Wednesday, October 30, 2019

WA 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

WA 7 - Essay Example The J- curve increases exponentially, reaches a maximum and then suddenly crashes to zero. J- curves are commonly seen in organisms that have very short life spans, and after laying eggs they die. The next generation of organisms that hatch from these eggs again follow a J- curve trend. Flies, mosquitoes are examples that exhibit this behavior. S- curves are seen in bigger animals such as mammals. The population grows steadily until it reaches stability. At this point the ecosystem is said to be in its carrying capacity. The environmental resistance hinders uncontrolled growth in these animals. A. Competitive exclusion principle states that two species cannot exist together when they compete for the same resource. When this happens, either the more dominating species pushes out the other species, or the docile species undergoes a shift and moves onto some other resource. A. Owls are predators on the top of the food chain in the ecosystems where they thrive. Hence any distress in the bottom of the food chain is reflected in the owl’s population. The majority of ecosystem which includes grasses, rodents and other small animals on which owls depend upon can be effectively studied by monitoring owls. A. Mutualism and commensalism are forms of symbiosis, where two organisms live in association with each other. In mutualism both the organisms are benefitted by associating, whereas in commensalism, one organism is benefited while the other is nether neither harmed nor benefitted A. Zero population growth rate is virtually impossible because, to achieve it the birth and death rates have to be exactly the same. However the growth rate can be close to zero over a long period of time. A. The age structure diagram is affected by the birth and death rates of a population. Also the relative proportion of males and females in the population shapes it. The mortality rates at different cohorts affect the abundance of population in that cohort. 11. Is the clapper

Monday, October 28, 2019

Solid Waste and Recycling Essay Example for Free

Solid Waste and Recycling Essay Over the years, the demand for effective solid waste management and recycling has drastically risen. This has mainly been due to the fast changing methods of consumerism and drastically increasing populations of towns with time. Lack of long term focus has greatly contributed to the menace as the urban systems are highly dynamic and require visionary establishment that project into the future. The problem has also been exacerbated by poor technology adoption that is necessary for ensuring solid waste is effectively treated. Besides, modern planning systems require greater attention for recycling necessary for ensuring least pollution of environment while maximizing the utility of available materials. Failing to plan has been considered as major step in planning to fail in offering the necessary management of wastes in the major cities (Wilson et al, 2004). Most often, the term solid waste is used to denote municipal solid wastes which include all the wastes that are in non-liquid form generated within an urban setting. They mostly include domestic wastes from the residential areas, business and commercial centers, industrial centers and construction regions within the town jurisdictions. Recycling on the other hand involves focus on the already produced wastes to increase their utility (Eugenie, 2008). It is aimed at bringing different materials back in a useful format though mostly different from the previous one. Urban planning and management interlinks the two concepts as they are directly dependent on each other for effective treatment and management. This paper evaluates solid wastes and recycling as major considerations in urban planning. As a result, it extrapolates solid wastes management aspects necessary for consideration during urban planning. Acting as a structural system, the paper examines the waste stream from production up to disposal with appropriate planning aspects at each stage. Using examples of major cities and towns, effectiveness of solid waste planning and management systems are compared for efficiency. Besides, the paper also explores the possible planning and recycling techniques for solid wastes in the urban areas. In the conclusion, the paper gives recommendations that can be assumed by various urban planners and managers to effectively manage and recycle their wastes. Overview and statistics In US, over 500, 000, 000 tons of solid wastes are generated annually by urban centers. However, only 35% of this waste is recycled while the rest is disposed off. These indicate a strong increase in the recycling capacity of 8% since the year 1990. However, the quantity indicated is much lower as Environmental Protection Agency does not take into consideration of the incinerated solid wastes and that in the illegal landfills. Besides, this waste usually excludes health wastes which are categorized as hazardous wastes. Waste production has been increasing steadily since the onset of industrial revolution. About 0. 979 tons of wastes are disposed annually per person by the US population (Eugenie, 2008). However, the mode of handling the wastes differs greatly as states and towns have varying leadership and management as well as budgetary allocations. To add to that, the attitudes of the people in the major towns determine the suitability of the recycling processes thereby effectively contributing to the sorting out of the solid wastes for recycling process. Majority of the US cities and states have been exporting their wastes to other regions for treatment and disposal. On average, Pennsylvania exports 9,764,000 tons, Virginia 3, 891, 000 tons, Illinois 1, 548, 000, and New York 5, 600, 000 tons. Though this trend has been greatly criticized, it is considered as a better option since majority of the states and towns lack the correct facilities to treat and dispose off their wastes safely (Eugenie, 2008). Solid waste collection and transportation Arguably, town planning has diversified from the previous architectural focus to include new aspects of waste management that have become part of the same entity. Production capacity of an urban center is highly dependent on different factors that must be considered when drawing the management plan. Cognizant of the expansion capacity, the town must be fully equipped to collect various wastes produced in its jurisdictions. As the first step ample means of classifying the production regions and categorization of the same waste must be set in place. This role is usually taken by the Solid waste management departments of the urban managements. Collection of solid wastes acts as one of the most important initial stages as it prevents spread of the same wastes in the areas of production. To effectively manage collection of wastes, Loss Angeles, San Francisco and London have established cooperative mechanisms where they link with the private sector for the collection purposes. However, the private sector operates in a business model that may at times harm the residents of the different cities through increased taxes. Of greater importance, is the transport system for the collected wastes in different regions which has been accused of spreading the wastes collected along the transportation routes. Urban planning for solid wastes should always apply the principle of proximity choice which requires that wastes are treated and/ or disposed at the nearest possible point to reduce transferring related problems to other regions. Transportation for solid wastes should always be carried out in fully enclosed systems as different materials are light and can easily be dispersed away. Since this forms a major point of interaction between the residents and the waste collecting institutions, it is of great importance to ensure that inclusive coordination and cooperation is enhanced for effectiveness. Major towns fail due to lack of effective collection and transportation mechanisms. Of greater concerns have been the plastic bags which have turned the whole solid waste management into a riddle for many towns. Their collection and transportation should therefore be immediate and highly effective. Solid waste treatment

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Dis/located Identities: Swinging and Contemporary Sexual Space :: Free Essays Online

Dis/located Identities: Swinging and Contemporary Sexual Space A committed relationship without monogamy sounds like a contradiction in terms to those raised in America, or most any country at this point in history. The nature of commitment suggests that it requires a single partner and the promise to remain faithful to that person. Swingers choose a slightly different route and yet it is one that can involve more trust and openness than monogamous relationships offer. Swingers [1] are couples who choose to have not only a committed relationship but to also explore, as couple, recreational sex with other individuals and couples. At the heart of a strong swinging relationship is not sex at all; rather, there is the openness, trust, and communication necessary to both talk openly about desires and fantasies and to act on them within the bounds of commitment. â€Å"To swingers, physical acts of sexual pleasure with someone you respect, just for pleasure, and making love to one’s lifetime partner are two distinctly different things† (Thomas 20). This form of sexuality is clearly outside the norm of heterosexual behavior, especially that of married or committed adults. But is it a legitimate sexual identity? Does the swinging community deserve recognition in the same terms as other minority sexual identities? Like any other form of sexual expression, swinging takes on a handful of common variants. Soft swinging is a newer form and refers â€Å"a desire for sexual activities such as watching, being watched, mutual masturbation, and possibly oral sex but without changing partners for full sexual intercourse† (Thomas 20). Closed swinging is a more commonly recognized form of swinging where couples swing in different rooms – this is where the slightly derogatory term ‘wife swapping’ probably originated. Open swinging is where two couples will swing in the same room. Couples who prefer open swinging tend to enjoy watching their partner with another person, participating somehow while their partner is having sex with another person, or the women are bisexual and wish to enjoy each other while the men watch. Group swinging is basically equivalent to an orgy, although group swinging as a term is preferred. â€Å"A lot of swingers who enjoy this type of swinging f ind that it satisfies their tastes for exhibitionism and voyeurism at the same time. Some people have fantasies of finding out how many lovers they can satisfy in one evening†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Thomas 20).

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Dc Comics (2012-2013)

Report on DC COMICS for Business Studies Introduction DC comics incorporated is a leading pioneer and one of the most successful enterprise in the American comic books and many related media industries (comic books, movies, games and etcetera) . Founded by Malcolm Wheeler Nicholson in 1934, it was originally known as ‘National Allied Publication' the initials ‘DC' was taken from the popular series ‘Detective Comics' which subsequently became part of the company's name.DC comics is the publishing unit for DC Entertainment a Warner Bros company which itself is owned by Time Warner, producing materials incorporating renown DC characters such as Superman an alien who was sent from the lost planet Krypton, raised on Earth and instilled with a sense of justice from the Superman franchise (Action comics) and Batman a rogue Vigilante by night and by day millionaire, playboy, philanthropist Bruce Wayne from the Dark Knight franchise (debuting in Detective comics). DC comics mission and visionDC's mission is to intergrades its comic business, brand and characters into Warner Bros Entertainment and all its content and distribution business. DC comic envisions to expand and develop the DC brand to every type of media. DC comics annual reports (2009-2012) DC comics future plans DC plans to launch a wave of new DC movies in response to Marvels shared movie gamble (Avengers). Starting with the reboot of Superman (Man of Steel 2013), along with other upcoming silver screen movies featuring other DC uperheroes like Wonder woman, the Flash and others (DC haven yet to decide whether it will reboot the batman franchise or continue Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight and to bring back Ryan Reynold's role as Green Lantern (2011). Although DC hasn't revealed how the movies will be incorporated, whether it be following in the Dark Knight's lead (a single franchise) or become a shared movie plan is still yet unknown.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Hammer Wines Business Report Essay

Introduction Colin Hammer, after arranging an independent review, has found that many of his employees have been avoiding work and other responsibilities by searching the Internet for non-work related amusements. This act is known as cyber slacking and it is said to cost companies billions of dollars each year and often results in managers blocking or limiting access to certain websites. Concerned for productivity, this report will outline the current usage and array of sites potentially being used by the Hammer Wines employees. The sites include those for entertainment or work purposes, and restrictions based on these findings should be implemented. These restrictions must be forever changing and expanding, as each website has a different effect on the varying departments its respective employees. These modifications will also affect the productivity of Hammer Wines and will be discussed in the report by making an â€Å"internet use† policy. Findings Department Spending Most Time on the Internet Cyberslacking is a prominent occurrence amongst the Hammer Wines employees. However, of all employees, the Receptionists spent the longest time on the Internet throughout the one-week trial (see figure 1.0 below). This may or may not be detrimental to Hammer Wines. Often, receptionists complete their work before their set time, meaning that if they’re browsing the Internet, still answering their phone and have completed required work, productivity will remain normal. Studies also show productivity can increase when employees are less restricted with the Internet. This productivity can swing both ways. Negative productivity will be detrimental to Hammer Wines if the receptionist fails to multitask and therefore ineffectively completes required jobs. Internet Productivity and Cyberslacking From the array of websites (see figure 1.1 below) it is difficult to tell if Cyberslacking is present at Hammer Wines. This is because many websites, such as facebook.com and twitter.com, are huge social marketing websites, but can also used as a cost effective methods for company awareness and advertising. These sites, however, can also be misused for personal use. Unless the employee is caught directly misusing these sites, it is hard to tell weather they are cyberslacking or not. Facebook.com is one example of Cyberslacking. It is Hammer Wines’ second most visited Internet site, being used by Sales and Marketing, Reception, Manufacturing and Distribution, Human Resources @ Training and IT Services. Sales and Marketing are the only employees likely to need the site for work purposes. For all other departments, employees must use Facebook.com for personal interests. Websites, including deals.com are often used for both work and leisure. Reception, Human Resources @ Training, Manufacturing and Distribution, Sales and Marketing are all using this site. Assumptions cannot be made in relation to website use. Human Resources @ Training, Manufacturing and Distributing, and Sales and Marketing departments all have valid work-related grounds to use Deals.com, as it is great for promotional and comparative purposes. IT Services were found to be using Games.com. A total of 120 minutes was recorded throughout the week. This is a website purely dedicated to fun and games. This is the seventh most used website recorded. Although it is only a small fraction of the Internet usage, it is clear that productivity has decreased in the IT department, and through the given statistics, Cyberslacking is present. Similarly, Tatts.com was used by the Sales and Marketing department, for up to 80 minutes throughout the recorded week. Tatts.com is a betting website and has nothing to do with the Sales and Marketing of Hammer Wines. However, productivity can be increased in the workplace, with employees having some freedom on the Internet. The use of social media and other personal websites can release stress and tension, thus not wholly being to the determent of Hammer Wines. Conclusion Hammer Wines has a vast array of websites being used by employees for both personal and work use. Cyberslacking is present amongst all employees, with websites aimed at socialization and productivity which both highly used. This, however, is hard to monitor as some sites – such as Facebook.com or Deals.com – are used in the companies Sales and Marketing department, but also used in recreational down time by most, if not all, other departments. It is important for Hammer Wines to implement a strategy to monitor all Internet usage. Receptionist work productivity remained high in correlation to time spent on internet, however, it was obvious the Cyberslacking was overruling the IT department, as they spent 120 hours over the duration of the week on a games and entertainment website. Solution Internet Use Policy Hammer Wines should enforce an â€Å"Internet User Policy† in the employees contract, defining the terms of use for recreational Internet. Any employee found misusing the Internet for purposes strictly other than work, may lead to disciplinary action, and their position at the company may be compromised. Blocking Sites Permanently blocking all Internet sites at Hammer Wines could result in a drop in productivity. Alternatively, a system that allows employees to have an allocated time throughout the day, to specifically visit sites such as Facebook.com and Twitter.com will allow staff members to have high productivity through compromise and strategy. One example of strategic blocking is unblocking all websites for 15 minutes every 3 hours, enabling employees to use restricted sites that coincide with structured break times (lunch, snack and end-of-day). A second option for Hammer Wines is to block all websites, only allowing those who hold a position of authority (manager) or employee that has spoken to someone in a position of authority, to get a specific code to access a blocked website. This code then unblocks all sites and remains unblocked until the page is exited. This could be implemented when departments wish to use sites such as Facebook.com for marketing or promotional purposes.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Titration Essays

Titration Essays Titration Essay Titration Essay A trading standards officer suspects that a wholesaler is supplying fish and chip shops with vinegar that has been watered down. The officer has collected several samples of the vinegar from different shops, together with a sample of the same brand of vinegar direct from the manufacturer. My task in this assignment is to analyse the samples by titration and to decide which of the samples, if any have been watered down. I will then prepare a report for the officer showing the extent to which the vinegar samples have been watered down if at all. I was given the manufacturers sample and three other samples to test.The VariablesThe possible input variables are the concentration of the vinegar, the concentration of sodium hydroxide, the amount of vinegar, amount of sodium hydroxide, the amount of phenolphthalein (indicator) and the temperature. My possible outcome variables are the amount of vinegar needed to neutralize the sodium hydroxide and the speed of the reaction.The input variable I have decided to change is the concentration of the vinegar and the output variable I have decided to measure is the amount of vinegar needed to neutralize the sodium hydroxide. My control variables that I will keep the same to make my experiment fair are the amount and concentration of sodium hydroxide, the starting amount of vinegar, the amount of phenolphthalein and the same equipment.PredictionMy prediction is The higher the concentration of vinegar the less vinegar needed to neutralize the solution of vinegar and sodium hydroxide because if the vinegar has a low concentration then it contains a smaller number of moles per litre. So therefore more of the vinegar would be needed to neutralize the sodium hydroxide. If the vinegar was of a higher concentration less of it would be needed to neutralize the sodium hydroxide.Equipment ListBurettePipettePipette fillerConical flaskBeakers x2FunnelClamp standWhite tilePhenolphthalein indicatorSodium hydroxideVinegar samples: manufacture rs, sample 1,2,3Diagram of EquipmentRisk AssessmentI decided to make the experiment safe by wearing goggles at all times and not sitting down while doing the experiment. Also I tried not to spill and liquid or get any on my clothes and skin.Step by Step ProcedureThis is what I did:1. I will get all equipment out that is on the equipment list.2. I will label and fill two beakers with the reacting solutions.3. I will pour a little of the vinegar into the burette to rinse it. Then pour away the solution.4. I will fill the burette with vinegar and then let the solution out until the meniscus is on the zero line.5. Then using a pipette filler I will rinse out the pipette using the sodium hydroxide and then pour it away. Then fill the pipette to way past the line.6. Carefully let the solution out until the meniscus is on the line.7. I will then run the solution into a conical flask.8. I will add 7 drops of indicator and the solution will turn purple and put it on the white tile that is on the clamp stand.9. Run the solution from the burette into the conical flask a bit at a time, swirling the flask all the time.10. Stop when the indicator has changed the solution from purple to clear and note the reading on the burette.11. Empty and rinse the conical flask and then refill and zero the burette.12. Using the pipette filler, refill the pipette and let the solution out until the meniscus is on the line.13. Repeat steps 5, 6 and 7.14. Repeat step 8 but stop about 1cm before the previously recorded volume. Then add the vinegar drop by drop until the solution goes clear.15. Record the volume added in a table.16. Do at least three readings within 0.1 cm of each other for each sample.Scientific KnowledgeEquation for the reaction:Acid + Alkali Salt + WaterSodium Hydroxide + Ethanoic Acid Sodium Ethanoate + WaterNaOH + CH3COOH CH3COONa + H2O1 Mole + 1 Mole 1 Mole + 1 MoleI know that it takes 1 mole of NaOH to neutralize 1 mole of CH3COOH and then you get 1 mole of CH3COONa and 1 mole of H20amount of moles = concentration x volumea = cv= 0.1 x 25/1000= 0.0025 moles of NaOH0.0025 moles of sodium hydroxide and Ethanoic acid are needed each time.The less concentrated the vinegar the smaller the number of moles it will contain per litre so it will therefore take more of the solution to neutralize the solution.Test RunsRun12345Amount of acid needed (cm )272727.126.727.1My test runs were to show me how the equipment was set up and how the experiment worked and what I had to do in the experiment.Recording ResultsI recorded my results in a table but also in a graph. I will take an average of each set of results.SampleRun 1- Amount of vinegar needed (cm )Run 2- Amount of vinegar needed (cm )Run 3- Amount of vinegar needed (cm )Average amount of vinegar needed (cm )Manufacturers sample7.908.007.907.93Sample 116.5016.5016.6016.53Sample 225.9026.0025.9025.93Sample 334.5034.5034.6034.53The reaction that takes place is the neutralization of sodium hydroxide and eth anoic acid.Acid + Alkali = Salt + WaterCH3COOH + NaOH = CH3COONa + H2O1 mole + 1 mole = 1 mole + 1 moleConclusionHere are my calculations to find out the concentration and 1/concentration of each of the samples of vinegar. The calculation is: concentration = amount in moles/volume x 1000.SampleCalculation:c = a/v x 1000Concentration1/concentrationManufacturers sample0.0025/7.93 x 10000.3152585120.315 to 3SF3.1723.17 to 3SFSample 10.0025/16.53 x 10000.1512401690.151 to 3SF6.6120000176.61 to 3SFSample 20.0025/25.93 x 10000.0964134210.0964 to 3SF10.3719999710.4 to 3SFSample 30.0025/34.53 x 10000.0724008110.0724 to 3SF13.8119999813.8 to 3SFThe first graph I plotted was average volume of vinegar against the concentration of vinegar. In this graph I have found that the points join up as a curve the graph shows me that the higher the concentration of vinegar the less vinegar needed to neutralize the solution of vinegar and sodium hydroxide. This matches up with my original prediction that The higher the concentration of vinegar the less vinegar needed to neutralize the solution of vinegar and sodium hydroxide. As the volume halves the concentration doubles, for example on my graph the volume is 26 cm and the concentration is 0.10 moles and when the volume is 13cm ,the concentration is 0.20 moles.On the second graph I plotted the axis was volume of vinegar against 1/concentration of vinegar. In this graph I have found that all the points join up to become a straight line. I have found that sample 1, 2 and 3 have been watered down because the concentration for those three samples is lower than the concentration of the manufacturers sample.EvaluationIn my experiment I have completed it fairly, the equipment I used to make it fair was the same volume pipette and burette. This is because they have a line on them and the meniscus of the liquid is on the line so I will be using the same volume of liquid every time. On my first graph the first three points are joined up by m ore of a straight line than the curve that joins the 3rd and 4th points up. To make this more of a smooth curve I could have missed a point out of it to make it smooth. I have enough results to support my conclusion because every result I took was within 0.1 cm of each other. To further my experiment I could react all of the samples with magnesium and then the less concentrated vinegars will react slower.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Understanding Forest Basal Area

Understanding Forest Basal Area The cross-section area of the stem or stems of a plant is generally expressed as square units per unit of the area it is growing on. This volumetric description is a ratio of the trees cross-sectional area at DBH to the total area and called basal area or BA.  It is used by forestry professionals to determine percent stocking levels of trees in a given area.  For shrubs and herbs, it is used to determine phytomass. Grasses, forbs, and shrubs are usually measured at or less than 1 inch above soil level. For trees: the cross section area of a tree stem in square feet commonly measured at breast height (4.5 above ground) and inclusive of bark, usually computed by using DBH or tallied through the use of basal area factor angle gauge  or a factored prism. Pronunciation:  baze-ul area (noun) Common Misspellings:  basel area - basil area Basal Area, Do the Math Basal area factor is the number of units of basal area per acre (or per hectare) represented by each tree. The formula for basal area (3.1416 x DBH2)/(4 x 144). This formula simplifies to: basal area 0.005454 x DBH2 0.005454 is called the foresters constant, which converts inches into square feet. The basal area of a 10-inch tree is: 0.005454 x (10)2   0.5454 square feet (ft2). So, 100 of these trees per acre would calculate out a BA of 54 ft2.  or a count of just over 5 trees per angle gauge count. Basal Area as Used in Forestry BA is a measure of the capacity of certain stands of trees to increase annual ring growth. The factors of ring growth have a genetic component but are influenced by all biotic, physical and chemical factors in that particular environment. As stands of trees develop, BA increases as it approaches full stocking, the upper limit of a forest to grow increasing wood fiber. So, basal area measurement can be  used to determine a sites ability to grow a forest tree species accumulated over the tree age in years. As BA increases over time, measurements shown on growth curve graphs indicate a slowing in growth according to species growth and yield charts. Timber harvests are then made to reduce the BA to a point where remaining trees regain the ability to maximize growth toward a final, mature, valuable forest product. Basal Area and the Timber Harvest BA is not a  volume calculation  but the measurement can be used by foresters in determining volume using statistical tree stem occurrence and is an important tool for a timber inventory or timber  cruise. In the same vein, a basal area tree count tells a forester how occupied or crowded a forest site is and assists in making harvest decisions. In managing a commercial forest as even-aged stands, you are forcing one distinct age class to be maintained through the harvest cycle (three or more harvests). These stands are often regenerated by using clearcut, shelterwood, or seed tree cutting methods  and require the right basal area beneficial to each method. A clearcut forest is usually replanted or artificially seeded and has no measurable BA.A shelterwood harvest may leave a tree stocking level as high as  40 sq.ft per acre  10 factor BA.  A  seedtree  harvest may leave a tree stocking level as high as  20 sq.ft per acre  10 factor BA. There are many stocking guides that reflect density for even-aged stands (also called stocking charts). These guides assist the forest manager in determining if the forest is stocked with too many trees (overstocked), too sparsely stocked (understocked), or adequately stocked (fully stocked).

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Dual Degree vs Double Major Which Is Right For You

Dual Degree vs Double Major Which Is Right For You SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Got a passion for more than one field of study? Then you might be interested in studying two fields simultaneously with either a double major or dual degree. What is the main difference between a double major and a dual degree? And how can you figure out which option will be a better fit for you? In this dual degree vs double major guide, we go over the fundamental difference between the two academic paths, define each option in detail, and take a look at the most important similarities and differences between the two. We also offer you some tips to help you determine whether a double major or dual degree will work better for you based on your preferences and goals. The Basic Difference Between Double Major and Dual Degree The key difference between a double major and a dual degree lies in what you receive when you graduate from college. With a double major, you're earning just one bachelor’s degree (i.e., one diploma) with specializations in two fields. However, with a dual degree, you’re earning two separate degrees/diplomas (which could be two bachelor’s degrees, a bachelor’s and a master’s, etc.) in two distinct fields. Typically, a double major means you’ll be studying two fields that are based in the same school and that’ll earn you the same type of degree, such as a Bachelor of Arts (BA), a Bachelor of Science (BS), or a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). By contrast, a dual degree usually means you’ll be studying two unique fields that are based in two different schools and that’ll earn you two different types of degrees (e.g., a BS and a BFA). In my case, I double majored in English and East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC) at USC. This means I earned just one college degree: a Bachelor of Arts with concentrations in English and EALC. Because classes for the English and EALC majors were both housed in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences (and both majors led to a BA), I was able to study the two fields under the same degree. That said, if I’d wanted to study a much more different combination of fields, such as English and architecture (which are housed in two different schools at USC), I'd needed to have studied the fields as two separate degrees, which would have earned me a BA in English and a Bachelor of Architecture. Now that you understand this basic difference, let’s take a look at the main qualities that define a dual degree and a double major. With a dual degree, you'll get two diplomas when you graduate from college. What Is a Dual Degree? A dual degree (also called a double degree) is when a student studies two different fields at the same time in order to earn two separate degrees. Depending on the university, this could be a wide combination of degrees, such as two types of bachelor’s degrees, a bachelor’s and a master's, or two master’s/professional degrees. Each degree corresponds to one of the fields in which you’re specializing. For instance, at the University of Michigan, undergraduate students can pursue a dual degree by earning a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) at the Ross School of Business and a BA, BS, BFA, etc., at another school within UM. Universities that offer dual degree programs often require students to apply and get accepted to the two schools at which the fields are housed. Because a dual degree requires students to simultaneously complete the requirements for two different degrees, it typically takes more time (more than four years or four years plus summer classes) than a regular undergraduate program does. As with any degree, you must complete all basic requirements (including general education courses and major courses) for both degrees in order to earn them. Columbia’s BA/MPA dual degree program, for example, takes a total of five years to complete- but by the end of this, you’ll be rewarded with both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. This extra time required for a dual degree naturally means that students who are pursuing one will likely have to pay more in tuition, housing, etc. Nevertheless, you’ll save money (and time!) doing a dual degree than if you had pursued the two degrees separately or at different times. A double major allows you to study two fields and get just one degree. What Is a Double Major? You’ve probably met or heard of college students doing a double major. With a double major, you earn a single degree with concentrations in two fields. These fields are typically housed in the same school or college within a university and earn you the same type of degree (e.g., a BA, a BFA, a BS, etc.). If you want to pursue two majors in two highly different fields or at two different schools in your university, you’ll likely have to instead apply for a dual degree program. At some universities, you can apply the same courses to both of your majors, which can save you time and money. But this policy varies. At Stanford, you can't have any overlapping classes for your two majors. Meanwhile, at UC Berkeley, you may have up to two upper-division credits count toward both of your majors. Many students do not declare a double major until at least halfway through their college career. (I myself didn’t declare my second major until the end of my sophomore year.) However, you can declare a double major earlier if you know what you want to study, or possibly later, so long as you’ll have enough time to get all the credits you need by the time you intend to graduate. Furthermore, double majors can typically be completed within the regular four-year span (as most undergraduate degrees are). This means that double majors won’t usually have to spend any more money or time on their degree than a single major would. Finally, it’s worth noting that some students are able to triple major- meaning they get to study three fields at the same time and still earn just one degree! Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Dual Degree vs Double Major: 3 Key Similarities So far, we’ve given you the basic difference between a dual degree and a double major as well as in-depth definitions of both academic paths. Now, we'll take a look at some of the key similarities between the two. #1: You Get to Study Two Fields at Once Both a dual degree and a double major allow students to study more than one academic field at the same time. As a result, you’ll get the advantage of being able to broaden your horizons and expand your knowledge in different subject areas. This can lead to more effective analytical skills, too, which can be applied to careers and other professional endeavors. According to one study, double majors tend to be more dynamic, creative thinkers than single majors, indicating that there are many intellectual advantages to studying two fields at once. Getting a double major or dual degree can also prevent you from feeling limited or constricted to a single academic discipline. For example, if you love learning Spanish but aren’t sure whether a language major alone will help you get a job after college, you could combine it- via either a dual degree or double major- with another field that’s more job-oriented and that offers you the opportunity to learn a different skill set. More fields of study = more career options! #2: Studying Two Fields Can Diversify Your Career Prospects Perhaps the biggest benefit of studying two fields, either as a double major or dual degree, is that you’re acquiring two individual sets of skills and knowledge. This intellectual diversity can have a positive effect on your future career prospects. Basically, your experience with studying two academic disciplines will allow you to explore a bigger array of possible careers. For example, say you did a dual degree program in which you earned a BFA in Piano Performance and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA). With these two fields under your belt, you could enter a career related to music or business (or a career combining both!). Since you have many of the fundamental skills required (or preferred) for a job in either of these two fields, we could say your dual degree has, in fact, diversified your career possibilities. The same can be said for a double major. Say you double majored in chemistry and English. With these majors, you’ll learn plenty of useful skills, from critical thinking to observation and analysis, that you can apply to several occupations. For example, you could be a professional writer or work with a company that sells scientific equipment. You could even combine your majors in a more specialized career; for instance, you could become an editor of a science journal. Overall, both a dual degree and double major allow you to not just learn about two fields but also gain a set of broader skills that can be applied to far more careers than had you simply studied one field. #3: You Might Be Able to Apply a Class Toward Both Majors/Degrees Though this varies a lot depending on the university, with some double majors and dual degree programs, you can apply some of the classes you take for one major/degree to your other major/degree. However, note that most universities that allow this overlap between credits have a limit on how many credits/classes you can apply to both majors/degrees. For example, dual degree students in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan may request to have a class for one degree "double-count" toward their other degree by submitting a Dual Degree Course Election Form. At Northwestern, double majors can double-count a limited number of courses toward both their majors if they’re majoring in an interdisciplinary field, such as Asian Studies or Neuroscience. Double Major vs Dual Degree: 2 Major Differences We know that a dual degree gets you two separate degrees, whereas a double major gets you just one degree with two concentrations. But what are some other major differences between the two? Unfortunately, knowledge isn't the only thing to rise when you opt for a dual degree. #1: Dual Degrees Take Longer and Cost More Money Since you’re earning two degrees, each with its own unique academic requirements, a dual degree program requires more coursework than a double major does. This means you’ll generally be in school longer- often five or more years depending on the program and types of degrees you’re getting. By contrast, with a double major, you can usually finish college within the regular four-year time frame (though some people might take longer, especially if they didn’t declare their second major until very late into their college career). At Indiana University of Pennsylvania, for example, you must earn 120 credits for a double major and 150 credits for a dual degree. Due to this extra time spent in school, a dual degree typically costs more money overall than a double major does You’ll need to pay more for tuition since you're taking more credits in total; you’ll also need to pay more for things like housing, textbooks, and meals since you’ll be staying in school longer. #2: Dual Degrees Usually Require Admission to Two Schools Because a dual degree means you’ll be pursuing two degrees from two different schools, you’ll usually need to apply to (and get accepted to) both schools. By when you must apply to each school depends on the university. At Boston University, you must complete one full semester before you can apply to the dual degree program, and you can’t apply any later than the first semester of your junior year. At Columbia, applicants to the Law School may apply for a dual degree either when they initially apply for admission to the Law School (in other words, before they start college) or when they’re already enrolled at the Law School. Double majors are different, though. Since most students who double major study fields housed in the same school, they won’t need to apply for admission to a separate school. In general, the process for declaring a double major is a lot simpler than that for entering a dual degree program. For a double major, all you typically need to do is consult your advisor to figure out how many credits you need, which classes you’ll take, and whether you’ll have enough time in your schedule to pursue both majors without issue. Double Major vs Double Degree: Which One Should You Do? If you’re reading this article, you’re likely considering studying more than one field in college. But which is better for you: a double major or a dual degree? Below is a quiz you can use to help you figure out which plan might be a better fit for you. For each statement, put a check for either "Agree" or "Disagree." At the end, tally up your number of agrees and disagrees to find out whether a double major or dual degree is better suited for you. Statement Agree Disagree I hope to graduate within four years. The two fields I’m interested in studying are (at least somewhat) related to each other. Money is or might be a major concern for me. I dislike long, complicated application processes. I get easily stressed with having to balance lots of schoolwork. I’m unsure what I want to study in college. Mostly Agrees - A Double Major Should Work Well for You! If you got more agrees than disagrees, then a double major will likely work better for you than a dual degree will. You’d prefer to avoid spending any more money or time than you need to in order to get your college degree. You also want to study two fields that are at least slightly relevant to each other and whose majors don’t require a long application process or a lot more credits. Mostly Disagrees - A Dual Degree Is the Challenge You’re Seeking! If you got more disagrees than agrees, a dual degree sounds like the perfect intellectual challenge for you. You have a clear idea of the two (likely very different) fields you want to study and don’t mind spending more time and money getting your degrees. You’re also OK with having to balance a heavier-than-normal workload. Equal Number of Agrees and Disagrees - You Could Do Either! If you got an equal number of agrees and disagrees, either a double major or a dual degree could work well for you. You’re probably not a huge fan of spending a lot more time and money than you need to, but you’re also very interested in studying the two fields you really want to learn about, regardless of the challenges they might pose. Dual Degree vs Double Major: Key Takeaways Both a double major and a dual degree involve the study of two academic fields. However, there's a big difference between the two academic paths: a double major means you’ll get one degree with two concentrations, whereas a dual degree means you’ll get two separate degrees (i.e., two diplomas), one for each area of specialization. Typically, double majors involve the study of two related fields of study whose majors are housed in the same school or college at a university. This means you’ll graduate with one type of degree, such as a BA or BS, with two concentrations. Students usually have until at least the beginning of their junior year to declare a double major. Most double majors are able to graduate within the typical four-year time frame and therefore won’t need to spend more money on credits/tuition than a single major would. By contrast, a dual degree generally means you’ll be studying two highly different fields whose majors belong to two different schools. As a result, you’ll usually have to apply to both schools separately (and of course get accepted to both!). Dual degrees also require more credit hours than single degrees and double majors, since you need to complete the requirements for two separate degrees. The best way to figure out whether a double major or a dual degree is right for you is to take our quiz above. To reiterate, here are the main questions to ask yourself before you make your choice: What academic fields do you want to study in college (and how sure are you of your choices)? How much coursework are you willing to handle at one time? Are you OK with having to spend more time and money on your degree(s)? Being able to answer these questions should give you a clear idea as to which academic path- a double major or a dual degree- is ultimately the best one for you to take! What’s Next? What about if you want to become a teacher- do you need a dual degree, an education major, or just certification? Learn more about whether or not you need a teaching degree here. We also have complete guides for how to become a teacher and whether or not you should get an early childhood education degree. Still got questions about dual degrees or double majors? Then feel free to take a look at our in-depth guides to what a dual degree is and what a double major is to learn more about what to expect if you're pursuing one. What's the process for double majoring? Get the rundown in our guide on how to double major in college! If you're thinking about adding a second major but aren't sure if you can handle the workload, you should also check out our guide to low-key college majors. Struggling to figure out what you want to study in college? Have no fear- our guide will help you choose the best major for you, one step at a time. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Cultural References in Translation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cultural References in Translation - Essay Example What makes people a group are not only the affinities of its members, but rather the diversity its members have towards what stands outside of it: the action of culture is similar to the two faces of a wall, which both encloses and, on the other side, protects from what is unknown and obscure, from what is foreign. And the language is the most important (and most efficient) wall a group have to protect its society, its structures and its culture. As the language is the main vehicle (and product itself) of a culture, it is almost impossible to translate the same cultural reference in a different language: the final result will always be lacking something in the power of the form or in its deep meaning. Obviously, this problem is minimum in translations between two similar languages, such as Slovenian and Russian are, or between two societies which have several believes in common, but the problem still remains, because it is impossible to transpose both the meaning and its form, even if we consider the French and British societies, quite different for many aspects, such as independent linguistic origins, but extremely similar for history and development.It is a nonsense to think of a word as a simple 'label' of just one concept3, because a single concept, especially the ideas expressing historical or traditional objects, has different meanings, according to the culture or society it refers to. It is enough to consider the diff erent values that the word Renaissance has: although it points to a defined period of British history, the Italian word Rinascimento refers to a definitely different historical period (1385/1492) and, moreover, to a completely separate sets of values. This is nothing but an insignificant example, but it portrays the misunderstanding a cultural reference could generate: a word achieves a meaning depending on the environment it surrounds it, and in this case it would consist in a wrong interpretation of history. Transposing a meaning is sometimes even impossible: if we consider the fact that English Language has neuter form, while French has not, or if we consider the fact that adjectives have feminine forms in French and English have not (Mon cher/ Ma chre vs. My dear), it is easy to understand how difficult is for the translator to transmit both meaning and form from a language into the other. Even mere objects, such as houses, cars and so on, achieve (or miss) some original feature s of theirs when translated. The word bois describes a wood and evocates the features a wood has in France, describes the species of trees this wood is made of, recollects the sounds of the animals peopling it: it creates an image which has nothing to deal with a wood situated in New Zealand. Obviously this problem is avoided in movies, illustrated books, or children books, as the features of the objects are defined and the words are not requested to portray what has already been constructed by the image, but it remains in literature, especially when a word

John Edward Robinson Sr Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

John Edward Robinson Sr - Essay Example The Robinson’s moved to a bigger house in Missouri. He worked for the medical practice of Dr. Wallace Graham. In 1969, he was sentenced to 3 years’ probation after embezzling $33,000 from the medical practice. Robinson had sexually propositions about many of his neighbors’ wives and got into a physical fight with one of the husbands. On the other hand, he was involved in many rape crimes most of the victims were young girls (Thomas). In 1984 the first prey for Robinson was Paula Godfrey, she was 19 years old. John hired her to work in his firm. He picked her from her parents’ home to go to the airport but she never was found after that. From 1987-1993 Robinson was incarcerated, first in Kansas (1987-91) on multiple fraud conviction and other fraud convictions and parole violations. In addition, he was using the internet for sexual activities by using the â€Å"Slavemaster† as a nickname in the social network sites. Suzette was the way to expose Robi nson by her online friendships from around the world who knew she had gone to Kansas city to be with John Robinson. Her friends were worried about her because she no longer appeared online. Also he tried to seduce Lore and she is one of Suzette’s online friends, who lived in Eastern Canada. Lore tried to drag Robinson to find her friend Suzette. There were some telephone calls and email between them, in that time the police was tracking all the calls and emails. The police contacted Lore and told her that they were doing investigation about Robinson and they asked her to continue her relationship with him. Lore wasn’t the only target for Robinson. He was meeting women locally and outside the country. Tiffany Lynn Stasi is a child linked to Robinson, who disappeared 15 years ago after her mother crossed paths with Robinson. She was a 4-month old baby when she disappeared. Police was investigating whether Tiffany was living under another name (Canon). Sources who were kn owledgeable of the investigation said â€Å"She could have been raised by a couple known to Robinson without ever being legally adopted† (Jury Backs Execution in 'Sex Slave' Murders). Finally, in Missouri, members of the task force found that all five women were killed in the same way, by one or two blows to the head. They found these bodies in two garages that Robinson rented. In 2003, Robinson was sentenced to death in Kansan for the murders of Trouten and Lewicka, and life imprisonment for killing Stasi. The article shows that Robinson victims were 8 women and he was a serial killer. In my opinion, John Edward Robinson is one of the famous serial killers. While searching and reading articles about Robinson I found that he is sick of sexual activity or sexual things, even when he got married to Nancy, he was cheating on her and had many girlfriends everywhere around the world. Then he used internet for such purposes. Also he chose such nicknames that tell about his mentalit y and his indulgence in sex life. In fact, he loves porn and sexual life. That can be the cause of Robinson crimes. He did many criminal things such as, rape, stealing and killing. Each one of these crimes is related to the other one. For example, rape drives you to kill etc. The second reason that drove him to steal was that he was always expelled from his work and he tried to make his own firm but was haunted by debt. These things happened to him when he was not a part of notorious world. Maybe there is such a devilish force that pushed him to do all these crimes or was mentally ill. In the

Friday, October 18, 2019

Prediction paper number 2 Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prediction number 2 - Research Paper Example 113). She believed that this hostility has an evolutionary basis, wherein women attack one another due to competition over males and their resources and the need to promote themselves to ensure their reproduction (Campbell, 1995, p. 115). It will be interesting to know if physical attractiveness that can be measured through facial symmetry is correlated with indirect aggression. It is possible that attractive women may practice more indirect aggression than less attractive ones because of the evolutionary need to promote their reputation to men and to deny competitors of access to men and other social resources. It is assumed that physically attractive women are more indirectly aggressive than less attractive ones because of their dominance over other women, since, evolutionary theory suggests that males choose their female partners through their sexual attractiveness, which makes attractive women as the dominant women in their gender group (Campbell, 1995, p. 115).McAndrew (2014) added that gossip may be a strategy for reputation management that suggests the evolutionary basis of intrasexual competition through excluding competitors and taking away potential sources of social support. Muà ±oz-Reyes et al. (2012) noted from their study that fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of physical traits is a measure of developmental instability and health and that FA is neg atively correlated to hostility for older adolescent women and to the physical attractiveness of women. It is hypothesized that attractive women with low FA practice indirect aggression more than less attractive women, and that those who are in a relationship and attractive are more aggressive than other attractive and less attractive women who are not in a relationship because of the need to protect their access to their male partners. The independent variables are FA and the relationship status of the participants, while the

Business plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Business plan - Term Paper Example The Coffee Lounge would harness the closeness to the University of Colorado. The best tasting beverages in the Coffee Lounge will be prepared with ingredients of premium quality following stringent quality guidelines to ensure the satisfaction of the connoisseur. The store layout will reflect the ambience to the youth, who would throng during the day and in the evenings after the college. The menu and the advertisements will target customers for higher margin espresso drinks. Along with Espresso drinks, brewed coffee and teas will also be on offer. To go with these beverages, some snacks such as pastries, sandwiches and salads will also feature in the menu. These menu offerings could be savored while reading free books and magazines that are provided to the customers inside the Coffee Lounge. The menu of the Coffee Lounge will be developed around Espresso-based coffee drinks such as Lattes, Mochas, and Cappuccinos etc. These drinks will be on offer with skimmed, whole or soy milk. Each of these drinks is prepared with a ‘shot’ of espresso prepared in the machine by forcing hot water through ground coffee at high pressure. These ‘shots’ are combined with steamed milk with or without additives such as cocoa, caramel, etc. Our meticulous preparation techniques and trained personnel will ensure our competitive advantage. The promotion activity will begin in the University of Colorado campus, the malls and select buildings in the vicinity of the campus. The kick off for promotion would be two weeks prior to the opening of the Coffee Lounge. These will be accompanied by free post cards with endorsement of Coffee Lounge aimed at increasing the visibility of the coffee lounge. The Coffee Lounge will be close to the University of Colorado with a 2400 Sq.Ft. area. This accommodation will be acquired through a three year lease with a flexibility to extend. The hook

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Why you want to be a teacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why you want to be a teacher - Essay Example For the rest, they simply want to get employed and follow whatever opportunities maybe presented to them. In my case, I want to be a teacher or an educator. Why is this so? Because as Henry Brooks Adams said â€Å"A teacher affects eternity, he can never tell where his influence stops†. I deeply believe what this man says for I have witnessed through the lives of others how much influence a teacher can wield to his students. I want to become a teacher because I want to inspire my future students. Nowadays, we often see a large majority of students losing interest in their academic obligations such as doing their homework. They are more likely to engage in watching television or playing console or PC games. In case they spend time doing some homework, it is often done as a burden that has to be accomplished. I want to become a teacher because I want to bring back the enthusiasm in learning. Students must be inspired to search for knowledge because life is a very interesting jou rney. In the field of sciences, teachers can inspire students to become researchers or scientists that can develop solutions to mankind’s problems. If I become a teacher, I would motivate my students to study because they can make a contribution to the world. A teacher always goes through the never-ending process of learning.

Equal rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Equal rights - Essay Example In Bakke, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a college can apply preferential treatment to minority applicants for admission where the system is applied for the purpose of achieving student diversity. The Court ruling in Bakke determined that a college may award bonus points except where there is evidence of a quota-based system. There is no evidence in this case that such a quota was implemented. In the companion case to Gratz (supra), Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), the court ruled that the affirmative action admissions policy administered by the University of Michigan Law School did not violate the Equal Protection Clause because the law school had an interest in obtaining a "critical mass" of minority students. Whatsamatta University is entitled to award bonuses for minority students and to a verdict in its favor. While the holding in the Bakke case appears to permit rationally based racial preference in college admissions, it is important to note that Bakke was eventually admitted to the University of California. Cracker has strong support for a ruling that Whatsamatta U. violated Cracker's Equal Protection rights under the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In Gratz v. Bollinger (2003), the U.S.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Why you want to be a teacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why you want to be a teacher - Essay Example For the rest, they simply want to get employed and follow whatever opportunities maybe presented to them. In my case, I want to be a teacher or an educator. Why is this so? Because as Henry Brooks Adams said â€Å"A teacher affects eternity, he can never tell where his influence stops†. I deeply believe what this man says for I have witnessed through the lives of others how much influence a teacher can wield to his students. I want to become a teacher because I want to inspire my future students. Nowadays, we often see a large majority of students losing interest in their academic obligations such as doing their homework. They are more likely to engage in watching television or playing console or PC games. In case they spend time doing some homework, it is often done as a burden that has to be accomplished. I want to become a teacher because I want to bring back the enthusiasm in learning. Students must be inspired to search for knowledge because life is a very interesting jou rney. In the field of sciences, teachers can inspire students to become researchers or scientists that can develop solutions to mankind’s problems. If I become a teacher, I would motivate my students to study because they can make a contribution to the world. A teacher always goes through the never-ending process of learning.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

International business final exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

International business final exam - Assignment Example The conditions imply that cotton in Africa is cheaper than in the United States in production. In fact, Dunavant pays about half of the world prices for the African cotton. This strengthens that assertion that the low cost of production translates to lower prices. The low cost are brought about by abundance of land to grow cotton, labor, and low barriers to trade in the commodity. Also, the availability of professional advice and microfinance services from Dunavant has increased production. Trade between Dunavant and Africa is beneficial to various parties which in include the farmers, the company and textile industries across the world. Unlike the US farmers who rely of subsidies, African farmers are reliant on financial services extended by companies like Dunavant (Zachary 2007). The price benefit derived by the company extends to other firms that buy the cotton from it. This has the effect of bringing the world cotton prices down. Consequently, it raises competition among cotton producing regions. The information can be explained by porters diamond of national advantage whose interest in factor conditions, structure and rivalry in the industry, available demand, related and supporting industries Factor conditions include skilled labor and technology. Cotton in Africa is labor intensive and thus benefits from a large population. Moreover, availability of funds from companies and governments aid the industry. A local market is preferable as it triggers more production. The industry becomes more competitive thus deriving better services to farmers. Global companies acting on a national stage opens up the country for international demand that further enhances cotton farming. The cotton industry is competitive. Production in Africa closely follows the United States, placing Africa as a strategic player in the industry. The advantage is that many international suppliers have ventured into the region to provide market

Monday, October 14, 2019

Analysis of the poem Essay Example for Free

Analysis of the poem Essay The poem Originally by Carol Ann Duffy talks about the issue of culture identity. The poem talks about change, memories, and anxiety which occurs when moving. This is conveyed through the experiences of a young girl in the poem who is reluctant to leave what she knows behind. This is made apparent through the theme of memory and the continual change of setting. The title Originally sets the tone for the poem as there change needs to occur for there to be an original. This choice of diction allows for an expectation for what the journey will be about, while the ambiguity of the poem is written in such a way that personal experiences can be projected upon the protagonist. The aspect of the poem through tone however creates a bias towards negative emotions and experiences due to the despondent tone throughout the first two stanzas. This atmosphere of loss is aided through the use of negative emotive diction such as bawling and resigned. By showing that the protagonists brothers are crying, Duffy illustrates how hard this is for them as crying is usually only brought on by major or sad events and loss, resigned is used to show how she has accepted her fate, but it doesnt mean she likes it. This association of emotions with the diction allows for empathy to occur towards the protagonist and her unsure feelings about her emigration. The theme of cultural identity is used in the poem in order to instil a sense of not belonging. This feeling of unease and unhappiness is introduced through the use of bawling as this change from the place where they are comfortable and belong to the new one is both painful and confusing for them. The use of italics however, in the repetition of Home as well as the capitalisation of it, emphasises its importance to them and their desire to return to it. The use of a blind toy by Duffy can be used as a metaphor towards the protagonists new life, where, although the toy is blind, it still has eyes. The foreshadowing could be that when the protagonist moves she will be blinded by everything which is new so that she doesnt become overwhelmed by it. She will continue to be blind to the beauty of her new home so long as she is yearning for her old one. However, once she is ready her sight will return and she will start to forget her cultural identity. At the time, the girl doesnt want this however, so she is clinging onto a toy to maintain her memories of home. Additionally, a toy is associated with childhood, so the clinging onto it may represent how she doesnt want to grow up and leave her comforts behind. By saying in the second stanza that all childhood is emigration, Duffy allows for immediate relation to the protagonists situation. This is due to the journey of growing up to adulthood which is a worldwide experience, as well as referring to physical emigration of moving from one place to another. Improtantly however, the emigration of childhood is all made without the acceptance of the person moving, they cannot stop growing older, and parents make the ultimate decisions. This unease and the inability to understand the need to move is reinforced by the location of her new home where no one you know stays. This introduces the tone of isolation which is reinforced by having the wrong accent, and shouting words you dont understand which immediately marks a person as being from a different area, even though the move could have been within the same country of city, the accent and slang changes. The introduction of big boys shows that she is intimidated by people from the area who are older and bigger as she doesnt know how they will react, this is reinforced by the alliteration present through the repetition of the hard d, continuing the feeling of intimidation which the protagonist encounters. A continuation of the alliteration in sibilance, seeing your brother swallow a slug, feel only a skelf of shame, provides an insight that the protagonist is slightly proud of her brothers for adapting so well to the environment, which is then applied to herself in a continuation of sibilance in combination with a simile in that she remembers (her) tongue shedding its skin like a snake, my voice in the classroom sounding just like the rest. This shows that she is also now adapting to her environment, reinforced by the fact that a shed skin is natural for a snake, and this adaptation is normal, although slightly unwanted. The last stanzas change in tone shows how the protagonist has changed with age. This allows for a time skip to take place into a time when she is more mature and able to reflect upon the journey easily, although with some regret. This is expressed through rhetorical questions beginning with the use of Do I only think, in line 20, which builds up an atmosphere of longing and wistfulness. There is also a tone of uncertainty in there, as she doesnt know if she had remained in the place if the feelings of belonging would have remained, which is why she only questions and doesnt outright believe that staying would have been the best option for her. The rhyming of the words first space and right place reinforces the doubt she feels about her cultural identity. The continued doubt of the protagonists cultural identity which occurs in lines 23 and 24, illustrates how she will continue to try and find the answers throughout her life as she will never be truly certain of who she is, creating a sense of not belonging. Although emigration is a hard thing to experience, Duffy illustrates that trying to maintain a cultural identity through such a process may cause problems later. The continued rejection of the new culture illustrates how much of an outsider it makes the protagonist feel later in life, which could have been avoided if it had been readily embraced. The place which she originates from will always have a draw, however, the acceptance of a new culture viewed as a new part of a personal culture, would be much easier to accept than a replacement to the old one.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

A report on dry bulk shipping

A report on dry bulk shipping Shipping is indubitably one of the fascinating industries in the world. It requires vast knowledge and skill to cop up with the day to day operations because of the complexity of the industry and its dependence on world economics. Dry Bulk ships carry dry cargoes in bulk from one port to another and can be categorised into handysize,  handymax,  panamax,  capesize, and very large bulk and ore carriers according to their sizes. The performance of the bulk shipping market depends on the demand for and supply of bulk shipping services, as well as the characteristics of the market structure. The importance of shipping cycle in case of dry bulk carrier is that they plays a vital part in the economics of shipping industry by managing the investment risk in an industry ,where there is large uncertainty about the future (Stopford,2009) Section 1 Literature Review One of the major aspects affecting the future of dry bulk shipping is the quality and the safety perspective. Nominal freight differentiation between quality and other tonnage has been observed occasionally and much services has been paid to promoting the need for younger and safer ships (Tamvakis  and Thanopoulou,2000) Another factor that can influence maritime flows of dry bulk commodity is seasonality patterns .Spot rates for bigger vessels shows higher seasonal variations compared to smaller vessels, although differences in seasonal fluctuations between sectors are removed as the contract duration increases.   (Kavussanos and Alizadeh,2001) Investing in shipping industry has an entirely new aspect by the introduction of private equity and the development of a hedging strategy, now this can be treated as a portfolio optimization problem. The freight futures provide a comparatively novel medium for hedging risk in  dry bulk  shipping markets. New uprising financial strategies in dry bulk shipping in future can revolutionize the entire market.( Cullinane,1995) Duration analysis done by Bijwaard G.E and Knapp.S provides an insight to the effectiveness of prolonging ship lives and the empirical data solidifies the idea about the life span of dry bulk carrier. Life span is an important aspect in predicting the ship cycle(Bijwaard and Knapp,2009)Scrapping of ship is done at a particular time and this is done when the ship is retired from the current use or when shipping cycle demands it. Gain and losses after the scrapping of a ship . entirely depends on the market condition. Demand of Dry bulk shipping is always related to the scrapping industry.(Knapp,2008) The Government is proposing that the UKs CO2 emissions should fall by at least 80% by 2050 . Release of exhaust gases and particles from oceangoing  ships is an important and growing provider to the total emissions from the transportation sector. New strategies like slow steam, alternate fuel and new logistic approach like jumbo ore carriers etc will be used in future to make the shipping sector more eco friendly(Eyring et al,2010) Research Hypothesis Marine flow of dry bulk goods in 2050 will be largely influenced on numerous factors and the background study done above concretes this statement. From the background study done above following hypothesis are made. The changing investment strategy like private equity and development of hedging strategy in worlds dry bulk shipping can promote the ship owners to invest in new ships and it can also attract new ship owners to the industry .If the scrapping doesnt goes in proportion with the production ,it could affect the supply and demand of dry bulk goods and there would be frequent interference of shipping cycle The design, tonnage and operation of dry bulks ships in 2050 can vary a lot from the present. Carriers like jumbo ore carriers and trend to containerisation can be the future of dry bulk shipping .Seasonality and size issues at present might be totally vanished in the future. Developed countries like United Kingdom are concentrating more on environmental issues caused by shipping industries and UKs target to reduce CO2 emission by 80% in 2050 can have great influence in marine transportation of dry bulk commodities. This is mainly because in future government may bring controls to ships having co2 emission more than 80% which can result in restricting ships entering into UK ports. Now this can lead to change in the flow of dry bulk goods in and out of UK. Both the demand for shipping services and shipping rates in 2050 will be positively related to the shipping cycle. Section 2 Data Analysis Origin of the data used in this research was mainly collected from Thomson Reuters Datastream, OECD.stat, Shipping Intelligence Network by Clarksons Research and United Nations Statistics Division.The other data source used in this research is Lloyds Shipping Economist The Shipping Intelligence Network according to Clarksons Research is one of the top on line commercial shipping database and almost all related data required for this research like Baltic Freight Index and the fleet size were collected from this source. Data required for shipping cycle are collected from Thomson Reuters DataStream which is according to their webpage the largest financial database in the world. Some data were also collected from OECD(Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and United Nations Statistics Division The data for the supply and demand are accessible from a centralised table called Supply and Demand Data in Lloyds economist. The data required for supply and demand of dry bulk carrier were collected from those tables for the current analysis of the bulk carrier market The time series that were taken from Lloyds shipping are stated below Total demand and supply of bulk carrier fleet in million DWT Total size of bulk carrier fleet adapting slow steaming strategy Total number of bulk carriers order book in million DWT The number of bulk carriers order book should be taken serious as there is an interval of two years from the order to the delivery. The data for supply and surplus of the fleet following slow steam strategy is either laid up or in-active are calculated in tons of dead weight To analyse the dry bulk shipping cycle it is useful to study how the key variables in this market have developed over time. It is very difficult to find the accurate measures of cycles ,representing the demand for shipping service and hence it not easy to find a relationship between dry bulk shipping and shipping cycle in general .To measure the freight rates in dry bulk shipping BFI(Baltic Freight Index) can be used (Glen and Rogers1997) Even though the BFI (Baltic Freight Index) ceased to exist when Baltic Exchange Dry Index was introduced, till today it has been calculated and reported by Clarksons Research Shelley (2003), As demonstrated in the Figure some striking changes are recorded in the freight rates of dry bulk shipping in recent years. The BFI reached at its maximum level in October 2007, followed by a dramatic fall in 2008.Figure(b) shows that the volatility of the freight rates have increased significantly after 2002-03 If a Comparison is done between figure 1 and figure 2 some similarities can be observed like increased freight rates in 2003-04 are matched by increasing total bulker sales and similarly the vice versa in the year 2005 and 2008 and hence a co-relation between freight rate and bulker sales can analysed from the above figures. Figures also expose a trend in increased volatility in total bulker sales during the period 2003-2008.c(Clarkson,2010) The augmented volatility in current years point towards that the fleet is almost equal to the current capacity limit. During the high capacity period, demand shocks have a great impact on freight rates. This can be a logical explanation of the hugely increased freight rates in the recent periods of boom in the world economy GDP for OECD, USA, Japan and China can be used to determine shipping cycles. The GDP of OECD is used as a alternative variable for world production, while the GDP of the US, Japan, and China represents the economic activity and demand for shipping services in three very important countries in world trade.(OECD,2010) The figures are based on data from the Shipping Intelligence Network by Clarksons Research and Thomson Reuters DataStream -2 All quarterly variables, the GDP of OECD, USA, Japan, and China from OECD stat helped us in finding that, these variables are non-stationary, as is the relevant time series for the Baltic Freight Index. The BFI from Clarkson led to the conclusion that all the shipping cycle are co related with the BFI.The sources that are used in this research gave us a larger perspective of the research objective and found out that, identifying the shipping cycle is a difficult process because there is much less previous researches done on this topic. Section 3 Demand and Supply Model for Dry Bulk shipping In present day there are number of models which have been developed to forecast and explain freight rate by examining the factors influencing the demand and supply of the respective services..Tinbergen(1934) model is considered to be one of the oldest econometric application.(Beenstock and Vergottis,1993).In new models the basic concept and idea are similar but the models have become more sophisticated by the application of new techniques . In 1980 a model was developed and presented in Strandenes and Wergeland which was named as NORBULK model. This model is considered to be one of the important econometric technique in predicting the freight rate in dry bulk shipping. The NORBULK model is based on the assumption that the demand for transportation of dry bulk commodities is determined by the freight rates, the trade patterns, and variables reflecting the macroeconomic situation A Graphical illustration of NORBULK model is shown above. From the illustration it is clear that demand and supply of dry shipping services are assumed to be influenced by the freight rate and at the same time equilibrium freight rates reflect the demand and supply of the shipping services. The model also explains the fact that macro economic conditions (the product capacity and cycle situation)influence the trade of bulk commodities which can alter the demand for transportation of dry bulk commodity. The speciality of NORBULK model from other models is that the other models are concentrated on major bulk commodities separately. The relation between trade and aggregated macroeconomic condition is one of the distinct features of NORBULK model. Supply part of the NORBULK model accounts for the size of the fleet, the fuel price, and the freight rates. The shape of the supply curve in a specific market reflects the relationship between the freight rate and the supply of shipping services, while, for instance, changes in the size of the fleet cause shifts in the supply curve. A characteristic shape of a supply curve in dry bulk shipping Ton miles is the measurement for supply and demand in sea transport and this is equal to the average haul multiplied by the tonnage of cargo (Strandenes and Wergeland, 1980) Shipping cycles are not cyclical or regular and hence in true world shipping predicting the shipping cycle are a loose sequence of up and downs and hence predictions in ship cycle is always a tough task. According to Cufley it is totally impossible to predict when the market will move upwards or fall. NORBULK is an example of a model based on the assumption that demand is inversely related to the freight rate. The relationship was estimated to be very inelastic, however. Still, Strandenes and Wergeland (1980) argue that it is potentially important to account for the price elasticity in both supply and demand. There are 10 variables in the demand and supply model which affect the demand for shipping and the supply of ships for the carriage of goods. The variable in the demand for ships are: The world economy, seaborne commodity trades, average haul, political event and transport cost. The variables for supply of ships are: World fleet, fleet productivity, ship building productions, scrapping and losses and freight rates.(Stopford,2010).Difficulty of analysing the above variables is daunting. The world economy is complex and sometimes we have to wait for years for the availability of the detailed statistics for accurate evaluation .Many of the variables mentioned above are highly un predictable and hence the forecasting must be considered as a process to clarify the risk rather than creating certainty. Working of NORBULK model is not focused on a particular commodity and it gives a general result which can be applicable to all the dry bulk carriers. New developed models used in dry bulk shi pping concentrates more on a specific commodity and there is always possibility that when modelling a particular commodity bulk carrier new models might be more accurate than NORBULK model. Assumptions made in developing the model sometimes can be far away from the reality and this can always result in wrong forecasting or prediction. Conclusion: It is always interesting to follow the future development of the dry bulk shipping market. In our opinion to understand the basic forces controlling the development of freight rates and shipping volume both econometric and theoretical analysis are very significant . On analysing the economic market we were able to understand the relations that are believed to exist between factors. We were also able to discover that the reason for shipping cycles to exist are the inelasticity of supply in shipping market which disables supply to meet the demand in the short run. Journals Bijwaard,G.E and Knapp,S (2009) Analysis of ship cycles The impact of economic cycles and ship inspections Journal on marine Policy, Vol 33, Issue 2, pp-(350-360) Cullinae,K(1995) A portfolio analysis of market investments in dry bulk shipping Transportation Research Part B: Methodological(June)Vol 29, Issue 3, pp 181-200 Eyeing,V(et, al)(2010) Transport impacts on atmosphere and climate: Shipping The ATTICA Assessment Report (Dec)Vol 44,Issue 37,pp 4735-4771 Kaussanos,M.G and Alizadeh,A.H(2001) Seasonality patterns in dry bulk shipping spot and time charter freight rates Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review (December) Vol 37, Issue 6, pp 443-467 Knapp.S (et, al) (2008) Econometric analysis of ship demolition market Journal on Marine policy,) Vol 32, Issue 6, pp-( 1023-1036) Tamavakis,N.T and Thanopoulu,H.a(2000) Does quality pay? The case of the  dry bulk market Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, (December) Vol 36, Issue 4,pp 297-307 Books Stopford, M., 2009, Maritime Economics, 3rd edition, London, Routledge pp 64,424-427,512 Section 2 Clarkson (2010) Available from http://www.clarksons.com/services/overview/?serviceId=418 Accessed on 21st November 2010 Glen, D. R and Rogers, P(1997),Does weight matter? A statistical analysis of the SSY capesize index, Maritime policy and management,pp 24, 351-364 Lloyds Shipping Economist magazines London 2005-2010 Available from http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/sector/markets/lloyds-shipping-economist/ Accessed from 18th November 2010 O.E.C.D (2010) Available from http://oberon.sourceoecd.org/vl=6310340/cl=19/nw=1/rpsv/dotstat.htm. Accessed on 1st December 2010 Shelley, T( 2003) Chinas rapid expansion boosts world shipping industry, Financial Times, 25 November, pp 3 Thomson (2010) Avaialble From http://online.thomsonreuters.com/datastream/ Accessed on 5th December 2010 UNStats(2010) Available from http://unstats.un.org Accessed on 7th December 2010 Section 3 Beenstock, M., Vergottis, A., 1993, Econometric Modelling of World Shipping, london, Chapman Hall Stopford, M., 2009, Maritime Economics, 3rd edition, London, Routledge Wergeland, T. (1981). Norbulk: A simulation model of bulk freight rates. Working Paper 12, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, Bergen, Norway

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Cultural Difference between Mexicans and Americans Essays -- American

Cultural Difference between Mexicans and Americans While Texas leader Stephen Austin initially had no contempt toward Mexicans, the Anglo-American citizens in the area did. The American Texans of the 1800’s defined Mexicans as â€Å"a race alien to everything that Americans held dear† (De Leon 4). This sentiment would serve as the primary catalyst to the Texas secession from Mexico. When Austin began colonizing the area, he envisioned a place in which Anglo-Americans and Tejanos, Mexicans living in Texas, could live together. Eventually, though, the public opinions of North American settlers in the territory and in Washington would make him realize that the goal of unity between the two groups was impossible. There were many cultural bricks laid by Spaniards, English, Mexicans, and Americans, which built a wall of cultural difference between the Mexicans and Americans so massive that it would lead to war. The Spanish and the English laid the first bricks during the sixteenth century. The English viewed the Spanish as â€Å"heartless and genocidal† (De Leon 4). Ironically, the Spaniards’ cruelty to Indians in Latin America was the primary reason for the English’s characterization. The Spaniards devotion to the Roman Catholic Church made the chasm between the predominately Protestant English and the Spanish grow even wider. The Spaniards continued to lay more bricks through their domination and influence over the inhabitants of Mexico. The Catholic Church became Mexico’s â€Å"largest landowner and moneylender† (Cantrell 105). Today America prides itself on religious freedom; however, during the 1800’s America viewed any religion other than Protestant as a threat. The Anglo-Americans laid the largest set of bricks with their be... ...niversity: William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies, 1958. 4.Crane, William Carey. Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston. J.B. Lippincott & Co.: Philadelphia, PA, 1884. 5.Del Castillo, Griswold. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. University of Oklahoma Press: Norman, OK and London, 1990. 6.De Leon, Arnoldo. They Call Them Greasers. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1983. 7.Hitsman, J. Mackay. â€Å"The Texan War of 1835-1836†. History Today. 1960 10 (2). 8.Lester, Charles Edwards. Life of Sam Houston. J.C. Derby: New York, 1885. 9.Long, Walter Ewing. Stephen F. Austin’s Legacies. Steck-Vaughn Co.: Austin, TX, 1970. 10.Stenberg, Richard R. â€Å"The Texas Schemes of Jackson and Houston, 1829-1836†. Social Science Quarterly. 1970 50(4). 11.Weber, David J. The Mexican Frontier, 1821-1846. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1982.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Discuss the portrayal of Indian society in this poem

Deception, written by Rabindranath Tagore is told through the eyes of a narrator, who is the husband of Binu. He tells a story of Binu and her husband and their life together in Indian society. In the poem the portrayal of Indian life, is illustrated through various aspects, such as arranged marriages; the class distinctions, Laksmi the goddess, the poverty and dowries. The class distinctions in Hindu society are called the Caste system. This is portrayed in the poem at several occasions. When Binu introduces Rukmini to her husband and explains that Rukmini needs money. ‘She looked me in the eyes, Bowed, withdrew to the platform where she stood clutching a pillar' This shows that obviously Rukmini was in a lower class than Binu's husband because of the way she reacted, she bowed to and then withdrew from his presence and stood at a distance. I think that Rukmini might have been in the ‘untouchable' caste because she did not consider herself worthy enough to even stand in the presence of Binu's husband. She had to go and stand at a distance while Binu explained Rukmini's need for money. The way that she bowed in front of him also portrays that she was lower class than him because she was showing him a sign of respect. In The Caste system the Jats determine which range of jobs you do. Marriage usually took place between people of the same Jat and people normally died in the same group. There are certain rules that say that people in different Jats cannot eat, drink or even smoke in each others company. The word clutching shows the fact that Rukmini was desperate and that she really need help, this also supports that she was in the untouchables caste. There are four groups which are called the Varna. There is also a fifth which are called the ‘untouchables'. The untouchables did not belong to any caste. They were called the Dalit. They were untouched by the four other castes. In some areas even their shadow touching a member of the Varnas was considered polluting. They worked in what was considered polluting jobs and were never accepted by society. The Highest status was called the Brahmins and this consisted of priests and intellectuals. I think that Binu's husband and Binu herself were part of this caste because it says in the poem ‘And began to read an English novel that I had bought' This shows that Binu's husband was very well educated because he spoke English and only the rich and high powered could afford to learn to speak English. This therefore supports the fact that Binu and her husband are from the Brahmin's caste. In the quotation ‘Whoever heard of such a thing? The woman was probably a sweeper or something equally disgusting' The harsh sounding of the word disgusting shows the contempt and hatred that the upper caste show towards the untouchables. It shows the fact that Rukmini was part of the ‘untouchables' caste because Binu's husband was saying that Rukmini had some equally disgusting job such as a sweeper. This therefore would have been considered a polluting job so she would not have been fit to been seen associating with. There is another quotation that supports the fact that there were huge distinctions in class. ‘†Where is Rukmini?† They reacted blankly†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ This shows that Rukmini was very unimportant because even the people in the lower castes of the Varna did not have any sort of idea who Rukmini was, when Binu's husband asked after her at the station. The word blankly shows that even though Rukmini had worked and lived at the train station for years, she was still so irrelevant that no one had even noticed that she was there and that she had gone. The only recognised who she was when Binu's husband said ‘†The wife of Jhamru the coolie†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Rukmini was obviously so insignificant that they did not even know her by name and she used to work at the station. The only reason that they recognised her was because Binu's husband remembered the name of her husband. Then they only barely remembered who she was because they recognised the name of Rukmini's husband. ‘She lives in the row of huts by the well over there;' This also links the fact that Rukmini is in the ‘untouchables' caste because she lives in poverty. She did not live in a very respectably, she lived in a shack, by the side of the train station; she had no land and no money, not even able to find 25 rupees for her daughters dowry. She did not belong to one of the four Varna, so she was nobody of importance to bother about. The next subject that I am going to discuss is arranged marriages. I think that perhaps Binu and her husband had, had an arranged marriage because it says in the poem that ‘Left her parents-in-laws house for the first time since marriage' ‘Our meetings furtive' This shows that the couple had not met of their own accord, but that their parents have arranged for them to meet. They have only met secretly and on very brief occasions. This shows that there was an arranged marriage because you do not marry someone that you have only met a few times in your life. Parents when looking for a suitable husband for their daughter in arranged marriages have to look for certain things such as the social castes that they are in and financial status. It is the girl's parents that traditionally pay for the wedding as a gift to the newly wed couple. They shower the girl with presents that she is to give to the groom's family when she moves in. It is traditional that the bride goes to live in the groom's family. When the couple marry everything that once was the wife's now officially belongs to the husband. The quotation above says that Binu after living with her parents-in-law left there house for the first time. This supports the fact that Binu and her husband have had an arranged marriage. Another quotation that supports the fact that the couple had, had an arranged marriage is ‘The airless sequestration of the joint family' This portrays that the family have lived in very close contact with Binu and her husband. I think that maybe the family have been interfering with the couple. The word sequestration suggests the fact that the family have been interfering with the couple, because sequestration means enclosure, which suggests that Binu and her husband were enclosed with the family they did everything together. ‘Like the everlasting vermilion in the parting of laksmi's hair' Laksmi is the goddess of wealth and beauty. Laksmi is the household goddess and she is a favourite among women. She is depicted as a beautiful woman who has four hands. She is either sitting or standing on a full bloomed lotus, which stands for beauty purity and fertility. Her four hands represent the four ends of human life Dharma- righteousness Kama- desires Artha- wealth Moksha- liberation. In the Krishna avtara Laksmi comes to earth as Rukmini. This is particularly interesting since the Lady that Binu's husband was meant to give twenty five rupees to was also called Rukmini. I think that maybe the goddess Laksmi was testing Binu's husband to see whether he had any compassion for the people who were in lower castes than him. If this is so then the husband failed the test because he treated Rukmini with contempt and only out of pity did he give her two rupees? He then however, told Binu that he had given Rukmini the whole twenty five rupees. Rukmini based the whole of her last two months of life on the fact that her husband loved her so much that he would give twenty five rupees to a complete stranger who Binu had met and befriended at the train station. However, just before Binu died she told her husband this. Her husband was filled with guilt and repentance. He went back to try and find Rukmini and pays her the twenty five rupees that he owed her, so that it would ease his conscience. Rukmini had moved on and this was the husband's punishment. He had to deal with the fact that he had lied to his wife and now had to live with the guilt and desperation. This I think is the meaning of Laksmi being mentioned in this poem. The dowry is quite significant in the poem since it is the reason that Binu asks her husband to pay the twenty five rupees to Rukmini, and the whole reason that the husband feels so guilty at the end. A dowry is a gift that the bride's family give to the groom's family upon marriage. In some of the richer castes dowries are an exchange of wealth between too families which are intermarrying. In many countries the dowry is a large part of property which is either exchanged or given to the family. The dowry insures that the wife will not be badly treated by the husband because it acts as a forfeit from the wife's family to the groom's. ‘Bracelets, bangles, armlets for the dowry' This is what Rukmini asks the money for so that she can buy a suitable dowry for her daughter so that she will not be rejected by the husband. The dowry that Rukmini wants to give is not particularly extensive, so this also supports the idea that Rukmini is not particularly rich since in wealthy families large amounts of land and property are given as dowry presents. If the brides family do not give a dowry then it is seen as disrespect and the whole wedding can be called off, since the groom's family do want to marry into a family that either disrespect the rules of the dowry system or they are not wealthy enough to supply a sufficient dowry for there daughters wedding. This is therefore what Rukmini is saying in the poem, she is pleading to Binu because I think that perhaps she feels that she will get a better reaction out of a woman who has never really seen the world and has lived rather a sheltered life, than a man who is in one of the highest groups of the Varna. She is saying that if she cannot afford the dowry and if she does not give one then her daughter will be rejected from the marriage, which will be embarrassing for the family. Therefore, I conclude that the poet has used the portrayal of Indian Society to try and make people who are reading the poem understand the way that Indian Society actually works. The poet portrays the caste system in this prejudiced way because maybe he feels that the system is principally unjust. The Caste system has many floors, but it has brought some sort of order to Indian Society meaning that people are recognised and distinguished. The poet uses the portrayal of Indian Society very well to get the effect of the drama and desperation in the poem. The poor lady Rukmini needs money so that her daughter can get married she is desperate for help and pity from the rich. However the uncompassionate husband feels that Rukmini is unworthy of even touching his shadow.