Soviet Union and de-Stalinization Essay Example

Soviet Union and de-Stalinization Essay Soviet Union Leaders in the Post Stalin Era Kareem M. Khalil Fall 2010-2011 Lebanese American University Outline I. The Soviet Union: a. Background about the Soviet Union from 1917-1953. b. Vladimir Lenin. c. Joseph Stalin. II. Nikita Khrushchev: a. Rise to power. b. De-Stalinization. c. Reforms and domestic policies. d. Foreign Policy. e. Expulsion from power. III. Leonid Brezhnev: a. Rise to Power. b. Domestic Policies. c. Brezhnev Stagnation. d. Foreign Policy. e. Death. IV. Yuri Andropov: a. Rise to Power. b. Domestic Policies. c. Foreign Policy. V. Konstantin Cherenko: d. Policies and short office term. VI. Mikhail Gorbachev: e. Domestic policies f. Foreign policy. g. Fall from power. h. End of the Soviet Union. VII. Conclusion Soviet Union Leaders in the Post Stalin Era The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, simply referred to ask the Soviet Union, was a socialist state that spread from Northern and Eastern Europe to various parts of Central Asia. It dated between the 30th of December 1922 and the 26th of December 1991. Until its collapse in 1991, it consisted of almost 15 constituent republics that are acknowledged today as: â€Å"Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan† [ (Rosenberg) ]. The father and founder of the Soviet Union was no other than Vladimir Lenin who managed to set the foundations of the USSR after overthrowing Tsar Nicholas II in November of 1917, and finally establishing a Soviet government in 1922. We will write a custom essay sample on Soviet Union and de-Stalinization specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Soviet Union and de-Stalinization specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Soviet Union and de-Stalinization specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer After asserting himself as the â€Å"Chairman of the Council of Peoples Commissars of the Soviet Union†, Lenin began planning and implementing new policies and ideas that would affect the USSR, alter and influence the rest of the world even after he passed away. McCauley (1993) describes some of Lenin’s policies during his reign as the following: nationalizing all banks and important business enterprises, distributing lands to peasants, reintegrating several states into Bolshevik Russia, and exporting the communist ideology. After Lenin’s death in 1924, Joseph Stalin was appointed as the â€Å"General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). † Stalin, and through outsmarting and slowly banishing his opponents, managed to establish a totalitarian regime and appoint himself as the supreme leader of the Soviet Union in the late 1920’s. Stalin’s period in office was both devastating and costly to the Soviet Union in especially in its domestic policies. Stalin’s five year economic plan (the rapid industrialization of the USSR) produced remarkable results, but cost the lives of around â€Å"14. 5 million peasants† (â€Å"http://www. moreorless. au. com/killers/stalin. html, â€Å"), and reaped the lives of almost twenty million people and deported over twenty five others from their homes. Stalin’s gruesome and horrendous rule ended when he died on the 5th of March, 1953. Stalin’s sudden decease left an important void in which many were eager to fill. The outcome of Stalin’s death resulted in a system of collective leadership. The key figures of this communal rule were: â€Å"Nikita Khrushchev, Lavrenti Beria, Nikoli Bulganin, Georgy Malenkov, Vyacheslav Molotov, and, Lazar Kaganovich† (http://www. fortunecity. com/victorian/riley/ 787/Soviet/Khrushchev/Krushchev. html). During this period, the struggle to instigate a premier to head the Soviet Union faced many turbulences and changes. At the beginning, Malenkov assumed power as acting Premier, and Khrushchev undertook his predecessor’s (Stalin) position as First secretary of the CPSU. Subsequently, and by 1955, Georgy Malenkov was forced to relinquish his position as Premier, and was substituted by Nikoli Bulganin (who was supported and favored by Khrushchev). After Stalin’s death, his successors proceeded to diverge from the latter’s cruel and violent strategies. Surprisingly, and in a six hour speech in the 20th Party Congress, Khrushchev criticized and condemned Stalin’s bloody reign. This step forced a considerable amount of pressure to the First Secretary as McCauley (1987) describes, especially with his compatriots in the collective leadership circle. Two assassination attempts later, and a failed expulsion scheme set by Kaganovich, Molotov, and Malenkov against him, Khrushchev still managed to strengthen his power furthermore. Ironically, and in 1958, Nikoli Bulganin was forced to resign by the same man who favored his appointment, and Khrushchev assumed both the position of Premier (on the 27th of March) and First Secretary of the CPSU. Although Khrushchev worked closely and for many years with Stalin, nonetheless he was unusually dissimilar to the latter. Unlike Stalin’s harsh manner and look, Volkogonov (1998) describes Khrushchev as more of a forthcoming, pleasant, humorous, and energetic individual. Their differences are undoubtedly noticeable as Khrushchev embarked on a new policy of De-Stalinization, set to cross out Stalin’s bloody history from the Soviet Union’s international image and its people’s minds. As part of his new policy he began with renaming all the cities that carried Stalin’s name and all pictures and statues of Stalin were destroyed (as not to leave any mark to be a remainder of him). By doing so, Khrushchev managed to obtain an approval from the West and appear as a prominent and distinguished leader than his predecessors, in which Stalin would have almost certainly never acquired or achieved. In his domestic policy, Khrushchev set in motion various agricultural, administrative, and industrial reforms. In the farming sector, he launched his virgin land campaign that sought to improve and â€Å"develop the country’s virgin land and forests† [ (Sakwa, 1999) ], but his strategy proved disastrous. On the administrative level, Khrushchev began with abolishing the courts undertaken by several governmental agencies. He carried one to make the Central Committee assemblies public and open to a large number of Soviet Officials to speak freely in, and used this to his advantage since any declared opposition to him would be shunned out by the large number of his supporters. In the industrial sector, he tried to decentralize ministries and transform them into local councils to become more receptive to any problems or urgent requirements, but these councils did the opposite of what they were anticipated to do. In spite of his decent image with of the West and his more peaceful and reformist approach in the USSR, perhaps little change occurred in his military-defense/foreign policy. He sought after upholding a powerful Communist Eastern bloc. This is clearly revealed with the Warsaw Pact that was set together during his rule. Furthermore, the cold war tension peaked during his reign specifically at the incident of the Cuban Missile Crisis, in which he was utterly disgraced and was forced to withdraw the Russian arsenal from the isle. Following his major failures, and by 1964, Khrushchev was ousted out of office when he was vacationing, and was replaced by another collective leadership composed of Alexei Kosygin, Leonid Brezhnev, and Nikolai Podgorny. However, and between all the members of the â€Å"troika† (three members of the collective leadership system), Brezhnev was the most prominent and influential figure. This reason may be attributed to the simplicity of Brezhnev’s character. In his book â€Å"Autopsy for an Empire†, Volkogonov (1998) portrays the latter as a traditional, team player, and influential figure able to rally large support to his views in any path he desired. Perhaps the characteristics Brezhnev enjoyed enabled him to further rise over his two fellow rulers, and ultimately break free and become the USSR’s sole executive. Throughout his rule of the Soviet Union, Brezhnev implemented a policy to protect and sustain his rule as General Secretary of the CPSU, but at the same time brought about important reforms despite his conventional mentality. Kelley (1987) explains that Brezhnev, like Khrushchev, wanted to leave a mark in history, therefore he attempted many policy reforms. What made him different than other leaders was that Brezhnev acted carefully with every step he took n a certain field while balancing it with another field. Consequently, and by doing so, he was able to handle his critics and avoid any conflict with them and promote a balanced progress. Brezhnev’s domestic policy first focused on Soviet industries. His plan was to merge different factory â€Å"associations† whereby weaker factories could be reinfo rced by stronger ones in order to hasten the process of modernization [ (Kelley, 1987) ]. He then carried out to abolish the decentralization plans carried out by his predecessor Khrushchev His other important reforms stemmed from the agricultural sector. Brezhnev kept on the principle of collective farming, ordered all Soviet owned land to be increased by a half a hectare, and introduced new machineries to further facilitate and accelerate production. Despite Brezhnev’s intense investment in agriculture, that particular sector was faced with many droughts that affected production. The result of such disasters forced the USSR to â€Å"import large quantities of grain from Western countries† [ (http://countrystudies. us/russia/14. htm) ]. A key feature of Brezhnev’s rule, was the economic stagnation (referred to as the Brezhnev Stagnation) that the USSR’s economy passed through in the mid 1970s. The economic progress had reached its peak during that period, and began to go into stalemate. This can be attributed to several factors being: decreasing standards of living, the small numbers of unemployment that resulted in workers working less and getting paid nonetheless, and the abuse of the Soviet population to the cheap consumer goods and government services. With regards to his foreign policy, Brezhnev’s priority was to reassert the communist influence in the neighboring communist states â€Å"by undermining the influence of China† [ (http://countrystudies. s/russia/14. htm) ]. China was a growing communist influence in the Asian region, and Mao publicly denounced the Soviet foreign policy at the time. The relations between the USSR and China severely deteriorated to an extent that the armies of both countries went to a small confrontation. On the Eastern side Brezhnev created the â€Å"Brezhnev Doctrine†, as a result of some events that took place in Cz echoslovakia. Notably in 1979, Brezhnev declared war against Afghanistan (to enforce a communist government) and the issue remained unsettled until the 1980’s. Several important treaties were signed by Brezhnev at that time including: The Treaty on the â€Å"Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons†, â€Å"Strategic Arms Limitation Talks†, â€Å"Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty†, â€Å"Interim Agreement on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. † These treaties helped ease the rising tension of the Cold War Khrushchev initiated and delay the ongoing arms race. Perhaps the most important accomplishment of Brezhnev detente period was the signing of the 1975 Helsinki accord, which strengthened the communists in the Eastern Bloc and raised more antagonism against the US and the West. On November 10th 1982, Brezhnev passed away, and his successor would be Yuri Andropov. The two most notable heirs to the General Secretary of the CPSU position were Konstantin Cherenko and Yuri Andropov. In this short race for to gain the executive position, Andropov had apparent advantage. â€Å"After fifteen years of leading the KGB† [ (Mrose, 2010) ], he possessed a prolonged experience in both foreign and defense policies and had the advantage to gain support and form a strong and large to replace Brezhnev. Therefore on the 12th of November 1982, Andropov was elected to be the next leader of the Soviet Union. Although his term lasted about fifteen months, his policies and some notable events should be mentioned. Brezhnev’s rule resulted in massive corruption amongst several Soviet officials, and as a result, Andropov’s first policy was to reintroduce party regulations to counter this phenomenon. Furthermore, Andropov wanted to â€Å"boost labor discipline† (http://countrystudies. us/russia/15. htm,†). To further explain this point, we refer to the section about how workers became less efficient in Brezhnev’s rule, therefore Andropov provisioned and implemented new rules to regenerate a strong workforce. On the foreign policy level, his rule witnessed even more decline with the U. S especially after the Soviet’s shot down a Korean commercial airplane and killed all its passengers (one being a U. S senator). Perhaps his most important success was finding Mikhail Gorbachev and advancing him towards a higher ranking in the Communist regime. Andropov passed away on the 9th of February, 1984, and was replaced by Konstantin Chernenko. Although Andropov’s wishes was for Gorbachev to replace him, Chernenko (and after a long series of deliberation) was elected to become the new leader of the Soviet Union on the 13th of February, 1984. Kelley (1987) describes the process in which Chernenko reached power as way for the old members of the central committee to preserve their interests on one hand, and because younger member did not figure out their stable path in politics. Due to his very short stay in office, old age, and illness; Chernenko did not have any notable foreign or domestic foreign policy plans. Perhaps the most important event of his time, was the initiation of Gorbachev to replace him. Chernenko passed away on the 10th of March 1985, and was replaced by the final leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, on the same day. Mikhail Gorbachev was the youngest elected General Secretary to assume command in the history of the USSR. Volkogonov (1998) describes him to be the 2nd famous worldwide leader Soviet leader after Lenin, and the most contemporary individual amongst them. Gorbachev launched a wide scale reform policy that affected different sectors of the country. His strategy could be summarized into the following: reorganization, more freedom, democratisation, and hastening economic growth. The first goal one Gorbachev’s agenda was to introduce better scientific and technological means and methods in industry and agriculture. Through this means, he aimed at eliminating the long economic stagnation present since the Brezhnev era He soon realized that his aspirations will not have the desired effect unless he changes the political system from within. Therefore Gorbachev replaced several key and old Soviet officials with new energetic and younger ones. He went on to issue laws that control quality production goods, to render the sale of low-grade products. Throughout his industrial/agricultural reform phase, Gorbachev did not abandon his predecessors’ idea of a central planned economy, and tried to promote and strengthen it even more. With regards to reorganizing party ranks, democratisation, and reducing government control, Gorbachev’s second step was to dissolve the Soviet Supreme rule within itself. What began as changes in members of the Central Committee and keys ministries, evolved to draft plans of multi-candidate elections and assign non- party individuals to several governmental ranks. In 1989, he established â€Å"the Congress of People’s Deputies† (a new legislative body) in an attempt to lighten the government’s grip. Gorbachev was elected to become the head of state in the same year (General Secretary position was no longer the supreme executive position), and in 1991 he was elected to become the President of the USSR. Gorbachev’s policy of giving more freedom to the Soviet citizen’s was a new method of rule. For the first time perhaps in the USSR’s history, he decreed private ownership laws that enabled individuals to possess their own businesses. He carried on to divide the government owned airlines at that time to several autonomous airlines. Surprisingly, Gorbachev paved the way to a vast and wide â€Å"freedom of speech† policy to the Soviet citizens. This was used as a tool to silence the conservatives who opposed his reforms. Gorbachev’s new motto with regards to foreign policy was â€Å"new political thinking in international relations† (Holloway, 1988). He first began with normalization of relations with the West and especially the United States in order to reduce Cold War tensions. By doing so, he also wished to enhance both economic and diplomatic relations with the West to reach his goals, rather than confrontation or isolation. This step also helped him promote his domestic policies of reform because the United States at that time had the solution to many of Moscow’s problems. n the December 1987 Washington Summit, both countries met to endorse the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. In 1990, the Washington summit was held between the two nations where both countries showed willingness to participate in improving relations on many levels. In addition Gorbachev pursued more diplomatic means with t he United States with regards to arms control. In 1991, both states met in Moscow to sign the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Furthermore, Gorbachev enhanced the Soviet Union’s relations on many sensitive fronts. He engaged in process of improving the relations with China, after the crisis in the Brezhnev era, and succeeded in doing so. The first Soviet-Chinese summit was held on May 1989. Gorbachev carried on to improve relations with Europe where he gave an important speech on the 7th of July, 1987 where â€Å"he insisted on the sovereign right of each people to choose their own social system (â€Å"http://www. country-data. com/cgi-bin/query/r-11378. html† , 1996). Finally, the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989 in accordance with the agreement signed by the US, Pakistan, the USSR, and Afghanistan in 1988. As much as Gorbachev’s foreign and domestic policies seem constructive, yet they yielded several disastrous results. The economic policy brought about by the government resulted in several food and supply scarcities. The decentralization and loosening the governments grip policy outcome was the disintegration of the Soviet Union within itself, and many of its former states declaring independence. Soon enough, and after severe weakening of the Soviet Union, the August coup of 1991, and the creation of the â€Å"Commonwealth of independent states†; Gorbachev dissolved the Soviet Union nd Boris Yeltsin became the first president of the non-communist Russia. All great empires must come to an end as history as clearly shown us. Its fair to say that although the communist ideology was promoted as the best alternative to the imperial and capitalist means, its implementation was not close to its teachings. As shown in the above, each leader in the long chain of command in the S oviet Union partially or to a high extent drifted away from the original thoughts of Lenin. Each had his own goals, ways of thought, and policies that he projected in different means. Some even went to the extent of shunning the original foundations of communism and rejecting and insulting old leaders. They all had their different agendas, they just hid behind the shadow of the regime in order to reach higher ranks, implement their goals, and leave their own mark in Russian and international history. Bibliography (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. fortunecity. com/victorian/riley/787/Soviet/Khrushchev/Krushchev. html. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://countrystudies. us/russia/14. htm. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://countrystudies. s/russia/15. htm (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://countrystudies. us/russia/17. htm (2001, May 23). Retrieved from http://www. moreorless. au. com/killers/stalin. html. Holloway, D. (1988). Gorbachevs new thinking. America and the World 1988 , 68 (1). http://countrystudies. us/russia/17. htm. (n. d. ). http://www. country-data. com/cgi-bin/query/r-11378. html. (1996, July). Kelley, D. R. (1987). Soviet politics from brezhnev to gorbache v. New York: Praeger Publishers. Mccauley, M. (1987). Khrushchev and khrushchevism. Great Britain: School of Slavonic and Eat European Studies, University of London. McCauley, M. (1993). The soviet union: 1917-1991. London and New York: Longman. Mrose, C. (2010, November 12). Retrieved from https://www. libertycentral. org/today-in-history-yuri-andropov-assumes-power-in-the-soviet-union-2010-11 Rosenberg, M. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://geography. about. com/od/countryinformation/a/ussr. htm. Sakwa, R. (1999). The rise and fall of the soviet union 1917-1991. New York: Routledge. Volkogonov, D. (1998). Autopsy for an empire. New York: The Free If you need a kind of write my essay online help with another paper topic, contact us right now!

Future Of E-Commerce Essays - Retailing, E-commerce, Free Essays

Future Of E-Commerce Essays - Retailing, E-commerce, Free Essays Future Of E-Commerce 1 The Future of E-Commerce Future 2 THE FUTURE OF E-COMMERCE There are varying opinions regarding the future of e-commerce. Despite the fact that online sales are growing exponentially, some analysts believe that e-commerce is heading for a fall. Laurie Windham justifies her belief that as time goes on, sales will decrease instead of increasing. Windham believes that net consumers are very different than mall shoppers and catalog shoppers. Furthermore, she says that dot-coms are responsible for ruining their own chances to sell because they have spoiled customers to the point that consumers expect cheap prices and freebies and if they don't get them, they just move on to another site. E-commerce, Windham says, is a fickle world with little, if any, customer loyalty (Fortune, 2000). Windham found some interesting differences between online shoppers and traditional shoppers. For instance, 34 percent of online shoppers describe themselves as comparison shoppers but only 8 percent of traditional shoppers describe themselves as comparison shoppers. Another comparison is that only 1 percent of Web shoppers say they hate stores but 10 percent of traditional shoppers say they hate stores (Fortune, 2000). Web shoppers are by and large comparison, price-sensitive consumers. Future 3 Windham, who spent two years studying the consumers who purchase online, said that as nonusers begin to use the Web for purchasing, they will be less adventuresome than people already making purchases online. They will also be slightly older than the norm and they will be more fearful and cautious about privacy and security. In other words, as nonusers begin using the Web to shop, they will be a more conservative group than current users. It is probable they will also be less fickle and more loyal to brands/stores (Fortune, 2000). Windham pointed out that there were numerous problems with people receiving exactly what they ordered online during last holiday season. Based on that, she suggested sales may be lower this year (Fortune, 2000). Surveys conducted after the last holiday season suggested online shoppers would continue shopping online. One survey, for instance, indicated that more than 90 percent of consumers reported that shopping online met or exceeded their expectations. Eighty percent said they would increase their online shopping in 2000 (Rutledge, 2000). Studies found that consumer confidence in using the Internet for shopping reached very high levels, which were due to a number of factors. Positive comments from family and friends were one of the factors that swayed more people to utilize this option. Better selections from online stores also made the experience more satisfying. Finally, Future 4 secure credit card transactions played a major role in increasing sales (Rutledge, 2000). Consumers were enticed to try shopping on the Internet by the massive marketing campaign last year for both dot-com stores and retail stores online. More than 70 percent of Net shoppers said they bought from e-commerce sites that offered free shipping. Another 54 percent said they were enticed by the discounts offered for their first online purchase. Forty percent used online coupons and 25 percent responded to the offer of free gifts for their online purchase (Rutledge, 2000). The Direct Marketing Association projected that sales generated from catalogs and the Internet would double in the next four years, reaching $3.33 billion (Entrepreneur, 2000). A study by Jupiter Communications agreed saying that sales would increase this holiday season. This study reported that holiday shoppers would spend almost $12 billion in online purchases between November 1 and December 31 this year, which represents a 66 percent increase over the same time period last year. The increase between the 1998 and 1999 holiday seasons was 126 percent. There is a slowdown in the degree of growth but it is still a substantial increase (Kontzner, 2000) The Gartner Group predicted a much larger growth this year. They projected sales of $19.5 billion. This group also believed that dot-com stores and retail stores online Future 5 would not spend as much money on advertising this year. Instead, they will spend

Mirror by lucy grealy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mirror by lucy grealy - Essay Example Society is an organization where people share common ideas as well as economic and social infrastructure. In a society people should support each other and they also have to maintain a good relationship. Usually, there is a social and emotional bond between the people of a society. But due to the harsh experiences in her life, Grealy forms a different concept of society. She accepts society and the nature of truth in her appearance because she accepts the correlation of her face and herself. She forms a repulsive image of the society where people are not cooperative and supportive. She accepts the fact that her face is ugly but she internalizes this fact and continues to live on. She also understands that the image shown in a mirror or the social mirror is not real. She believes that the society lacks values and people do not take notice of any values. Nature did not give Lucy beauty, which was a popular social demand. This was due to the fact that she had to undergo chemotherapy fro m a very young age. The society in which Grealy existed, failed to show empathy towards her. They were not able to accept Grealy as she was. They never bothered to help her.

Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Case - Essay Example Similarly, another female speaker from a falling company was given the chance to address the graduates. According to the author, this female speaker was given the opportunity just because the company she was working with was almost collapsing, which is a representation of women leadership (Kantor, par. 1-4). The entire graduation seemed like a comparison of the men and women achievements in the school as well as the working world. The author is trying to bring out the issue of women being labeled as failures both at school and at work. This is the reason she has given the example of the two women speakers at the graduation. From the entire story, the author has communicated the manner in which females are treated differently from their male counterparts. At one point, the reader is made to understand that the number of male students enrolling at the Harvard Business School is much higher than that of females. Also, the number of male professors is very high compared to that of female professors, a situation that would make some female lectures opt for a different environment. For instance, some of the school alumni such as Sheryl Sandberg would admit that the school was worse during their times. No one was allowed to talk about the things that take place within the school since everything was â€Å"dirty secret† (Kantor, par. 10-14). The issues that made a majority of the students as well as the alumnus to dislike the school were due to the differentiated treatment that was being given to the students. For instance, the school ranking was based on the level of student participation in class. How ever, the majority of the tutors being male would discriminate against the female students. This, on the other hand, would adversely affect the female students’ grades at the end of every semester and also at the end of their courses. The majority of the students, as well as

Academic Poster ( Mental Health) in the uk Essay

Academic Poster ( Mental Health) in the uk - Essay Example Physical problems such as stomach problems, tremors, blackouts, and hangovers occur. Psychologically, the drinker is irritable and can be moved to angry outbursts (Livestrong, 2015). The costs of alcohol misuse are high. Before taking a drink, it is important to ask whether or not, the risk of becoming addicted and succumbing to the problems linked to alcoholism are worth the gains achieved through alcohol consumption. Based on the four stages of alcoholism, it is important to stop drinking as soon as it is apparent that you are at vulnerable to alcohol addiction. This realization should occur in the first stage or the adaptive stage of alcoholism. All efforts should be made to quit consumption of alcohol during this stage. As the alcoholic progresses, it becomes harder to quit until the conclusion stage where quitting might not make a difference since the alcoholic’s body and mind is likely suffering irreparable damage and death is imminent. Ideally, the drinker should recognize a drinking problem early on and make a determined effort to abstain. It is best not to wait until you hit rock bottom as rock bottom could mean a custodial sentence, harm to othe rs. o.oneself. Excessive drinking or drinking ‘more than the recommended limits of alcohol consumption’ (NHS, 2013). The government has established alcohol consumption limits that are believed to pose minimum health risks to those who want to drink. Keeping within the guidelines’ limits should mean the risk of harm is reduced, if not eliminated. Recommended Limits : Women should drink at most, 2-3 units (175ml glass of wine) daily. Men should at most drink 3-4 units (pint of beer, lager or cider) daily (NHS, 2015). However, Nichols, et al. (2012) reveals that even keeping within these limits will not prevent exposure to chronic illness due to alcohol consumption. Mental Health Issues: Alcohol interferes with the brain’s neurotransmitters and exposes alcohol misusers to depression,

History of Communicative Language Teaching

History of Communicative Language Teaching Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is a method of teaching second and foreign language. This method highlights interaction as both the technique and objective for learning a language. In addition, it is known as the communicative approach to teaching foreign language or simply put, the communicative approach. CLT was said to have originated from Britian during the 1960s. I served as a replacement to the popular method known as Situational language teaching which is based on the structural view of language. Linguist Noam Chomasky criticized the structural linguistics because it was not enough to cover syntax since there would be infinity of sentences that could be said. What Chomasky proposed that a set of parameters must be created that would be able to generate all the possible sentences in a language. This criticism of Chomasky gave rise to a couple more proposals in language teaching and the communicative approach is the one that has prevailed. Likewise, communicative language teaching also came as a response to the prominent method of learning a language, the Audio-lingual Method, and as an application of the notion function syllabus. Audio-lingual demanded itself as peoples need to learn foreign language skills during and after War II. It is closely connected with behaviourism, thus making drilling, repletion and habit formation its central elements of instruction. The notion function syllabus is a way by which a language learning curriculum can be organized. Here, the instructions are assigned, unlike Audio-lingual, but in terms of notions and functions where a notion is a specific environment where people communicate and a function is a unique objective for a speaker in a given environment. There are certain practices under the communicative approach. For one, the communicative approach has it that, meaning is paramount. Language learning aims to achieve communication. Effective communication is sought. Drilling may occur and pronunciation is focused on. Any tool which helps the students learn is recommended. Communicating in the target language is encouraged from early years. Whereas translating text may be used at a very lower level. Likewise reading and writing may be started early as well. The L2 linguistic feature is learned through engaging in communication. Communicative competence is considered the main aim. Language is created by individual often through trail and error. Fluency and acceptable language is the main goal: accuracy is examined in context. Students are expected to interact with other people such as through pair and group work. The teacher may not determine the language the students use. The communicative approach gives a great support for students to use the target language in various contexts and functions. Its primary focus is on creating meaning rather than developing perfectly grammatical structures or acquiring native sounding pronunciation. This means that the success of learning a foreign language can be evaluated in terms of how one has developed his or her communicative competence, which can be defined as the ability to apply formal knowledge as well as the sociolinguistic aspects of a language on ones proficiency to communicate. Communicative approach has been characterized as extensive teaching method and not just one with clearly defined sets of classroom practi ces. Because of this, it is usually identified as a list of general futures. One of them is David Nunans (1991) five features of communicative learning teaching. They are: 1) learning to communicate by interaction in the L2; 2) presenting of authentic texts into the learning situation; 3) giving opportunities for people to concentrate on both language and the learning management procedures; 4) enhancement of learners own personal experience as important contributing elements to classroom learning and 5) linking language learning inside classroom with language learning activities outside. Nunans list has been claimed by many advocates of the communicative approach particularly by those who are very concerned in language learning inside and outside the classroom. This board definition makes it such that any teaching practice that aims to help students develop their communicative competence in practical and usable contexts is considered as a form of instruction. A communicative approac h environment would often have pairs/group work where participants are required to discuss and work together. It is known for fluency based activities that encourage the development of confidence, role plays where they can practice and develop language functions and the sensible use of grammar and pronunciation focused activities. The communicative competence as Hymes (1972) devised it, made some important shifts in ESL teaching regarding teaching materials design and teaching methodology. Communicative competence presented in the 1970s and eventually applied these changes in ESL teaching field. Chomsky (1965) presented the terms competence and performance in modern linguistics (Canale and Swain, 1980). Chomsky claimed the term competence refers to the linguistic system, whereas performance basically involved in the perception and production of speech. Hymes (1972) claimed that the competence-performance description devised by Chomsky did not deal with the appropriateness of the socio-cultural significance of an utterance in the situational and verbal context where it is applied. According to Hymes, there are rules that should be understood along with knowledge of grammar rules. Hymes (1972) refers that without these rules, the knowledge of grammatical rules would not be effective in the language spoken. Therefore, Hymes suggests a conception of competence.

Inclusion or Exclusion in The Crucible Essay -- Essay on The Crucible

Much of The Crucible by Arthur Miller was about being part of a group. What is it to belong to a group? Is it really that simple when someone says, "Either you're with us or you're not"? Yes, it is that simple. Belonging and exclusion in any situation are two sides of the same coin - you can't have one without the other. In any organization or group, people are bound together by a community of interest, purpose or function and if you do not believe in these same things, then you are not a part of that group. In an organization or group, you have to ask yourself, "What is it to be a part of this particular group, what does it take to belong?" It takes following the rules of the group, agreeing with their purpose, obeying their authorities and the ability to go the length for their cause. In The Crucible, if the characters did not abide as part of the group, the Christian Church, then the consequences were fatal. The Crucible told of what is was to be a scapegoat i n their society and what it took to defend themselves from becoming that scapegoat. To remind people in an organization why they belong takes continued focus on a common goal or common belief. By having one main function, a group is generally more effective than if everyone has different ideas and outlooks on specific topics. However, to keep everyone on the same page, the members of a group need to accurately know where they stand in reference to their goal. One way to do this is through social facilitation. This is the concern of self image through the presence of other people. It's a concept that allows members to know the acceptable opinions of the group. Someone who agrees to the ideas set out from the organization. "Group polarization is the concept of changing personal opinions to extremities after a group discussion.(Johnson 13)" This concept eliminates members who aren't sure what they think of the group's purpose. They decide that either they agree completely or they disagree completely. Either way it means they decide if they are in or out after the group discussion. A common goal is one way to distinguish and separate the devoted members from the questionable individuals in a group. High cohesiveness is an effective tool in the success and effectiveness of an organization. However, in order for ... ... truth, denying her involvement as a witch, but be hung anyway for "lying" under oath. On the other hand, an innocent victim could lie and confess her involvement as a witch, accuse another witch instead and be let "off the hook". However, if the innocent victim lied and confess, but wasn't willing to turn in another witch, she would be hung anyway. (Starkey, 17) This created quite an ironic situation coming from a Christian based community of purity and holiness. Exclusion is about scapegoating and denying the truth or reality to oneself. A scapegoat is a person made to bear the blame for others, an escape from dealing with one's responsibility. The scapegoat lets one rationalize bad situations and blind oneself from the reality of that situation. No one saw the reality in Salem and no one even tried. They were all too caught up in trying to find someone else to blame for their fears and problems. However, organizations tend to do that too. They create an opposition or enemy so they can use it later to their own advantage, making themselves seem more powerful. So the question goes back to, "Are you in? Or are you out?"

Briefly outline the main features of the ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘The Woman in Black’

The Gothic genre became popular in the mid-eighteeth centuary when ‘The Castle of Otranto' by Horace Warpole was written. Emily Bronte was influence by ‘The Bridegroom of Barna', published in the nineteenth centuary when writing ‘Wuthering Heights'. Today, the equivalent of the Gothic novel a horror novel by writers such as Steven King. â€Å"The Woman in Black' is a modern novel with Gothic influences. The main features of the Gothic novels were the main character, usually an anti hero: dark, demonic and motivated by inhuman cruelty. This man usually had mysterious origins and did not value many of society's morals. Later, in the nineteenth centuary when the Romantic movement developed, the Gothic anti-hero became the Byronic hero in many novels. Like the Gothic protagonist, the Byronic hero usually had a mysterious past, as well as dark, good looks and a hatred for society's moral laws. Heathcliff, in Emily Bronte's novel ‘Wuthering Heights', is a good example of a Byronic hero. Another important feature of many Gothic novels is the setting. Gothic novels are usually set in a grim, hostile landscape often on a deserted moor or marsh, as in the case of ‘Wuthering Heights' and Susan Hill's ‘The Woman in Black'. Such grim landscape often mirrors the character of the hero. There are also references to the supernatural in many of these novels, such as the ghost of Jennet Humfrye in ‘The Woman in Black' or the ghost of Cathy in ‘Wuthering Heights'. There is also a strong supernatural element in these stories often linked to the main character. Revenge is usually a strong theme in Gothic novels. The anti hero often seeks revenge against the people around him, perhaps because of some earlier wrong he was the victim of or simply against society in general, because of the alienation he feels he has suffered. For example, in ‘Wuthering Heights' Heathcliff revenges himself against Hindley's son Hareton because of the pain Hindley caused him when he was alive. Other features of Gothic novels include the presence of an ancient retainer, usually an old man. There is also usually a victim, often a fair haired young woman. She is supposed to represent good and the moral values which the anti hero is trying so hard to destroy. The idea of a Gothic anti hero is particular prominent in ‘Wuthering Heights'. In this book the main character is Heathcliff, an orphan who is brought to Wuthering Heights by the old Mr Earnshaw in his childhood. Like most Gothic heroes, Heathcliff has dark, good looks, a mysterious past and an unquenchable desire to revenge himself on the people he feels have wronged him. The story of ‘Wuthering Heights' revolves around Heathcliff's life and his relationship with his ‘soul-mate' Cathy. Heathcliff's looks, and in particular his eyes are described by the housekeeper and narrator Nelly as â€Å"that couple of black fiends, so deeply buried, who never open their windows boldly†. Later in the book Heathcliff is contrasted with Cathy's future husband Edgar Linton: â€Å"The contrast resembled what you see in exchanging a bleak, hilly, coal country for a beautiful, fertile valley†. This description not only describes Heathcliff's looks but also his charater, bleak suggesting his personality and â€Å"hilly† describing the mood swings he has. Heathcliff's desire for revenge against Edgar Linton, Hindley Earnshaw and, to a certain extent, Cathy, is shown by his actions during the novel. He abuses Hindley's son Hareton, as well as Edgar's sister Isabella and his daughter Catherine. In contrast to ‘Wuthering Heights', ‘The Woman in Black' does not have a clear anti hero. Instead there are two characters who share this role. They are Arthur Kipps and the woman in black, Jennet Humfrye. Kipps is not the traditional Gothic hero because he does not have dark, good looks or a mysterious past. Instead, he is more like Lockwood or Edgar Linton in ‘Wuthering Heights'. The other main character shares some of the traits of the revenger and the victim in many Gothic novels. Jennet Humfrye is a ghost who had lost a child she had out of wedlock and died of a wasting disease. She is now revenging herself on innocent victims. Whilst the idea of revenge is similar to the Gothic hero, Humfrye is a very different character because she is dead and also a woman. She is also not a traditional Gothic victim, because despite being female she has a wasting disease and therefore isn't beautiful. She also does not embody the positives of society, such as chastity until marriage that most Gothic victims do. The setting and atmosphere in ‘Wuthering Heights' and ‘The Woman in Black' is also an important feature of both novels. The setting is one of biggest similarities between the two books as both are set in grim, inhospitable landscapes- ‘Wuthering Heights' on the Yorkshire Moors and ‘The Woman in Black' on a bleak marshland. Another similarity is the houses where the two novels are set: Wuthering Heights and Eel Marsh House. Both houses are bleak and very isolated. Arthur Kipps first describes Eel Marsh House as â€Å"a tall, gaunt house of grey stone†. There is a lot of adverse weather such as storms in both books. This echoes the personalities of the main characters and also helps to add even more tension and atmosphere to the plot. For example in ‘The Woman in Black', when Kipps discovers the nursery has been wrecked, there is a storm going on outside. He is unsure whether the nursery has been damaged by the storm or whether Jennet Humfrye has been there. The intrusion of the supernatural features in both novels. In ‘Wuthering Heights', it occurs at the beginning and at the end of the book, where Lockwood and then Heathcliff encounter the ghost of Cathy. ‘The Woman in Black' is basically a ghost story and therefore the intrusion of the supernatural is a major part of the plot. In both books there is confusion between reality and the supernatural. In ‘Wuthering Heights' this occurs when Lockwood encounters Cathy's ghost. It is quite clear to the reader that Cathy's ghost did actually appear but Lockwood manages to convince himself that he was dreaming, overlooking the broken window and the fact that he never went to sleep. In ‘The Woman in Black', Arthur Kipps is very sceptical about the existence of the woman in black to begin with and does not recognise the ghost when he first encounters her, describing her as â€Å"another mourner, a woman†. There are, however, clues that the woman is a ghost, just like in Wuthering Heights. She is dressed in a very old fashioned dress and disappears very suddenly. I think elements of the Gothic genre are used very effectively in both ‘The Woman in Black' and ‘Wuthering Heights', especially since neither novel is specifically a Gothic novel. I think that the theme of revenge is most prominent in ‘Wuthering Heights' because it is the driving force behind the passion of Heathcliff's character. I think the setting of the story is used to great effect in ‘The Woman in Black' because the adverse weather and desolate marsh add a lot of atmosphere and tension to the plot. I personally prefer ‘Wuthering Heights' because I feel that Emily Bronte has managed to create characters with great depth and has managed to effectively portray the passion between Heathcliff and Cathy. Also, whilst ‘Wuthering Heights' does have Gothic features to it, Bronte does not let them compromise the storyline in any way.

Biography of Salvadore Dali

Biography of Salvadore Dali Free Online Research Papers Salvador Dali is considered as the greatest artist of the surrealist art movement and one of the greatest masters of art of the twentieth century. During his lifetime the public got a picture of a person who was eccentric and paranoid. His personality caused a lot of controversy throughout his life. Salvador Dali was born in Figueras, Spain to father Don Salvador Dali y Cusi and mother Felipa Domenech, in 1904. He was named after his older brother who had died nine months previous and his parents believe him to be the reincarnation of. In 1907, his sister, Ana Maria, was born. Dali, was the only male in a female-dominated household, was pampered by his overprotective mother, grandmother, aunt, and nurse. All this attention was not enough for Dali, and he constantly sought ways to seek more. In 1910 His father enrolled Salvador at the State Primary School, under the teacher Esteve Trayter. He purposely threw tantrums and would give himself coughing fits He would intentionally wet his bed to anger his father. Dali continued this until he was eight years old, when he realized he could anger his father much more by getting himself into trouble at school. At around ten years old Dali stopped acting out as much, and began to show an interest in art and made his first painting. By the time he was 15, he already began setting up his own art exhibition. In 1916 Salvador spent time on the outskirts of Figueres, at the Molà ­ de la Torre property, owned by the Pichot family, who were a family of intellectuals and artists. It was there, that he discovered Impressionism by studying the collection owned by the painter Ramon Pichot. After a mediocre primary school period ended, he began his secondary schooling at the Marist Brothers’ school and at Figueres grammar school in the autumn He also attended the classes taught by Juan Nà ºÃƒ ±ez at the Municipal Drawing School in Figueres. Salvador took part in a group exhibition at the Societat de Concerts rooms in Figueres’ Municipal Theatre. During this time he and a group of friends started the Studium magazine where he publish some of his very first articles. He began his personal diary titled â€Å"Les Meves impression I records intims† ,( My Personal Impressions and Private Memories),and he continued writing it through the following year. In 1921, 17-year-old Salvador Dali entered the Madrid Fine Arts School, hoping to fuel his interest in Futurism and Cubism. However, Dali ended up getting himself was suspended for a year after urging all students to rebel against the school’s rules. In autumn of the following year he returned to the Academia de San Fernando from which he had been expelled, being now obliged to repeat an academic year He took part in the First Exhibition of the Iberian Artists Society in Madrid, He presented his first individual exhibition in Barcelona while at Galeries Dalmau. This was his period of rejecting the vanguard and questing for a pictorial tradition, essentially an Italian one. Over this academic year, 1925-1926, he did not return to the Academia de San Fernando. Federico Garcà ­a Lorca spent the holidays with Dalà ­ in Cadaquà ©s. At the end of 1926 the school decided to expel Dali permanently. He traveled to Paris in 1929 and, through Joan Mirà ³, came into contact with the group of surrealists headed by Andrà © Breton. Salvador developed an interest in Surrealism, and joined the movement. Dali began developing his method, which he eventually would name â€Å"Paranoiac-critical† and describe as a â€Å"spontaneous method of irrational knowledge based on critical and systematic objectivities of delirious associations and interpretations.† In the next few years, Dali produced three paintings: in 1929 he painted ‘The Lugubrious Game’. In 1931 he finished work on the painting he is best known for, ‘The Persistence of Memory’; In 1932 he produced ‘Surrealist Objects, Gauges of Instantaneous Memory’. Dali created his trademark â€Å"soft watches† that he is now famous for. Research Papers on Biography of Salvadore DaliBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyTrailblazing by Eric AndersonStandardized TestingHip-Hop is ArtHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayThe Spring and AutumnQuebec and CanadaEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenWhere Wild and West Meet

Please Write A One Page Write Up On The Article Enclosed From

Please Write A One Page Write Up On The Article Enclosed From Please Write A One Page Write Up On The Article Enclosed From Wallstreet Journal – Research Paper Example Ethics required for business to thrive, survive Article by Shiv K. Gupta â€Å"In a free society, a moral foundation is indeed imperative for every organization and every individual, not only for internal governance but also for the establishment of outside relationships and the conduct of external affairs† (Gupta, 2004).Gupta opens his discussion with this profound observation after a brief account of the imprisonment of a business mogul. With this statement, Gupta underscores three important attributes of ethics, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in general, that are often overlooked: that it is observed in a free society, thus it is prompted by will and volition rather than compelled by regulation; that it is observed not only by the organization but also the individual, thus it is both institutional and personal; and that it is not only internal but also external, thus it should be manifest in both word and deed. Other insights in the article revealed a pragmatic a nd down-to-earth appreciation of the potentials and limitations of the social responsibilities of a corporation. For instance, while the ideals were enticingly romantic, Gupta urged compromise in the setting of targets and implementation of plans. The debate on the extent of corporate ethics social responsibility is often dominated by extreme views by fanatic advocates on one hand, and close-minded traditionalist businessmen on the other. One or the other side is against the best interest of the public it seeks to serve, because either extreme is impracticable as much as unacceptable. In order to effect this compromise, mutual trust is an indispensable element in CSR. Advocates should trust that businessmen will exert an honest effort to abide by their promises, and businessmen should trust advocates to help in finding ways and means to allow the company to thrive even as it works within acceptable standards, and to hold it to realistic expectations.The article concludes with the ob servation that corporate ethics and social responsibility requires a transformation of the company’s vision from the narrow and superficial, to the expansive and sublime. â€Å"Corporate morality, as an intensely personal proposition, must be based on principle, not policy, and conviction, not expediency; and it must be governed by the conscience of top management† (Gupta, 2004). Corporate ethics could thus not be transplanted or imposed from outside, as it must necessarily emanate from within.Reference: Gupta, S.K. (2004) â€Å"Ethics Required for Business to Thrive, Survive,† The Wall Street Journal, March 8, 2004.

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

Philippines - Essay Example It has a land area of 114, 672 square miles and stretches almost 1, 150 miles. Its capital is Manila which is located on Luzon. According to Steinberg † The Philippines is one of the most disaster-struck countries in the world† (12). This country is located on the Ring of Fire and is subject to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Steinberg stated that â€Å"It is averages about five earthquakes a day of all grades and intensities up to 7.9 on the Richter Scale† (12). Its climate is tropical. The monsoons mark the rainy and the dry seasons. In Manila the rain starts from June to November. The cool dry season comes from December to February while the hot dry season is from March to May. It lies in the path of several tropical storms and suffers several strong typhoons between July and October. The Philippines has a long history of exporting agricultural products. Rice is the symbol of life (Steinberg, 2000: 15). It is the most important crop grown in the country. The farmers rely on the monsoons to give the plant the necessary water. Bad crops can affect the peasants. The tropical rain forests are one of the key sources of export income. However, tree cutting and milling are changing the landscape and causing disasters. There are major extractive mining industries as the country has large deposits of chromite and gold. Of the 49. 4 million acres of mineral land, only 34. 6 million have been geologically surveyed. (Steinberg, 2000: 29). The Philippine territorial waters offer 2,000 local species of fish, giving the people a new source of protein. In the past few decades, prawn farming has become the major industry throughout the archipelago, offering the promise of a new export product. The Philippines is a democratic country. The population of the Philippines was approximately 84.2 million in 2004 (Abinales & Amoroso, 2005: 16). Filipinos are distinguished by ethno linguistic groups originally corresponding to geographical

Disability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Disability - Essay Example However, the experiences encountered served to improve the quality of my life. Through medical treatment, I even visited the US a number of times, a luxury several individuals lacked. ‘You are a very lucky child’ my mother kept telling me. I did not know the meaning of that until I could dance and exercise with my friends at 18 years old. Among the triplets, I was the only one born with a disability. My right foot was completely disabled and found it as if all hell was on me when it came to walking. I later came to note that it was ‘club foot’ as referred to by doctors. Initially, it was a nightmare for me to understand because of two reasons: I was a child and was the only one with the disability. ‘Why me’ I wondered most of the times. However, most of the doctors in my city (Maracaibo as one of them) claimed that even with the surgery and therapy that I was to undergo, it was not a guarantee for a normal life like other human beings. My parents’ resilience in searching for a competent doctor resulted in a contact with a Miami based doctor. He was a specialist and dealt with clubfoot in children. His name was Doctor Peter Romano. He was my ‘savior’ as he assured me that I would walk again and continue with my duties just as the other kids would do. As activists claim, the disabled have to go against all social, economic, political, and legal odds to make it in life. Davis identifies the historical struggles that the disabled underwent to secure the same privileges as guaranteed by the law (Davis, 16). However, I was lucky as the people around me supported me in all ways. Following intense research, I found out that clubfoot has no main cause and is caused by many syndromes (Adams 12). ‘Do your job as long as she will walk like me’ I recall my mother saying to the doctor. At the time, stigma in relation to disability study was a major factor affecting the U.S. (Longmore 350). However, the breakthrough