and ethically at all times. Retrieved January 22, 2014. From http://apple.com/supplierresponsibility/labor-and-human-rights.html. Tyson, B. (2013). A look at Apple’s record of corporate social responsibility. Retrieved January 22, 2014. From http://www.insidebusiness360.com/index.php/a-look-at-apples-records-of-corporate-social-responsibility-2611/

The Use of Social Networking Sites

By Ogechi Ebere By Ogechi Ebere Their Advantages, Abuses and Dangers. Their Advantages, Abuses and Dangers. The Use of Social Networking Sites The Use of Social Networking Sites Introduction: Human beings by and large are social. They feel an inherent need to connect and expand their connections. There is a deep rooted need among humans to share. In the past, due to geographical distances and economic concerns, connections between people were limited. A social network is made up of individuals that are connected to one another by a particular type of interdependency. It could be ideas, values, trade, anything.Social networks operate on many levels. Initially social networking happened at family functions where all relative and friends would conglomerate under one roof. Social networking has always been prevalent; it is just that in these times the face of social networking has changed. Where earlier the process was long drawn, involving a chain movement where in one person led to ano ther through a web of social contacts, today the process is highly specialized. I’ll introduce to you the  most must-know advantages and disadvantages, dangers of social media so you’ll be aware of how to use it in the safest and most valuable possible ways!Advantages of Social Networking Sites: 1) Low Cost Communication (essentially free) If you go on to social networking sites such as Facebook, Bebo or MySpace, you can send messages back and forth to multiple friends at once, absolutely free from charge (apart from the cost of actually running the internet, and computer etc. ). 2) Making New Friends You are given the opportunity to make new friends via such sites, whether that be ‘suggested friends' (a friend of a friend) or online relations that can be formed due to a shared interest or hobby. 3) The Ability to Upload Videos and ImagesMost Social Networking platforms have the capability to allow you to upload particular media. So a wide selected audience can view your pictures and videos. Saving you having to send images and videoes directly to each person you want to see them, instead they can simply pop over to your account profile and view them. 4) The Ease of Setting Up Events Facebook allows you to create events, which is an online organised meeting to do something (in the real world) with a set time and place, so via Facebook you can offer invites to the event and make announcements etc.Again saving time, as you aren't having to go around communicating to everyone individually. 5) Sharing Knowledge Social networking sites give you the capability to share information with ease, and by doing this Julia Porter states that people are able to â€Å"increase both their learning and their flexibility in ways that would not be possible within a self-contained hierarchical organisation† – this particular statement was is in regards to passing information around scientists, however it can also be applied to other organisation s also. ) Finding Old Friends Social networking is a great tool to reunite with friends, with social networking sites such as â€Å"Friends Reunited†. Where a simple sign-up and filling in a few details – you have just allowed yourself to be found by old friends. 7) Tools for Teaching As students are using a wide range of social networking sites already, teachers have taken advantage of this. Teachers have started to bring up online academic discussions (through threads and chat rooms) – for their students to participate in.Social network platforms also provide teachers with the ability to help students out with homework and communicate with parents. 8) Pursuing Jobs and Work Experience Twitter in particular is a great tool for this, tweeting that you are interested in a particular job or internship could be a great step to actually securing one. As your followers may not actually have a opportunity for you, but they may know people who do – so you don't only tap into your network, you tap into the network of the people who are following you (i. e the friend of the friend's network).Disadvantages of Social Networking Sites: 1) The Invasion Of Privacy It has been addressed on many occasions in the news and in the press, that we are giving away too much ‘personal information' about ourselves, and that this is leading us to becoming vulnerable to the likes of identity theft etc. 2) Reducing Worker Productivity There has been evidence to suggest social networking sites are harming businesses. Their employees are wasting time right throughout the day by participating in social networking sites rather than actually working.It has been stated that Facebook alone is accountable to wasting more than ? 130 million a day in the UK. 3) How Much Do Social Networking Sites Know? Perhaps social networking sites have learnt a bit too much information for comfort, Facebook knows via their program ‘Facebook Beacon'   that analyses our n atural online behaviour – how long we are on the internet for, how often we visit certain websites etc. They monitor your activity even when you aren't actually even logged in to Facebook! 4) Potential to Cause HarmThere has been many reported cases, where fake accounts have been made, that lead to horrific tragedies. Such as in October 2006 a fake MySpace account was created that was given the name of Josh Evans that was closely linked to the suicide of Megan Meier. 5) The Case of Cyber-Bullying As many young teenagers are using social networking sites as a form of communication, this just provides  bullies with another opportunity to traumatise  their victims. With few limitations from social networking sites to what people can actually post, bullies have the ability to publish offensive images and comments. ) â€Å"Trolling† These are rather common occurrences where individuals will post within a social network, to either annoy or spark a reaction through a post or general comment – these people are often referred to as Trolls. Not really bullying, more being a nuisance on the social network. 7) Causing a Lack of Personal Communication There is a concern over people becoming so reliant upon the convenience of social networking sites that they aren't actually using ‘real-life' verbal skills and they losing out on social intimacy with other people. ) Psychological Issues Studies have been conducted where the results suggest that people are becoming addicted to social networking sites – e. g. a case of fourteen year old spending over eight hours day on Facebook etc. . There is also evidence to suggest that these sites can cause a person to feel ‘lonely'. The Dangers Of Social Networking Sites: There are many inherent dangers of social networking sites because of the way the websites work. One of the biggest dangers is fraud, sometimes having to do with identity theft.Because these sites are based on friends and the p assing along of bits of personal information, thieves realized the potential instantly. There are endless  social networking scams  that crooks can try to pull off with this medium and we have only seen the â€Å"tip of the iceberg† so far. The newest mainstream social network is twitter. It’s based on people following others and getting to read their tweets of 140 characters or less. This is one of the dangers of social networking sites because many people want as many followers as possible and they aren’t shy about what they say in their tweets.This highlights the  trouble with Twitter  and many other social networking sites. Many people’s goals on these sites is to have as many friends as possible and they just don’t think before they message or add friends. Unfortunately, this sets them up to be victimized by one scam or the next. The biggest social network in the world is facebook. Started in 2004 by a Harvard student, this site has ha d a meteoric rise. Facebook has become a huge software platform that houses every application imaginable and millions of games and groups and users. This brings us to another one of the dangers of social networking sites.With the goal of becoming bigger than big, can these sites really protect the average users while on their site? Yes, this should be up to the individual user, but certain things cannot be controlled by the user and when the site has 200 million users (100 million log in everyday! ), how much resource can be used for protecting clients of the site? With so many people logged in everyday that contribute personal information constantly, the crooks have followed and committed  Ã¢â‚¬ Facebook identity theft†Ã‚  to get what they need. There are truly endless scams they have tried and will try to pull off on the social networks.Teen Social Networking By The Numbers: * 51  Percentage of teens who check their sites more than once a day. * 22  Percentage who che ck their sites more than 10 times a day. * 39  Percentage who have posted something they later regretted. * 37  Percentage who have used the sites to make fun of other students. * 25  Percentage who have created a profile with a false identity. * 24  Percentage who have hacked into someone else's social networking account. * 13  Percentage who have posted nude or seminude pictures or videos of themselves or others online. acebook identity theft like any other online identity theft, can be extremely dangerous for teenagers. With their brain still developing, it is very easy to take advantage of them by pretending to be someone else (usually a crush). There have been many cases like this and it devastates the teen when the criminal reveals that it was a hoax. Many teens have fallen into deep depression or even lost their life, an enormous tragedy and one of the biggest dangers of social networking sites. Be Careful! Be Careful! There are thousands and thousands of  faceboo k impostors  out there looking to make an easy buck or harass people they know.

Eczema Essay

The city grew very fast, and over the next ten years the population of West Tennessee expanded from 2500 to 100,000. The majority of families at the time took to farming, and with the help of the fertile land, Memphis soon became the center for growing and trading cotton in the Southeast. Indeed, cotton became king in Memphis, bringing in black men and women to work forced labor on plantations. According to the census of 1820, 20% of the populations of Memphis were slaves, and that number is said to have risen throughout the 19th century. Racial tension in Memphis began with its first and second mayor. Marcus B. Winchester was the irst mayor of Memphis and is said to have committed political suicide when he married a woman who was a quarter black. The second mayor of Memphis, Isaac Rawlings, had a common-law marriage with black woman, having multiple children with her. These encounters were socially unacceptable and looked down upon by white plantation owners, even though the majority of whites in Memphis at the time favored the gradual emancipation of slaves. As the civil war approached, the black population grew as more black slaves were brought to Memphis to work the cotton fields. During the Civil War, Memphis sided with the Confederates, but it was uickly captured by the Union who strategically wanted the town as the sight of a naval yard. The Union also made Memphis a freedman’s colony, and many neighboring black slaves came to Memphis once they were emancipated to partake in education and paid labor. Memphis fell so easily to the Union that most of its infrastructure remained in place. For a brief moment, Memphis became a city of opportunity to black Americans and a place where black communities thrived. Yet as white Memphians saw themselves competing with former slaves, tensions ran high on many of their newly arrived black neighbors in a riot that left forty-six dead, nearly wice that many injured, five women raped, approximately 100 blacks robbed, and ninety-one homes, four churches, and all twelve black schools destroyed. â€Å"[l] The riots did not stop until martial law was declared and troops from Nashville arrived in Memphis to force peace. For a good many years, the black community suffered and struggled to regain prominence, most of them being too poor to move away for new opportunities. With all the schools destroyed, the educational opportunities vanished and the ability of black to become literate and contribute to society became almost impossible. Yet this would not be the only disaster in Memphis. In the 1870s, a series of yellow fever epidemics plagued the city. In 1878, the worst of the yellow fever epidemics hit, and 25,000 people fled. 17,000 contracted the fever and over 5,000 died in the summer of 1878. Of the population that would remain in Memphis, 70% of those would be blacks who were too poor flee. The city of Memphis, which was already in debt, lost much of its tax base and went bankrupt. At the end of the 1800s and the early 1900s, Memphis would turn around again economically, yet many of the areas social problems would remain. Memphis fared reasonably well in addressing the problems of its white community, but the citys black citizens were shunted aside, their civil rights and their human dignity subordinated to a cult of white supremacy. â€Å"[2] Around this time, railroads connected Memphis to the Atlantic Ocean, allowing it to become one of the largest manufacturers and shippers of hardwood in the United States.