The Storm – Kate Chopin

KATE CHOPIN (1850-1904)She was an American author of short stories and novels. She is now considered by some to have been a forerunner of feminist authors of the 20th century. Chopin was born Katherine O'Flaherty in St. Louis, Missouri. Her father, Thomas O'Flaherty, was a successful businessman who had emigrated from Galway, Ireland. Her mother, Eliza Faris, was a well-connected member of the French community in St. Louis. KatherineShe was the third of five children, but her sisters died in infancy and her brothers (from her father's first marriage) in their early twenties.She was thus the only child to live past the age of twenty-five. After her father's death in 1855, Chopin developed a close relationship with her mother, grandmother, and her great-grandmother. She also became an avid reader of fairy tales, poetry, and religious allegories, as well as classic and contemporary novels.REGIONALISMIn literature, regionalism refers to fiction or poetry that focuses on specific features – including characters, dialects, customs, history, and landscape – of a particular region. Kate Chopin is considered to be one of the best US Southern regional writers.THE STORMâ€Å"The Storm† is a short story by the American writer Kate Chopin, written in 1898. It did not appear in print in Chopin's lifetime; it was published in a volume called â€Å"The Complete Works of Kate Chopin† in 1969. The story is set in the late nineteenth century at Friedheimer's store in Louisiana, and at the nearby house of Calixta and Bobinot.CHARACTERS†¢ Bibi: four-year-old son of Calixta and Bobinot†¢ Calixta: mother of Bibi†¢ Bobinot: husband of Calixta and father of Bibi.†¢ Alcee Laballiere: former Calixta’s beau (lover).THEMES†¢ The main topic in the story is the sexuality, a topic not publicly discussed in 1898. For this reason, the story was not published during her lifetime. The relationship between Calixta and Alcee holds a degree of passion absent from their marriages. Calixta's sexuality is directly tied to the storm.ANALYSISThe Chinaberry tree being struck by lightning is also representative of Calixta's sin in a Catholic area, where adultery is considered a sin that is so grave that it sends them to hell unless they repent before they die. 1] [2] This piece was written at a time when faith was beginning to be questioned. The narrator begins by describing Calixta as a worrisome wife, but, after Alcee notices her for the first time in five years, the description shifts to her youthful beauty. Calixta's husband, the reader assumes, no longer looks at her the way Alcee does. He sees her as a real woman, but she pretends that everything has changes especially after having a child. After the rain stops â€Å"the sun was turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems. This could symbolize new outlooks on the two lovers' marriages.The point of view is 3rd person omniscient. The story also highlights i mages of purity. White imagery is introduced at the beginning of the second section when Calixta unbuttons her white blouse at the neck. When we see the interior of the house for the first time, the narrator describes the â€Å"white, monumental bed. † When the sexual tension is released, the sexualized purity reaches a climax; her neck, exposed by the act of unbuttoning, is white, and her breasts are â€Å"whiter. She is â€Å"as white as the couch she lay upon,† and her passion is described as a â€Å"white flame. † Added to this seemingly paradoxical use of white are the references to the Virgin Mary. While Assumption is a place name, it is also the feast that celebrates the bodily ascension of Mary into heaven, a metaphorical description of what has just happened to Calixta, and, to further the connection, â€Å"her firm, elastic flesh† is compared to a â€Å"creamy lily. † The lily is Mary's flower.SYMBOLISMThe Storm The storm is a super obvi ous symbol. It's involved in practically every element of the story. First off, it's the title. Second, it plays a huge role in the plot, forming the beginning and the end of the story. It also plays a really important part in the middle by bringing Calixta and Alcee together, pushing them into each other's arms and giving them the time and space to get physical before the world outside returns to normal. Assumption Assumption is the small town where Calixta and Alcee met up and shared kisses long ago. It's also, tellingly, where they did not give in to their carnal desires completely – they never had sex there.The name Assumption has religious connotations that remind us of virginity and chastity. In Christianity, it's a reference to a specific event: the Virgin Mary's ascent to heaven after she dies. Whitenes With all the whiteness mentioned repeatedly throughout the story, â€Å"The Storm† practically reaches Moby-Dick levels. White usually symbolizes purity or chas tity, but this story twists it around to represent sexual desire and longing. While this whiteness in literature would traditionally refer to a body that the male character couldn't access, that purity is transformed into sexuality here.The â€Å"flame† of Calixta's â€Å"passion† is â€Å"white†; her body in all its ecstasy is â€Å"like a creamy lily. † In this story, the color white might almost be better understood as red-hot. It means giving in, not holding back.SUMMARYBobinot and his four-year-old son, Bibi, are at Friedheimer's store when a particularly violent storm emerges. The two decide to remain at the store until the storm passes. Meanwhile, back at their house, Calixta is so occupied with her sewing that, at first, she does not notice the ominous clouds or thunder.Finally, she notices that it is growing darker outside and decides to shut the windows and retrieve Bobinot's clothes, which are hanging outside. Alcee, one of Calixta's former bea us, rides up on his horse and helps her remove the remaining clothes from the line. The storm worsens and Calixta invites Alcee into her home until it abates. Alcee is hesitant to come in and stays outside until it becomes apparent that the storm is not going to let up. Calixta gathers up the lengths of cotton sheet she had been sewing while Alcee takes a seat in the rocker.Calixta goes over to the window and observes the intensity of the storm and worries about her husband and son. Alcee attempts to comfort her and reminisces about the passion they once felt for each another. As the storm increases in intensity, so does the passion of the two former lovers. Alcee brings up the passion and love they once had for one another. The adulterers' sexual encounter ends at the same time as the storm. Alcee rides off on his horse. Bobinot and Bibi return from the store and Calixta immediately embraces them.Calixta acts like nothing hadwas happened and she even wants to feast with her husband their way back to home. The story ends with the sentence: â€Å"So the storm passed and everyone was happy† symbolizing Calixta and Alcee were happy to have the affair. This is also a good sentence to summarize the whole of the story. When the storm hashave passed they all returned to the normality.BIBLIOGRAPHYhttp://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Kate_Chopin http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/The_Storm_%28short_story%29 http://www. katechopin. org/the-storm. shtml

Education Is the Main Agent of Secondary Socialisation Essay

Secondary socialisation is an ongoing process which occurs when a child leaves a family environment and continues learning how to live as a member of society. There is always an influence to help carry out this process, this is known as an agent of socialisation. The perfect example of an agent of secondary socialisation is Education, more precisely, school. At school, the student continues learning that which they started learning at home. The aim of education is for the individual to learn how to behave in certain situations and places. One of the main aims of education in schools is the preparation for the world of work, one of the most predominant aspects of social life. Functionalists view the positive aspects when it comes to education’s contribution to society as a whole. Functionalists view education as meritocratic, stating that it is a system which is fair on everyone. They attribute intelligence and effort as being the keys to success. Parsons, a functionalist, says that schools are a major tool when it comes to role allocation. He views education as being important when selecting the future roles of individuals in society. In his own words, he states that an educational system ‘’functions to allocate these human resources within the role-structure of adult society’. Parsons therefore concludes that schools test the student while also evaluates them, to give a suitable job based upon the talents and skills that the student has. Parsons view regarding the values transmitted may not have been that of society as a whole, but perhaps as a ruling minority. Something which Parsons has been criticised for. His view upon schools being a meritocratic system was also questioned. Meanwhile, another functionalist, Durkheim, says that schools are society in miniature which is modelled after the social system. Same as in society, in school, an individual has to abide by a certain set of rules which in turn prepares the student for interaction with the members of society as a whole. Durkheim believes that the rules should be enforced and also punishments should be given to reflect the offence’s seriousness. This being done as a lesson for pupils to act in favour of the interests of society as a whole and also learning to exercise self-discipline in the process. Durkheim also claims that the students learn specific skills which are important for their future occupation, saying that this is important due to the increasing specialisation of labour. Durkheim is criticized for her descriptions of how schools act, with some researchers questioning this. David Hargreaves says that education in modern Britain fails to promote self-discipline. Bowles and Gintis, Marxist economists, do not agree with the Functionalists in their view that education is meritocratic. They believe that achievement can be influenced by the class background, citing this influence as the most important one, claiming that there is no such thing as equality. Despite education being open to all, they claim that some have more opportunities than others. Children who are of wealthier and more powerful backgrounds tend to have higher qualifications and more respectable jobs, without any reference to their abilities. Bowles and Gintis say that this is disguised by a myth of meritocracy done by the educational system. Those who do not have access to success do not blame the system which has forced them to fail, but blame themselves. Their views are criticised for claims regarding how the student’s personalities are shaped because of the school. No matter what kind of view or perspective is presented regarding the subject of education, it is quite obvious that education or school is one of the main agents of socialisation because we can say that school regulations are similar to those we find in the work place. Therefore the student learns norms and values that are expected in society.

China in the World Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

China in the World Economics - Essay Example At the conclusion of his trip, the Shanghai Communiqu declared a statement of their shared foreign policy views. But following the suppression of Communist demonstrators in June 1989, U.S. suspended high-level official exchanges with the PRC and weapons exports and also imposed a number of economic sanctions on account of its absence of Human Rights policies. Following the September 11 2001 attacks, the U.S. and PRC commenced a counterterrorism propaganda that positively reflected in their joint ventures and wholly US-owned enterprises in mainland China. The 1969-79 years featured normalization of relations between the People's Republic of China and the United States. The economic and political maturity of China, coupled with new concerns over the nature of Chinese-American interactions (concerns that were prompted by several circumstances, including the Vietnam War and Nixon's surprise visit to the PRC), caused the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China. ... The PRC welcomed the visit for a variety of reasons, the most important of which was probably the perceived imminence of a Soviet attack on China. A second factor was Peking's concern that Japan's tremendous economic growth might serve as the basis for a revitalization of Japanese militarism until United States by virtue of its security treaty with Japan help prevent any such Japanese rearmament. The size of the Chinese economy, even measured in current U.S. dollar (USD) terms, is likely to have surpassed that of Britain and leapt to be the fourth largest economy in the world by the end of 2005. Since its re-entry into the world economy in the late 1970s, China has been a beneficiary of the international economic system. In the 1990s, more and more states pursue the strategy of entering into free trade agreements that offer preferential terms of trade among its members while discriminating against nonmembers. The establishment of the WTO in 1995, whose explicit intent was to strength en application of the principle of non-discrimination of its member economies, saw a growth in the number of FTAs. By mid-2000, one hundred and fourteen FTAs were in effect. Steve Van Andel, chairman of the US Chamber of Commerce and board chairman of the US-based Amway Company, during an exclusive interview with People's Daily correspondent Liu Aicheng stationed in the United States the Chinese markets potential and economic development to be very promising. He said: US Amway Company, founded in 1959, is a world-famous producer of household products for daily use. The company has been investing in China for seven years, with the total investment topping US$1 million, and it has planned to expand its investment

History of penicillin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of penicillin - Essay Example In 1896, a French medical student, Ernest Duchesne was the first person to notice Penicillin. Later in 1928, bacteriologist Alexander Fleming re-discovered the drug while working at St. Marys Hospital in London. Fleming discovered an interesting phenomenon with a plate culture of Staphylococcus. He was able to notice that the culture had produced a blue-green mold, which consequently dissolved colonies of bacteria surrounding the mold (Bellis, 4). After a couple of months, further research in to the phenomenon revealed that the mold produced an unknown substance, which dissolved the bacteria. The research also revealed that this mold was not harmful to animals but it was able to kill disease-causing organisms especially bacteria (Hare, 1). In 1939, Dr. Howard Florey, and three partners at Oxford University were able to show that penicillin was actually capable of killing bacteria that cause diseases. They discovered this by conducting intensive research in the capability and strength of the drug. However, there was a challenge, which hindered scientists from Britain to conduct intensive examinations of the drug with humans. This was due to the intensified war with Germany, which rendered the scientists unable to produce adequate quantities of penicillin for human trials. As a result, these British scientists turned to the United States for help. After several intensive experiments in the Peoria Lab, these scientists worked on various methods to increase the growth rate of fungal cultures (Bellis, 6). On 24 August 1940, there was the first publishing of Oxford papers, which showed the capability of penicillin in treating experimentally infected animals. Later, on 2 September same year, Fleming demonstrated that penicillin had the capability of producing total inhibition of staphylococci in human blood (Hare, 21). In 1943, scientists carried out the needed clinical trials, which demonstrated that penicillin was the most effectual antibacterial agent to

Short Answers to Marketing Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Short Answers to Marketing Questions - Essay Example Pricing involves deciding the right price on the basis of competition and desired margins. Besides, planning marketing strategy is an overriding function of marketing management where planning for various marketing activities is done in accordance with organizational goals. 2. Developing a new product generally involves seven steps. The first step is the idea generation where the idea may be regarding a new innovation or customization of an existing product to new market, target segment or geography. The second step is screening where useful ideas are shortlisted from a large number of ideas. In the third step, the testing of the idea or concept is performed. Fourth step involves financial and technical analysis of the prospective product. The fifth step is the actual development or design of the new product. In the next step, test marketing is done on a focus group or selected markets. The last step is the commercialization of the product which is also called Go to Market. 3. The pr oduct life cycle shows the path of a product in an industry through 4 stages. Consider the example of an electronic product such as a mobile phone. A new mobile phone is introduced into the market in its first stage with a lot of marketing hype to make it attractive to customers. As customers buy it and realize its benefits, more customers buy the mobile phone leading the product towards a growth stage. After the product sales reach a peak, it is no longer very attractive to customers because of introduction of new advanced products and technologies by competitors. The product reaches a maturity stage. Finally, the mobile phone is no longer attractive to customers. Its features become obsolete. It reaches a decline stage and is phased out of the market. 4. An organization can primarily use 4 promotional methods in its promotion mix. Advertising involves non-personal communication through mass media. For example, advertisement of a soap over TV. Personal selling is aimed at informing and convincing customers personally to buy products. For example, Sales representatives selling credit cards. Public relations include maintaining indirect relations with customers through useful sources such as favorable articles in newspapers. Sales promotion contains activities such as providing incentives and gift vouchers to boost sales. 5. While creating an advertising campaign, the company firstly needs to identify the target audience. Secondly, the company must decide the quantifiable objectives to be conveyed to the prospective customers as a result of the campaign. Thirdly, the organization must create the advertising platform containing issues important to both company and the customers. Thereafter, the organization needs to decide the money to be spent and the media forms to be used. Lastly, the company must decide how to measure the advertising effectiveness. 6. Public relations are a set of communication steps taken by an organization to maintain a healthy relationshi p between itself and its various stakeholders. A company can reach almost anyone through public relations. For example, a positive newspaper article describing the efficient manufacturing process in a steel factory can go a long way in establish good relations with customers, shareholders, government, environmental regulatory agencies, NGOs, suppliers and so on. 7. The competition between two or more firms is said to be price competition when the

The Climate of Teamwork Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Climate of Teamwork - Essay Example In the following parts, first, some background information has been provided. It is followed by the segment elaborating the teamwork in the presentation. Subsequently, definition and application of Honey and Mumford learning style part have been included. Before conclusion, preferred learning style has been detailed. My team consisted of five members. After a careful deliberation, it was decided that each team member will have individual tasks and subsequently they will be required to give a presentation on the given topic. For our team, the topic was â€Å"Analysis on the Market Position and Financial Performance of Orange.† For this task, I assigned different activities/tasks to the team members in which literature research and company research, Harvard citation style and writing the assignment were the main areas given to the team members. After completing this part, it was time to give a presentation on the topic. For the presentation, we sat together and chalked out the presentation strategy. Belbin has identified 9 team roles: plant, shaper, resource investigator, co-coordinator, implementer, evaluator/monitor, team worker, and finisher/completer and specialist (Belbin, 2014). Each role requires different expertise, potential and skill and capable enough to handle a particular situation within a team. Belbin describes that the role of the shaper is identified as having dynamic behavior, outgoing besides challenging ineffectiveness and complacency (Prichard and Stanton, 1999). However, Belbin also points out that the team of shaper demonstrates higher work rates and capable enough to search out different possible ways to get things sorted out (Prichard and Stanton, 1999). Keeping in view the requirements and work of the task I had, I performed the role of the shaper.

Week 4 Discussion 2 (Chapter 6) Inventories Assignment

Week 4 Discussion 2 (Chapter 6) Inventories - Assignment Example It can be achieved by using radio frequency, bar coding and electronic product codes on item usually employed in the manufacturing of fast food like breads, meat, cheese, oil etc. All such items may be purchased from good suppliers who offer them in notified quantities with coded information (Warren, Reeve & Duchac, 2011). Being different natured businesses, the vending truck and the physician’s office involve only a few numbers of individuals while a shoe-retailer might involve a great number of workers and as the number of workers increase more control efforts are required to escape the loss of inventory by theft and damage. Hence the guidelines might be strict and comprehensive for the shoe- retailer but they may be less rigid for the physician’s office and the food vending truck. An internal control system is required in all sorts of businesses to ensure appropriate management of inventory can be done (Axsà ¤ter, 2006). In order to implement a proper inventory control mechanism, the following suggestions must be implemented. First of all a written procedure and policy guidelines for inventory management at department level is needed. Then in order to fully implement the framed policy, all the staff should be given proper training. Duties should be separated sufficiently among indivi duals having the responsibility for the physical inventory like placing an order, receiving, selling/ distributing and those having the responsibility for accounting the inventory records like sanctioning payments, appointing departments/customers, preserving the perpetual merchandise inventory balance within the Financial System and then reconciling it. However each can install an inventory system that keeps the record of all sorts of activities related to inventory including acquiring, sales, adjustments and returns and it should be secured in a way that any item of inventory may neither be removed

The Accountability Strategy read chapter 8 Article

The Accountability Strategy read chapter 8 - Article Example To measure activities used in teaching mathematics in a school, the most important measure involves imparting new skills thus the need to evaluate the learning resources applied by the teacher. There is also need to assess the amount of time spent in effective instruction and the means used. For example hands-on learning is more effective, thus by this assessment, activities can be measured. In measuring output, keys aspects to look into entail, attendance can be used as a measure since high attendance of the lesson indicates interest, while the outcomes can be measured against the objectives of the lesson, which in this case would be application question in a test depicting real life events. This is particularly possible in algebra lessons, which are both abstract and applicable. Therefore, effectiveness can be measured using the amount of time spent teaching and this can then be put against the goals and objectives. More time with poor results indicate low efficiency, while less time and better results indicates otherwise. Collection of information about efficiency, output, outcome and activities can be obtained from official records since all teachers are required to keep records of the work they have taught. As such, this makes it easy to obtain information unless the data is confidential, as is the case with test scores. If the names of students are not required, then the acquisition of this data becomes fairly easy. Collection of data is meant to evaluate effectiveness of methods of teaching and the resources allocated to the teacher, as well as the time taken to teach (Berman, 2006 pg. 150). As a result, the most important aspect of the data is in the learning outcomes, where learning outcomes take centre stage. This affects the choice of performance measure in that the outcome has to be reflected on most in spite of the purposes overlapping. The difference between accomplishments and activities is narrow as there is

Religious and Ethnic Diversity Paper Essay Example for Free

Religious and Ethnic Diversity Paper Essay The religious group that I have chosen is Hinduism and the ethnic/racial group that is not my own that I have chosen is Black (African Descent). I have chosen these two to explain how they are similar and how they are different. Hinduism is a religion that most people know nothing about. They are one of the world’s oldest religions as it has no beginning and precedes recorded history. Hinduism is a religion that leads the individual to personally experience the truth within themselves and reach full consciousness where man and God are one. After reading I have found that Hinduism differs from other religious groups because they believe in reincarnation whereas the other religious groups believe that once a person dies they either will go to heaven or hell depending on how they were when they were alive. The experience of Hinduism and others that do not share their beliefs or practices is criticism. They are often judged and criticized because they fail to distinguish between revelations. This religious group has contributed to American culture because they don’t believe in violence. They also contributed to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Some examples of prejudice and discrimination against Hinduism would be the Caste system or saying that they all burn their wives as well as discriminate against India where most come from. After reading the information to write this paper I must say it has helped me to understand this religion because I didn’t know that they were so much criticized. From what I read it seems like a very peaceful religion. They believe in reincarnation which I believe is possible, I mean, â€Å"why does a person have to go to heaven or hell†? I think that their religion is against violence which we definitely could have less of. The racial group that I have chosen was Black of African descent. This group differs from others because they have gone through so much over the years. They have experienced slavery which many other religions haven’t as they more so experienced discrimination. Blacks have not had such a great experience with other races because of always being mistreated because of their color. I think that they were brought over for slavery and still experience this even now these days from certain types of other races. Blacks have contributed to American culture though business and through entertainment. Most of the entertainment business is African American as well as sports and now we even have a black president. All very good contributions to American culture. Some examples of discrimination would be things like unequal pay for blacks performing the same work as whites, isolating blacks to only work in certain areas or specific locations, routinely denying black’s promotions, laying off blacks while whites keep their jobs and take on theirs as well. All of these are prime examples of discrimination that blacks go through in the United States. The sources of this discrimination would be whites or other races that were not black. Most of the cases that I read about though were whites still discriminating against black even after all the movements to move past racism. What I learned about this racial group is that even after all these years they are still faced with discrimination more than other racial groups. I can’t really say that I have learned any more than I already knew just because I see this happen regularly. I have a black/Cuban fiance and I have seen jobs do these things to him and now we have 2 boys that are mixed with white and black and have seen them faced with discrimination just because of the color of their skin. In conclusion, I believe that Hinduism and Black (African descent) both experience similar discrimination if the fact that they are perceived by first impressions and by the color of their skin. They are not given the luxury of being spoken with or getting to know them without the preconceived notion of their skin color. Both Hinduism and Blacks contribute to American culture business wise and yet many fail to know that. I can’t really say they are different because these two groups both experience prejudice and discrimination quite often. They are both groups of people that have done nothing wrong and just want to be a part of the world. References Nine Beliefs of Hinduism. (2013). Retrieved from http://www. himalayanacademy. com/readlearn/basics/nine-beliefs Hinduism and the Encounter with Other Faiths. (2008). Retrieved from http://www. worlddialogue. org/content. php? id=59 The Black Factor. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://theblackfactor. blogspot. com/2008/03/examples-of-discrimination-harassment. html.

Technological Innovation in Indian Banking Sector Essay Example for Free

Technological Innovation in Indian Banking Sector Essay TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN INDIAN BANKING SECTOR – USE OF IT PRODUCTS Dr. Kanhaiya Singh, Professor, Fore School of Management, New Delhi,India Dr. U. S. Pandey, Associate Professor University of Delhi, New Delhi, India Priya Gupta, Asst. Professor, SSCBS, University of Delhi, Research Scholar, BIT(Mesra) Ranchi ABSTRACT Transformation is taking in Indian banks from all verticals, and subtle and not – so – subtle makeovers in banking products are dynamically altering the face of banking. The research paper focuses on the way transformation is affecting the banking sector and the way use of IT products have changed the face of banking in India. It reveals current environment of the banking industry; the factors that have brought changes in the industry; and the way these changes have contributed to the development of banking. This paper concludes that financial market has turned into a buyer’s market. Banks are have now bloomed into one-stop Supermarkets. Their focus is shifting from mass Banking to Class banking with introduction of value added and customized products. Technology now allows banks to create what looks like a branch in a business building’s lobby without having to hire manpower for manual operations. These branches are working on the concept of 24 X 7 working made possible due to Tele banking, ATMs, Internet Banking, Mobile Banking and E banking. This technology driven delivery channels are used to reach maximum customers at lower cost and in most efficient manner. The beauty of these banking innovations is that it puts both banker and customer in a winwin situation. The need of an hour is to design a system to promote marginal efficiency of investment in technology and widen the gap between marginal benefits and marginal cost involved in Banking transformation with special reference to technological up gradation. Keywords: CRM, ECS, Skimming, Spoofing, ATMs INTRODUCTION The study presents a broad overview of the current state of the  banking industry in India. It then goes on to identify some important forces for change and some important forces resisting change. Attention is paid finally to growth path of banking sector with technological advancement. It is depicted that banking is going to be intensely competitive and complex. The best idea would be for the domestic banks to enhance mutual co-operation in order to create a healthier market order and raise the overall competitiveness of the industry as a whole. Incorporation of advanced technology and International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2011, Vol. No.II, Issue II, January-June 2011 http://www.myresearchpie.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703  utilization of modern management techniques are other crucial aspects at which domestic banks should pay keen interest. Indian Banking Transformation – The Starting Point Since independence Indian banks have undergone through four major shifts which can categorized as pre reform (before 1991) and post reform period (after 1991): Pre-Reform period: A period of consolidation of banks up to 1966 A period of historic expansion in both geographical and functional terms from1966 to mid- 1980s A period of consolidation of branches from mid 1980s to 1991 These changes were policy induced but not driven by market forces. Post- Reform period Entry of technology in the Indian banking sector can be traced back to the Rangarajan Committee report, way back in the 1980s but during nineties, the banking sector witnessed various liberalization measures. New private sector and foreign banks emerged equipped with the latest technology. These banks opted for a different model of having a single centralized database through a network infrastructure, instead of having multiple databases for all their branches. These changes were market driven, having the influence especially of globalization. The crux is Indian banks have no control over developments  abroad but are subjected to their effects. Hence these changes were not the outcome of internal changes but of external changes. Deregulation has opened up new opportunities for banks to increase revenues by diversifying into investment banking, insurance, credit cards, mortgage financing, depository services, securitization, etc. Now all the banks have started with the concept of multi- channels, like ATMs, credit cards, debit cards, telephone/mobile banking, internet banking, call centers, etc. The role of banking is redefined from a mere financial intermediary to service provider of various financial services under one roof acting like a financial supermarket. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2011, Vol. No.II, Issue II, January-June 2011 http://www.myresearchpie.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 Forces for change in Indian Banking: Underlying forces for change Developments in communication systems, coupled with blurring of differences between banks and non banks and globalization have aggravated the competitive environment. Technology became a key differentiator for the new private sector banks. The technological superiority helped these private sector banks to have upper edge over public sector banks. The traditional source of income (Net Interest margin = Interest Earned – Interest Expended) was compressed due to the pressure of competition. As a result commercial banks had to face the challenge of finding out new sources of income and curtailing overhead expenses. The operating conditions are different for private sector and public sector banks in India (wage bill, legacy of non-performing assets and extensive network of Public sector banks) which results in imperfect competition in the market. With increasing competition among banks, customers are also becoming more discerning and demanding. To meet customer expectations, banks will have to offer a broad range of  deposit, investment and credit products through diverse distribution channels including upgraded branches, ATMs, telephone and Internet. The mantra to attract and retain customers lies in efficient customer service including customized and value added products to meet various needs of individual customers as also to meet the need of diverse types of customers. Manifestation of underlying forces: Concern Issues: Use of technology to be increased substantially in banks to cope with rising volumes and reduce transaction costs and processing time. In Public Sector Banks, legacy systems and interoperability is a major hurdle in the integration of all delivery channels. A major problem of banks in India is the availability of excessive data, the relevance and quality of which are both suspect. The inculcation of a proper attitude towards technology adaptation and proper security systems is an urgent need of the hour. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2011, Vol. No.II, Issue II, January-June 2011 http://www.myresearchpie.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 Very low level of computer literacy and the existing mind set of some senior bankers are road blocks in the IT implementation in banks to 100% level. It related security issues in Indian banks are also a matter of concern. Suggestions Recommendations: Better and cheaper access to basic infrastructure requirements such as power and telecommunications. Creation of customer awareness and education for technology adoption are imperative. The IT Act 2000 needs to implement in totality to handle legal issues. Set up an Electronic Banking Group to provide guiding principles for prudent risk management of e- banking activities E-security to be tackled efficiently so as to mitigate all the attendant risks. Convert branches into boutiques catering to the requirements of clients and re-engineer the  functions of branch banking using technology and delivery channels. BANKING INNOVATIONS Today we have electronic payment system along with currency notes. India‟s financial sector is moving towards a scenario, where it can have new instruments along with liquidity and safety. Important events in the evolution of new age payment systems in India Arrival of card- based payments- debit card, credit card- late 1980‟s and early 1990‟s. Introduction of Electronic Clearing Service (ECS) in late 1990‟s Introduction of Electronic Funds Transfer/ Special EFT (EFT/SEFT) in the early 2000‟s Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) was introduced in March 2004 International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2011, Vol. No.II, Issue II, January-June 2011 http://www.myresearchpie.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 Introduction of NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer)as a replacement for EFT/SEFT in 2005/06 Plan for implementation of cheque truncation system as a pilot program in New Delhi in 2007. Migration from cash and cheque based payment system, it has become a necessity to electronic fund transfer system on account of the following reasons: 1. Large volumes of transaction, 2. High cost of physical handling and storage of paper instruments. 3. Delay in realization is a common feature. 4. Finality of payment takes time because the physical movement of instruments in large volumes from branches to and from clearing house, and sorting them according to each bank branch at the center creates problems. RBI has taken two major steps to tackle this problem: Use Of Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) technology was resorted to facilitate and expedite physical sorting of instruments using high-speed MICR sorters. There are about 40 MICR centers in India today. Introduction of Electronic Clearing Service. The ECS was the first version of „Electronic Payments‟ in India. It is a mode of electronic funds transfer from one bank account to another bank account using the mechanism of clearing house. It is very useful in case of bulk transfers from one account to many accounts or vice- versa. There are two types of ECS (Electronic Clearing Service) 1. ECS – credit 2. ECS- debit. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2011, Vol. No.II, Issue II, January-June 2011 http://www.myresearchpie.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 ECS facility is available at more than 60 centers in India. The beneficiary has to maintain an account with one of the banks at ECS center in order to avail benefits of ECS. ECS- CREDIT Advantages of ECS to ultimate beneficiary are: No need to make frequent visits to bank for depositing physical paper instruments. No possibility of loss of instrument and fraudulent encashment No chance of delay or return in realization of proceeds as in the case of paper instruments. Benefits to Corporate bodies of ECS Save on administrative machinery for printing, dispatch and reconciliation Avoid the chance of loss of instruments in postal transit Avoid the chance of frauds due to fraudulent access to the paper instruments and encashment It can be ensured that the beneficiary‟s accounts get credited on a designated date. ECS DEBIT It is a scheme under which an account holder with a bank can authorize an ECS user to recover an amount at a prescribed frequency by raising a debit in his account. Utility service providers such as telephone companies, electricity boards, credit card collections, collection of loan installments by bank and financial institutions, and investment schemes such as mutual funds are eligible to participate in the ECS debit scheme.  Advantages of ECS debit scheme A. To the ultimate beneficiary is: Eliminates the need of physical visit and the trouble of standing in long queues for making payment There is no need to track down payments by last dates. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2011, Vol. No.II, Issue II, January-June 2011 http://www.myresearchpie.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 B. To the corporate bodies and Institutions are: Saves on administrative machinery for collecting the cheques, monitoring their realization and reconciliation Better cash management Avoids chances of fraud Receives payments on a single date These schemes were introduced when Indian banking was in infant stage of its computerization hence cost benefits could not be maximized. EFT Electronic Fund transfer EFT scheme targeted one to one payments as an alternative to the use of cheques and drafts for remitting funds between bank accounts located at different centers. EFT encountered the problem of low level of computerization and connectivity in the Indian banking industry. Core Banking Solution CBS is a centralized platform, which creates environment where the entire bank‟s operations can be controlled, and run from a centralized hub. This creates a centralized customer database, which makes anytime, anywhere, anyway banking possible. Immediate advantages of CBS are: Faster and efficient customer service. Offering multiple delivery channels, like ATMs, Cards, mobile/Telephone Banking, internet Banking, Call centers, etc. Reducing the operational costs, through manpower saving and space saving. Centralizing the back end processes and reporting. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2011, Vol. No.II, Issue II, January-June 2011 http://www.myresearchpie.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 Creating a customer profile database, it is a powerful tool for gaining competitive advantage through cross selling opportunities. Adoption of Risk management, by taking care of risk-monitoring and risk-reporting requirements. ATMs ATMs are an issue of survival for the banks and are becoming just another part of everyday life. Falling costs of machines and connectivity is a key factor contributing to the growth of ATM network. Banks have also been cutting costs and gaining synergies through ATM sharing agreements amongst themselves, for example: Cash Tree (Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Indian Bank, Dena Bank and Syndicate Bank) SBI, HDFC Bank, UTI Bank, Indian Bank and Andhra Bank ICICI Bank, Andhra Bank and Federal Bank Banks are now using ATMs for product promotion as banks market broader financial services to their captive audience of ATM users. But these facilities come with added problems when huge amount of money is withdrawn by large number of consumers in a market period (very short period of time). CRM Customer Relationship Management Solution is the set of methodologies and tools that help an enterprise manage customer relationships in an organized way finding, getting, and retaining customers. It helps to provide better customer service, increase customer revenues, discover new customers and sell products more effectively. CORPORATE INTERNET BANKING The Internet has initiated an electronic revolution in the global banking  sector. Its dynamic and flexible nature as well as its ubiquitous reach has helped in leveraging a variety of banking activities. The Internet has emerged as one of the major distribution channels of banking products and services for banks in the U.S and in European countries. Consumers International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2011, Vol. No.II, Issue II, January-June 2011 http://www.myresearchpie.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703  are embracing the many benefits of Internet banking like improved customer access which facilitates the offering of more services, attract new customers and reduce customer attrition. Advantages of Internet Banking: A) Advantages to customers Banking from your desk: with e-banking services, one can actually carry out a number of transactions sitting on one‟s seat with just a few click. Net banking customers view their account balance and also open fixed deposits, transfer funds, pay electricity, telephone or mobile phones bills and much more. Instant information: The accounts of the customers are updated as soon as the transaction takes place i.e., the accounts show the information updated to the last second. This means if a cheque issued by you has been debited from your account in the morning, your account status will reflect this when you log in to your accounts in the afternoon as against the earlier updating at the end of the day. (B) Advantages to the banks Lesser personnel required: online banking has encouraged a chunk of people, though a smaller one to carry out most of their transactions from a distance. This has resulted in lesser pressure on the employees in terms of entertaining customers. Easy publicity: banks can easily pass on the information about their new avenues/schemes without any wastage of time. Customers interested in the schemes would revert back and can be attended to later. PAYMENT SYSTEMS BY RBI: Inter-bank Clearing System High Value Clearing System MICR Clearing System Government Securities Clearing System and Real Time Gross Settlement System International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2011, Vol. No.II, Issue II, January-June 2011 http://www.myresearchpie.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 Banks not only deal with corporate and individual but also they need to make payments to each other to settle the accounts arising of the transactions carried out for their customers, and also for borrowing or repayment, investments, sale and purchase of various assets. These payments have to be effected through their accounts maintained with the Reserve Bank of India. Real Time Gross Settlement System The inter Bank Payments handle large amounts of money. The RTGS system is one in which payment instructions between banks are processed and settled individually and continuously throughout the day. In India currently it covers more than 28,000 branches of banks. The attraction of RTGS is that the payee banks and their customers receive funds with certainty and finality during the same day enabling them to use the funds immediately without exposing themselves to risk. RTGS system, do not create credit risk for the receiving participant because they settle the each payment individually , as soon as it is accepted , liquidity risks remains, as well as the possibility of the risks being shifted outside the system .The security has to ensure that hacking is not possible at the site. RISK FACTORS The latest fraud which is considered as the safest method of crime without making physical injury is the Computer Frauds in Banks. Computerization of banks had started since 1994 in India. Reserve Bank of India has evolved working pattern for Local area Network and wide area Network by instituting different microwave stations so that money transactions could be carried out quickly and safely. The main banking tasks which computers perform are maintaining debit-credit records of accounts,  operating automated teller machines, and carry out electronic fund transfer, print out statements of accounts create periodic balance sheets etc. Internet facilities of computer have revolutionized international banking for fund transfer and for exchanging data of interest relating to banking and to carry out other banking functions and provides certain security to the customers by assigning different pin numbers and passwords. Computer depredations have by some been classified as: International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2011, Vol. No.II, Issue II, January-June 2011 http://www.myresearchpie.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 1. Computer frauds; and 2. Computer crimes Computer frauds are those involve embezzlement or defalcations achieved by tampering with computer data record or programme, etc. whereas computer crimes are those committed with a computer that is where a computer acts as a medium. The difference is however academic only. The three most common are: 1. Cheque Frauds The resolute growth of paper cheques coupled with the ready availability of latest printing technology has resulted in an alarming rise in cheque frauds in Indian banks. Cheques are widely used instruments across the globe. It is interesting to note that cheques as a payment mechanism are still having a dominant position, both in developed and developing countries. Banks have been working very hard to wean customers from paper cheques. Cheques are expensive to print, mail and process. Other problems associated with cheques are inherent manual – handling process, high costs for banks, and high transportation costs between parties. Concept and Magnitude of Cheque Frauds There are a variety of ways to categorize cheque frauds. One broad distinction is â€Å"internal† and â€Å"external†. Internal cheque fraud refers to schemes devised by insiders – employees responsible for creating, authorizing, or processing cheques. External cheque fraud refers to schemes  created by independent operators or by organized gangs. The most common forms of external fraud involves: a. Alteration of cheque details b. Creation of counterfeit cheques c. Forgery of cheques Physical Security Controls used are watermarks, high resolution micro printing, reflective holograms, and security inks etc.

Effect Of Technology On Architecture Construction Essay

Effect Of Technology On Architecture Construction Essay Technology has played a big role in shaping the current society and its surroundings. It has affected every aspects of human life and one of them is space in the field of architecture and interior design. As technology changes, so does the practice of architecture and interior design. Previously, without the technology, the value of architecture lies in the process of crafting experience in a space. But, nowadays, with the technology, the value has changed into privileging the visual aesthetics of the space or described as visual architecture. Therefore, this essay aims to investigate the current effect of technology in architecture and interior design. As well as to argue that the current visual architecture has decreased the value of architecture. INTRODUCTION Technology opens the door to the future. It is one of the main essences that shape and change the way society behaves, as well as transcends the surrounding to suit the way society lives. Nowadays, the effect of technology has reached almost every level of the society, and one of them is modern building technology. It has great implication in the creation of space in both architecture and interior design. Since the early days, architecture is one of the most important needs of man. It provides space to live and works, an environment for interaction and provoking emotions, as well as a realm where experiences and memories are created. Feelings and emotions are evoked by the form and shape, the arrangement of forms and by relationships that space draws with the surroundings. It affects every part of human senses. As technology developed, the meaning of architecture started to adapt accordingly. Formerly, with conventional building construction technology such as wood-framed, stone-stacking and mud bricks structures, the shape and form of architecture that could be achieved was only a simple and pure form. It led to a trend of homogeneous building, which made architecture looks similar with its surroundings. Because of this limitation, architects and designers became more sensitive and focused on crafting experiences in a space. These experiences then become memories that will be remembered by the visitor and elements that differentiate one building from another. As this continues, because of the limitation on the materials, buildings visual aesthetic is slowly decreasing. Currently, with the creation and development of new building materials and technologies, the inventions of cutting-edge and futuristic looking forms and shapes are possible. New materials and structures are evolved and manufactured everywhere. These advancements have made architects trying to work out and explore the possibility of how these new materials can be used to elaborate and create new structures for buildings. Unintentionally, these advancements has also made them became so attached to visual appearance. Meaning that majority of them concentrate on using technology in order to discover new forms and shapes for architecture in order to reflect the idea for which it was designed. The design of the building that focused on visual aesthetics has led to a trend of creating a form that looks good rather than a space that feels good. With this trend continuing, it seems that the role of visual sense has being privileged when compared to other human senses. The impact of this trend causes the design of the current architecture being reduced and restricted into visual senses. With the absence of other senses, the strength of interaction between our bodies and a space is being diminished. This is because human experience space and environment through all of their senses, not only through the visual. The trend also indicates that the tendency in architecture of image rather than architecture of experience is increasing. The products of architecture of image will only offer visual consumption which wont create lasting impressions that all the architects strive for. It will only become a nice looking postcard of visually striking building. Hence, the essay aims to prove that the current use of technology in architecture is only being used to achieve visual aesthetics and has decreased the value of architecture. The essay will also argue that technology to achieve powerful or aesthetically pleasing form to the sight has to be able to grow hand in hand with other human senses, in order to create valuable experience and memory in a space. Only then, the value of architecture can be pushed to a full potential. Architecture of Experience rather than Visual Instead of experiencing our being in the world, we behold it from outside as spectators of images projected on the surface of the retina. Pallasmaa, J, 2005, p.47 Before we can move forward to the main issue, to question the effect of technology towards current architecture, it is important to look and understand briefly what is the nature and value of architecture since the early days it was created. Throughout the history, despite of a large number of definitions which have been proposed by numerous architects, the answer to the nature and value of architecture has never come to a conclusion. Maybe it is because there are diverse ways to formulate an answer to this. Davies (2008) noted that one of the numerous definitions of architecture that can be found in dictionaries, refer to the meaning of, a method or style of building. It seems that this definition leads to a diminishing understanding that building is just an object of visual aesthetic. Some even make comparison of architecture with other form of arts which is sculpture. For instance, Santiago Calatrava, a world-renowned Santiago Calatrava: Sculpture into Architecture, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Spanish architects that combined sculpture and painting with architecture. He is claimed as a building sculptor and had a world-wide exhibition of his works. James Gardner (2005, The Art Behind the Architect, The NY Sun newspaper) mentioned that there is no clear line whether Calatrava is a sculptor that design buildings or an architect that makes sculptures. And whether his works are sculptures that are in a form of architecture or a combination of both art and architecture. So is architecture is just a method of applying aesthetics consideration to the form of buildings? Or it is just an art of making buildings beautiful? This idea of definition seems to have missed a central core of the nature and value of architecture. Previously, in the prehistoric time where architecture was not even born yet, human lived in a nomadic way. They moved from one place to another. When night came, they stopped and lighted a fire to warm themselves up. By doing so, they started to define a place. And if they intend to stay there longer, they started to define a place to sleep, a place to shelter them from the rain, a place to collect and store food, a place where they could defend themselves from danger, etc. From their chosen site, experience of their surrounding, until the organization of their place, this leads to an evolution from a place to architecture. Based on that, one can say that the nature and value of architecture is in the sense of a place that is created by the organization between buildings with the surrounding and context itself. Thus, architecture relates to the way people live, it changes and evolves based on the environments, experiences and needs. As time goes on, places that people used have became more diverse, sophisticated and complex which made architecture consistently changing as well. Starting from the prehistoric era where human dwells in occasional caves to stone-stacking shelters. Then evolves to temporal tents make by frame-wood structures and into round houses that made of mud bricks. And as human becomes more civilized, the needs of place for different functions emerged too. From a place to worship gods, a place to trade things, a place for entertainment and so much more. These places will keep on expanding to meet the different needs of human. Moreover, tools to build and transport materials, such as wheels or pulleys, have advanced and are still growing in order to make construction process becomes more efficient. So, not only materials have evolved, functions and tools to build each building have advanced as well. From the early civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Roman Empire and the East, the develo pment in architecture to create buildings for different purposes have greatly varied. Egypts Pyramids, Greeks Temples, and Romans Amphitheatres are just few illustrations of various functions that could be found globally. The forms, materials, tools and functions of the architecture evolve because of the resources that are available in the environment. The needs for stronger materials to create shelter and suitable types of materials to craft the atmosphere for different functions have pushed the tool and building technology to an advanced level too. With the application of the advanced materials and technologies, humans are able to generate unique experiences which would enrich the physical and psychological experience in architecture. In the time where modern building technology was not developed yet, there was a limitation in the creation of architectural form. Architects and engineers were only able to create certain kinds of form because of the limitation of the materials and tools at that time. Considering this constraints, the focus of architecture at this time is in the creation of experience, which is the nature and value of architecture since the early days. People lived through experiencing the world with body senses. One sense interacts with other senses to be able to let human integrate with the surrounding and the world. As a result, architecture is the product of this constant interaction between people with their surrounding and the world. Architecture provides spaces where people could do their daily activities, experience the environment, feel comfortable with it and generate impactful memories through these interactions. The interaction that happens can be either simple or complex. It means that t he space within the architecture should be able to interact with at least one or all of the body senses. This is due to, as human we have needs and desires, beliefs and aspirations, as well as aesthetic sensibility that are affected by warmth, touch, odour, sound and visual stimuli. Every interaction that happens will be experienced by the body. And if the experience through the space is strong enough, it will formulate an impactful memory to the users mind. And if this is successful, the lasting impression that every architects strive for will be achieved. That is why architecture should be designed with a thought of multi-sensory experience inside the space. Some examples of ideal architecture that illustrates significant historical buildings with good space design are The Colleseum in Rome, The Louvre in France, and Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca. For the first one which is The Flavian Amphitheatre or widely known as The Colosseum at Rome. The reason that it is one of significant historical buildings with good space design lies within the successful achievement of the monumental and grandeur size, practicality, efficiency for controlling the crowd and the most important is its ability to radiate the crowds and spectators excitement and experience throughout the whole space experience at that time. The hugely impressive vast ellipse form that is filled with tiers of seating was created to strike awe into anyone who saw this great monumental building. It was a symbol of the glorious power and cruelty of Rome and its emperors. Its classical design features, reminiscent of classical Greek architecture is the quintessential symbols of Roman cultur es and was meant to convey that Rome was a great, mighty wealthy, and civilised nation. The Colleseums design was heavily influenced by concrete and vault arches which are two of their greatest inventions. And the construction technique that the Romans used is the standardised parts system so that the components are interchangeable which similar to the current modular system. This standardised system allowed some components of the building such as stairs and seats to be built off-site and then brought to the amphitheatre to be fitted in to their specific location. Along with the standardised parts system, there were also a huge number of entrances and exits being built throughout the amphitheatre. These entrances and exits were imperative to the amphitheatre in order to ensure the crowd to be seated quickly and efficiently. All of the design and system of The Colleseum has been used as the basic for the architects and designers to design and construct the current stadiums globally. The design and form of The Colosseums breath-taking architecture was as a result of the needs of major requirements as a theatre or arena for staging various forms of entertainment to the Romans. As well as, it is a result of the consideration towards the excitement that the designers wanted the spectators to feel. And even today, The Colosseum is still one of the hugely impressive skyscrapers and the memories of how Romans culture, social and life was like before can still be felt through exploring and experiencing the interior of it. Another significant historical architecture with good spatial qualities is The Louvre in France. Currently, it is one of biggest art museums in the world. Built in the 12th century, it was constructed with a cut stone bearing masonry system and previously it was function as some kind of royal or defensive fortress against invasion until the late 18th century where it was first open to the public to display the royals collection such as paintings and sculptures. The reason that The Louvre is considered as significant historical building that has good spatial design lies in the strong sense of the countrys cultural knowledge that the building exhibits and can be identified through its architectural quality. Although The Louvre has a history of the ever-changing function of the architecture, started from a fortress to a palace and eventually becomes one of the worlds largest museums, no matter what it always bear and have its original identity, history and culture of that time it was bu ilt. It is because of the consideration towards the identity, history and culture aspects in mind that the designer had the idea of the form of the architecture and was able to craft the experience inside the space in order to display and showcase those aspects through the test of time. And the third architecture that illustrates significant historical architecture with good spatial design is Masjid Al-Haram which is located at Mecca. It is the largest and considered as the holiest mosque in the world. The current architecture of the mosque is not what it was like since it was first built in the 7th century. There have been major rebuilt, modifications and expansions on its architecture and because of these expansions it has became the largest mosque in the world. The expansion happened in order to accommodate the increasing number of the pilgrims. Since the past, mosque has been considered as a medium for communication; either it is a communication between God and pilgrims or between fellow pilgrims. This idea of the mosque that it is built as a centre for social interaction rather than a building only for ritual or worshipping is being clearly shown and felt in the architecture of Masjid Al-Haram. For examples the presence of the courtyard surrounds the Kaaba or t he grey square house which is designed or placed there with the intention of providing the best meditative and interactive atmosphere for the performance of prayer and community interacting experience to happen inside. And the placement of the minarets or the tall free standing towers is based on the topography of the site in order to create harmonious balance with the Kaaba. These considerations towards the pilgrims experience and the meaning for every placement or form that is created has made Masjid Al-Haram or The Holy Mosque a significant historical building with good spatial design. These 3 architectures above show that designing through paying considerations towards the experience and behaviour of the visitors or occupants would create lasting impression that could stands the test of time. Nevertheless, through this time, because of the limitation on the materials and tools that they could be worked or used, architects and engineers were only able to build certain kinds of forms which made them unsatisfied with the visual aesthetic of the building. With this feeling of unsatisfactory as the main force that drives architects and designers to overcome this issue, which then becomes one of the main factors of the emerging trend of visual architecture or an architecture that the visual aesthetic considerations is being privileged or have dominated the designers thoughts rather than the experiential value. It is until the late 18th century, in the industrial revolution era, when cast iron can be produced in a large numbers and cheaply enough and has opportunities in creating new forms. This is when architects and designers started to become aware of the glorious potential of cast iron used in architecture. One of the first architectural projects that are entirely made from cast iron is The Iron Bridge in Shropshire (Potter, D, 2006). And this marks the dawn of Modern building technology. As technology has advanced towards a new stage, which is the modern building technology, the nature and value of architecture started to shift and adapt as well. The birth of modern technology is as the result of architects using experimental science and engineering theory and tools to inform the form and construction of their buildings. Which previously form and structures of buildings were relied strongly on the knowledge of the craftsman or builder. This development has begun to revolutionize architecture into an entirely new direction. Through this modern building technology, architects and designers are provided with a new range of materials and tools to achieve and satisfy their hunger for more advanced forms. Previously, the architectural form of each location has their own unique characteristics. This is because of their environment would only be able to produce certain kinds of materials. Due to this constraint, architects and designers had lesser choices of resources that w ere available. This led to vernacular architecture of that area which meant that the material and building tool that they used to construct buildings in a location would have a more deeply grounded meaning with the context of the building and in a way was more purely defined with the unique representative form of that certain location. For instance, the Pyramid in Egypt that is made from stone is entirely different from the Temple in China which is made from wood. But since the developed worlds industrialisation trend has expanded globally throughout the world. This has influenced the local architects and designers wanting to follow the international architectural fashions style and has become another factor that contributed in the emerging trend of visual architecture. With modern building technology , transportation of materials from one location to another location has became possible, the ability of mass production has lowered the cost of construction, and computer software has accelerated the time to finish the drawing or design of a building. These developments have made the process of realizing architecture become more efficient and effective in every layer, either it is the time span to complete, the construction, the planning of the project, the creation of the buildings form or even the innovation of new and better materials is continually increasing. The development of materials has played a big role in the creation of advanced architectural form. It is one of the aspects that started the trend of architecture of image. Beginning by looking into the traditional materials that have been used since the prehistoric times, which is wood. This material could be considered as the forefather of all current materials. In the early days, prehistor ic people used these to build tents as their shelters from the sun and rain. By constructing tree trunks or branches together creating the shape of an inverted V-shape, putting some support to hold it firm on the ground and covered with leaves. This creates the simplest foundation of architecture form. As human evolved so did materials for shelter. Moving from wood to stone, as a stronger material, the form of the shelter started to develop into tent-like house by stacking different stones together. As human moves on to the times of early civilizations, the needs, desires, and beliefs have been greatly varied too. This leads to the creation of places of worships, sacrifices, monuments, and governments. Based on this, the form of the architecture started to goes vertically higher and bigger. At this time, pillar, column, beam, arch and dome has started to be built to fulfil the functions of the architecture. Moving on from the prehistoric times into the middle age, at this time, castles are becoming common forms of architecture in every part of Europe. And as it moves through The Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassicism and Gothic revival, from 15th century to 18th century, architects and designers feel that every architectures in their own location has looked similar because of the limitation of technology and materials provided at that time and that location. Until early 19th century, when modern building technology was discovered. This technology allowed iron to be used in architecture because it has became relatively cheaper while previously it was considered as a very expensive material. Iron is architecturally unique because of being relatively lightweight and malleable as well as strong. Moreover, because of its properties, it can be used for free-form designs. In this period, glass has also been widely used and available. Glass is widely used for its optimal balance between aesthetics, functions and its ability to create effects that could change experience. The reason is because glass has the property that allows light to transmits in and by using it, the architects or designers has the power to controls light which creates an illusion that the building are able to change, move and create certain atmosphere. And for architect light is one of the powerful tools in crafting experience in architecture. One of the architecture that ref lects a building of high technology in this period is the Joseph Paxtons Crystal Palace of the Great Exhibition. Built in 1851 in London, this building was made of modular cast iron and glass which symbolized the industrial, technological and economic superiority of the modern building technology. Progressing to the late 19th century, which reinforced concrete is invented. At this time, concrete is being reinforced with iron or steel in order to increase the strength of tension in concrete to minimize cracking problem. By doing so, this reinforced concrete have special properties which are more durable to thermal expansion, provides strength to optimize building structures and it has the ability to bend allowing it to be made into any shape or size for architectural purpose. Because of these special properties, reinforced concrete is still one of the most popular materials that are being used for construction purposes until now. And in 20th century, plastics became widely known and popular as well. It is because plastics are lightweight, resilient, generally resistant to corrosion and moisture, and can be moulded and formed into complex shapes. And because it is the only man-made material, this allowed it to be developed even more in the future. This development in modern building technology has opened the door for architects and designers to realize all the unrealized ideas that they had in mind. And with this the notion of architecture of image is slowly becoming a trend. With advancement in modern building technology, materials and tools to construct a building have greatly expanded. Back then, buildings are limited with height. Mainly it is because of the limitation of materials and tools that caused architects and designers to think and design horizontally. But with modern building technology, current buildings are able to go higher becoming a skyscraper or go deeper underground, maybe becoming an earth scraper, and not only going vertically, it also allows the buildings to be built diagonally. From geometric to organic form or from masses to pixels, current technology makes everything possible. Moreover, modern building technology is being used for visualizing and selling the ideas that the designers have to the clients too. For example 3 dimensional simulation software that are able to produce photo realistic images of the building even though it has not being constructed yet. Architecture has entered into a realm of visual form which is nothing more or less than the creation of buildings tangible and visible shapes. Beekman Tower, Frank Gehry New York One example of a purely visual architecture is the Beekman Tower in New York by Frank Gehry. It is a curious fusion of public and private zones. The main design feature is the organic form of the buildings facade which is made of aluminium foil. The organic folds evoke the sense of water ripples. And the effects of ripples are being enhanced more on the daytime because of the natural light. This building is surely a successful design and appealing to one of human senses which is the visual. But for the interior, everything inside the space is dully conventional. The consideration towards other senses inside the space in order to experience the space has been neglected. Another one is the Orchard Central in Singapore by DP Architects. The key design element of this shopping mall is on the facade of the mall which is a faceted membrane which will function as massive media wall and is set to be an iconic feature at the junction of Orchard and Killiney roads. The idea of this is to add aural and visual vibrancy to the central stretch of Orchard Road. By doing so, the architectural facade of the building will be able to generate visual connection with the public. But the problem is the elimination of other senses and the dependency towards the vision has made the design of the space unattractive and unable to create a connection with the visitors. In addition to another architecture that illustrates purely visual architecture is The Central Plaza Shopping Mall by Manuelle Gautrand which is located in Bangkok, Thailand. The design of the architecture relies heavily on the faà §ade of the building while the interior is not greatly different from most other shopping mall in the city. The idea of the glowing red lines that simply clad or covered the facade of the building which is the key design element of the architecture is being conceived by the designer as tools that are able to send messages of flow movement and fluidity to the visitors. This perception shows that the design of the building is influenced by technology and only focus on the visual aesthetics to resolve the issue of the space. And by doing so it weakens the architectural value of it and diminished the experiential value inside. Orchard Central, DP Architects Singapore Based on both of the case studies above, it is fairly obvious that the privileged of visual senses over other human senses will create a sense of detachment between the architecture and the visitors. This is merely because humans experience the world and their surroundings through their senses. For instance, the sounds of steps, the light that penetrates through the space, the coldness of the concrete walls, scale and proportion are just few ways of how architecture interacts with the visitors senses. Such interaction is then strengthened and articulated through the complex interaction of human senses and will be perceived by the visitors as an experience. With this two-way interaction between visitors and architecture, it will lead to the creation of meaningful memory towards the space. It is true that vision is the first connection between human and the world. Most of us, when we are walking through a space or street, are affected in one way or another by the looks of the buildings that we pass through, the positions of the objects and the arrangements inside the space. But in architecture, the reliance in the sphere of vision will only made the building existed merely on a surface level which is as an object of visual expression such as a postcard. Architecture should be able to interact with every human sense because it is a representation or expression of human minds. And the only way to communicate with the mind is by experiencing the world and surrounding through the senses. That is when architecture has moved on to another level. So, by using the modern technology, not only to grasped the visual aesthetics that has became a trends nowadays, but also to craft the experience that has been the nature and value of architecture since the early days. This will affe ct the human physically and psychologically and will push the architecture to the full potential. Word Count Word count 4885 (excluding Abstract, Table of Contents, Captions, and Works Cited)

Affirmitive Action Essay -- essays research papers

The Facts   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson issues an Executive Order 11246 requiring federal contractors to â€Å"take affirmative action† to ensure that they do not engage in discriminatory practices against workers because of race creed, color, or national origin. Two years later gender was added to the list. Affirmative action is the practice, usually by institutions or employment in government and business, of giving preference to racial minorities and women. The politics were originally developed to correct decades of discrimination and to give disadvantaged minorities a boost. The diversity of our current society as opposed to that of 50 years ago seems to indicate the programs have been a success. Now, many think the policies are no longer needed and that they led to more problems than they solve.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One particular kind of affirmative action is racial quotas, or deciding on a specific number or percentage of members of a given minority group that a company or institution had to accept. These racial quotas improved diversity to some degree, but was considered too crude by many people. Now affirmative action usually involves involves using race, gender, socioeconomic background, and/or sexual orientation status as a positive factor in hiring or admissions decisions. Supporters   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George E. Curry, a strong supporter of affirmative action (AA) knew it would happen when anti-affirmative action supporters would begin to poke fun at the decision made by the Supreme Court on the University of Michigan landmark case. A group of Conservative students at Roger William University in Rhode Island is offering a Whites-only scholarship valued at only $250 each. In addition to Whites-only scholarship, other attempts at humor include so-called affirmative action bake sales. At Southern Methodist University in Dallas, for example, Young Conservatives of Texas offered cookies at different prices. White males were charged $1 for each cookie, white women were charged 75 cents for each cookie, Hispanics were charged 50 cent and African Americans 25 cents. Similar bakes sale were held at Columbia University, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Texas, Northwestern University, the University of Michigan and the University of Indiana.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A ... ...till present discrimination today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But at the same time, minority students in top colleges are disproportionately from middle and upper-middle class backgrounds, this it true for white college students as well. AA does not cure all of America’s social ills, but it can help eliminate the gaps between the average incomes and educations levels of different races. I think AA should be applied to not only race but economic background as well. I think the current system is out dated on both ends of the argument. However since we will never live in a colorblind society, I believe that there should be monitors to make sure that all admission and hiring is done on the up and up. No discrimination and no reverse discrimination. Curry, G. E. (2004, March 1) Affirmative Action War Still Rages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Retrieved June 25, 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Http://georgecurry.com/columns/index1.shtml?id=1078378827 Connerly, W (2002, May 12) Ward Connerly and the American Civil Rights Institute Retrieved June 25, 2004  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.mediatransparency.org/people/ward_connerly.htm

Government Should Establish Program To Reduce Juvenile Crime :: essays research papers

Government Should Establish Program To Reduce Juvenile Crime   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Juvenile crime is increasing rapidly and is a problem that plagues America. The murder rate by 18 year olds has increased 467% since 1965! The current policy maintained for the last number of decades is clearly not effective. An increase of 207% in the number of murder cases committed by 15 year olds from 1985 to 1993 is not a sign that current policy is effective. Changes must be made. The best way to address the problem is through government funded preventative programs. The affirmative intends to prove, and stands resolved, that the federal government should establish a program to substantially reduce juvenile crime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This, by definition, means that the federal government would benefit the country by taking action and making government programs that will decrease the number of crimes committed by minors. Contention I: The status quo is only harming the people of the united states by remaining. Subpoint A: It has become clear that the state and local governments have failed in correcting the nation wide epidemic of juvenile crime, since juvenile crime rates are rising so rapidly. Subpoint 1:An example of an ineffective state plan is that many states are attempting to incarcerate juveniles along with adults. Putting juvenile offenders in with adults increases their chances offending again when they are released by 65%. Subpoint 2: SHOCAP, a local crime reduction plan, was shut down because it was ineffective. Subpoint B: Local plans are too diverse and lack uniformity. Subpoint 1: A plan that can lift up the entire country are far superior to those that can only effect small parts.. Iowa may indeed have smaller problems than New York but Juvenile crime exists everywhere. Subpoint 2:In the hands of the federal government, a more effective, tax worthy and moral shaping plan can be spread throughout the entire united states and benefit the country as a whole. Utilizing this information from the faults and few successes of the states, will help correctly fund and perfect an active plan which will indeed begin to substantially reduce juvenile crime, before it happens...through the methods of prevention.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The plan that we the affirmative propose is one that institutes a combination of different preventative programs which the federal government will entirely set up, fund, and work with these community efforts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plank I: This preventative program will be funded through the organization of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention program, a federal agency which consists of 17 separate groups involved in delinquency prevention. They are equipped with 144 million dollars with which they can assist the communities to create these life saving programs.

I Have a Dream Speech

Throughout the 1960s, Martin Luther King, a famous activist, engaged in various civil rights boycotts and protests, helping to further the movement and gain its eventual victory. Out of all of his civil rights efforts, the â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, given on the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, had the greatest impact on the world. The speech managed to illustrate the racist problems of the time and provoke the audience into feeling sympathy, while providing hope to the depressed African-American population.King's speech not only changed history for the black community, but it also gave hope to blacks throughout the world. His speech was so successful because he was able to arouse his audience to their feet and get them to take action in society. The reason for the great impact of the speech, â€Å"I Have a Dream,† is due to the tense social mood of the time and that it reflects the conditions of the time, giving black activists a vision for the future.It struck directly in to the hearts of blacks across America, and made whites ashamed of their actions and be willing to have a new start. In just 17 minutes, King influenced and informed the people about racial equality and fairness. Later, near the end of his speech, King continues to â€Å"preach† this point. For example, he stated, â€Å"†¦little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. King talks about the future and how one day, freedom will â€Å"ring† from all across the United States and how people of all races will be able to â€Å"join hands† and be â€Å"brothers and sisters. † He strongly desires a united world where racism will not exist. He says, â€Å"With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. † Overall, King intelligently used a we ll-planned structure to manipulate his audience into agreeing with him.

Humans Cause Global Warming Essay

Today we are debating the important topic of global warming. As the affirmative team, we strongly believe that global warming is caused by the actions of humans. But this is not just a belief, this is a fact. Global warming, by definition, is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other pollutants. The greenhouse effect is the trapping of the sun’s warmth in a planet’s lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet’s surface. In simpler terms, this means that the pollution emitted from the earth, such as the gasses from factories, cars etc. enter the atmosphere and the co2 from these gases absorb the heat from the sun and intern warms the climate. The pollution or carbon dioxide enter the Earth’s atmosphere and absorb heat from the sun, heating the environment, therefore an increase in co2 means an increase in heat, this resulting in bigger problem for global warming. The main producer of this pollution and greenhouse gases are ofcourse humans, our environment and climate are the ones that have to pay for the humanly actions causing global warming. Scientists have determined that a number of human activities are contributing to global warming by adding excessive amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. These gases such as carbon dioxide (co2) accummulate in the atmosphere and trap heat that normally would exit into outer space. The main source of excess greenhouse gases is the human use of fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels to generate energy for example driving cars, using electricity from coal-fired power plants, or heating homes with oil or natural gas, humans release carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. Over 100 years ago the co2 level was 35% less than it is currently and since the beginning of the industrial revelution, has been increasing gradually. Nowadays modern society is producing more co2 and other gases than ever before, this being the result of the economic problem, with humans having unlimited wants and needs that can only be produced in a way that influences global warming. (Figure 1) Another significant source of greenhouse gases is deforestation, this is because fewer trees means less carbon dioxide conversion to oxygen. (Figure 2)Deforestation in rainforests add more co2 to the atmosphere than the sum total of most vehicles on roads. In fact 25-30%,of the gases released into the atmosphere each year is a result of deforestation. The reason that logging is so bad for the climate is that when trees, which are 50 percent carbon, are burned or felled they release the carbon they are storing into the air, where it mingles with greenhouse gases from other sources and contributes to global warming. As humans, we do not take our actions into precaution and many of us act before thinking. This is the same situation with global warming and because of this, the result is negative. Global warming affects not only our climate but the environment and air mankind needs for survival, however how can us humans survive when we are the ones destroying our planet and risking our own lives. Greenhouse gases can stay in the atmosphere for an amount of years ranging from decades to hundreds or thousands of years. No matter what we do, global warming is going to have some effect on Earth. These effects range from diseases and economic consquences to different types of hazzards. (Figure 3) Floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, they are all weathering patterns that are directly altered by the differences in temperature. Most of them are occuring due to high sea level or heavy rainfall. This was seen in 2004 and 2005. (Figure 4) It can be a devastating shock for crops and other agriculture, and also bring death and injury to humans and animals through accidents, hypothermia and starvation. It may seem illogical at first to attribute harsher cold weather to global warming, but a change in atmospheric patterns brought about by receding glacial ice can lead to the redirection of polar air currents and the sun’s rays being absorbed by the larger areas of dark blue sea. However this process can also be reversed to achieve opposite results. (Figure 5) Some areas suffer serious droughts and heat waves and the severity of these hazzards are increasing by large numbers. Countries such as Africa and India recieve the worst of these affects, since water is already a dangerous rare essential. (Figure 6) As the planet continues to become warmer and warmer as global warming increases and the dry lands that are already susceptible to wildfires are likely to be ravaged by even more frequent and destructive episodes. In 2007, more than 3,000 fires brought destruction to Southeastern Europe thanks to a long summer that created arid and parched conditions, a situation that would become normal as a consequence of the greenhouse effect. As countries warm, disease carrying insects migrate, bringing their diseases with them. Climate greatly influences some of the most deadly and widespread diseases currently affecting millions of people across the world with the spread of diseases like Malaria, West Nile virus and Dengue fever to parts of the planet. With greatly reduced rainfall, more severe droughts and loss of soil fertility, food and water supplies would soon diminish, resulting in higher prices, famine, disease, malnutrition, starvation and, ultimately, death. These effects spell one thing for the countries of the world: economic consequences. Hazzards cause billions of dollars in damage, diseases cost money to treat and control and conflicts aggravate all of these. There is simply no other mechanism that can explain the significantly altered climate path and the changes in the radiative forcing other than human causes. Animals are a major source that are affected by the influences of global warming, some not only lose their habitat and homes, but also suffer in the drastic measures that humans have put them up against. Animals such as polar bears and penguins are the most obvious evidence of consequences of having warmer climates. (Figure 7) They and other animals that are dependent on cold enviornments retreat to more northerly locations as the planet heats up, leading to encroachment upon other eco-systems and displacement of other animals from their natural habitat. Animals that are driven from their natural habitats or normal migration routes by environmental factors could easily come into contact with human settlements, leading to many deaths among humans and already endangered animals. (Figure 8) The world’s oceans absorb roughly 30% of all carbon dioxide that seeps into the atmosphere, and so inevitably, as more gases are released, ocean life will continue to suffer the negative consequences placed upon them by human actions.

Mexico, Central America and the caribbean

The book, Victors and Vanquished: Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico, made use of extracts from an report taken by Bernal Diaz in 1632 regarding the victory of the Spaniards. The book also made use of the statements made by the native Nahua survivors which were collected by Bernardino de Sahagun. The book showed how differences of opinion or biases as well as personal interests could play as a major factor in the interpretation of a particular event. Among the many strong points of the book is the fact that it gave its reader a broad assessment and analysis of the main sources which historians used when describing the events that occurred and the consequences that the conquest of Mexico had entailed.   The fact that Schwartz divided the book into two central sections is proof enough that he considered his readers to be primarily composed of students. The book had been divided into two separate sections, â€Å"Chronology of the Conquest of Tenochtitlan† and a helpful dictionary which tackles terms used by both the Spanish and the Nahua. Mexica is used as a reference to those people who have control of the Tenochititlan before the arrival of the Spaniards in 1519. Today’s modern day Mexico had been dominated by the Mexica and that is primarily the reason why the people they have conquered speaks their tongue, Nahuatl thus not all those who speaks the language of Nahuatl can be considered as a Mexica. But there are people living in the South (which we now refer to as Central America) who make use of some Mayan dialects in speaking. The Nahua’s are Native Americans who lives in Central and eastern Mexico. The first part of the book provided us with an introduction of the history of the Mesoamerica during the conquest. It also showed how diverse those Mesoamericans are during that time. Another important thing that the writer of the book considered is how the difference of ethnicity could affect a retelling of a particular history thus the author made use of the primary sources gathered by both Spanish as well as the indigenous people. Schwartz gave an illustration of the coming of the Mexica. He also described how the Mexica build their capital, Tenochtitlan. The book also showed in detail how bitter the relationship of the indigenous people is with their conquerors, the Mexica. It also offered a description of the character of those Spaniards conqueror that inhabited both the Caribbean and the Central America. Schwartz also showed how greatly the Spaniards differ from the Natives especially in recording important events on their history. The latter made use of hieroglyphic texts which are usually accompanied by dance, tales and songs. Schwartz also made it a point to show how different the stories presented by both sides in recounting the events that occurred during the conquest. It is very puzzling how the same event could be recounted differently, dependent on who is the teller of the said event. Schwartz said that the primary reason for this difference is the fact that both sides had their own interests they wish to preserve. Those interests includes a mixture of politics, personal as well as cultural things each side wish to protect. Schwartz analyzed the texts based on the reasons which motivated different writers into writing the event between the indigenous people and the Mexica. He showed some examples on which a particular author made his report not merely because he wants to recount the exact things which happened during that time, but rather because he that author wants to please a certain patron. There are other examples which showed that religion affected the retelling of the said events. It showed that there are people who tried to justify their joining of the conquest in terms of their religion, particularly that of the Roman Catholic Church. On one particular chapter on the book, Schwartz noted that Diaz Del Castillo (one of his primary sources) had made use of other sources on recounting the events which occurred on the massacre of Mexica aristocrats (Things Fall Apart). Another thing Schwartz pointed out is the fact that previous enemies of the Aztecs (Mexica) had written most of the Tlaxacallan accounts and thus these writers had been biased on their retelling because of their yearning for people to view the Mexica as despicable people. I would rather make use of the term conquest in defining the relationship between the Nahua and the Spaniards. I have made use of that particular term because that is exactly what happened between the Spaniards and the Nahua. The Spaniards gained the lands the Nahua previously had by conquering its people and everything that goes within it. I mean they did not acquire the land by buying them, did they? The term cultural exchange may also be appropriate in describing the relationship between the Spaniards and the Nahua because it is very common for the conquerors to make those people they have conquered adapt to their cultures. This is very evident on the fact that the indigenous people have learned the language of their conquerors and they are using it even up to now. This adaptation could occur because of the length of exposure they have had with each other and mostly because of cross-marriages. Also, as conquerors they would want their religion to be known worldwide and thus they have made use of their power in order to make the natives into Christians. One of the primary reasons the Spaniards have in justifying their conquest is to make the word of their God be known to all and thus it is no wonder that they have made use of their power in order to convert the people they have conquered into Christians. However, religion could be just a tactics the conquerors may have employed for some other ulterior motives which could either be gold or glory or a combination of both. As I have said the term conqueror would be more appropriate than the term cultural exchange because the change of culture is more predominant to the conquered rather than to the conquerors. Of course, the native may have had influenced their conquerors in one way or another but most of these conquerors views the indigenous people as inferior and thus they would not want these people to influence them in any way. Thus, it is possible that no real exchange of culture really occurred especially since the change of culture is expected only from the conquered. The Conquest of Mexico City could also be viewed as a war between Spaniards and Spaniards as well as between Natives American and the Native Americans. This is very evident that the recounting of this historical events vary not only between the Spaniards and the Natives, rather the stories of the Spaniards vary even among themselves and same things can be told between the Natives. These differences among themselves may have occurred because of their differences of interests. For the Natives for one, some of them have adapted completely with the terms required by their conquerors and they view their being conquered as a blessing thus they support the Spaniards wherein some Natives do not want the conquerors in their lands and they view the things done by the Spaniards as nothing but abused on the Natives and thus they would recount their tales in such a way that the Spaniards would look like a real villain. To conclude, I think that the book presented both sides of the story well in such a way that the author did his best in order not to pick sides. He recounted the Conquest in a manner which attempted to give his readers a good view to both sides of the parties involved. Thus, all in all, the book is an interesting read and it is very beneficial especially for those who want to gain knowledge about the Conquest of Mexico. Reference: Schwartz, Stuart B. Victors and the Vanquished: Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico (2000). Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000.