Who Is Responsible For Starting Wwi Essays - Causes Of World War I

Who Is Responsible For Starting Wwi Who is Responsible for Causing World War I? In August of 1914, the war to end all wars began. The First World War saw incredible amounts of casualties because of new fighting techniques and technology, among other reasons. While it is clear who the victors of the war were after the battles had been fought and the Peace of Paris signed, what is not clear is who started this war. Historians have debated this question since the very early stages of the war and it is one that still remains without one concrete answer. A common elementary history textbook will explain the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria as the sole cause for World War one, but further research seriously brings this statement into question. I feel as though it was not one single person, or even a single country who/that caused the war, but rather a series of events and situations which include the following: the allying of countries and preparing for war which preceded the fighting itself, the actions of the Black Hand as a message of Serbian national ists, the persuasion of Austria-Hungary by Germany for a swift retribution for this act, and Russia's swift mobilization of troops along the Central Powers' eastern border in the early stages of the war. The first and possibly most important cause of World War I may have been the allying of the countries involved in the war and the posturing for action which they participated in. Although many treaties were signed and many alliances made previously, the start of the time line of WWI may be traced to the Dual Alliance signed by Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1879, to which Italy joined in 1882 forming the Triple Alliance. It was an agreement that was one of military protection, stating that if any member of the alliance were to become involved in the war with two other powers, they would respond with military aid and intervention. This agreement was countered by the Franco-Russian Alliance signed in 1894. Its terms were similar to that of the Triple Alliance's. These two agreements directly opposed one another. Who would there be to oppose these groups but one another? These drawing of allies basically served to prepare Europe for eminent war. After their signings, it seems very plausible and likely that the many power struggles in Europe would only be solved by warfare. At this point in time, many countries started to prepare for a war that they were unsure would even occur, much less who it would be fought against. The first of these movements was the incredible investment of France's resources into Russia. The French knew that to be a valuable ally, Russia would have to be better equipped and more able to fight, if needed. Therefore, by the time Russia started to mobilize in the early stages of war, France had invested incredible amounts of money and resources to support and build up its principle ally. However, They were not the only countries preparing for possible war. Germany took this opportunity to construct a naval fleet. The chief result of this naval production was an equal production from England, which held a common interest of having a two-to-one naval advantage over all other countries. The ongoing one-upping between these two countries led to huge fleets being assembled with no other primary function, save for war. Because of this, these new navies only increased the probability of a costly war. By the beginning of war, the German to English ship ratio was in proportion of 10 - 16 which the English often regarded as unmenacing. These events were causes of the war in that they affected many other countries besides those directly involved. Neighboring countries noticing increased armament would only want to arm themselves, which is what happened in this instance. The result was the cause of a widespread nervousness in regards to a war that more and more people were not only coming to expect, but also one that many were starting to realize would be quite great in scope. The next significant event, in my opinion, was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria by the Serbian nationalist group, Black Hand.

Physical Properties of Matter

Physical Properties of Matter Physical properties are any properties of matter which can be perceived or observed without changing the chemical identity of the sample. In contrast, chemical properties are those that can only be observed and measured by performing a chemical reaction, thus changing the molecular structure of the sample. Because physical properties include such a wide array of characteristics, they are further classified as either intensive or extensive and either isotropic or anisotropic. Intensive and Extensive Physical Properties Physical properties may be classified as either intensive or extensive. Intensive physical properties do not depend on the samples size or mass.  Examples of intensive properties include boiling point, state of matter, and density. Extensive physical properties depend on the amount of matter in the sample. Examples of extensive properties include size, mass, and volume. Isotropic and Anisotropic Properties Physical properties are isotropic properties if they do not depend on the orientation of the specimen or direction from which it is observed. The properties are anisotropic properties if they do depend on the orientation. While any physical property could be assigned as isotropic or anisotropic, the terms are usually applied to help identify or distinguish materials based on their optical and mechanical properties. For example, one crystal might be isotropic with respect to color and opacity, while another might appear a different color, depending on the viewing axis. In a metal, grains might be distorted or elongated along one axis compared with another. Examples of Physical Properties Any property you can see, smell, touch, hear or otherwise detect and measure without performing a chemical reaction is a physical property. Examples of physical properties include: colorshapevolumedensitytemperatureboiling pointviscositypressuresolubilityelectric charge Image By Marc Gutierrez / Getty Images Physical Properties of Ionic vs. Covalent Compounds The nature of chemical bonds plays a role in some of the physical properties that may be displayed by a material. The ions in ionic compounds are strongly attracted to other ions with opposite charge and repelled by like charges. Atoms in covalent molecules are stable and not strongly attracted or repelled by other parts of the material. As a consequence ionic solids tend to have higher melting points and boiling points, compared with low melting and boiling points of covalent solids. Ionic compounds tend to be electrical conductors when they are melted or dissolved, while covalent compounds tend to be poor conductors in any form. Ionic compounds are usually crystalline solids, while covalent molecules may exist as liquids, gases, or solids. Ionic compounds often dissolve in water and other polar solvents, while covalent compounds are more likely to dissolve in nonpolar solvents. Physical Properties vs. Chemical Properties Chemical properties encompass those characteristics of matter which can only be observed by changing the chemical identity of a sample, which is to say, by examining its behavior in a chemical reaction. Examples of chemical properties include flammability (observed from combustion), reactivity (measured by readiness to participate in a reaction), and toxicity (demonstrated by exposing an organism to a chemical). Chemical and Physical Changes Chemical and physical properties are related to chemical and physical changes. A physical change only alters the shape or appearance of a sample and not its chemical identity. A chemical change is a chemical reaction, which rearranges a sample on a molecular level.

My Progress as a Writer Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Progress as a Writer - Personal Statement Example For instance, when I wrote essays such as â€Å"A Self Appreciation: My Personal Stereo† and â€Å"The Hoax in Wal-Mart† that require me to present a discussion in narrative form, I was able express myself more clearly in English. I consulted the dictionary and explored different words to describe myself better. However, if there is one aspect of my writing that needs to be improved, it would be developing my grammar. I find difficulty in making long and complex sentences when I wrote â€Å"File-Sharing† essay, I realized that I needed to incorporate the comments noted; but using these comments were difficult for me since I did not know that how to effectively apply what was specifically required. So what I have to learn and acknowledge as an important part of writing is the skill in editing and revising because I know that when I write, the initial draft will not be immediately perfect. Honestly, I get confused with tenses, especially when I started writing lett ers in reflective essay. With constant practice, I believe that I will improve and build better sentences, as required. Another important point noted is that I know that the flow of my writing is not as smooth as I want it to be. There will be times when transition is difficult for me. That is why the connection of the sentences of the paragraphs is not always as easy; unlike when it is professionally written. In addition, I realized that I need to be more observant of the words I use. For example, upon reviewing my first essay, I recognized that I used the word ‘cost’ in one particular sentence three times: â€Å"It doesn’t cost that costly like the high end branded stereo system, but for a person like me, it didn’t cost any cheap either.† Within the progress of the course, this mistake was eventually prevented and I realized the need to proofread my work during finalization prior to submission. What I like best in some of my writings is the fact t hat I was able to express myself clearly. In fact, the highlight of the reflective essay is that it was composed and thought of entirely by me. Because of this writing assignment, I was able to relate own my experiences and enabled other people to know me better. In the essay, I wrote about my life, friends, and family. I also wrote about my experiences as an international student studying in an English-speaking society. I expressed how all these were able to influence my life now in the United States. In the future, I would like to develop more effective transition of sentences and paragraphs which I still perceive as difficult. I hope that my ideas are good enough that any reader would understand it and identify with it. I believe that my skill in writing English is fair because I work hard to master the language. Based on the comments of my teachers, there are only minor skills to be improved in my writing such as tenses and constructing complex sentences. But when it comes to ex pressing my ideas, I can basically communicate my ideas well in English. In the future I would want to be able to write more scholarly papers. I wish to develop a wider vocabulary and improve my skills in proofreading and editing so that my writing would be continue to be enhanced and that my words would not be redundant.  

Importance of Orgazined Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Importance of Orgazined Management - Essay Example In addition, every organization depends on group effort. Joint efforts and group action have become essential in every aspect of life. Therefore, management is necessary wherever two or more individuals work together to accomplish common goals. The achievement in group efforts is dependent on mutual cooperation among people in a group. Management establishes coordination and teamwork among specialized efforts. Management is crucial in all organizations whether a club, business firm, a college, a government, or a business firm. Management is a resourceful tool which plays a part in the optimum use of resources. Organized managerial leadership alone can transform the chaotic resources of machinery, men, materials, and money into an industrious enterprise. An organization is simply a collection of machinery, men, materials, and money in the absence of management. In addition, management is required to organize, plan, control, and direct group efforts. Also, management offers motivation and leadership to people. As an inventive force, management performs an identical function in an organization like a brain does in the body of a human being. It is the primary coordinating mechanism that underlies organized venture. The significance of management has augmented enormously in recent years because of the increase in the complexity and size of the organizations, growing responsibilities and turbulent environment of business. All in all, an organized management will play a significant part in minimizing costs and maximizing output. An organized management maintains a vibrant equilibrium between an organization and its ever changing environment. Management is responsible for the formation, endurance, and expansion of organizations. This means that there is the constant need for management in any organization (Holtzman, Puerta & Lazarus, 2011). This paper will look at the importance of organized management. The paper will achieve this by examining the different levels of m anagement, roles of management, and the significance of organized management. Many organizations are made up of three levels of management: top-level management, middle-level management, and first-level management. The managers are organized in a chain of command of authority, and engage in a number of tasks. In numerous organizations, the number of managers in each level is similar to a pyramid. The top-level management is made up of chief executive officers, board of directors, president, vice-president, and other members of the C-level executives. These people are responsible for overseeing and controlling the whole organization. This level of management is responsible for setting a tone at the top and establishes strategic plans, policies of the organization, and reach decisions on the direction of the organization. Additionally, top-level managers play an essential part in the mobilization of external resources and are answerable to the general public and shareholders. The boar d of directors is characteristically primarily made up of non-executives which owe a fiduciary responsibility to stakeholders and are not directly engaged in the daily functions of the organization, even though this is different based on the culture, form, and size of the organization (Martindale, 2011). Also, these directors are tentatively answerable for violations of that duty and normally insured under directors and officers liability insurance. In addition, the board

Building a learning community project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Building a learning community project - Essay Example ing at an age where plans for the future must be charted, the students’ perspectives for a fulfilling career are usually influenced by their interests and experiences. Hence, teachers must be knowledgeable in balancing teacher-directed learning and student-centred learning. A constructivist philosophy in the teaching-learning process is proposed. Ideally, career planning should begin early in a student’s life. As early as third or fourth grade, an Individual Career Development Plan (ICDP) should be started. This is a student notebook or portfolio containing information about their career interests including education and training opportunities and even exploration experiences (Hoerner, 1994). They are free to design their ICDP as they please because the more it is individualized to their preference, the more responsibility they will take in planning their lives, so they should be encouraged to carry their ICDP to all their classes, to take it home and share with parents, family and friends for feedback. Beginning a career plan in elementary school will help children have a focus around which they can relate their studies and extra-curricular activities. It is also important for teachers to nurture not only knowledge acquisition but also to include knowledge application. They need to think beyond the classroom and learn about possible careers their students may pursue when they go out into the world (Hoerner, 1994) Encouraging students to come up with their own ideas may be in the ambit of the teachers within the school premises. However, a bigger problem may lie outside school, specifically when the students go back to the community. The school, then, in envisioning success for such learner-centred learning must engage the community, most specifically the students’ parents and family members in supporting the students’ activities. Teachers must inculcate in the parents the significance of their cooperation and support if they indeed want their

Fragrances Product In India Cultural Studies Essay

Fragrances Product In India Cultural Studies Essay Culture is defined as the social and political forces that influence the growth of a human. It is very important to study on the culture of the product targeting country, because culture sufficiently influences the consumers in many ways. Therefore we should introduce the culture first. Indian culture is diverse, rich and as a result unique in its special way. Manners, ways to communicate with one another are one of the important components of Indian culture. Even though Indian have accepted modern means of living, improved lifestyle, Indian values and beliefs still remain unchanged. A human can change his way of clothing, way of eating and living but the values in a human always remains unchanged because they are deeply rooted into Indian hearts, mind, body and soul which we receive from Indian culture. The culture of India is one of the oldest and exclusive cultures in the world. In India, there is amazing cultural diversity throughout the country. The South, North, and Northeast have their own distinct cultures and almost every state has carved out its own cultural niche. There is hardly any culture in the world that is as varied and unique as India. India is a vast country, having variety of geographical features and climatic conditions. India is home to some of the most ancient civilizations, including four major world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.  [1]   A combination of these factors has resulted into an exclusive culture- Indian culture. Indian culture is a composite mixture of varying styles and influences. In the matter of cuisine, for instance, the North and the South are totally different. Festivals in India are characterized by color, gaiety, enthusiasm, prayers and rituals. In the realm of music, there are varieties of folk, popular, pop, and classical music. The classical tradition of music in India includes the Carnatic and the Hindustani music. India, a place of diversity, is fascinating with its ancient and complex culture, dazzling contrasts and breathtaking physical beauty. Among the most remarkable features of India, is the arts and culture in particular. The Indian culture has persisted through the ages precisely for the reasons of antiquity, unity, continuity and the universality of its nature. Thus within the ambience of Indian culture one can identify Indian Music, Indian Dance, Indian Cinema, Indian Literature, Indian Cuisine Indian Fairs and Festivals and so on. Indian culture treats guests as god and serves them and takes care of them as if they are a part and parcel of the family itself. Even though when Indian dont have anything to eat, the guests are never left hungry and are always looked after by the members of the family. Respect one another is another lesson that is taught from the books of Indian culture.  [2]  Helpful nature is another striking feature in Indian culture. Indian culture tells us to multiply and distribute joy and happiness and share sadness and pain. It tells Indian that Indian can develop co-operation and better living amongst themselves and subsequently make this world a better place to live in. Nowadays the Indian Culture has crossed the geographic boundaries and has extended globally. No matter Indian or a person from any other country, will be attracted by the exuberant Indian Culture and traditions. 1.1 Life philosophy and Religion of Indian Religion influence http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/religion.jpg Figure 1 Religions in India  [3]   Religions have played the most crucial role in Indian life values. Besides Christianity and Islam, all the other four major religions practiced in India, namely Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism, were born in India and have exerted a powerful combined impact on the Indian thought and philosophy of life. After centuries evolution, Hinduism is the majority religion with 80.5% of the population of India. Islam (13.4%), Christianity (2.3%), Sikhism (1.9%), Buddhism (0.8%) and Jainism (0.4%) are the other minor religions followed by the people of India according to the 2001 census. A religion can be defined as a system of belief in the supernatural, omnipotent and omnipresent power, which controls the destiny of humankind, called God, and who is entitled to obedience and worship. Religion is the personal relationship of humans with God and hence there could be said to be as many religions as individuals. However, some propounded faiths are followed by groups of people and these have come to be called as Religions in common parlance. The contribution of different religious faiths practiced in India to values related to peace and harmony are summarized below: Hinduism has not been proposed by any single individual but has evolved through the ages. As an ethical religion it enunciates four aims of life (a) Dharma (observance of religious and ethical laws); (b) Arth (living an honest life); (c) Kama (satisfying legitimate desires); and (d) Moksha (attaining salvation through emancipation from birth and death and unity with God. Hinduism believes that through moral life humans are elevated to greater spiritual heights. Towards this end, the practice of Yam and Niyam are prescribed. Yama implies: (a) Ahimsa (non -injury to others); (b) Satya (truth); (c) Asteya (non-stealing); (d) Brahmacharya (celibacy during the first 25 years of life); and (e) Apar Graha (non-acquisitiveness).Niyam implies: (a) Shaucha (cleanliness); (b) Tapas (awakening of vital forces); (c)Santosh (contentment); and (d) Swadhyaya (self study/analysis). Shanti (peace) is the highest craving of all Hindus. This includes peace within and peace without. After every ceremony or religious recitation, Hindus pronounce Om Shanti! Shanti! Shanti! i.e., peace to men, peace to forces of nature, and peace to the entire universe. http://www.thekidswindow.co.uk/images/CMScontent/Image/hinduism.jpg http://xaxii.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mughaltop.png Islam believes the following behaviour-based values: (a) Honesty; (b) Meekness; (c) Politeness; (d) Forgiveness; (e) Goodness; (f) Courage; (g) Veracity; (h) Patience; and (i) Sympathy. Christianity pursue: (a) Love of God and fellow humans; (b) Good conduct for a happy life; (c) Not losing ones soul for worldly gain; (d) Worship of God and service to humankind; (e) Repentance for pardon; (f) Justice, fortitude and temperance; and (g) Avoidance of vices, and sins.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujHZrZRsggh53N6ZTNNj-Y_jYkSgZeQJZmXkkfCfaOOmpSvmHBDOd2SL34BCNNPwofntkLjC2JNmk73Bs8HMNF5gSIVgLT6guCurTcGlXWrmVs4VAbdOkXdA14V8QpcGdf7j-cXjwXlA/s1600/nat+geo+india+2.jpg http://news.restoringthepride.com/image/r4249448191.jpg Sikhism advocates the following moral values: (a) Truthfulness; (b) Humility; (c) Charity; (d) Dignity of labor; (e) Character of a saint and the strength of a soldier; and; (f) Noble deeds. Buddhism believes: (a) that right understanding, thought and speech, together with moral peaceful conduct, mental discipline and wisdom, eliminate the causes of suffering in life; (b) that material welfare is only a means and not the end; (c) that a pure life, based on moral and spiritual principles, leads to happiness; (d) that kindness, goodness, charity and truth win over their opposite sentiments; (e) that compassion should be the driving force of action; and (f) that contentment and tolerance are keys to peace and happiness. True renunciation, according to Buddhism, does not mean running away from the world. It is considered more courageous and praiseworthy to practice Buddhism by living among fellow human beings, while helping and serving them. http://www.chakranews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/jainism-agamas.jpg Jainism proposes the following values: (a) Live and let live; (b) Souls within us are immortal and potentially divine; (c) Self-discipline, moral conduct and self-purification are the goals for spiritual perfection; and (d) Individuals, communities, nations, races.  [4]   Religion tolerance Before proceeding further discussion we should also discuss the often repeated statement that all religions have mutual respect for each other. This seems that natural as we are told that all religions lead to a common goal unity with the Supreme. These thoughts are indeed important. But what is it that inculcates respect about a certain thing? What is the meaning of respect? Respect is defined as high opinion or regarded as for a high quality. In itself it implies recognition of superiority in the thing that is respected. One cannot have respect for something inferior. When a member of one religion claims that he respects another religion, he obviously does not recognize the other religion higher than his own. And if he does consider another religion as superior to his own, it is but natural that he should get himself converted to the other religion, but he does not do so implies that the word respect for him does not connote recognition of superiority or regard for a higher quality. What the term respect implies is tolerance and non-interference as regards other religions. Again, if one religion respects other religions, there would be no conversions into that religion. We know that almost every religion wants to convert members of other religions to it and every religion considers itself the true faith, while other religions are untrue and their members are either pagans, infidels or heretics. Hence it would be inconsistent with the true and evident spirit of religion to say that one religion respects others, what can utmost be said is that while some religions tolerate other religions, most others do not. In my opinion, it needs to be conceded that in India, the pantheistic character of Hinduism, the religion of the majority, has been conducive to the survival of religious tolerance.  [5]   Family http://www.afpionline.com/siteimages/indian-family.jpg Indian family culture is regarded as the most important part of its culture. A family typically has a powerful influence over choices made by its individual members, and of their communities. In India, people learn the essential idea of cultural life within the bosom of a family. In most of the country, the basic units of society are the patrilineal family unit and wider kinship groupings. The most widely desired residential unit is the joint family, ideally consisting of three or four patrilineally related generations, all living under one roof, working, eating, worshiping, and cooperating together in mutually beneficial social and economic activities. Patrilineal joint families include men related through the male line, along with their wives and children. Most young women expect to live with their husbands relatives after marriage, but they retain important bonds with their natal families. Despite of the continuous and increasing impact of urbanization, secularization, and Westernization, the traditional joint household, both in ideal and in practice, remains the primary social force in the lives of most Indians. Loyalty to family is a deeply held ideal for almost everyone. Large families tend to be flexible and well-suited to modern Indian life, especially for the 67 percent of Indians who are farmers or agricultural workers or work in related activities. As in most primarily agricultural societies, few individuals can hope to achieve economic security without being part of a cooperating group of kinsmen. The joint family is also common in cities, where kinship ties can be crucial to obtaining scarce jobs or financial assistance. Numerous prominent Indian families, such as the Tatas, Birlas, and Sarabhais, retain joint family arrangements even as they work together to control some of the countrys largest financial empires. The joint family is an ancient Indian group, but it has made some changes in the late twentieth century. Although several generations living together is the ideal, actual living arrangements vary widely depending on region, social status, and economic circumstance. Many Indians live in joint families that deviate in various ways from the ideal, and many live in nuclear familiesa couple with their unmarried childrenas is the most common pattern in the West. However, even where the ideal joint family is seldom found, there are often strong networks of kinship ties through which economic assistance and other benefits are obtained. Not infrequently, clusters of relatives live very near each other, easily available to respond to the give and take of kinship obligations. Even when relatives cannot actually live in close proximity, they typically maintain strong bonds of kinship and attempt to provide each other with economic help, emotional support, and other benefits. As joint families become ever larger, they are inevitably divided into smaller units, passing through a predictable cycle over time. The breakup of a joint family into smaller units does not necessarily represent the rejection of the joint family ideal. Rather, it is usually a response to a variety of conditions, including the need for some members to move from village to city, or from one city to another to take advantage of employment opportunities. Splitting of the family is often blamed on quarrelling womentypically, the wives of coresident brothers. Although womens disputes may, in fact, lead to family division, mens disagreements do so as well. Despite cultural ideals of brotherly harmony, adult brothers frequently quarrel over land and other matters, leading them to decide to live under separate roofs and divide their property. Frequently, a large joint family divides after the demise of elderly parents, when there is no longer a single authority figure to hold the family fact ions together. After division, each new residential unit, in its turn, usually becomes joint when sons of the family marry and bring their wives to live in the family home.  [6]   Variations in Family Structure Some family types bear special mention because of their unique qualities. In the sub-Himalayan region of Uttar Pradesh, polygyny is commonly practiced. There, among Hindus, a simple polygynous family is composed of a man, his two wives, and their unmarried children. Various other family types occur there, including the supplemented subpolygynous householda woman whose husband lives elsewhere (perhaps with his other wife), her children, plus other adult relatives. Polygyny is also practiced in other parts of India by a tiny minority of the population, especially in families in which the first wife has not been able to bear children. Among the Buddhist people of the mountainous Ladakh District of Jammu and Kashmir, who have cultural ties to Tibet, fraternal polyandry is practiced, and a household may include a set of brothers with their common wife or wives. This family type, in which brothers also share land, is almost certainly linked to the extreme scarcity of cultivable land in the Himalayan region, because it discourages fragmentation of holdings. The peoples of the northeastern hill areas are known for their matriliny, tracing descent and inheritance in the female line rather than the male line. One of the largest of these groups, the Khasisan ethnic or tribal people in the state of Meghalayaare divided into matrilineal clans; the youngest daughter receives almost all of the inheritance including the house. A Khasi husband goes to live in his wifes house. Khasis, many of whom have become Christian, have the highest literacy rate in India, and Khasi women maintain notable authority in the family and community. Perhaps the best known of Indias unusual family types is the traditional Nayar taravad , or great house. The Nayars are a cluster of castes in Kerala. High-ranking and prosperous, the Nayars maintained matrilineal households in which sisters and brothers and their children were the permanent residents. After an official prepuberty marriage, each woman received a series of visiting husbands in her room in the taravad at night. Her children were all legitimate members of the taravad . Property, matrilineally inherited, was managed by the eldest brother of the senior woman. This system, the focus of much anthropological interest, has been disintegrating in the twentieth century, and in the 1990s probably fewer than 5 percent of the Nayars live in matrilineal taravads . Like the Khasis, Nayar women are known for being well-educated and powerful within the family.  [7]   Malabar rite Christians, an ancient community in Kerala, adopted many practices of their powerful Nayar neighbors, including naming their sons for matrilineal forebears. Their kinship system, however, is patrilineal. Kerala Christians have a very high literacy rate, as do most Indian Christian groups. Adulthood A young married couple starts to take adult responsibilities. These include work inside and outside of the home, childbearing and childrearing, developing and maintaining social relationships, fulfilling religious obligations, and enhancing family prosperity and prestige as much as possible. The young husband usually remains resident with his natal family, surrounded by well-known relatives and neighbors. The young bride, however, is typically thrust into a strange household, where she is expected to follow ideal patterns of chaste and cheerfully obedient behavior. Ideally, the Hindu wife should honor her husband as if he were her personal god. Through her marriage, a woman becomes an auspicious wife, adorned with bangles and amulets designed to protect her husbands life and imbued with ritual powers to influence prosperity and procreation. At her wedding, the Hindu bride is likened to Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, in symbolic recognition of the fact that the grooms patrilineage can increase and prosper only through her fertility and labors. Despite this simile, elegantly stated in the nuptial ritual, the young wife is pressed into service as the most subordinate member of her husbands family. If any misfortunes happen to befall her affinal family after her arrival, she may be blamed as the bearer of bad luck. Not surprisingly, some young women find adjusting to these new circumstances extremely upsetting. A small percentage experience psychological distress so severe that they seem to be possessed by outspoken ghosts and spirits. In these difficult early days of a marriage, and later on throughout her life, a woman looks to her natal kin for moral and often economic support. Although she has become part of another household and lineage, she depends on her natal relativesespecially her brothersto back her up in a variety of circumstances. A wide range of long visits home, ritual obligations, gifts, folklore, and songs reflect the significance of a womans lifelong ties to her blood relatives. By producing children, especially highly valued sons, and, ultimately, becoming a mother-in-law herself, a woman gradually improves her position within the conjugal household. In motherhood the married woman finds social approval, economic security, and emotional satisfaction. A man and his wife owe respect and obedience to his parents and other senior relatives. Ideally, all cooperate in the joint family enterprise. Gradually, as the years pass, members of the younger generation take the place of the older generation and become figures of authority and respect. As this transition occurs, it is generally assumed that younger family members will physically care for and support elders until their demise. In their adult years, men and women engage in a wide variety of tasks and occupations strongly linked to socioeconomic status, including caste membership, wealth, place of residence, and many other factors. In general, the higher the status of a family, the less likely its members are to engage in manual labor and the more likely its members are to be served by employees of lower status. Although educated women are increasingly working outside the home, even in urbane circles some negative stigma is still attached to womens employment. In addition, students from high-status families do not work at temporary menial jobs as they do in many Western countries. People of low status work at the many menial tasks that high-status people disdain. Poor women cannot afford to abstain from paid labor, and they work alongside their menfolk in the fields and at construction projects. In low-status families, women are less likely than high-status women to unquestioningly accept the authority of men and even of elders because they are directly responsible for providing income for the family. Among Sweepers, very low-status latrine cleaners, women carry out more of the traditional tasks than do men and hold a relatively less subordinate position in their families than do women of traditional high-status families. Such women are, nonetheless, less powerful in the society at large than are women of economically prosperous high-status families, who control and influence the control of more assets than do poor women. Along with economically supporting themselves, their elders, and their children, adults must maintain and add to the elaborate social networks upon which life depends. Offering gracious hospitality to guests is a key ingredient of proper adult behavior. Adults must also attend to religious matters, carrying out rites intended to protect their families and communities. In these efforts, men and women constantly work for the benefit of their kin groups, castes, and other social units.  [8]   Hierarchy India is a hierarchical society. Within Indian culture, whether in the north or the south, Hindu or Muslim, urban or village, virtually all things, people, and groups of people are ranked according to various essential qualities. If one is attuned to the theme of hierarchy in India, one can discern it everywhere. Although India is a political democracy, in daily life there is little advocacy of or adherence to notions of equality. http://factsanddetails.com/media/2/20120502-638px-Pyramid_of_Caste_system_in_India.png Figure 2 The hierarchy of the India sociaty Castes and caste-like groups, those quintessential groups, with which almost all Indians are associated or are ranked. Within most villages or towns, everyone knows the relative rankings of each locally represented caste, and peoples behavior toward one another is constantly shaped by this knowledge. Between the extremes of the very high and very low castes, however, there is sometimes disagreement on the exact relative ranking of castes clustered in the middle. Castes are primarily associated with Hinduism but also exist among other Indian religious groups. Muslims sometimes expressly deny that they have castesthey state that all Muslims are brothers under Godbut observation of Muslim life in various parts of India reveals the existence of caste like groups and clear concern with social hierarchy. Among Indian Christians, too, differences in caste are acknowledged and maintained. Throughout India, individuals are also ranked according to their wealth and power. For example, there are big men (bare admi , in Hindi) and little men (chhote admi ) everywhere. Big men sit confidently on chairs, while little men come before them to make requests, either standing or crouching down on their haunches, certainly not presuming to sit beside a man of high status as an equal. Even men of nearly equal status who might share a string cot to sit on take their places carefullythe higher-ranking man at the head of the cot, the lower-ranking man at the foot. Within families and kinship groupings, there are many distinctions of hierarchy. Men outrank women of the same or similar age, and senior relatives outrank junior relatives. Several other kinship relations involve formal respect. For example, in northern India, a daughter-in-law of a household shows deference to a daughter of a household. Even among young siblings in a household, there is constant acknowledgment of age differences: younger siblings never address an older sibling by name, but rather by respectful terms for elder brother or elder sister. However, an older sibling may address the younger by name. Even in a business or academic setting, where colleagues may not openly espouse traditional observance of caste or class ranking behavior, they may set up fictive kinship relations, addressing one another by kinship terms reflecting family or village-style hierarchy. For example, a younger colleague might respectfully address an older colleague as chachaji (respected fathers younger brother), gracefully acknowledging the superior position of the older colleague.  [9]   What India Culture Today is Iike http://mychardikalalife.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/420bollywood-4200.jpg?w=420 India culture today was influenced by the ancient culture of India, but something new is happening that is stirring up differences in Indian society. While Indias traditions and core values are pretty much the same as ever, some aspects of the culture have changed drastically. For one thing, younger generations have become more independent and have accepted new ideas from western cultures. For example, sexual expression and display of affection have been kept behind closed doors for the most part in India many past generations, while these things have been culturally accepted in the U.S. and other western countries for a long time now. The older Indian generations still consider it taboo for a man and woman to hold each others hands in public, while younger couples have their own ideas of what is acceptable in India culture today. Essentially, the older generations are beginning to realize that Indias youths are a new and different generation and that they must accept these differences rather than disown their kids. Another visible change in India culture today can be found in Indian films. Mumbai is like Indias Los Angeles, California or New York City. Its the headquarters for production of many of the famous Indian Bollywood Movies. These fantastic films are an expression of Indian art and are filled with great music, amazing dancing, and Indian celebrities. In the past, Bollywood films were pretty conservative in regards to the amount of skin they would reveal and the body language that dance scenes displayed. However, in the last decades, the dancing in Bollywood Films has become much more provocative and the clothing has become much racier than in films of the past. The outfits often look like something you might see on the U.S. show dancing with the Stars. Another change to the traditional culture in India involves arranged marriages. Traditionally, parents found a marriage partner for their son or daughter and would arrange a marriage between the two. In some cases, a man and a woman were promised to one another in their teens and had no say in the decision. Many times, the bride and groom-to-be never actually met until their wedding day! Arranged marriages were popular for hundreds of years. This was in part because pressure from family members was so strong, but mostly because this type of marriage was deeply ingrained in the culture in India. Another factor was that divorce was considered so taboo in India. Many couples stayed together even when unhappy. Flash forward to today, perceived independence brought change. While arranged marriages still exist, they have mutated. India culture today allows young men and women have more freedom of choice. Now many youths pick who they will marry, and most certainly have a chance to meet their future life partner. When Indian families attempt to arrange marriages today, things are done differently. Nowadays, parents of the young man or woman will allow their kids to meet potential mates in advance. If there is not a reciprocal liking between the two, they may decline and meet other candidates. These meetings are like auditions, or speed-dates. The difference being that your family is there with you. Can you say awkward? Well, its better to be uncomfortable for a potentially chemistry-free meeting, than be stuck in a prearranged marriage that may lack chemistry and make a person miserable. Another factor for changes to Indian culture today is the influence of western culture. Many young men and women are sent to the United States, or other countries, to study and to acquire jobs. While away from India, they experience new rights of passage, independence and accept new cultural ideas. Plus, the internet has allowed people from different countries and cultural backgrounds to connect with one another, and to keep up on global events. Its nearly impossible for anyone to be kept in the dark about other cultures or whats going on in the world, given current technologies.  [10]   Bottom line is that India culture today is different from what it used to be, but Indias core traditions and cultural values mostly remain intact. Most important, the Indian culture today is still rich, beautiful and accepting of other cultural beliefs. 1.2 Standards of Beauty in India This section will contain some information about beauty and perfume in India. The main focus will be beauty and fragrance culture for women, given the explained target group. In the present day, the urban Indian woman has a cacophony of voices telling her how she should look, from television and Bollywood to fashion magazines to her family. Depending on the woman, the messages she is hearing may vary significantly from each other. As such, it is necessary to go straight to the sources-advertisements, television, magazines, and the women themselves-to determine what Indian women believe is beautiful, and, by extension, what appearance Indian women strive to attain. It is reasonable to believe that the issues discussed here are similar to those experienced by many urban Indian women, but the rural experience, and even that of women in smaller or more traditional urban center, may be significantly different. Still, in most areas where television and similar mediums have penetrated, Indian women are likely to be absorbing some of the same messages.  [11]   à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¾Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ¨Ã‚ ¼Ã… ¡ à ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¦Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¥Ã‚ ³Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ §Ã‚ ¾Ã… ½Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ Rename.d ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° à ¨Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ £Ã‚ ° à ¨Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã…  Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ±Ã¢â‚¬ ¹~à ¦-†¡Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬Å" Ãƒ ©Ã‹Å"  The most important aspect of skin in India is, of course, a clear complexion. This feature is so important to the imagining of a beautiful Indian woman that it is emphasized in places ranging from the predictable fashion magazines to the more unexpected job advertisement.[30]However, the far

History Recycled in the Works of T.C. Boyle Essay -- Biography Biograp

History Recycled in the Works of T.C. Boyle      Ã‚     "Past and present, sharply separated by the chapter structures, are fused in motifs and unstressed parallels" (DeMott 52).   History's repeating itself is a dominant theme throughout T.C Boyle's novels. If people do not learn from past mistakes, they are likely to fail again. By revisiting history, Boyle teaches the importance of awareness and caution of an ever-changing society. In The Tortilla Curtain a specific migrant problem in the 1930s is modified to fit modern immigration. Candido and America's battle for survival after immigrating to the United States repeats a similar event depicted in Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.   Boyle's twisted short stories in the If the River was Whiskey mirror events in history in the light of modern times.   The similarities between the Van Brunts and the Van Warts in The World's End contribute to identical generations, separated by three hundred years.   Boyle attacks modern society's conceited, self-absorbed attitude, and he discourages reiteration of the past.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Tortilla Curtain, Boyle recycles a past   dilemma, as he writes of a problem similar to the "Dust Bowl" migration of the 1930s.   Candido Rincon and his wife America travel from Mexico to America through the "Tortilla Curtain," searching for work, while constantly striving to achieve the American Dream.   In this journey, the Rincons encounter several racist obstacles including a pack of white men who beat and rape America during her pregnancy, leaving her to die.   Constantly searching for work and money takes Candido mentally and physically away from his wife. High in the Arroyo Blanco ("white rice") Estates lives the Mossbacher family, which dwells in the... ...nglisch.schule.de/boyle/boylerev.htm (5/19/99) Kakutani, Michiko.   "Review of World's End."   New York Times, September 23, 1987, p. C27.   Rpt. Contemporary Literary Criticism, vol. 55.   Detroit: Gale, 1988.   92 vols. Rettberg, Scott.   " Interview with T.C. Boyle."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://authors.miningco.com/library/weekly.htm (5/7/99) Spencer, Scott.   "The Pilgrim of Topagana Creek."   New York Times Book Review.   Sept. 3 1995, p.3.   Rpt. Contemporary Literary Criticism, vol. 90.   Detroit: Gale, 1995.   92 vols. Ulin, David L. "Boyle Wonder."   The Village Voice November 10, 1998, Vol. 43 Issue 45, p.132 _____.   "Lost in the Funhouse."   Bloomsbury Review.   Nov-Dec. 1989, p.5. Rpt.   Contemporary Literary Criticism, vol.90.   Detroit: Gale, 1995. 92 vols. "At a Glance: The World's End by T.C. Boyle" http://.www.amazon.com/exec.htm (5/4/99)