Melani McAlister

Culture and history are interdependent concepts that have always influenced and determined the path of human societies as time progressed.   The power of culture in determining the prevalence of an ideology or a specific society has never been most evident than when the human societies were progressing towards accelerated development in the 19th and 20th centuries. Melani McAlister’s â€Å"Epic Encounters† and Edward Said’s â€Å"Orientalism† demonstrate human societies’ preoccupation in uncovering the ‘truth’ and reality behind the seemingly accelerated progress of ‘developed’ nations over other ‘developing or underdeveloped’ nations.   The two authors expressed particular interest in understanding what set apart Western nations from Middle Eastern or Oriental nations, as conceptualized by McAlister and Said, respectively. In their discussion of the Western society and the ‘otherness’ of Middle Eastern and Oriental nations, the authors conducted researches utilizing different methodologies.   In understanding McAlister’s analyses of the otherness of Middle Eastern nations from the United States, she conducted research based on cultural artifacts, primarily mass media artifacts that chronicle the history of the US-Middle East relationship.   Said, meanwhile, looked into the history of the creation and development of Orientalism based on a meta-analysis of historical and cultural documents that can provide greater understanding and additional perspective in determining the specific point from which Orientalism sprang from. The central focus of this proposal is to provide a comparison of McAlister’s and Said’s respective concepts of â€Å"otherness,† as ascertained by their (1) conceptualization of the societies under study, and (2) methodologies adopted by the researchers (McAlister and Said) in coming up with their generalizations.   In effect, the researcher proposes a meta-analysis by looking closely into the two authors’ conceptualization and operationalization of the concept of â€Å"otherness,† in the context of Middle Eastern, Oriental, and Western societies. The first phase of the proposed study is to uncover how McAlister and Said developed their respective concepts of otherness, applied in the context of Middle Eastern and Oriental cultures, respectively.   The rationale for determining this first step of the meta-analysis study is to first determine whether the authors developed similar criteria in developing the concept, â€Å"otherness.† It is interesting to note that upon closer study of their works, McAlister’s concept of otherness is more culture-based, while Said’s was centered on history.   These differences in perspectives made their analysis radically different, while still maintaining one focus: the theme of Other versus Western society.   However, in the conduct of the meta-analysis of the otherness concept, it is vital to note that both authors subsisted to analyzing cultural products—mass media artifacts for McAlister, and historical documents for Said. A major influence that helped determine â€Å"otherness† in the authors’ works was the methodology they used in analyzing the different societies under study.   Analyses of their methodologies would provide more depth in the research’s interpretation of â€Å"otherness.† In fact, combining a meta-analysis on the concept of â€Å"otherness† and methodologies used to understand â€Å"otherness† provides triangulation in the study, giving the researcher more direction in determining which between McAlister and Said provided a more accurate and objective conceptualization of â€Å"otherness.†Ã‚   The last phase of the proposed study will integrate the findings from the first two phases of the study, giving an overall picture of the authors’ basis for focusing on the concept of otherness as determined by history and culture. References: McAlister, M.   (2001).   Epic Encounters: culture, media, and US interests in the Middle East.   University of California Press. Said, E.   (1979).   Orientalism.   NY: Vintage.

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 29

Chapter 29 Paying Respects Gilbert Bendetti liked his job, really liked his job. It was a government job, of sorts, so the benefits were good and the work easy. He liked working nights, too, it was quiet and he was usually in the morgue by himself, so he didn't have to feel self-conscious about his weight or his bad skin. He liked playing with computers and the lab equipment, and he liked answering the phone and acting official. Being the night man at the coroner's office would have been a great job even if he didn't get to fuck the dead, but with that, it was heaven. Tonight Gilbert was bubbling with anticipation. They had wheeled Miss Right in that afternoon and left him explicit instructions not to put her away, but to let her sit out to thaw for the autopsy. Some psycho had put her in a freezer. Sick bastard had put TV dinners under her arms. Now she was curled up on a gurney, teasing him. That cocktail dress, that red hair – he could hardly wait. He checked the log and locked his skin books in the desk drawer, then loosened his lab coat and went down the hall to test her for flexibility. The last time he checked she'd started to get a little flexibility, but he knew that inside she was – well – frigid, despite the Salisbury-steak gravy dripping from under her arms. He pushed through the glass door into the holding room and there she was, just as he had left her, her pouty lips beckoning to him, her lovely legs curled up behind her. â€Å"My angel,† Gilbert said, â€Å"shall I help you with those pesky panty hose?† He straightened her legs on the gurney and pushed her skirt up. She was still a little chilly, but she was movable. Good, once rigor mortis set in, passion could put you into positions that would challenge a yoga master. Gilbert had thrown his back out more than once. Her panty hose were sheer black, but except for her right big toe, her feet were dusty. She must have been walking in her stocking feet. Indulging himself in some foreplay, Gilbert had sucked her big toe clean shortly after they brought her in. Foreplay, sorta. He considered testing her with the meat thermometer, but she was so perfect, he didn't want to mark that lovely body. He reached up under her skirt, grabbed the waistband of her panty hose, and began to work them down. â€Å"Black lace panties, my goodness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He tried to remember her name, then checked her toe tag. â€Å"My goodness, Jody, how did you know I liked black lace?† He peeled her panty hose off, stopping to loosen the toe tag first, then ran his hands up her thighs after the lace panties. â€Å"And a natural redhead,† Gilbert said, dropping the panties on the floor. He stepped back a moment to admire her and slip out of his lab coat. He locked the wheels on the gurney, pulled the TV dinners out from under her arms, and unzipped his pants. â€Å"This is going to be so good. So good.† He climbed over the end of the gurney, careful to stay balanced. Nothing ruined the mood more than toppling to the linoleum and bashing your skull. He licked a path up the inside of her leg. â€Å"Tommy, that tickles,† she said. Gilbert looked up. No, it's my imagination. He returned to his pleasure. â€Å"No, let me shower first,† she said. She sat up. Gilbert pushed himself backward so violently that the gurney went up on its end, dumping Jody on the floor. Gilbert backed away from her holding his chest, his breath refusing to come, bis withering willy waving in front of him. Jody climbed to her feet. â€Å"Who are you?† Gilbert couldn't talk. He couldn't breathe. It felt as if barbed wire had been looped around his heart and was being yanked by a team of horses. He backed into a rack of drawers, banging his head. Jody looked around. â€Å"How did I get here? Answer me.† Gilbert gasped and fell to his knees. â€Å"Where's Tommy? And where the fuck are my panties?† Gilbert was shaking his head. He rolled on his side, took two more tortured breaths, and died. â€Å"Hey!† Jody said. â€Å"I need some answers here.† Gilbert didn't answer. Jody watched the black aura of his dying fade away, leaving only the residual heat signature of his body. â€Å"Sorry,† she said. She looked around: the gurney, the big file drawers of the dead, the instruments of dissection – this sure looked like the morgues in the movies. Something had gone seriously wrong while she slept. She checked her watch, but it was gone. The wall clock over Gilbert's body read 1 a.m. Why did I wake up so late? I've got to find Tommy and find out what happened. She picked up her panties from the floor and wiggled into them. The panty hose she left where they lay, instead looking around for her shoes. She didn't see them. She didn't see her purse anywhere either. Money. I'm going to need cab fare. She crouched by Gilbert's body and rifled through his pockets, coming up with thirty dollars and some change. Almost as an afterthought she tucked his exposed member back into his pants and zipped him up. â€Å"I did that for your family, not for you,† she said. Then thought, I'm getting worse than Tommy, talking to dead people. She started toward the door, then stopped and looked at the wall of drawers. The scenario cane over her like a sudden sneeze. Tommy is probably in one of those drawers. The vampire killed him, and when the coroner came, they thought I was dead too. But why did he spare me? And why did it take so long to wake up? Maybe it was that med student. Maybe when I missed the meeting he told the cops when to find me. But he didn't know how to find me. She went though the glass doors and down the hall where she stopped at the phone and called the loft. No answer. She dialed the Marina Safeway's number. â€Å"Marina Safeway.† She recognized Simon McQueen's drawl. â€Å"Simon, this is Jody. I need to talk to Tommy.† â€Å"Who? Who did you say you were?† â€Å"It's Jody. Tommy's girlfriend. I need to speak to him.† Simon was quiet for a moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was an octave lower. â€Å"You don't know where Flood is?† â€Å"He's not there?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Is he okay?† â€Å"In a manner of speakin', he's okay. What about you? You feelin' all right?† â€Å"Yes, Simon, I'm fine. Where's Tommy?† â€Å"Well, ain't you a wonder. You're sure you feel okay?† â€Å"Yes. Where's Tommy?† â€Å"I can't tell you over the phone. I'll come get you. Where are you?† â€Å"I'm not sure; just a second.† Jody ran to the front door. The address was printed on the glass. She went back to the phone and gave Simon an address two blocks away. â€Å"Let me get someone to cover my section. I'll be there in a half hour.† â€Å"Thanks, Simon.† Jody hung up. What in the hell was going on? While she waited for Simon to arrive, Jody parried the propositions of two guys in a Mercedes who had mistaken her for a hooker. Not an unreasonable mistake considering she was standing barefoot on a back street in a low-cut cocktail dress on a cold San Francisco night. Finally, when she told them she was an undercover cop, their resolve softened and they drove off hanging their heads. Simon rounded the corner five minutes later and skidded to a stop in a cloud of smoking rubber and testosterone. He threw the door open for her. â€Å"Get in.† Jody leaped into the passenger seat. Simon seemed a little surprised that she hadn't used the two steps mounted under the door. â€Å"You're steppin' high tonight, darlin',† Simon said. Jody closed the door. â€Å"Where's Tommy?† â€Å"Hold your horses, I'll take you to him.† Simon put the truck in gear and roared off. â€Å"You sure you're feeling all right?† â€Å"Yes, I'm fine. Why couldn't you tell me what happened to Tommy on the phone?† â€Å"Well, he's hiding out. Seems the police want him for some murders.† â€Å"The Whiplash murders?† â€Å"Those be the ones.† Simon looked at her. â€Å"Ain't you cold?† â€Å"Oh, I lost my coat.† â€Å"And shoes?† â€Å"Yes, and shoes. Some guys were chasing me.† Jody knew she didn't sound very convincing. They were headed down Market toward the Bay Bridge. Simon grinned and pushed his black Stetson back on his head. â€Å"You don't get cold, do you, darlin'?† â€Å"What do you mean?† Simon hit the electric-lock button; Jody heard the lock go thunk at her side. Simon said, â€Å"You don't get hot either, do you? Or sick. Do you get sick?† Jody hugged the door handle. â€Å"What are you getting at, Simon?† Simon reached inside his jacket and came out with a Colt Python revolver. He pointed it at her and cocked it. â€Å"Now I know bullets might not kill you, but I'll bet they hurt like hell. And I put some little wood pegs in the hollow points just in case that does the job.† Jody had no idea what a bullet would do to her and she didn't want to find out. â€Å"What do you want, Simon?† Simon pulled the truck into an alley and switched off the engine. â€Å"Couple of things. I don't know which I want first until you answer some questions.† â€Å"Whatever you want, Simon. You're Tommy's friend. You don't have to be a hard-ass, just ask.† â€Å"That's right sweet of you, darlin'. Now tell me, do you get sick?† â€Å"Everybody gets sick, Simon. I get a cold every now and then.† Simon dug the gun into her ribs. â€Å"Don't bullshit me now. I know what you are.† Jody looked closely at Simon for the first time. He was burning up, the heat coming off him in red waves, even in the relative warmth of the truck cab. But below the heat aura she saw something else that she hadn't seen the first night she'd met him. Maybe because she hadn't known what to look for. Under the heat signature Simon was ringed by a thin black corona, as she had seen on other people – the death aura, but thinner, as if it was just growing. She said, â€Å"Are you sure you're not just being an asshole again, Simon? Holding up your friend's girlfriend?† â€Å"Don't get slippery on me, Red. I saw you sleeping that day we partied at your house. I touched you. You're cold as a witch's titty. And Flood always complainin' about you sleeping all day. And how he had to have them turtles alive. But I didn't put it all together until the Emperor started screaming about vampires and the cops took Flood away.† â€Å"You're nuts, Simon. None of that proves anything. There's no such thing as vampires.† â€Å"Oh yeah? Well, you know why they arrested Tommy?† â€Å"No, I didn't know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Because they found you dead in the freezer, that's why. He's in for your murder, missy. I still had some doubts until you called just now. You'll be my first dead piece of ass, not counting the time I choked my chicken over a picture of Marilyn.† Jody was stunned. A wave of panic swept through her, the inner voice shouting, Kill him, hide; kill him, hide. She fought it back. â€Å"You're doing this because you want sex?† â€Å"Well, that's part of it. You see, I ain't been well laid for five years – since I picked me up this bug. It's kinda hard to get yourself into a good three-toweler when you got the dick of death. I ain't no ass bandit, though. I let some whore from Oakland fix me up with a speedball. Six of us shared the needle.† â€Å"You're dying of AIDS?† Jody asked. â€Å"No need to candy-coat it, darlin'. Just come right out and say it.† â€Å"Sorry, Simon, but when someone has a gun on me and tells me he's going to rape me, I forget my manners.† â€Å"Ain't going to be no rape unless you want it. The other thing is more important.† â€Å"Other thing?† â€Å"I want you to change me into a vampire.† â€Å"No, you don't, Simon. You don't know what it's like.† â€Å"I don't need to know, darlin'. I know I'm going to die if you don't. It ain't just HIV anymore, it's full-blown. I can hardly get my boots on and off from the sores. The doctor's got me on enough pills to choke a horse. Now do it.† Jody felt for him. For all his arrogant cowboy panache, she could tell he was afraid. â€Å"I don't know how, Simon. I don't know how I was changed. It just happened.† He dug the barrel of the gun up under her breast and slid across the seat next to her. â€Å"You just bite my damn neck. Now do it!† â€Å"That doesn't work. That would just kill you. I don't know how to turn you into a vampire.† Simon took the gun out of her ribs and held it against her thigh. â€Å"I'm going to count to three, then I'm going to shoot you in the leg if you don't start turning me. Then I'm going to count to three and shoot you in the other leg. I didn't want to do this, but you got to see.† Jody could see tears welling up in Simon's eyes. He didn't want to do this, but she knew he would. She wondered even if she knew how to turn him if she would do it. â€Å"Simon, please, I really don't know how to turn you. Let me go. Maybe I'll find out.† â€Å"I don't have the time, darlin'. If I have to trade the daylight for a lifetime of nights, I'll take the nights. I'm counting now. One!† â€Å"Simon, don't. Just wait.† â€Å"Two!† Jody watched a tear roll out of his eye. She felt his body tense and looked down at the gun. The tendons in his hand were tightening. He was going to do it. â€Å"Three!† Jody shot out her right hand, palm open, and hit Simon under the chin while sweeping the gun away from her leg with her right. The gun went off, sending a bullet through the floorboard. The explosion covered the noise of Simon's neck snapping but she could feel the crunch against her palm. Simon slumped back in the seat, his head thrown back and mouth open as if he were frozen in a laugh. Over the ringing in her ears Jody could hear his last breath squeaking out of his lungs. The black aura around him faded away. She reached over and straightened his Stetson. â€Å"God, Simon, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.† Rivera drove. Cavuto sat in the passenger seat smoking and talking on the radio. He keyed the mike. â€Å"If anyone sees the Emperor tonight, detain him and call Rivera and Cavuto. He's wanted for questioning but he's not, I repeat not, a suspect. In other words, don't scare him.† Cavuto hung the mike on the dash and said to Rivera, â€Å"You really don't think that this is a waste of time?† â€Å"Like I said, Nick, homicide and the coroner are the only ones who know about the blood loss. Our guys wouldn't leak, but even if there was a leak in the coroner's office, I can't imagine anyone telling the Emperor. Whoever did these murders is behaving like a vampire. Maybe he thinks he's a vampire. So to catch him, we have to pretend we're tracking a vampire.† â€Å"That's bullshit. We've got enough evidence on the kid to get an indictment right now, and by the time forensics gets done with his apartment we'll have enough for a conviction.† â€Å"Yeah,† Rivera said, â€Å"except for one thing.† Cavuto rolled his eyes. â€Å"I know, you don't think he killed anyone.† â€Å"And neither do you.† Cavuto chomped his cigar and looked out the car window at a group of winos milling on a corner by a liquor store. â€Å"Do you?† Rivera insisted. â€Å"He knows who did. And if I have to walk his cute little ass right up to the chair to get him to tell, I will.† A call came over the radio. â€Å"Go ahead,† Cavuto said into the mike. The dispatcher's voice crackled over the speaker. â€Å"Unit ten is holding the Emperor at Mason and Bay. Do you want them to bring him in?† Cavuto turned to Rivera and raised his eyebrows. â€Å"Well?† â€Å"No, tell them we'll be there in five.† Cavuto keyed the mike. â€Å"Negative, we're on our way.† Three minutes later Rivera pulled the unmarked Dodge into a red zone behind the cruiser. The two uniformed officers were playing with Lazarus and Bummer, whose armor rattled and clanged as they frisked. The Emperor stood by, his wooden sword still in hand. Rivera got out of the car first. â€Å"Good evening, Your Majesty.† â€Å"Give me a fucking break,† Cavuto said under his breath as he hoisted his bulk out of the car. â€Å"And a good early morning to you, Inspector.† The Emperor bowed. â€Å"I see the fiend has us all burning the midnight oil.† Rivera nodded to the uniforms. â€Å"We got it, guys, thanks.† One of the uniforms was a woman. She shot Rivera a dirty look as she headed for the cruiser. Rivera turned his attention back to the Emperor. â€Å"You've been busy calling in reports of a vampire in the City.† The Emperor frowned. â€Å"And I must say, Inspector, I'm a bit disappointed with the lack of promptness of your response.† â€Å"Eat me,† said Cavuto. â€Å"We've been busy,† Rivera said. â€Å"Well, you're here at last.† The Emperor waved to Bummer and Lazarus, who were waiting at his heel. â€Å"You know the men?† â€Å"We've met,† Rivera said with a wave. â€Å"Your Majesty, you reported seeing a vampire† – Rivera pulled a notebook out of his jacket pocket – â€Å"three different times over the last month and a half.† Rivera took a copy of Tommy's mug shot from his notebook and held it out to the Emperor. â€Å"Is this the man you saw?† â€Å"Heavens no. That's my friend C. Thomas Flood, aspiring author. A fine, if confused, lad. I arranged for his employment at the Marina Safeway.† â€Å"But he's not the man you reported as being a vampire.† â€Å"No. The fiend is older, and has sharp features, of Arab descent, I would guess, if he were not so pale.† Cavuto stepped up and took the picture from Rivera. â€Å"You reported the body they found in SOMA, but you said you didn't see anything. Did you see this man anywhere near the scene?† â€Å"The victim was a friend of mine, Charlie. He left his mind in Vietnam, I'm afraid, but a good soul just the same. He had been dead for some time when I found him, though. The fiend left him there to rot.† Cavuto bristled. â€Å"But you didn't see this vampire guy at the scene either.† â€Å"I have seen him in the financial district, once in Chinatown, and at the marina last night. In fact, that young man gave me sanctuary at the Safeway.† Cavuto's beeper went off. He ignored it. â€Å"You saw Flood and this vampire guy together?† â€Å"No, I ran from the wharf when the fiend materialized out of mist.† â€Å"I'm outta here,† Cavuto said, throwing up his hands. He checked his beeper and went back to the car. Rivera held his ground. â€Å"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, my partner needs to learn some manners. Now, if you can just tell me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cavuto beeped the horn and hung his head out the window. â€Å"Rivera, come on. They found another one. Let's go.† â€Å"Wait a second.† Rivera took a business card out of his wallet and gave it to the Emperor. â€Å"Highness, could you call me tomorrow, around noon? I'll come get you wherever you are – buy you and the men some lunch.† â€Å"Of course, my son.† Cavuto yelled out the car window, â€Å"Let's go, this one's fresh.† â€Å"Be careful,† Rivera said to the Emperor. â€Å"Watch your back, okay?† The Emperor grinned. â€Å"Safety first.† Rivera turned and walked to the car. He was still shutting the door as Cavuto pulled away from the curb. Cavuto said, â€Å"Another snapped neck. Body's in a pickup off of Market. Uniforms found it five minutes ago.† â€Å"Blood loss?† â€Å"They knew enough not to say over the radio. But there's a witness.† â€Å"Witness?† â€Å"Homeless guy sleeping in the alley saw a woman leaving the scene. There's an all-points out for a redheaded female in a black cocktail dress.† â€Å"You're bullshitting.† Cavuto turned and looked him in the eye. â€Å"The Laundromat ninja returns.† â€Å"Santa Fucking Maria,† Rivera said. â€Å"I love it when you speak Spanish.† The radio crackled again, the dispatcher calling their unit number. Rivera grabbed the mike and keyed it. â€Å"What now?† he said.

Analysis of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren

The presidents have always played a crucial role in American politics and are known for their roles in unifying the nation. They are glorified for their charisma and ability to lead, but even these brilliant men make economic, political, and social blunders. Andrew Jackson, who was in office from 1829-1837, was a president of many firsts as he was the first frontier president, first to have a kitchen cabinet, and first to use a pocket veto. Jackson was later succeeded by his vice president, Martin Van Burden. Van Burden, who was in office from 1837-1841 , was known for his shrewd political skills.Both these men laid down the foundations for a stronger, more centralized national government with methods that garnered mixed responses. Andrew Jackson was a war hero turned president, but his battles did not end with his election. One type of problem Jackson faced was economic. South Carolinian planters saw that the protective tariff, passed by Congress in 1 824, as oppressive since most of the revenue made from it was invested in the northeasts manufacturing industry. They were more infuriated when the tariff was raised in the summer of 1828 (Brinkley 207).The South Carolinians and Vice President John C. Calhoun saw the taxes as blatantly unconstitutional, exceeding Congresss powers to raise necessary revenues and oppressing one section of the country while enriching others (Willets 63). A nullification document written by Calhoun known as the South Carolina Exposition and Protest was passed by the state legislature in 1 832 as a response. This text announced that any state could declare its original sovereignty and disregard federal laws that are found offensive in their borders.In retaliation, Jackson sent federal troops to South Carolina to enforce the law, but before any violence could ensure the state backed down Brinkley 207). This created a strong rift between the Jackson and his vice president that turned in to a bitter rivalry between the two. Jacksons strong approach caused the executive branch to become unstable and eventually Calhoun and he split in 1832 (Willets 64-65). Another negative economic event that Jackson faced was his clash with the Second Banks of the United States. The Second Bank of the United Sates was a privately owned institution with an outrageous amount of public influence. With a congressional charter, it was the national governments sole fiscal handler and could use public ends without interest for its own discretion (Brinkley 211). Due to this, Jackson saw the Bank as an unconstitutional aberration and an affront to popular sovereignty (Willets 75). There was also opposition of the Banks by advocates of soft money, who were mainly state banks, and advocates of hard money, who were people that disapproved all banks and believed only in coins for currency (Brinkley 211). O when it was time for the Banks charter to be renewed in 1832, Jackson. He removed all federal funds the following year and when the original charter expired in 1 836 all operations as a national bank ended. This would subsequently cause the economy to become unstable a year later (Willets 79-80). Although there were no wars during Jacksons administration, there have been close calls. A treaty was created, in 1831 a year before Jackson took office, whereby France agreed to pay reparations for damages made on American shipping under the reign of Napoleon.The French Chamber of Deputies, however, later refused to allocate the appropriate funds. Jackson infuriated with this called on Congress to allow for reprisals should the French not pay. Both nations refused to back down and the bickering spiraled to the point where they recalled their ministers and a war seemed imminent (Willets 138). The crisis was averted with the French eventually ceding with urgings from Britain. Jacksons stubbornness and refusal to back down landed the United States in hot water, especially in provoking a nation like France that she would not be able to fight. Jackson also faced the issue of American advancement into the west. The removal of Indians was a major concern of his administration and management of the situation was the most notable gaffe of his administration. Like many other Americans at the time, he believed that the Indians were inferior to white men and saw them as savages. Once in office, Jackson urged the Indians to move westward and give up their land, but he was adamantly opposed. The first of the land battles began with Georgia when the state claimed millions of acres of Indian land.The Indians responded with a suit in the Supreme court that was ruled in their favor, stating that Georgia had no authority over their land. The Georgians ignored this and a white invasion of the land ensued. Jackson did nothing to enforce the ruling and there was no consequences to the blatant disregard of the Supreme Court (Ermine 60-61 Later, the Indian Removal Act of 1 830 was eased and signed by Jackson which gave him the authority to make treaties that would exchange land in the west for Indian land east of the Mississippi.It also stated their relocation would be paid for by the federal government. The Indians opposed this act because although it seemed peaceful, they were removed forcefully. This led to many bloody conflicts in which one side would try to seize the land while the other side tried to protect it. The struggle continued and many citizens were polarize on the issue as some saw the Indians as hindrances to American expansionism while the others saw it as outright disrespect of the Indians rights.Eventually in 1835, after the anti- treaty supporters negotiated better terms, a treaty was signed in which the Indians would give up their land in exchange for other lands wes t of the Mississippi (Willets 139-141 This later led to the Indians large exodus where thousands suffered. Although Jacksons decision allowed for the nation to expand, it was at the enormous expense of the Indians. He forcefully kicked them Off their land and treated them as if they were livestock that did not deserve basic human rights. Jackson served for two terms and remained incredibly popular even after resigning.He was the true epitome of a poor, country boy who grew up to become president. He was a self-made man that used his presidency to help ordinary people rather than the rich. Although he had he helped the nation to grow, it came at the sacrifice of so many innocent lives. His popularity with the people led to the election of Martin Van Burden, who was his vice president and once the most powerful member of Jacksons cabinet as Secretary of State. At the very beginning of Van Burdens presidency, he faced the first major economic crisis that America had experienced thePanic of 1837. This fiscal fiasco was triggered by Jacksons withdrawal from the Second Bank of the United States and deposition into state banks of federal funds. Consequently, there was reckless speculation by the banks in lands westward (Willets 1 19). The bubble finally burst in 1837 and hundreds of businesses and banks failed, causing the worst depression of the economy at the time. Van Burden did little to relieve popular misery as he called for less government intervention and created no programs to help with the massive unemployment rate (Wider 102).He later proposed for the rancher of federal funds to an independent treasury. This bill would eventually be passed year latter, but many blamed him for the crisis and inadequate response to it. It ultimately led to his crushing defeat by the William Henry Harrison, the Whig candidate, in the following election (Wider 103-104). During his presidency, Van Burden also faced raising tensions with Great Britain as there was a heated border dispute near the Canada-Maine border. This skirmish brought the two on the brink of war. However, Van Burden sought to revolve this conflict before violence resulted.General Winfield Scott and an envoy were sent to Britain to negotiate a treaty, which subsequently concluded the conflict. Many criticized Van Burdens cautious diplomacy as they felt that he should have taken a stronger stance against Britain and assert the United States as a force to be reckoned with (Wider 131). Slavery at the time was a controversial topic as many northern cities saw it as an abomination that should be abolished while in the south it was the center of the economy. Starting in 1836, many slave owners looking for space to expand saw Texas as the solution to their problems.

Project Management. Zeropain Project case Essay

Project Management. Zeropain Project case - Essay Example Acquisitions offer one of the quickest ways for a company to grow and improve performance; they also represent the largest area of risk taking. The acquisition of Teutonia Pharma AG by Alpex was a case of a ‘horizontal’ (DePamphilis, 2002, p7) acquisition where both companies were in the same line of business with the intent of finding operational synergy and an effort to diversify into higher growth products and markets. The fact that Teutonia owned a licence from CPW for the European market made it an attractive preposition for Alpex. However, Alpex paid a premium on the basis of sales projections of a product which was not even tested by the original manufacturer. Roll (1986) argues that takeover gains are overestimated, if they exist at all. Any bids made over the market price represent an error and are made on the basis of an overbearing presumption by the bidders that their valuation is correct. The entire handling of Zeropain represents an attempt to justify the acquisition. The basic rules for the testing, positioning, promotion, and launch of a product were ignored by Alpex management – to disastrous consequences. New products are the ‘lifeblood of the research-intensive pharmaceutical industry’ (Taylor et al, 2002, p106-7). Given the huge cost of development, in this case the premium paid, and limitations placed on patent protection at the time of approval for marketing, the need to bring products to market quickly is very real

Business models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Business models - Essay Example In this essay an attempt has been made to explain this aspect of the business model with the help of different examples. For this purpose, different research articles and publications have been used. While designing or redesigning the business model it is important to keep in consideration several points like the needs of the customers, what activities will fulfil or satisfy those needs, how the activities will be linked, who will perform those activities, how the value be created for different stakeholders, and what revenue models will be integrated. Hence, it can be said that ultimately the business activities and model should be designed in such a way that there is high value creation for all stakeholders along with delivering high financial performance. Stakeholders’ credibility and financial viability tend to bring in or combine both; financial and social constraints while formulating and designing the overall business model. The business model has two broad factors: on the one hand it keeps in consideration the financial factors and characteristics of the organisation including the methods of revenues, the overall structure of cost, the balance sheet, income statement etc, in order to make sure that all these financial factors are associated with the opportunities and limitations associated with the overall activities and actions of management in order to cut down the costs, increase the revenues, improve the balance sheet and income statement etc. However it is important to understand here that the business model is not only formulated for fulfilling the financial objectives and achieving certain financial returns like specific profit level, return on capital, or other financial goals which reflect overall financial viabi lity. So, on the other hand, business model should also keep in consideration the role of different stakeholders in the overall process of opportunity definition,

Responding to a Government Solicitation Assignment

Responding to a Government Solicitation - Assignment Example However, despite these efforts from the concerned stakeholders especially the federal government, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) states that the levels of funding are not adequate enough to improve or maintain the conditions of the national highways. Additionally, the revenues generated from motor fuel tax; which is the main source of federal surface transportation funding, is eroding. As of March 2012, according to the Congressional Budget office, to maintain current expense levels and account for inflation from the year 2013-2022, FHWA will need $125 billion more of what it is expected to take in during this period. Discussions with experts and stakeholders lead to the identification of 40 practices and materials that can result to improvement of the performance of pavements, reducing life-cycle costs and extending service life. These practices and materials cover a range of applications and uses across the stages of highway life cycle, starting from the design and const ruction stages through preservation and maintenance cycles to last stage of reconstruction. Numerous challenges limit the federal government in its quest to maintain the highways. ... Our company will certainly place its bids in the recently announced contracts by the government. 1. Opportunity name and project location AK DEN 2009(8), Manokotak Heights Road Reconstruction Location: Manokotak, Alaska. 2. Solicitation Number DTFH70-12-B-00008 3. Agency Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 4. Office Office of Federal Lands Highway Western Federal Lands Highway Division 610 E 5th Street Vancouver, WA 98661 (360) 619-7700 5. Location Vancouver 6) URL http://www.wfl.fhwa.dot.gov/contracting/construction/upcoming.htm Steps that would determine if the company is awarded the contract 1. Completing important contract administration tasks My company will register with Vendor Support Center. This site will be vital in providing publications, training, and resources to help the company achieve success. Start with the new contractor orientation center and the success steps guide. This can be found in the publications tab from vendor support center. Refer to events for vendors with the government contracts The next vital step is to create, distribute and maintain my company pricelist. This will include submission of two copies of pricelist to the GSA procurement contracting officer within one month of award. Before the submission of the price lists, the company will upload its current approved pricelist to GSA Advantage! ®. 2) The next step is marketing to the government To ensure success of the schedules contact, then active promotion of the business to potential customers is a necessity. In this case, we are responding to government solicitation therefore our customer is the government. We plan to do this by looking and marketing the company to the government highway maintenance and repairs agency. We

Facebook as a gateway to marketing activities Essay

Facebook as a gateway to marketing activities - Essay Example Facebook is one of the most renowned social network sites in the internet that tries to connect people around the world. It is one of the leading social network sites that have captured billions of people to get connected through virtual friend request and invitation. This website is known to provide more than just entertainment because it is also used to disseminate information to each of the member of the site. In today’s world’s activities where information can become so confusing at some point or very helpful in a way, people may no longer have the time to determine how they are bombarded with diverse idea everyday. In the case of website Facebook people are constantly moving with the trend without them trying to notice how they are used in it. In this paper, the proponent tries to emphasize a specific issue in which people can hardly notice about its existence. This is in line with the marketing strategy used by marketers by tapping social network sites particularl y Facebook. Facebook as a gateway to marketing activities Facebook members seem to know little about it that when they agree with the terms and conditions of the social network site during registration of their account, technically all information they shared with the site belong to Facebook management. The information they shared become the real property of Facebook management in which the member may actually have no real control over them. This is an advantage at the side of Facebook management because they may have necessary data to be processed into useful information for whatever purpose it may provide for their further benefits. Marketers are always studying their consumers and these include demographics or characteristics of human population including sex, religious background, social orientation, culture, education and many more. All of these information are very important to be learned in every marketing activity because through them a marketer will be able to create strate gic move in order to stimulate needs for their product or service offerings. Fortunately, marketers find their way in social network sites to study human behavior and characteristics of human population. For instance, the existence of News Feed and Mini Feed features at Facebook actually triggered privacy issues and discussion of their future influences (Hoadley et al. 50). Certainly this is just a proof that online social network site is not just built for purely interaction among members, but its design is leading forward to spiraling growth of tremendous possibilities. As one result that can be clearly observed, Facebook has become an easy way for business-oriented individuals to promote their service and product offerings. If this is the thought going on with the mind of these simple and ordinary individuals, then certainly there can be more going on in the minds of marketing professionals. In fact, the on-going trend of marketing activity is reaching to interactivity (Deighton and Kornfeld 4). This is a real case going on at Facebook as a social networking site adhering to create healthy interaction among people in every walk of life around the world. Facebook is built to create profit Facebook as an online social network site is instituted to gain and create profit. In order to reach this corporate goal, the management needs to acquire many members as many as possible. This is the reason why there is always an option for ‘friend request’ so as to substantially increase the number of members. The higher number of members is directly associated with the profit or revenue to be obtained. In 2010, the Wall Street Journal reported $710 million estimated revenue of Facebook but other estimates had been revealed to be around $1 to $1.1 billion. These are just estimates at some level but the main point is that Facebook does not start gaining these ranges of revenue. They had started from a very humble beginning. Everything started to go for Facebook ’s favor when the number of their online members had

The Social Factors Influencing Consumer Decision Essay - 1

The Social Factors Influencing Consumer Decision - Essay Example Similarly, the purchase situation also has an impact upon the consumer decision making procedure (South-Western College Publishing, 1997). Hereby, the main objective of the report is to critically discuss the role of internet upon the five stages of consumer decision making process and how internet assists the consumers in their ultimate decision regarding purchase. The first step of the consumer decision making process prompts all succeeding activities. The consumer is bound to fill the gap that exists between the actual state and the desired state when the person’s threshold regarding the problem awareness is reached. It is the external as well as the internal factors that assist in triggering the problem recognition in such cases. In traditional markets, conventional marketing communication increases the demand by means of conventional media such as advertisements made on the television. However, the internet as a medium tends to be comparatively new and therefore novel forms of communication is required. Computer-mediated environments facilitate recognition of the individual needs (Amazon, 2012). In the context of consumer problem recognition, it becomes quite significant for the internet marketers to acquire the consumers in the initial stage. The marketers with the assistance of the databases related to the consumer information are in a good position to identify and predict the requirements of the customer. Amazon.com can be considered as one of the good examples of online business that intends to narrow the service gaps so that the customers demand can be satisfied. When the consumer begins to shop at Amazon’s online store, Amazon tends to comprehend their expectations.

Ancient Greek Philosophical Thought - Final Exam Essay

Ancient Greek Philosophical Thought - Final Exam - Essay Example On the foundations of the same belief, Socrates argues that the souls of philosophers and intellectuals will join the souls of deities many thousand years before the arrival of the ordinary humans due to the very fact that the philosophers’ souls are far refined and sublime than those of general pu...blic, and avoid vice and evil temptations by controlling their desires and discouraging their lust. Hence, Socrates has defined and determined the path and position of soul in his philosophic ideas, which are being endorsed and asserted by the future philosophers for the last several centuries to come. Socrates has also elucidated madness in his second speech, where he argues that it is madness that urges temptation of love, friendship and even sexual desires. He is of the opinion that sexual relations between man and boy must be developed on the basis of true feelings of love, instead of mere lust and for the fulfillment of carnal desires only. Such type of insincere relationship s will break mutual respect between the mentor and pupil, and every association will seek its connection in selfishness and materialism. Hence, the great philosopher, in a terse manner, describes that the carnal desires are an essential part of human instinct, which can be controlled but could not be suppressed altogether. Here Socrates perhaps means emotions and passion equivalent to madness; it is therefore he cites the sun-god Apollo, the Seven Muses, and the harvest and fertility god Dionysus and the love-god Aphrodite, nature and form of the expressions of love are different for all the four, he submits. While explaining the concept of Eros, in his speech, Socrates submits to state that Eros or lust has direction connection with human soul. It is soul that attracts towards Eros for one way or the other. Somehow, philosophers have control to resist the advancements of sexual desires particularly in case of pederasty, where an adult male is fascinated by the beauty of a youth. Th e king of gods Zeus had also experienced madness out of the sheer and absolute beauty of the Trojan young prince Ganymede, and he had abdicated the youth for his sexual desires and love too. However, unlike performing the same act of abdicating a beautiful person for one’s purpose, the philosophers’ soul control the madness and desires, and thus turns out to be refined and sublime in nature and acts. Moreover, Socrates has also thrown light on rhetoric in his final speech, where instead of discouraging the politicians to take part in writing activities, Socrates allows them to do the same and thus read, write and deliver the speeches. However, instead of being mean and inferior, the writing and theme should be excellent and refined one. Hence, making an

Nha trang station Essay Example for Free

Nha trang station Essay ?Unfortunately, at the time when the train came at nha trang station, its machinery was damaged. All of passengers on board received notice from the commander of the train is to stay in this city 2 days for them to repair machinery because no train to replace. Staffs at station guided passengers on board to the hotel to rest. Fortunately, I was visited one more a beautiful beach city on my travelling. First day, I woke up early and explored this city on the map. My family decided to travel by self-sufficiency. I went a round the city to watching the beach, it was so pretty and agreeable with fresh sea atmosphere, cool. The people are also very friendly and welcoming when I asked for directions or tourist places, even they willing take my family to tourist place and eating. My family started to go around to visit these beautiful islands by boat. I was so excited to be sitting on the boat for travel around of the islands. I was feeling like I mixed with the nature. Finally my family decided to stop one islands nearby for swimming and eating. An island was very beautiful with caves was created by natural. I went to swim and have fun with my family. I participated in these games service on the island such as diving or Jet Ski and eat seafood with my family on the coast. The whole day for swimming on the island, my family was so tired when we came back to the hotel. At night on this beach city was so dreamy with a lot of colorful brilliant. Everybody came to the coast for relaxing with the cool air, coffee, dinning and sing a song. I walk to coffee shop near the hotel to sit and watch the beach and living of the people present at night while my family was resting at the hotel. Nightlife here is very lively and fun. After that I returned to take a rest at my hotel. A second day, my family took a tour to seafood super market, temple, and some nice place. In the afternoon, my family came to the train station for continuing the journey to Hanoi.

South African Automotive Industry Impact of Globalisation

South African Automotive Industry Impact of Globalisation 1. Introduction This paper discusses the impact of globalisation on the South African automotive industry in the business context. It explains the concept of globalisation and the importance of globalisation on the South African automotive industry. We explore the innovation, development and skills required in a globalized industry. This paper summarises of the current research of the business imperatives of globalisation in the South African automotive industry, which must be aligned with foreign investment and ownership, development of local skills, manufacturing and exporting. 2. A Definition of Globalisation According to Held and McGrew [2003:3], the term globalisation denotes the growth of connections between various countries that exists as society and states become increasingly entangled in worldwide systems and an exchange of communication via interaction. Kugut (1999:166) defines globalisation as a means of union between nations and companies achieving a common way of doing things. Gill (1999:70) defines globalisation as a method of growing economic integration, and a rising economic interdependence between the different economies of countries. Kiely (1998:3) defines globalisation as a world that has brought closeness of different economies, cultures and societies. Braithwaite and Drahos (2000:8) define globalisation as the growth of social, cultural, economic and political relations worldwide. These definitions highlight the magnitude of globalisation. A number of theorists present various meanings for globalisation. Essentially, all of these definitions describe economic, political and social integration on a worldwide scale. The globalisation method occurring in one part of the world influences what is taking place in other parts. 3. Globalisation as an Investment Driver of Growth in the Automobile Industry According to Flatters [2005], Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has increased substantially in the South African automobile industry since 1995. It is difficult for South Africa to compete against other automotive supply chains around the world. This requires large amounts of capital, experience, skilled workers, and the latest technology systems. According to Zhu, Xu and Lundin [2006], high-end technology is required for any industry to compete in a sustainable manner, and this is very costly in terms of finance and time. According to Flatters [2005], in 1995 the initialization of the Motor Industry Development Plan (MIDP) and the Productive Asset Allowance (PAA) incentive scheme set a high standard of Foreign Direct Investment in the South African automotive industry. As a result, investment in this sector is high and vehicle exports have grown. 4. Positive effects of globalisation in South Africa Innovation in the South African Automotive Industry According to De Klerk [2006], ever since the Motor Industry Development Plan (MIDP) was brought in by the government in 1995, the South African automotive industry has integrated into the global automotive supply chain. The MIDP have removed all the competition from the automotive industry. Initially, when foreign ownership had a part in the South African automotive industry, it seemed as if it would have a negative impact on the South African automotive industry. According to De Klerk, JJ [2006], foreign ownership is exactly what the South African automotive industry needed. According to Lourens Barnes [2004], in order to improve in the industry, South African automotive industry technology needs to be improved. This requires foreign capital investment, and the opportunity for the domestic market to take advantage of it. When foreign and domestic markets work together, the technical knowledge is transferred to the developed country, which is then able to progress forward. Many auth ors have confirmed that when a country inherits the technology that comes with Foreign Direct Investment, the host country will have a very good base to develop its industry further. [Sadoi, [2008]; Doctor, [2007]; Basser, [2008], Lorentzen and Barnes, [2004]] According to Flatters [2005], South Africa has attracted substantial foreign investment over the past few years for example, Daimler Chrysler, and Alfa Romeo have invested here. However, this is very little compared to other developing countries. Multinational enterprises (MNE) view South Africa according to its size and for the potential for future growth in its domestic market. MNE look at the advantages that can taken from unsettled exchange rates in developed countries, the experience and quality of the workforce, and whether it is a low cost centre compared to other nations. According to De Klerk [2009], South Africa presents a beneficial emerging market for the multinational enterprises. South Africas population growth has increased by 8 percent (around 3571 350) in 1994 and by 11.9 percent (around 5333 550) in 2000, and is still growing. There are advantages that can be taken from the defect of the exchange rate.Wessells (2004) says that since the death of the Bretton Woods system, countries worldwide may choose an exchange rate ruling. According to De Klerk [2009], South Africa has a promising economy with an unpredictable currency, which is seen as a great benefit to the multinational enterprises. The quality and competence of the South African automotive workers are not of high standard. According to De Klerk [2009], the industry has a lack of skills and a surplus of untrained laborers. 5. Foreign Ownership, Education and Skills Development According to De Klerk [2009], it is expected that the same level of skills in a developing country be matched to that of the foreign investor. However, in developing nations the level of education is not that high. According to a literature review by Chatterji Montagma [2008] on foreign ownership, the multinational enterprise expects developed countries to have a high level of education before investing. Nevertheless, foreign direct investment continues although the standard of education is not high. The research done by authors Chatterji Montagma [2008] around training and processes and routines found that: developed countries would receive on-the-job training training is carried out with the use of advanced technologies multinational enterprises is impacted with quality of assembly line by the processes and routines of the host countries laborers. According to De Klerk [2009], the low cost of laborers in the local economy and processes and routines are beneficial to the multinational enterprises, with the aid of advanced technologies. 6. The Development of the South African Automotive Industry According to Black [2009], the South African automotive industry went through a bad period in the 1980s.The economic growth was slow due to political factors and international isolation. Vehicle sales had gradually recovered up until 2003, and had reached 617 000 units in 2005. According to NAAMSA [2006], 525 000 vehicles were produced in 2005, of which 26.6 percent were sold abroad. By the year 2005 the South African automotive industry was liable for 7.4 percent of South Africas Growth Domestic Product. (DTI, 2007). According to Black [2009], like most other countries with growing economies, the South African vehicle industry had set tariffs and a string of local content programs aimed at protecting the industry. According to Black [2009], the protection ruling became a serious problem 1980s, which led to the perception South Africa automotive industry as incompetent. According to Black [2009], a year before the first democratic elections, the Motor Industry Development Plan (MIDP) was introduced. This has allowed tariffs to decline by 40 percent for light vehicles and 30 percent for vehicle components before 2002. According to Black [2009], the MITs International Motor Vehicle Program published its first book on the future of the automobile industry. The South African automotive industry was not mentioned much, but the book contained some negative comments on the future of the South African automobile trade. 7. Automobile Exports According to Black [2009] motor vehicle exports grew fast in 2001. The increase in the quantity of vehicle exports does not mean that a foreign firm is being competitive in the automobile industry. Being competitive relies on the company global plan and the need to optimize its global manufacturing ability according to the policy ruling at each production location. The significance of economies of scale increases competitive pressure on companies in the automotive industry, requiring that they boost their production in order to decrease unit costs [Black, 2009]. In 2005, the export of motor vehicles grew rapidly as foreign companies had to adopt a strategic plan to supply vehicles out of South Africa.   According to Black [2009], in 2001 the three German vehicle companies, BMW, Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler introduced an export strategy that was generating almost 50 percent of their import rebate credit certificates from exporting vehicles. Other vehicle firms like Ford and Nissan consistently practiced a multi-modal plan, using low local content standards. By 2005, Toyota and Ford employed an export plan together with other assemblers that followed later. The growth and success in the export of the automotive vehicles has been driven by the Motor Industry Direct Plan. Many multinationals do not see South Africa as an exporting location. Keeping costs low positively impacts the rapid growth of exports. The cheap labor and low management costs, joined with cheap property and electricity, add to the competitive advantages. According to Black [2009], in mid 2002 the cost of assembly for domestic firms such as DaimlerChrysler and BMW are below the manufacturing costs of the plants in G ermany. High costs were gained in the South African processes through supply chain management .i.e. the inbound and outbound logistics. According to NAAMSA [2006], Automotive Industry Export Council [2007], Department of Trade and Industry [2002, 2004], the Table 1 below, signifies the growth of the automotive exporting in 1990s, which exceeded the small regional markets and major export destinations that are at considerable distances from South Africa. The investment of vehicle production and component producers has gradually improved since the depression in the mid 1990s, when unclear politics and policies and a weak domestic market led to a serious slump in new capital expenditure. According to Black, [2009], an amount of capital totaling R847 million was invested in the automotive manufacturing industry in 1995. By 2005 this had increased to R3.5 billion. South African production plants still lag behind in capital expenditure compared to the vast capital expenditure in explosive markets like China, Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, and Central Europe. [Black, 2009] When the Motor Industry Direct Plan [MIDP] was introduced in the 1990s, the South African automotive industry entered in to the African markets. Unfortunately, this market was too small to increase the production line. On a smaller scale, the Completely Knock Down [CKD] assembly investments continued to grow. For example, in 1998 Fiat agreed to spend R250 million in order to manufacture new models from the Automaker production factory in South Africa. [Black, 2009]. 8. Automobile Manufacturing based in South Africa 8.1 Toyota in South Africa According to Black [2009], the Toyota brand was popular in the 1990s, with a big local market slice for its cars and light commercial vehicles. In the past, Toyota and Nissan were locally owned and operated by licensed agreements. Two well known international vehicle companies, Nissan and Toyota, have taken control of the South African automotive operations. These two firms have created a reaction amongst rival competitors in the South African market. Toyota South Africa has firmly incorporated itself into the parent global manufacturing system. The first Toyota vehicle exported out of South Africa was the Corolla. In 2005, on a large scale, Toyota exported light commercial vehicles as part of its Global project, which was called the Internal Multipurpose Vehicle project. At its Durban plant, Toyota has started production and aim to complete 300 000 units per year. However, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) stated that the South African manufacturing plant will be entirely incorporated into the TMC global supply system. 8.2 Ford in South Africa According to Black [2009], Ford has a history in the automotive assembly line in South Africa. Ford withdrew its vehicle assembly plants in the mid 1980s due to the political regime at the time. Toyota and Ford have reinvested into the South African domestic vehicle market after the first democratic election in 1994. At first they were hesitant to export vehicles out of South Africa on a large scale and therefore they kept their plants going worldwide, as well as knowing that there assembly production lines are in various markets. According to Black [2009], Ford Motor Company fully invested in South Africa in 2002 and has boosted its production line volumes by producing 100 000 units per year on the T6 pickups. 8.3 General Motors in South Africa According to Black [2009], Delta Motor Corporation is currently licensed to export under the brand name of GM. Initially they had a problem exporting vehicles out of South Africa because they did not have a stake in the South African domestic market. In 1996, Delta invested in its first production plant in South Africa. It is a small plant that has a low production turnover on volumes. GM has started an export plan, but the units produced and content levels are too low. Additionally, their position in the domestic market is weak. 9. Conclusion This paper reviewed the impact of globalisation on the South African automotive industry, and discussed measures that may allow South African automotive businesses to achieve their objectives through foreign investment and ownership, development of local skills, manufacturing, and exporting.

Implications of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for War Veterans Essay

Implications of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for War Veterans War is a complex concept that is increasingly difficult to understand, particularly in an age that allows for live images of combat to be beamed around the world. Many war films depict the brutalities of war and affects war has on participants, but it seems that these representations merely skim the surface. The 20th century is an era that saw a significant amount of military action: World Wars I and II, the Cold War, Vietnam, and the Gulf War - millions of men fought, some survived and live among us today. Unfortunately, the war experience for many veterans is traumatizing and as a result, many have been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This disorder is often quite mentally debilitating; this, then, begs the question of the social implications of the disorder as well as whether this has any bearing on the necessity of war. At the minimum, PTSD is a branch of emotion that stems from stress or anxiety. Stress is not uncommon among humans as it can be caused by something as simple as gridlock or an argument. When we feel stressed, our body is attuned to exhibit the fight-or-flight response during which "the body releases chemicals that make it tense, alert, and ready for action" (1). PTSD, however, is a sector of stress that is very specialized for it occurs after traumatic events; these may include car accidents, earthquakes, rape, or military combat. People suffering from PTSD experience paranoia, flashbacks and generally have difficulty engaging in normal daily activities (2). One Vietnam veteran diagnosed with the disorder explains that he often has extreme emotional outbursts: " 'I developed a nasty temper, became very nervous... ...does occur between countries, it is carried out by people, by fellow humans beings who should never have to bear witness to such extreme horrors. Works Cited: 1) Stress info http://my.webmd.com/hw/emotional_wellness/ta4405.asp 2) American Psychiatric Association http://www.psych.org/public_info/ptsd.cfm 3)Kulka, Richard A., et al. Trauma and the Vietnam War Generation. New York: Brunner/Mazel Publishers, 1990. 4) Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Wars, and Terrorism http://www.kimsoft.com/2001/ptsd.htm 5)Wilson, John P., et al, eds. Human Adaptation to Extreme Stress. New York: Plenum Press, 1988. 6)The Invisible Epidemic: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Memory and the Brain http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/articles/behavior/ptsd_4/ 7) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Understanding the Pain http://www.nursingceu.com/NCEU/courses/ptsd/

Essay --

The lady and the tiger was a story with no ending, this is bothersome because it truly left everybody wondering. That is quite possibly the brilliance of the story, it forces readers to ponder their thoughts and come up with their own ending. Love has a lot to do with the story â€Å"The Lady and the Tiger†. The story gives the princess fate over her lover. The problem arose because the princess’s father will not allow her to be with him. The story takes place in a kingdom and involves the king, the princess, and her lover. The princess’s decision on which door to gesture to her lover is presumed to have a large impact on the story, which it does however the question that is which door her lover opens remains un-answered. The princess will open the door with the lady behind it, she will be able to put her jealousy and romantic emotions behind human morality. The princess will lead the gentleman towards the door with the maiden behind it because it is highly unethical to kill a man because she will have to see them together. Human morality plays a large role in her decision to do this. The pain she experiences from seeing her lover with her enemy will fade. On the other hand, the pain she would experience from seeing him die in front of her eyes would linger on and on. Furthermore the pain of the reflection of that decision to kill him would bring her much regret. She would continue to question her morality and she would hurt from the decision she made for a very long time. In â€Å"The Lady or the Tiger† Stockton says â€Å"Had it not been for the moiety of barbarism in her nature it is probable that the lady would not have been there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Stockton 4). That quote is proof that even though her father was semi barbaric, due to the moiety she and t... ...nd, that decision leads him to be hit in the face by the guard. Following the hit, he falls to the ground. When he stands up it is undeniably decision time. He looks up to the king and gives him a nod of respect, he also looks up at the princess and quickly gazes into her eyes. The princess subtly pointed to the left. She changed her mind; the door she now wanted him to go through was on the left. He steps forward accepting the princess’s suggestion to go to the left, he places his hand on the door handle. He stops and keeps his hand there for a few second then opens up the door and notices a beautiful maiden stepping out of it. Filled with joy, he wraps his arms around her and thanks God for letting him live. The priest and wedding singers follow close behind the maiden and in the arena the two are married. The obviously guilty had in fact just been found innocent.

Relation of Crime and Family Essays -- Sociology Essays Papers Crimina

Crime is sometimes blamed on the family, with poor parenting, lack of discipline and family breakdown often associated with youth crime. A recurrent theme in academic research has been to investigate the relationship between delinquency and a range of family related factors. Early studies explored child-rearing behaviour, parental discipline, the criminal histories of parents and family size and income. Popular theories in the 1950s and 1960s related juvenile delinquency to material deprivation, broken homes and to the growing number of ‘latch key’ children who were left unsupervised after school while their mothers went to work. All of these presaged current concerns with discipline and the role of single-parent families. What has emerged from this research is that some family factors are related to the likelihood of delinquency but that they must be considered in the context of the socio-economic circumstances of the family and the others factors such as school and the peer group. The following factors have emerged as particularly important. Parental discipline and supervision Parental discipline has always been seen as a major factor underlying youth crime and it was found that inconsistent and erratic discipline are more likely to be associated with delinquency than lax or strict discipline (West and Farrington 1973, 1977). More recent studies have focused on the quality of parental supervision, often measured by whether parents know where their children are when they are not at home. A Home Office study in 1995, for example, found that supervision was strongly related to offending with higher numbers of those who were no... ...ng number of people who are able to work but choose not to, live in a ‘different world’ from others. They do not obtain good habits and discipline and their values contaminate ‘the life of entire neighbourhoods’ (Murray 1996:p123). Men in such communities cannot support families, leading to high rates of illegitimacy, and seek alternative, destructive means of proving that they are men. Whole communities are devastated by crime and young men look up to criminal role models. Whether or not the underclass exists, most agree that industrial restructuring has led to the growth of communities within which the majority of inhabitants are excluded from work and its associated benefits, and that these are also characterised by high amounts of property crime, youth crime and illegal drug use (Davies, Croall & Tyrer 1999).

The Tragedy of a Man

The â€Å"apparition† of Bartleby has confounded many wise men, scholars, critics and the like. The strange, almost inhuman way Bartleby resisted his employer and all forms of contact seemed supernatural—â€Å"Poe-ish†, as some would say (Reed 1). Though in recent times, the story of Bartleby has been used as an allusion of the Communist struggle against the capitalist system.Thus, they explained that Bartleby’s refusal to engage in the regular capitalist work is clearly an act of defiance against the system; and the historical vagueness and background surrounding the story accentuates this implied class struggle.The tragedy of it all, in the end, centers on the limited awareness of the narrator. His scrivener was not the originator of his tragedies; it was his humanity, and fatal defects that could not save his copyist from certain doom. His lack of insight into the depths of the human psyche and his consequent understanding of its workings rendered him u nable to understand and aid his comrade. He was only an ordinary lawyer caught in circumstances he could not understand; though had he the sufficient expertise, the answer would have been simple as to surprise him.Bartleby, if he was anything, was angry. No emotion could have driven him so potently as to his last contemptuous act upon himself and the world. For suicide is often thought of as some great act of despair or utter grief that overpowers the individual and inspire him to â€Å"escape†. It is also an act of great contempt that is needed to give a man the strength to destroy himself completely and blind him to all the protestations of his body.Thus, it was this rage that possessed Bartleby. The narrator was too struck by the pitiable, forlorn countenance as well as quiet insolence of his scrivener to discover the fire blazoning from within. In all fairness to him, he was a well-balanced man—as he readily admitted—free from the mad fits and temperaments t hat has afflicted his scriveners. He could not therefore have guessed Bartleby as anything else, as he assumed that the man was well-rounded in personality.The woes of this misunderstood individual continues on, as Marxists take the tale hostage and use it as a weapon of their own. Bartleby becomes a tool of their hatred, and example of a social revolution. In this essay, then, it is hoped to wrest it back to the individual perspective and back to the man that is Bartleby. To accomplish this, one need glimpse at the perspectives of the Marxists and one divorced from the Communist context; from here it is hoped that the Marxist logic can be successfully deconstructed.This paper will seek to redeem the soul of the story as well as the character immortalized in its pages. Citizen Bartleby Bartleby, the Scrivener’s unique â€Å"Marxist† quality—its ability to identify with the class struggle and the woes of the capitalist system—are inevitably â€Å"pulled o ut† by two critics, Barbara Foley and Naomi Reed, by the use of differing perspectives. Foley accomplished this by de-focusing from the individual and giving more emphasis on the style used in the story and how it relates to historical events of that time.Thus, the mention of John Jacob Astor and Trinity Church, which coincidentally owned huge properties across the New York area where the story’s office was located, become representations of the oppressive land monopolies (Foley 7-10). The narrator’s reducing his staff into â€Å"idiosyncracies† and an ideology of â€Å"patronage† (Foley 6) is representative of an unequal wage slavery; and the ambiguity of the date by which the story probably took place (through careful analysis it was found that there were too many inconsistencies in the dates), may have been intentional as to â€Å"underplay† the Astor Strike of 1849 (Foley 13-16).The last was re-emphasized with telling effect—by cit ing Melville’s â€Å"disillusionment† of the society of the elite and the similarities of another Melville work, â€Å"The Two Temples†. Naomi Reed, meanwhile, while centering on Bartleby the apparition and the â€Å"gentlemanly cadaver†, relates him as such, by way of substance, to the commodity discussed by Marx in Capital. Bartleby is both of two forms: the ghost and the figure between life and death; comparably, a commodity is both physical and non-physical, for it has non-material value (Reed 6-9).His insistent defiance on basic work, as well as other labors, is in fact a refusal to partake in exchange—the ideology behind his work (creating a perfect copy of the document) is that a copy may accurately portray an original document; in exchange terms, a value of one object may be substantially equaled by another. The scrivener’s act of refusing to vouch for the copy would be parallel to the rejection of the accuracy of exchange. Bartleby then represents Marx’s commodity alienating itself from the market forces (Reed 9-12). These two concepts do hold ground, in relating the individual to his environment.Having admitted to this, a third, more personal approach is to be taken: the tragedy of Bartleby’s anger and passive aggressive tendency. Turkey and Nippers Prior to introducing Bartleby, the narrator first gives us a glimpse of his two other scriveners: Turkey was an old man, of almost the same age as his employer, while Nippers was twenty-five. Of the former, it is narrated that after twelve o’clock, this legal copyist suddenly manifests discomfort throughout the day, carelessly spilling inkblots or bursting upon inanimate objects with fiery zeal with little provocation.The employer hinted that this was due to old age. Indeed, fatigue and lack of rest would be enough to wear down the propriety of even the sternest of men, more so with old ones. For his part, Turkey would not, out of pride and th e thought of wages being cut in half, do the sensible thing and stop work after twelve o’clock. Nippers, on the other hand, is most irritated when he is brimming with energy. This is attributed to his youth; though the narrator would much rather call it â€Å"ambition and indigestion†.He is impatient, rash and impetuous and would rather that the time pass and be done with his being a scrivener, as well as to finish his law studies. This here-and-now obsession manifests itself in his table, which probably symbolizes a hindrance to his objective. This impatience gradually dies down after lunch, as impetuosity is readily cured and becalmed by food. At the sight of his two scriveners’ open expressions of anger, the lawyer must not have then detected the same in Bartleby. Indeed, he was looking for a more-balanced individual, and thought that he found it in the man.He therefore was not properly warned to the dangerous patterns within Bartleby’s character. Pref er Not To The employer relates how he was thunderstruck the first time he heard of Bartleby’s quiet refusal. It was peculiarly odd, however, because there seemed to be no reason for this reluctance—he didn’t volunteer anything; he was ever quiet at his post, answering only when spoken to. He was therefore frustrated with what would seem as apparent insolence. Bartleby’s answer â€Å"I would prefer not to† is a classic passive aggressive response.The words â€Å"not to† are indeed an act of defiance and anger, though it could not be particularly directed anywhere. It was couched in the words â€Å"would prefer† because among passive aggressives, fear is commingled with anger. He has a fear of direct confrontation, and readily believes his being weaker to those around him. To say a â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† would already be such an example of confrontation. Recognizing the â€Å"superiority† of would-be oppressors, he will express his anger, but try to make it as respectful a comment as possible.To a fairly balanced man like the employer, this self-contradiction is absurd and utterly unreasonable; that is what makes it offensive. To a passive aggressive, however, it would be unreasonable to reveal a grievance. There are a myriad of reasons for this, but chief of them is the fear of rejection and condemnation as well as a need to retain some power against his oppressor. Revealing his weakness would strip him of any control or power over the object of his contempt, and make him susceptible to denunciation.His silence then was due to fear for himself. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t want to say, he just couldn’t. The employer could also have detected something dangerously amiss in Bartleby’s refusal to do anything, except copy. He was clearly caught in some internal agony as to render him incapable of even the most mundane of tasks. He clearly needed help, and the lawye r could only ill-afford to prove it. Infernal Solitude His employer was filled with great pity the minute he found out that Bartleby was living alone.The latter did not socialize, knew no one, and generally kept to himself, using the office as a refuge. The narrator believes this as the source of the scrivener’s misery and in many chances as possible sought to connect to him. Tragically, however, Bartleby was trapped in a state of â€Å"forced solitude†Ã¢â‚¬â€while he might believe his state deplorable (though we could only assume), he is nevertheless prevented by anger and fear from reaching out, and this paralysis and stasis aggravates his misery. Bartleby did not loathe company; in his small way, he sought it.Through his dealing with the company errand boy, Ginger Nut, and that one time when he looked his employer square in the eye and said â€Å"Can’t you see it for yourself? †Ã¢â‚¬â€the passive aggressive needs understanding, though he will offer n o aid. The employer, stumbling through ways to help him, merely continues to frustrate his scrivener. Eventually the internal agony had debilitated Bartleby fully. Even copying had become a burden that he would not bear. The lawyer was constantly apprehensive that he would be abandoning Bartleby if he did anything that was not to ensure his safety.He would have been right in assuming that his scrivener would have felt betrayed, for passive aggressives are generally resigned to their misery and see it as normal routine, and to those that they have stuck to with forlorn hope, failure would only accentuate the deathly gloom. His employer felt the barb of this hurt when Bartleby talked to him in jail. His statement then, and his subsequent refusal to eat can only be construed as part of his contemptuous act against self and those he feels has wronged him. Conclusion: RedemptionThe significant sequel of the Dead Letters serves as the crossroads by which Bartleby’s plight is fully understood. The employer later lamented of his finding the significant cause of Bartleby’s desolation: he had worked as a clerk making letters for relatives of the departed. The thought of constantly generating correspondence to those who have recently lost probably destroyed him as a person. It was not only the act of breaking hearts; it seemed as if acting as accomplice to murder. This soon developed to a form of self-loathing, and the genesis of the tragedy of Bartleby.There are two ways to interpret this: The question that was unveiled in the third perspective was the source of Bartleby’s anger. Throughout we have learned that it was generated towards self and collaterally to others. Humanity should be briefly expounded as centered on the act of life. The very nature of a human being is to act to preserve life: eating, sleeping and even social interaction. The task of the Dead Letters was associated with the negation of life. Death. An unnatural and inhuman task, h owever mundane, will gradually wear down an individual.Bartleby became a specter of Death, opposed to life, and therefore opposed to the world, and to society. He was reluctantly opposed, as by nature he was inclined to life. He felt this opposition unconsciously, and felt that all anger is directed against him. Passive aggressives have a source of hatred before the self. As a human being, Bartleby was inclined towards life, and was thus opposed to the Dead Letters system from the beginning. Gradually, his resentment went inward, as he needed the wage and could not conveniently express his anger.He became the figure of rebellion of the individual against the dehumanizing elements of his system as well as prevalent social forces. Reed had a point when she said that this was an act of rebellion against the system. She was, however, wrong in the sense that Bartleby is not a commodity; to admit to this truth would assume that the scrivener is equal to the commodity, comparable to the in animate object of Marx’s work. Using her concept, this is an act of equality that cannot be vouchsafed. There is nothing dehumanizing about circulation, and exchange.The practice of work was not a product of capitalism, but social interaction. Bartleby was merely opposed to the inhumanity of the system, which he was thrust into. He therefore could not trust it, and would not trust it. Having experienced the unnatural task in the Dead Letters office, those that are detached from personal living though not overtly or even covertly opposed to life, would seem the same. This then would explain the scrivener’s insistence of detachment of his private and public life.The Marxist analysts say that the subtitle â€Å"A Story of Wall Street† precludes the social forces that are implied within Bartleby. It must not, however, be forgotten that this is a story about â€Å"Bartleby, the Scrivener†, about an individual finding himself before the deathly coldness of Wall Street. He is the individual in the center of his environment. To belittle him, as Foley would do in her analysis, would again dehumanize him. To make him a slave to social forces, and the context of labor and the collective, would be like the lawyer who could not see the man crying out from within.Maybe, he had an indication of his desolation, but trapped within institutions as cold as the buildings that house it, he had not the knowledge to reach out to him. The lack of scenery around the office windows may agreeably be an allegory to his blindness. His omission of going to church may have become a defect, as he was faced with humanity, and the sermons could at least have taught him how to act before it. The scrivener could not be saved within the pages of the story. The soul of his being, however, has been snatched from the perils that haunted his life.It is hoped that in this simple gesture of understanding, Bartleby may find in death what he could not redeem in life: humanity. BIBLIOGRAPHY WORKS CITED Foley, Barbara. â€Å"From Wall Street to Astor Place: Historicizing Bartleby†. American Literature 72. 1 (2000): n. p. Reed, Naomi. â€Å"The Specter of Wall Street: Bartleby and the Language of Commodities†. American Literature 76. 4 (2004): n. p. REFERENCES Melville, Herman. â€Å"Bartleby, the Scrivener†. The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction. Fifth Edition. Ed. Anne Charters. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999. 984-1010.

How do feminists view the division of labour

How do feminists view the division of labour within the family home? sy Chelb7 How do feminists view the division of labour within the family home? Feminism is a collection of movements and beliefs aimed at defining and defending women's rights within society and politics aiming for all round equality, A big issue that arises within women rights is inequality in the household. The division of labour in the home is how fairly the jobs are shared between the partners in the household.Sociologists named Young and Willmott carried out a study in 1937 in aethnal Green, London. They looked into the roles in families within the home and come to the conclusion that Over time most families have become The symmetrical family. This implies roles are being shared between the man and women Within the home. They called this the march Of progress. Feminists reject this ‘March Of progress' View as they say roles are not equal within the home. In a research there is evidence that men ‘hel p' at home but it is far from symmetry within the roles.Feminists say that men usually claim to be helping by doing the pleasurable jobs rather than the work, herefore research so far suggests feminists view the division of labour within the family home as unequal. Sociologist Ann Oakley disagrees with Young and Willmotts view. Rather than seeing a march of progress tonards symmetry since 19th century Ilke Young and Willmott do, Oakley describes how â€Å"the housewife role has become the dominant role tor married women†. She also argues that Men only ever ‘help' at home rather than work. Another sociologist supporting Oakley's idea Is Mary Boulton (1983b.During research Boulton found that fewer than of husbands had a major ole in childcare. She argues that Young and Willmott exaggerate men's contribution by look'ng at tasks that involve childcare rather than responsibilities. When reviewing the research so far it becomes apparent that women sociologists (particularly f eminists) support the idea that men rarely take on tasks within the home and that male sociologists support that this is in fact improving and we are on a march towards progress, Twisting this biased view are two sociologists named Hilary Silver (1987) and Juliet Schor (1993).They argued that because of ommercialised good and services the housewife role has almost disappeared, They say that items such as freezers. microwave ovens and ready meals reduce the amount of domestic labour to be done, However critics argue that for poorer women this iS not an Option. Feminists argue that even though commercialisation has been reduced the Other chores are still not shared equallyq The impact Of paid work iS a more recent debate in feminists. Logically if both man and women Of the house are in paid full time work feminists say that the housework should be shared equally between the couple.Feminists argue that this is not the case. women are being made to carry a dual burden. This outcome is d etermined in large part by traditional gender roles that have been accepted by society over time. on the other hand to the feminist view some sociologists argue that women working In full time paid jobs lead to a more equal division of labour. Jonathan Gershuny (1994) found 83% of housework and those who worked part time still done 82%. Wives who worked full time did 73% of housework. Gershuny explains this trend towards greater equality in terms of gradual change in values and parental role models.He argues social values are gradually adapting to the fact more women are working full time. Similarly Oriel Sullivan's (2000) analysis of nationally representative data collected in 1975, 1987 and 1997 found a trend towards greater equality as men did more domestic labour. Particularly there was an increase in couples with an equal division with men doing more traditionally women's Jobs. Feminists view this division of labour as inaccurate. Equality and symmetry within housework would me an each partner is doing 50% of housework and chores.Whereas even sociologists who are gainst the feminist view towards domestic labour are showing in their results that well over 50% of housework is done by women. Sociologist Dunne (1999)done a study on 37 cohabiting lesbian couples with dependent children. Dunne found evidence of symmetry in their relationships. In lesbian relationships household tasks are not linked to a particular gender scripts. This allows lesbian couples to have more equal relationships. For example as one of the women said in Dunne's study â€Å"In heterosexual relationships there is always a subconscious belief that women are upposed to do the housework.This supports the radical feminist view that relationships between men and women are inevitably patriarchal and that women can only achieve equality in same sex relationships. Similarly, Jeffery Weeks (1999) argues that same sex relationships offer greater possibilities of equality because the division of l abour is open to negotiation and agreement and not based on a patriarchal tradition. To conclude evidence shows that a women being in paid work leads to more equality in the division of labour, though probably only if she is in full work.Many feminists argue that in reality the effect of this is limited and women still continue to shoulder a dual or triple burden. Feminists argue that the root of the problem is patriarchy. Patriarchy ensures that women earn less at work and therefore have less bargaining in the home. Patriarchal gender scripts shape societys expectations about the domestic roles within the house. In my opinion until the subconscious belief that women should do the domestic work has being changed by society's outlook feminists will always feel that patriarchy is the main reason for the inequality of labour within the home.

Defense Spending and the Military-Industrial Complex

On December 7, 1941 Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This thrust America into World War II, and for the next four years it dominated nearly every aspect of American life [Bowles, 2011, 3. 7 The World at War (1941-1945)]. This greatly impacted Americans and had a significant impact on African Americans during this time. Although the attack on Pearl Harbor was a devastating period of time, it was a great time for African Americans to assert their independence.They fought in the war, defending their country after how they were treated. They demanded being able to have jobs that were considered â€Å"whites only†. In my belief, they deserved these rights. African Americans were treated unfairly for years and did not have rights but yet still strived to fight for their country. There is no reason why they should not have been treated fairly, if not more like heroes for how brave and noble they were. According to Bowles, â€Å"While t hese men were willing to die for the country, they were not eligible for many of the honors for their service.Though many deserved it, no African American could receive the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for bravery (2011, African Americans at war). This brings me to the long term effects WWII had on our country. Bill Clinton awarded men their gold’s that they deserved 50 years too late. Only one of the men was alive to even receive it. The long term effect is the regret of letting the people who were most brave, die for our country and not receive an award just because of the color of his skin. References: Bowles, M. (2011). A history of the United States since 1865 . (Ashford University ed. ) San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Brown vs. Board of Education

Brown V. Board of Education In the early 1950’s, racial segregation in public schools was normal across America. Although all the schools in a given district were supposed to be equal, most black schools were far inferior to their white counterparts. In Topeka, Kansas, a black third-grader had to walk miles just to get to her all black elementary school. Her father, Oliver Brown, had tried to enroll her in a white elementary school but was refused. Brown went to McKinley Burnett, the head of Topeka's branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and asked for help. They were eager to help the Browns since it had long wanted to challenge segregation public schools. Other black parents joined Brown, and, in 1951, the NAACP requested an injunction that would forbid the segregation of Topeka's public schools. Brown and the NAACP appealed to the Supreme Court on October 1, 1951 and their case was combined with other cases that challenged school segregation in South Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware. On the other hand, the precedent of Plessy v. Ferguson allowed separate but equal school systems for blacks and whites, and no Supreme Court had overturned Plessy yet. The Supreme Court first heard the case on December 9, 1952, but failed to reach a decision. In the reengagement, heard from December 7-8, 1953, the Court requested that both sides discuss â€Å"the circumstances surrounding the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868. † The rearguement shed very little additional light on the issue. The Court had to make its decision based not on whether or not the authors of the Fourteenth Amendment had desegregated schools in mind when they wrote the amendment in 1868, but based on whether or not desegregated schools deprived black children of equal protection of the law when the case was decided, in 1954. Eventually the Supreme Court struck down the â€Å"separate but equal† doctrine of Plessy for public education and ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, and required the desegregation of schools across America. Brown vs. Board of Education Brown V. Board of Education In the early 1950’s, racial segregation in public schools was normal across America. Although all the schools in a given district were supposed to be equal, most black schools were far inferior to their white counterparts. In Topeka, Kansas, a black third-grader had to walk miles just to get to her all black elementary school. Her father, Oliver Brown, had tried to enroll her in a white elementary school but was refused. Brown went to McKinley Burnett, the head of Topeka's branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and asked for help. They were eager to help the Browns since it had long wanted to challenge segregation public schools. Other black parents joined Brown, and, in 1951, the NAACP requested an injunction that would forbid the segregation of Topeka's public schools. Brown and the NAACP appealed to the Supreme Court on October 1, 1951 and their case was combined with other cases that challenged school segregation in South Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware. On the other hand, the precedent of Plessy v. Ferguson allowed separate but equal school systems for blacks and whites, and no Supreme Court had overturned Plessy yet. The Supreme Court first heard the case on December 9, 1952, but failed to reach a decision. In the reengagement, heard from December 7-8, 1953, the Court requested that both sides discuss â€Å"the circumstances surrounding the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868. † The rearguement shed very little additional light on the issue. The Court had to make its decision based not on whether or not the authors of the Fourteenth Amendment had desegregated schools in mind when they wrote the amendment in 1868, but based on whether or not desegregated schools deprived black children of equal protection of the law when the case was decided, in 1954. Eventually the Supreme Court struck down the â€Å"separate but equal† doctrine of Plessy for public education and ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, and required the desegregation of schools across America. brown vs. board of education