Tuesday, December 24, 2019

his112 r3 Ancient Civilizations and the Greek World Matrix

University of Phoenix Material Ancient Civilizations and the Greek World Matrix Complete the matrix by entering cultural, political, and economic developments that had lasting effects or that are significant of each civilization. The table includes one example. Civilization Cultural Developments Political Developments Economic Developments Mesopotamian Developed the beginnings of astronomy and mathematics Believed in many gods not just one. Emergence of Kings, exercised distinct political rather than religious authority. Also warring Sumerian city-states, which fought for control of the river valleys in the lower Mesopotamia. Commerce and trade had been established because farmers had learned how to irrigate their land. They could grow†¦show more content†¦They were a vigorous and active people who engaged in trade and some piracy over a wide area extending from southern Italy in the west to Troy and the Black Sea in the northeast. What effect did the characteristics and achievements of the Minoan civilization and the Mycenaean civilization have on Archaic Greece? There are so many different achievements and characteristics that happened during these times for instance, they were familiar with the technologies of metal, and they could use bronze and iron to make different tools. There was also the formation of an Aegean Oecumene between the southern Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor. There seen the first traces of poleis formations, which was from the Minoan colonies. They also showed the first signs of writing. Ancestors of colossal architecture was also a great achievement, they could build beautiful palaces and temples quite easily. In what ways did Archaic Greece lay the foundations for Western civilization? Archaic Greece is responsible for so many different ways like agriculture, philosophy, mathematics, engineering, politics, art and architecture, and the sciences like Astronomy, Physics, and Medicine. Politics were influenced by the Greeks, democracy and republics were all early forms of Greek city-state politics and in the end applied by Rome, Europe, America and all over the world. With agriculture, certain foods were first made and created in

Monday, December 16, 2019

Case Solution Free Essays

Problems Q. 1 Consider a five-year coupon bond with a face value of $1000 paying an annual coupon of 15%. (i) If the current market yield is 8%, what is the bond’s price? (ii) If the current market yield increases by 1% what is the bond’s new price? (iii) Using your answers to part (i) and (ii) , what is percentage change in the bond’s price as a result of 1% increase in interest rates. We will write a custom essay sample on Case Solution or any similar topic only for you Order Now Q. 2 Consider the following FI balance sheet: M. Match Ltd Assets| Liabilities| –year Treasury bond $175,000| 1-year CD$135,000| 15-year corporate bond$165,000| 5-year deposit$160,000| Notes: All securities are selling at par (equal to book value). The two-year Treasury bonds yield 5%; the 15-year corporate bonds yield 9%; the one-year CD issue pays 4. 5% and the five-year deposit pays 8%. Assume that all instruments have annual coupon payments. (a) What is the value of M. Match Ltd’s equity? (b) What is the weighted average maturity of FI’s assets? (c) What is the weighted average maturity of FI’s liabilities? d) What is the FI’s maturity gap? (e) What does your answer to part (d) imply about the interest rate risk exposure of M. Match Ltd? (f) Calculate the values of all four securities on M. Match Ltd’s balance sheet if all interest rates increase by 2%. (g) What is the impact on the equity of M. Match Ltd? Calculate the percentage change in the value of equity. (h) What would be the impact on M. Match Ltd’s risk exposure if its liabilities paid semi-annually as opposed to annually? Q. An insurance company issues a $100,000 one-year bond paying 7% annually in order to finance the acquisition of a $100,000 one-year corporate loan paying 9 % semi-annually. (a) What is the insurance company’s maturity gap? What does the maturity model state about interest rate risk exposure given the insurance company’s maturity gap? (b) Immediately after the insurance company makes these investments, all interest rates increase by 3%. What is the impact on the asset cash flows? What is the impact on the liability cash flows? How to cite Case Solution, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Methodology And Type Of Research Strategy †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Methodology And Type Of Research Strategy. Answer: Introduction The current section describes the methodology adopted for the research findings and analysis. The methodology or the type of research strategy or design selected over here has been elaborated further to answer some of the questions raised in the previous chapter. The chapter consists of the following sections such as outline of the research, research onion, research philosophy , approach, design of the research, sampling method, strategy adopted for the research, data collection methods, analysis of the data, limitations of the research. Research outline The research outline provides a framework based upon which the study will be conducted by the researcher to gather sufficient results and data. For the current research qualitative research approach will be used along with an inductive procedure. The researcher will conduct the research based upon interpretivism research philosophy. During the process of conducting the interview, the ethics, reliability and validity issues will be taken into consideration Research Onion Figure 1: research onion (Source: saunders et al., 2009, p.52) Research paradigm: Philosophy of the research The issue highlighted by the research is analysed based upon a number of research philosophies such as positivism, interpretivism and realism. The philosophy of realism is based upon the independence of reality emerging out of the human mind. As commented by Taylor, Duncan Fiske (2015), the autonomous thought and beliefs possessed by the people can be influenced by their perceptions about the world in general. The positivism philosophy claims that only factual knowledge gained through observation and further evaluation is trustworthy (OGorman, Lochrie Watson, 2014). The philosophy of interpretivism states that access to reality is only through social processes such as language, consciousness, shared meanings and obstructions. Justification of the research philosophy For the current study interpretive research philosophy will be used by the researcher which is based upon the naturalistic approach of data collection such as interviews and surveys. In the present context the researcher for the process of data collection, will be selecting semi-structured interviews. The adoption of interpretivism research philosophy helps in the analysis of qualitative research areas such as organizational cross cultural differences, factors and ethics affecting leadership. Interpretivism is attached with high level of validity as the data collected through such studies tend to be trustworthy (Creswell, 2013). The interpretivism theory helps in analysing the differences between the rural and urban scenario with respect to the delivery of services to the disabled population within the northern territory of Australia. Research approach There are two different research approach types such as inductive and deductive. The deductive approach is applied in case of evaluation of a large number of case studies or dissertations. As commented by Marshall Rossman (2014), the application of a deductive approach helps the researcher to develop hypothesis based upon the literature. On the other hand the inductive approach aims at the development of new theories relevant to the topic of the research. Justification of the chosen research approach The researcher in the current study will evaluate the observations for the development of new theories. For the current literature, the researcher will apply an inductive approach in evaluating similar patterns observed throughout the case study and factors affecting the insurance availability to the disabled person in the NT region of Australia. This hypothesis could be amalgamated to build a hypothesis, which could further help in reflecting upon the various political or social determinants. Design of the research There are two main forms of research design such as explanatory, exploratory, and descriptive. The exploratory research design is to evaluate an open-ended questionnaire. In exploratory design the physiological aspects are taken into consideration. In explanatory methods, the researcher explains the data without elaborating about the positive and negative outcomes (Bowling, 2014). The descriptive design is useful in evaluating a set of research objectives and questions. Justification of the chosen research design For the current study an exploratory design had been taken into consideration which helps in expanding upon the theories and evidences collected through the research. It is a non-quantitative and flexible in nature and is mot limited by pre-determined set of procedures. Sampling method There are sampling methods of two different types such as simple random probability sampling and non-random probability sampling. The random probability sampling provides every respondent equal opportunity to participate in the research (Punch, 2013). In the case of non-random sampling purposive selection is done based upon the type of data. In the current study random probability sampling will be used by the researcher so that every respondent will have equal opportunity for participation in the data collection process. Research strategy The strategy of the research refers to the specific method of data collection chosen over here such as surveys, interviews or case study analysis. The surveys represent the quantitative method of data collection where the respondents are put forward close-ended questionnaire and the cumulative responses will be represented with the help of statistical graphs and charts. The interview methods are based upon analysis of responses to open ended questionnaire (Palinkas et al., 2014). On the other hand the case study analysis is based upon reviewing a large number of databases and literature. Justification of the chosen research strategy In the current study the researcher will choose interview method for collection of data regarding the different challenges faced by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in extending help to the poor, backward and indigenous population residing in the NT region of Australia. In this respect, a semi-structured and open ended questionnaire was provided to the respondents. This allowed them to further expand upon the current problem situation faced by them and further helps in identification of the major loopholes within the service delivery. Data collection methods The data collection could be divided into primary and secondary methods. The primary data collection had been again divided into quantitative and qualitative methods. The Quantitative method is based upon collection of data through survey questionnaire whereas the qualitative method is dependent on collection of data through interview (Green Thorogood, 2013). The secondary method is however based upon review of literature and case studies for gathering sufficient knowledge. In the current study for the collection and analysis of the data, primary qualitative research design will be used by the researcher. The face to face interview will also provide sufficient opportunity to the researcher with study the facial expressions of the interviewee. Ethical considerations The researcher will have to take care of a number of ethical considerations during the process of conducting the interview. Some of these considerations are acquiring participation consent from the participants and NDIS. Additionally, privacy and confidentiality of the participants would also need to be supported by the researcher. In this respect the researcher will also need to take consent from the human research ethics committee. Data analysis For the purpose of data analysis interview had been conducted where the management of NDIS and frontline workers at the grassroot level were asked questions pertaining to the different aspects of reaching out to far and wide disabled population within the northern territory of Australia. The similar responses were made into transcripts by the researchers which were further grouped into similar dissimilar categories. Time table Stages of activities Week 1 Week 2 to 5 Week 6 to 9 Week 10 to 13 Week 14 to 17 Week 18 to 21 Week 22 to 24 Topic selection Data collection Planning Layout of the paper Review of the literature Developing research plan Selection of research technique Secondary data collection Analysis of the data Interpretation of findings Conclusion preparation Project rough draft Final submission Table 1: Gantt chart (Source: author) Limitations of the research The research will be conducted with the help of a detailed research methodology where emphasis had been placed upon primary qualitative research. In this context, open ended interview questions were drafted for the management and grassroot level workers of the NDIS. The collective responses were grouped together into transcripts which were further evaluated for the presence of gaps or loopholes within the service delivery plan. Though there are a number of benefits of conducting interview with the help of an open ended questionnaire. There are a number of restrictions or challenges which are faced in the due course of arranging or conducting the interview. Some of these are lack of time which becomes a major constraint on the part of the researcher as well as the participants. The lack of sufficient evidences can also hamper the affectivity of the study conducted (Taylor, Bogdan DeVault, 2015). In order to organize the interview proper consent had to be taken from the participants a long with maintaining the privacy of some of their credentials such as name, position within the company. Thus, any violation with respect to confidentiality can affect the success of the project. References Bowling, A. (2014). Research methods in health: investigating health and health services. London: McGraw-Hill Education, p.35. Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. London: Sage publications, p.20. Duncan, S., Fiske, D. W. (2015). Face-to-face interaction: Research, methods, and theory (Vol. 3). Abingdon: Routledge, pp.125-263. Green, J., Thorogood, N. (2013). Qualitative methods for health research. London:Sage, p.58.. Marshall, C., Rossman, G. B. (2014). Designing qualitative research. London:Sage publications, p.15. OGorman, K., Lochrie, S., Watson, A. (2014). Research philosophy and case studies. Research Methods for Business Management, 152-172. OGorman, K., Lochrie, S., Watson, K. (2016). Qualitative research in nursing and healthcare. New Jersey : John Wiley Sons, p.22. Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., Hoagwood, K. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), 533-544. Punch, K. F. (2013). Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. London: Sage, p.47. Saunders, J. H., Onion, D., Collier, P., Dorrington, M. S., Argent, R. H., Clarke, P. A., ... Grabowska, A. M. (2017). Individual patient oesophageal cancer 3D models for tailored treatment. Oncotarget, 8(15), p.52. Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., DeVault, M. (2015). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, p.25.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Macbeth Essay Essays (824 words) - Characters In Macbeth

Macbeth Essay Macbeth Essay I am going to prove that in the play Macbeth, a symbol of blood is portrayed often(and with different meanings), and that it is a symbol that is developed until it is the dominating theme of the play towards the end of it. To begin with, I found the word "blood", or different forms of it forty-two times (ironically, the word fear is used forty-two times), with several other passages dealing with the symbol. Perhaps the best way to show how the symbol of blood changes throughout the play, is to follow the character changes in Macbeth. First he is a brave honoured soldier, but as the play progresses, he becomes a treacherous person who has become identified with death and bloodshed and shows his guilt in different forms. The first reference of blood is one of honour, and occurs when Duncan sees the injured sergeant and says "What bloody man is that?". This is symbolic of the brave fighter who been injured in a valiant battle for his country. In the next passage, in which the sergeant says "Which smok'd with bloody execution", he is referring to Macbeth's braveness in which his sword is covered in the hot blood of the enemy. After these few references to honour, the symbol of blood now changes to show a theme of treachery and treason. Lady Macbeth starts this off when she asks the spirits to "make thick my blood,". What she is saying by this, is that she wants to make herself insensitive and remorseless for the deeds which she is about to commit. Lady Macbeth knows that the evidence of blood is a treacherous symbol, and knows it will deflect the guilt from her and Macbeth to the servants when she says "smear the sleepy grooms with blood.", and "If he do bleed, I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, for it must seem their guilt." When Banquo states "and question this most bloody piece of work," and Ross says "is't known who did this more than bloody deed?", they are both inquiring as to who performed the treacherous acts upon Duncan. When Macbeth is speaking about Malcolm and Donalbain, he refers to them as "bloody cousins" A final way, and perhaps the most vivid use of the symbol blood, is of the theme of guilt. First Macbeth hints at his guilt when he says "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?", meaning that he wondered if he would ever be able to forget the dastardly deed that he had committed. Then the ghost of Banquo, all gory, and bloody comes to haunt Macbeth at the banquet. The sight of apparitions represents his guilt for the murder of Banquo which he planned. Macbeth shows a bit of his guilt when he says "It is the bloody business which informs thus," he could not get the courage to say murder after he had killed Duncan, so he says this instead. Lady Macbeth shows the most vivid example of guilt using the symbol of blood in the scene in which she walks in her sleep. She says "Out damned spot! Out I say! One: two: why then 'tis time to do't: hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it when none can call out power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?". This speech represents the fact that she cannot wipe the blood stains of Duncan off of her hands. It is ironic, that she says this, because right after the murder, when Macbeth was feeling guilty, she said "A little water clears us of this deed." When the doctor of the castle finds out about this sleepwalking, he tells Macbeth "As she is troubled with thick-coming fantasies,". What this means, is that Lady Macbeth is having fantasies or dreams that deal with blood. Macbeth knows in his mind that she is having troubles with her guilt, but does not say anything about it. Just before the ending of the play, Macbeth has Macduff at his mercy, and lets him go, because of his guilt. He shows that he is guilty, when he says "But get thee back, my soul is too much charg'd with blood of thine already.". Of which, Macduff replies, "I have no words, my voice is in my sword, thou bloodier villain than terms can give thee out." After the death of Macbeth at the hands of Macduff, the symbolic theme of blood swings

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

buy custom The Business Environment essay

buy custom The Business Environment essay There are gains and risks of economic globalization. Globalization can be defined as increase international contact in economic activities, culture and people (Held 2007, pg 1). This term can also be used to refer to the worldwide flow of popular culture, thoughts and languages. When applied in the economic context the term then refers to economic globalization. Economic globalization according to the United Nations ESCWA refers to decrease and exclusion of trade barriers between and among states (Eclac: 2002. pg 10). These barriers might be in form of in terms of quotas, tariffs or export fees. The exclusion and decreasing the trade barriers is meant to enhance movement of goods, services, labour and capital among nations. This paper seeks to explain the gains and risks of Strinidal a country with an average per ca of $ 2000 at market exchange and having a population of 40 million with 14 million living in urban areas. Moreover its major0 exports are raw materials including a small amount of oil. Strinidal according to the listings of the UN is slightly above least developed countries. These are countries with have an average per capita of $905. To transit from this level a country must have an average per capita of $ 1,086. Strinidal is therefore a good example of a developing country. These are countries with per capita more than $ 1,086. According to the IMF report on globalization of 2000; this countries have most of their exports as raw materials and foods (Eclac: 2002. pg 98) Strinidal with an average per capita of $ 2000 and exporting majorly raw material and a small amount of oil fits well in this category of developing countries. Gains globalization for Strinidal The IMF 2000 report states that globalization has four main aspects that is trade, movement of labour from one country or continent to another, foreign direct investment, movement of knowledge ideas, thoughts, technology and also flow of capital investment% (IMF, 2000). Globalization leads to knowledge transfer (Eclac: 2002. pg 98). The knowledge transfer can be in terms of technical knowledge transfer, democracy which leads to the transformation of societies. This knowledge can also be about available opportunities in the market. Knowledge about good policies which led to success of other countries can be acquired in Strinidal through globalization. Importing good governance from the global world can attract foreign direct investment (FDI) the same way it worked for those countries. From a global perspective we can learn that bribery and other malpractices in the developing countries have affected foreign direct investment negatively and thereby a void such practices. Another knowledge transfer that can be of help to Strinidal from the global world is transparency in governments. This fact will help the country to develop because transparency in government businesses attracts investment inflows from global mutual funds like IMF and World Bank. Technological transfer is a primary feature of globalization. Technological and innovate transfer from other countries such in the fields of information (development of mobile phones, computers and other electronics) can greatly boost Strinidal economy. Globalization also opens up greater export markets therefore earning the country foreign exchange (Baffour, A, 2011,pg 138). Moreover, IMF and World Bank reports states free movement of labour in the globalised world will help Strinidal Company in several ways. It can help Strinidal to obtain prodctive labour. The gains from the productive labour according to the report are higher than the income paid to the individuals. The difference in the salary paid and money earned from the labour generates income to these countries. Furthermore allowing labour flow from a less developed country to a more developed country is beneficial. This is because it leads to knowledge and skill impartation to the workers (Eclac: 2002. pg 102). When this labour force comes back home they are able to use the new skills hence will be beneficial to Strinidal. The other aspect of globalization that will be beneficial to Strinidal is the direct foreign investment. This is because when foreigners invest in industries they create employment opportunities to citizens in Strinidal thereby improving their living standards. The last gain Strinidal will accrue from globalizing is through capital market liberalization. From the World Bank research Gao, (2000, p140) non-globalizing developing nations yearly rates of growth dropped from 3.3% to 1.4% in 1970s to 1990s respectively. Developing countries pro globalization on the other hand had an increase of 1.4%, 2.9%, 3.5%, and 5.0% in 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990 respectively. Risks of deeper globalization for Strinidal Despite the many gains for the Strinidal on globalization there are many risks in the various aspects of globalizing. Involvement in globalization in the developing countries increased from 19%-29% between 1971 and 1999. However the only beneficiaries of the involvement in globalization were the developed and newly industrialized countries, (Gao, 2000,p140). The developing countries like Strinidal lost in the long run and therefore its involvement in international trade is questionable if it cannot bear fruits. Moreover instead of depending on aids from developed countries, developing countries such as decided to open their doors for direct foreign investment especially in the 1990s. Nevertheless FDIs have become so much unstable and unpredictable hence cannot be relied upon in investment. World Bank and IMF allege that movement of labour movement from areas where there is low skilled area to high skilled area will help in reinvestment due to introduction of new skills and ideas. But the truth of the matter is that has not always been the case. Many of the workers who go to work abroad rarely do not reinvest back nor do they come back to their countries to offer the new knowledge and skills they acquired. This may be because of the high cost of living in the foreign countries which may force them to live from hand to mouth. According to the policy modeling journal, trade liberalization has led to increasing rates of interest of global loans. Stricter monetary rules have made it almost impossible for developing countries to invest in developed countries such America. As a result it is only developed countries who invest in developing countries hence reap profits at the expense of developing countries. Therefore trade liberalization is not meant for the benefit of the poor countries but for the rich countries such the United States. Capital market freedom is another globalizing aspect. Research by Gao, (2000, p140) has indicated that capital market liberalization is mostly associated with currency and financial crisis. When such crisis takes place a country is forced to mobilize its domestic funds to address the situation thereby slowing growth by going against a countrys budget. Capital market liberalization has also the effect of making countries to give up theeir control of exchange rate and monetary guidelines. This has great implication on other countries economic growth especially when there is world financial crisis. The effect is disabling domestic financial institutions such as banks have been functionally and competitive wise. This is because national financial institutions cannot compete international institutions such as World Bank. Furthermore when countries have debts they have to deposit debt reserves equal to the short term debts with United States. This leads to capital flight. The given money is unavailable to these countries but for United States. This is disadvantageous to the countries getting the loan because the reserved money could have been used for investment. United States on the other hand does business with this money and makes profits via its banks. It is estimated that America makes profit of $ 14 million using this money. The other undoing for the developing countries is the high interest rate of 18% (IMF, 2000). Political globalization was meant to advance good and acceptable ethics in politics. This was supposed to be transfer of information on the best ways of leadership. The philosophies supported as a bench mark for good governance were sovereignty and independency. Furthermore governments were supposed to embrace democracy. However in many developing countries such as Nigeria Sierra Leone and Congo there has been a lot of political interference by international organizations such as World Bank. These organizations control these countries because of the presence of valuable minerals in these countries. They therefore involve themselves in corruption to win concessions, and get access to the minerals e.g. fuel. This has lowered economic growth in the developing countries. Globalization has also led to the destruction of the traditional culture and tainted the image of employers. The IMF proposed radical policies adopted by many countries in the world (IMF, 2000). During the economic turmoil this global organization proposed laying off of many workers mercilessly. This was breaking from many traditional norms of being fair. Difference in globalization in rural and urban areas in Strinidal Globalization has affected many areas of peoples lives such as culture, trade, technology among others. Nonetheless there is a difference in degree of the effect of globalization in Strinidal in urban and rural areas. The effect is far much greater in the urban center than the rural areas. For example in terms of technology the urban areas are more technologically advanced than the rural areas. The urban folk access the internet and are more conversant with the use of mobile phones than the rural folk. In terms of culture people living in the urban areas are more preserved and traditional in terms of their dressing. The urbanized people have integrated other peoples way of dressing by watching their television and interaction they have aped other peoples culture (Baffour, A, 2011, pg 151). Conclusion It will be biased to conclusively say that Globalization is bad. Globalization has its advantages and disadvantages. However for developing countries such as Strinidal it is not prudent that it opens its gate entirely to globalization. We have seen that globalization to a greater extent favors developed countries. Furthermore the developed and international organizations have always made use developing nations as a stepping stone in achieving their goals in the global and free market economy. Buy custom The Business Environment essay

Friday, November 22, 2019

The Beginning of the Ionian Revolt

The Beginning of the Ionian Revolt The Ionian revolt (c. 499-c.493) led to the Persian Wars, which includes the famous battle depicted in the movie 300, the Battle of Thermopylae, and the battle that lent its name to a long race, the Battle of Marathon. The Ionian Revolt itself did not occur in a vacuum but was preceded by other tensions, notably trouble in Naxos. Possible reasons for the revolt of the Ionian Greeks [based on Manville: Anti-tyrant feeling.Having to pay tribute to the Persian king.The kings failure to understand the Greeks need for freedom.As response to an economic crisis in Asia Minor.Aristagoras hope to get out of his difficulties with Artaphrenes that were caused by the ill-fated Naxos Expedition.Histiaios hope to get out of his benign captivity at Susa. Characters in the Naxos Expedition The principal names to know in connection with this Herodotus-based introduction to the Ionian Revolt are those involved in the Naxos Expedition: Histiaios (Histiaeus), son of Lysagoras and the tyrant of Miletus (c.515–493 B.C.).Aristagoras (c.505–496 B.C.), son of Molpagoras, ambitious son-in-law, and deputy of Histaios.Artaphernes, satrap of Lydia, in western Asia Minor.Darius (r. c.521-486 B.C.), the Great King of Persia and half-brother of Artaphernes.Megabates, a cousin of Darius and Persian naval commander. Aristagoras of Miletus and the Naxos Expedition Naxos- the prosperous Cyclades island where the legendary Theseus abandoned Ariadne- was not yet under Persian control. The Naxians had driven out certain rich men, who had fled to Miletus but wished to go home. They asked Aristagoras for help. Aristagoras was the deputy tyrant of Miletus, the son-in-law of the proper tyrant, Histiaios, who had been rewarded Myrkinos for loyalty at the Danube Bridge in the Persian Great King Darius fight against the Scythians. He was  then asked by the king to come to Sardis, where he was brought to Susa by Darius. Megabates betrays Artaphernes Aristagoras agreed to aid the exiles, and asked the satrap of western Asia, Artaphernes, for help. Artaphernes- with permission from Darius- gave Aristagoras a fleet of 200 ships under the command of a Persian named Megabates. Aristagoras and the Naxian exiles set sail with Megabates et al. They pretended to head to the Hellespont. At Chios, they stopped and waited for a favorable wind. Meanwhile, Megabates toured his ships. Finding one neglected, he ordered the commander punished. Aristagoras not only released the commander but reminded Megabates that Megabates was only second-in-command. As a result of this insult, Megabates betrayed the operation by informing the Naxians in advance of their arrival. This gave them time to prepare, so they were able to survive the Milesian-Persian fleet arrival and four-month siege. In the end, the defeated Persian-Milesians left, with the exiled Naxians installed in forts built around Naxos. Herodotus says Aristagoras feared Persian reprisal as a consequence of the defeat. Histiaios sent a slave- Aristagoras- with a secret message about the revolt hidden as a brand on his scalp. The revolt was Aristagoras next step. Aristagoras persuaded those he joined in a council that they should revolt. One hold-out was the logographer Hecataeus who thought the Persians too powerful. When Hecataeus couldnt persuade the council, he objected to the army-based plan, urging, instead, a naval approach. The Ionian Revolt With Aristagoras as leader of their revolutionary movement after his failed expedition against Naxos, Ionian cities deposed their pro-Persian Greek puppet tyrants, replacing them with a democratic government, and prepared for further revolt against the Persians. Since they required military help Aristagoras went across the Aegean to mainland Greece to ask for help. Aristagoras unsuccessfully petitioned Sparta for its army, but Athens and Eretria provided more appropriate naval support for the Ionian islands- as the logographer/historian Hecataeus had urged. Together the Greeks from Ionia and the mainland pillaged and burned most of Sardis, the capital of Lydia, but Artaphrenes successfully defended the citys citadel. Retreating to Ephesus, the Greek forces were beaten by the Persians. Byzantium, Caria, Caunus, and most of Cyprus joined in the Ionian revolt. Although the Greek forces were occasionally successful, as at Caria, the Persians were winning. Aristagoras left Miletus in the hands of Pythagoras and went to Myrkinos where he was killed by Thracians. Persuading Darius to let him leave by telling the Persian king that he would pacify Ionia, Histiaios left Susa, went to Sardis, and tried unsuccessfully to re-enter Miletus. A major sea battle at Lade resulted in the victory of the Persians and defeat of the Ionians. Miletus fell. Histiaios was captured and executed by Artaphrenes who may have been jealous of Histiaios close relationship with Darius. Sources Herodotus Book VHerodotus Book VIAristagoras and Histiaios: The Leadership Struggle in the Ionian Revolt, by P. B. Manville; The Classical Quarterly, (1977), pp. 80-91.The Attack on Naxos: A Forgotten Cause of the Ionian Revolt, by Arthur Keaveney; The Classical Quarterly, (1988), pp. 76-81.Jona Lendering: Beginning of the Ionian Revolt; affairs in Greece (5.28-55)

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Issues in Global Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Issues in Global Business - Essay Example Modern franchising can perhaps best be thought of as a method of organization that combines large and small business into a single administrative unit. In a franchise system one large firm, often called the parent company, grants or sells the right to distribute its products or use its trade name and processes to a number of smaller firms2. The use of contracts in franchising also varies from the standard approaches used in domestic operations. Because of the importance of consistency across outlets (both franchised and corporate-owned), the primary research focus of franchising has been on understanding how best to ensure that the franchisee delivers the business format service as specified by the franchisor. Typically, it is believed that this can be achieved through well-designed contract mechanisms such as fees and royalties. However, contracts become more difficult to monitor and enforce in the international environment as a result of time and distance3. The use of standard contracts that is common in the domestic setting is less common internationally where contracts are usually modified for host country laws and cultural differences. Even the use of a contract often takes on a different meaning in the diverse cultural and legal environments of international business4. (Table 1). Finally, the importance of the foreign franchisee to overall operations relative to that of most individual domestic franchisees is often greater as well. First, in international franchising, the foreign franchisees are often major multinational firms rather than small, independent entrepreneurs. This may be a result of greater awareness by the larger host country firms regarding the franchisor’s business concept5. Such firms also are attractive franchisees due to their strong financial position and longevity in business making them less ‘risky’ partners in an unfamiliar business environment. In Japan, Burger King’s franchise partner is Japan Tobacco, one of

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The problems of development ( advencement raising quality of life in Research Paper

The problems of development ( advencement raising quality of life in Africa - Research Paper Example â€Å"In the midst of the election process, the people in the east of the  Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC) are in danger. Why? Because of the fighting between the army and the militia groups. The United Nations World Food Programme sounds the alarm.† (Food Crisis in Congo) There is very wrong perception of the rich people that there is no food shortage in the world and this is because they have all the luxuries in the world, but they have just noticed the sharp increase in food price. However, food is becoming a scarce resource and this increase in prices is a result of food crisis which is one of the most important global issues. According to The Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (OXFAM), there are 967 billion people who do not have enough amount of food to eat (2008). It is found that the global food crisis exists because of several causes. Oil crisis is one of the main factors which have a direct impact on the food crisis, the prices of food transportation and agricult ural fertilizers have increased because of the oil crisis and the same directly affects the food crisis. Population growth is another cause especially in middle class countries such as India the same has led to an increase in the demand of meat that apply more grain in order to be produced than other commodities. Climate change has also affected food production where drought covered several parts of the world such as south Asia. Trade is another cause of food crisis because imported goods might be cheaper than goods produced in the country, so poor farmers are forced to reduce the price of their products. Finally, Biofuel production is considered as one of the biggest causes of food crisis since the price of food has increased at the same time as biofuel production has increased. The food crisis not only affects the developing countries but it has also started taking a toll on the developed countries. This essay considers the responses to food crisis in Congo which is a developing c ountry in South Africa. To understand this issue, we fist need to explain the reasons for food crisis in Congo. Then, we will discuss and evaluate the current responses to this problem there. Finally, other appropriate responses to solve the food crisis in Congo will be presented. As a poor developing country in Africa, Congo has been suffering from economical Decline since its independence from the British in the year 1980, and this is exactly the main factor for food crisis. Weak economical situation in Congo brings about less than 30 per cent of employment as a result of which, hunger expands in the country and more people live in extreme poverty (IRIN, 2008). 5.5 billion dollars as dept on the Congo government to be paid to other countries, this goes to show how fragile the Congo government is. According to the same source, irregular and delays in dept payment led some countries to stop trade with the Congo government. Many areas in Congo receive less rain than before which resu lts in less food production (Care, n.d). For instance, maize, which is the stable food in Congo, harvests declined by one third from the production ten years ago (IRIN 2, 2008). Even in areas where it rains regularly, many people are still hungry because farmers do not have enough amounts of seed and fertilizer to cover the demand (Famine Early Warning System Network, 2008). Now it is clear that economical decline, unemployment,

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Impact of E-Commerce in Modernisation Essay Example for Free

Impact of E-Commerce in Modernisation Essay The term Electronic Commerce or E-Commerce consists of all business activities carried on with the use of electronic media that depend on the Internet, such as e-mail, instant messaging, shopping carts, Web services, UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration), FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), and all forms of messaging between enterprises. E- Commerce can be between two businesses transmitting funds, goods, services and data or between a business and a customer. In simple words, E-Commerce involves buying and selling of goods and services over the World Wide Web or Internet. Customers can purchase anything right from a mobile set or a book sitting in his room by click of a mouse. Because of E-Commerce, the world stands at the edge of a new revolution. With the easing of the telecommunication sector world wide, the use of E-Commerce will increase rapidly. E- Commerce brings new opportunities for enterprises to access markets of all over world. Every service and information about the product is available just on a mouse click. The modern technology offers an opportunity to enterprises to upgrade themselves and enter the global market at the right time and at a low cost. This would work like a boon for the entrepreneurs in rural area of BTAD. E-Commerce may involve selling directly from Businesses-to-Consumers (B2C E-Commerce). For example, a number of craft producers and tourism enterprises have already found some success dealing directly with customers. E-Commerce can also be conducted directly between Businesses (B2B E-Commerce). This is by far the most common type of E-Commerce at present. There is also Business-to-Government activity (B2G E-Commerce) that refers to the growth in supply of goods and services for online government procurement – potentially a large growth area in developing countries. An Entrepreneur is a business leader who has a pivotal role in fostering economic growth. An entrepreneur can be regarded as a person who has the initiative skill and motivation to set up a business or enterprise of his own and who always looks for high achievements. He is the catalyst for social change and works for the common good. They look for opportunities, identify them and seize them mainly for economic gains. An action oriented entrepreneur is a highly calculative individual who is always willing to undertake risks in order to achieve their goals. Entrepreneurs generate employment both directly and indirectly. Directly, self employment as an entrepreneur and indirectly by starting many industrial units they offer jobs to others. Thus entrepreneurship is the best way to fight the evil of unemployment in the BTAD area. For North-East region such as BTAD area one of the most important benefits of E-Commerce is its potential to help a developing rural areas to transform into the knowledge model region. The positive effects of E-Commerce can be adopted by the traditional entrepreneurs in BTAD area to modernise their local or native enterprises. E-Commerce can stimulate the traditional entrepreneurs of BTAD area by opening new possibilities to them and thus help to grow the economy of BTAD area. E-Commerce is as a new way of helping business enterprises of the rural areas of BTAD to compete in the market and thus contributing to economic success as well. E-Commerce involves the selling and buying of goods and services over World Wide Web i.e. Internet or others Electronic media by businesses, individuals, governments or other organisations. Customers can buy anything right from a mobile set or can book an Air ticket sitting in his room just by click of a mouse. The traditional enterprises of BTAD area can be modernise with the help of E-Commerce, which will add the flexibility and speed offered by electronic communications. This can facilitate improvement in competitiveness and efficiency through the redesign of traditional business methods. E-commerce has turned out to be the most efficient way of promoting one’s products online and also ensuring a truly global appeal for the same. Some economists’ say that the newly emerged economy can be very appropriately called as the transparent economy because the Internet makes has made it more open and exposed. In BTAD, E-Commerce is not practice by the traditional enterprises. As E-Commerce offers new opportunities, entrepreneurs of BTAD area should try to gather maximum advantage of Electronic marketing. Thus, it is high time that the traditional entrepreneurs in BTAD area should act fast and decisively in order to use the growing Internet trading to achieve advantage. The reason for concentrating on this topic is that, there is no research on E-Commerce in rural area of BTAD is conducted. 1. LITERATURE REVIEW: The purpose of this research is to investigate and analyze the impact of E-commerce in traditional enterprises of BTAD area. A review of principal and current literature on e-business and perspective of entrepreneurship was undertaken to collate the existing theories about the two and to explore the conceptual relationships between them. One of the best book for E-Commerce published in 2004, was entitled â€Å"The Complete E-Commerce Book† by Reynolds, Janice. Through his book he wanted to acquaint the readers with the various technical aspect of E-Commerce. Another book was published in 2008, was entitled â€Å"managing e-commerce† edited by Botha, J, Bothma, C, and Geldenhuys, P. They explained the impact of E-Commerce and innovation on business models. Kumar, S. Anil through his book â€Å"Small business and Entrepreneurship† in 2008 wanted to highlighted various aspects of Entrepreneurs. Likewise various articles have also been published in various journals dealing with various aspects of the E-Commerce as well as the Entrepreneurship. Further some research has also been done about the various aspects of traditional enterprises of North East including Assam. But no one has attempted so far a detailed study including almost every aspect of modernisation of traditional enterprises in BTAD area. This will be certainly a unique one. 2. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: The propose study has been undertaken keeping in mind the following objectives: a) To highlight the traditional entrepreneurship in BTAD area. b) To study the impact of modernisation of Entrepreneurship in BTAD area. c) The analyses the impact of E-commerce on the entrepreneurs in BTAD area. d) To highlight the scope of new entrepreneurs in the Internet marketing in BTAD area. e) To help entrepreneur to start a new business and expand the existing one with the help of E-commerce. f) To study E-commerce and its socio-economic impact on Entrepreneurship development. 3. HYPOTHESES: The following hypotheses have been formulated to the test the objectives taken above: a) Educated unemployed in BTAD area can start their entrepreneurship with the help of E-commerce. b) Due to the influence of internet marketing the change in economic and entrepreneurship in BTAD area in terms of their traditional business system. c) Government policies on traditional entrepreneurship development are not satisfactory. d) The Business-to-Business transactions play an important role in E-commerce market of BTAD area. e) The future of E-commerce for entrepreneurs in BTAD is quite promising. 4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: This research paper aims to give a better understanding of the complementary nature of entrepreneurship through an empirical study of Utilities of E-Commerce in various industries in the BTAD area. In order were conducted to examine the perceptions of entrepreneurs in E-Commerce regarding entrepreneurship and the factors affecting the development and integration of entrepreneurship in the BTAD area. The main purpose of the literature review was to collate the existing theories and basic knowledge about the entrepreneurship and E-Commerce to explore the conceptual relationships between them. A review of the current literature on E-Commerce as well as entrepreneurship was conducted. In addition web research was conducted to support the literature review. The sources provided by the web research were the most convenient and the fastest due to its accessibility. The analysis of some case studies has been done to support the literature review. Case studies were undertaken to explore organizational behaviour and practice, entrepreneurship and E-Commerce in various enterprises in BTAD area. In addition to the case studies, interviews were conducted in several enterprises of BTAD area to explore the conceptual relationship between entrepreneurship and E-Commerce, and the factors affecting the development and integration of entrepreneurship. These interviews focused on how these industries in BTAD area utilizes E-Commerce, how they benefited and what lessons can be learned from the experiences. 5. CHAPTERISATIONS: The study proposes the following Chapters: a. Chapter 1. Introduction. b. Chapter 2.Review of Literature. c. Chapter 3.The Entrepreneurs in BTAD area and their problems. d. Chapter 4.Practice of E-commerce by the Entrepreneurs in BTAD area. e. Chapter 5.Analysis of the practices of E-commerce on Entrepreneurship development in BTAD area. f. Chapter 6.Findings, Suggestions and Conclusion. g. Chapter 7.Bibliography. 6. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Books: 1. Dr. Singh, A.K., 2009 : Entrepreneurship Development and Management, University Science Press, Daryaganj, New Delhi-2, 2009. 2. Botha, J. , Botham C., Geldenhuys P., 2008 : Managing E-commerce, 2nd Edition, Juta Co. Ltd., Mercury Crescent, Wetton, Cape Town, 2008. 3. Kumar S. Anil, 2008 : Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I.K. International Publishing House Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi-16, 2008. 4. Reynolds, Janice,2004 : The Complete E-commerce Book, published by CMP Books, San Francisco, USA, 2004. 5. Tiwari, Sanjay, Tiwary, Anshuja, 2007: Entrepreneurship Development in India, Sarup Sons, New Delhi-2, 2007. 6. Uddin, Sami , 1989 : Entrepreneurship Development in India, First Edition, Mittal Publications, Delhi-110035, 1989. 7. Wallance, P D,2001 : Encyclopaedia of e-commerce(Vol. II), Sarup Sons, New Delhi-2, 2001. Journals: 1. Bajaj, K.K., Country Report on E-Commerce (India, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Department of Information Technology, Office of the Controller of Certifying Authorities). 2. CII, 2001. E-commerce in India: How to make it happen?, Report of the CII National Committee on E-Commerce 2000-2001 (Confederation of Indian Industry). 3. Das, Sanchita, 2001. Cables in the deep, 2-15 April 2001. 4. Department of Telecommunication, India, 2001. DOT Annual Report 2000-2001. 5. E-commerce (India), October 2001. Redefining business parameters, October 2001.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Death Of A Salesman: Symbols :: essays research papers

Death of a Salesman: Symbols Many symbols are incorporated into the play "Death of a Sales man" and they in turn relate to both character and theme. The hose, tape recorder and the seeds are some of these symbols. The hose in Miller's drama directly relates to the theme of d eath. The hose is a line attached to the gas main in Willy's house which allows him to snif f the gas. This action can be seen as Willy's suicide wish, and escape from the realities of life. As seen in the loss of his job and his failure to succeed. The hose also represents grief and deception. For when Linda, Willy's wife, finds the hose, she is distraught over its in tended purpose. The deceptive nature of the hose is apparent when Willy is confronted about it by Biff his son and Willy denies its existence. A similar denial is also evident when Willy is confronted with the tape recorder in Howard's office. The tape recorder signifies the change in Willy's life throug h the advancement of technology. It also represents the end of Willy's career. This is brought about when Howard, Willy's boss and godson, shows the tape recorder to Willy and appe ars to be more interested in the sound and technology of the machine instead of Willy, who i s fighting for his job. Howard no longer need s Willy's services and without concern fires him. This , to Willy, was like, "eating the orange and throwing away the peel". However, Willy is partly to blame, as he does not accept change and wants to remain in the pas t. This is foreshadowed in the scene where Willy is left alone with the tape recorder and is unable to shut it off. Willy believes in using his old techniques and style to succeed. Nevertheless, in his job, it is not what you know, but it is who you know. Willy is not up to date with the business nor technology. Yet, Willy still has hope, and wishes to leave some fo rm of support behind for his family as illustrated in his planting of the seeds. Willy feels that he must leave something behind something for Biff. In Willy's imaginary world he wants Biff to be magnificent and he symbolically plants seeds in his garden. In spite of such an action he is doomed to fail. Willy sta rts planting the seeds at night, but at night there is no sun shining and this seems

Monday, November 11, 2019

Globalization and Fashion Essay

In the 19th century, countries started trading more, because it was right after the Great depression of the 1930 when mass production became more accessible. The reason for this was the advance in technology. Improvement in technology has made life in many certain extents easier, not only for trading, but for many other aspects of human life. Meanwhile technology is getting so advanced that it has a great influence on cultures. With globalization, all the cultures in the world are fading away and giving their place to one major common culture. Evidence of this can be seen clearly in fashion. From planes to the Internet, people and their culture are strongly connecting with each other. To  this date people travel from one country to another for various reasons including business, touring and education. Some of business people are the buyers of great fashion departments. They have a major influence on bringing different culture from one country to another. For instance, a trend in Europe transfers to North America from tourist who has traveled to Europe and buyers of department stores who choose the items. On the other hand, buyers are strongly concerned about what is going to sell and what is not. If the garment that they are buying for is for United States of America, it must be more practical than something, which they transfer from New York to Europe. The reason behind that is that culture of fashion in America is more practical than the culture of fashion in Europe. In American life style practicality has a strong voice, therefore, it is a better target market for casual wear. People tend to wear more comfortable clothes, such as jeans, sportswear, t-shirts, as well as converse shoes[1]. A good advertisement on the Internet has a worldwide impact, which can lead to a new trend. Most women in the world are very vulnerable to these beautiful new items shown on the Internet advertisement; they catch new trends and mix them up with their own home country fashion. The spread of globalization will bring changes to the countries it reaches, but change is very important part in everyone’s life. The Internet has proven a big part in projecting traditional culture. Various reports have showed that the world trade in goods with cultural content increased over the years. Magazines are one thing that has always been there and has always been a strong way of communication between cultures. Today’s world of commercials and advertisements has made a huge diversity in the world of magazines. Magazines such as Vogue have had a major role in changing the fashion world. Vogue was first published in 1910 in Britain, but now there are vogue in Italy, France, Spain, and America[2]. The strongest and most influential one of all is Americas Vogue People tend to pick up new trends from such sources every day in every single place in the world, but since English is the most spoken language across the globe,  American Vogue sells the most and it automatically transfers American fashion more around the world. Satellites and TVs are just as influential as magazines. For example, Fashion TV was found in 1997 in France as the first fashion only international network. In later years even in countries in the Middle East, some fashion channels were created and changed the whole country’s fashion. People copy all the new western trends, and try to use them as much as possible even though they have some restrictions in how they are supposed to dress in Muslim countries. For example, all Iranian woman follow the European  fashion[3]. They are forced to cover up their hair but they are still very much fashionable and dress nice. The effects of globalization on culture has also been perpetuated through music. Music has been termed as one of the strongest culture that has taken over a large number of young people across the globe. The different music genres including gangster rap, hip-hop, RNB, rock, reggae and others plays an important role in creating a global culture. This has been made possible by technology and media including MTV, You Tube as well as other social networks in the internet. More particularly, the hip-hop culture is a wave that has dominated in various countries[4]. Today, every young man and women want to associate with a particular hip-hop star and imitate and adore their dressing code, style and even speaking. Hence, a college boy in New York living under the footsteps of Tupac Shakur (A popular hip-hop pioneer) is no different to a peer in China or Africa idolizing the same. As a result, these young men share the same fashion mode of wearing jeans, necklaces famous as ‘bling bling’, and even earrings as part of their accessories[5]. Similarly, the fashion trend goes beyond clothing. Globalization has made people in the world adopt a particular fashion of identity. The influence of media also blamed for brainwashing people’s identity. The contemporary woman as depicted in western movies is slender with long legs. This has influenced several young women to emulate this style to an extent of undergoing cosmetic surgery. Likewise, an ideal man portrayed in the movies emphasizes a well built masculine figure which has also influenced the lifestyles of many young men around the world. There has been concern that globalization is synonymous with Americanization. The western particularly American culture is highly idolized all over the world. The fashion trends in America spreads more quickly and are readily embraced in all countries with music, Hollywood celebrities and even models playing as agents for perpetuating American fashion to the rest of the world. The internet has enabled the transfer of the American culture to the global community. In conclusion, Globalization has a major affect in world’s fashion. Sources such as Internet, telemarketing and advertisements tend to change peoples  perspective about fashion. People pick up trends from such sources and sometimes mix them up with their own ideas and cultural restriction. Globalization is sometimes associated with Americanization due to the large adoption of American fashion in virtually all aspects of lifestyles. Globalization has transformed the diversified culture in the world into one single culture, the global culture. Hence, the world has become a global village sharing everything including fashion and culture. Bibliography Anthony Giddens. Runaway World: How Globalization is Shaping our World. New York: Sage, 2003. Dress – Globalization Of Fashion retrieved Dress – Globalization Of Fashion [accessed May 4, 2010] Ian Condry and Shara Rambarran. Hip-Hop Japan: Rap and the Paths of Cultural Globalization. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2006. Kai Hafez, Alex Skinner. The Myth of Media Globalizations. New York: Polity, 2007. Kolawole A. Owolabi. Globalization, Americanization   and Western Imperialism. Journal of Social Development in Africa. 16, No. 2 (2001): 71-92.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

GFP protein

Green Florescent Protein, abbreviated as GFP, is a protein composed of 238 amino acids that is commonly found in mnemiopsis, comb Jelly. It has a major wavelength at 396 nm and a minor one at 475 nm. GFP is what gives mnemiopsis their bright green florescent glow. ultraviolet light, or blue light, is necessary to see the florescent glow of this protein. GFP is an irregular protein because It Is highly resistant to denaturation by temperature and PH. It can survive In temperatures up to 98 degrees and has a pH of 12. 2 due to Its complex exterior, called the beta barrel. At an pH higher than 12. It denatures. It also has an Isoelectric point at 5. 3. The peripheral beta barrel cannot be digested or broken apart by protease because of the strong bonds holding It together. The beta barrel protects the chromophore, which Is the substance which gives GFP Its green glow. When CFP Is extracted from the plasmid of an E. Coll or from a Jellyfish, It contains an array different contaminants ma king it difficult for scientist to do experiments with GFP. A procedure in purifying GFP from a crude cell extract to nearly 100% GFP so that it can be analyzed and used in scientific experiments and research is necessary.The goal is to ptimize each protocol used to purify crude GFP. Methods Ammonium Sulfate Precipitation To purify the crude samples of GFP, the ion exchange method separates substances inside the test tube by similar charge. A sample of crude GFP of 7. 5 mL in a plastic tube was used for the experiment. Knowing that 43. 6 grams of ammonium sulfate in a 100 mL solution yields a 70% percent saturated solution, the proportion 43. 6g 11 00 mL=x/7. 5 mL was used to determine that 3. 27 grams of ammonium sulfate needs to be added to the experimental sample. After adding the ammonium sulfate, the solution was stirred gently to prevent frothing.Once most of the solution is transferred, the tube was placed on a triple beam balance along with another tube that went through the same process. The centrifuge was set at 15,000 rpms for 15 minutes so that the hydrophobic materials will separate and become the supernatant while the GFP pellet will remain behind. Once the 15 minutes elapsed, a new pipette was used to remove the supernatant, leaving behind the pellet of GFP and hydrophilic contaminates. To remove the hydrophilic substances, 5 mL of 4 molar ammonium sulfate and 15 mL of 10 mL tris at a p of 8 was added Into the oak ridge entrifuge test tube.The solution Is then put Into the centrifuge at 15,000 rpm for 15 minutes again. Once 15 minutes has passed, the supernatant, containing the GFP, was removed by a pipette and put In a microfuge. Hydrophobic Interaction Hgure yaropnoDlc Interactlon set up One molar ammonium sulfate was added to the column to wash the sample. Adding 1 molar ammonium sulfate washes the sample because a high salt concentration increases hydrophobicity of the GFP and the buffer, causing most of the GFP to be at the very top of the column. Substances that are hydrophilic get flushed out of the olumn while the more hydrophobic substances stay in the container.After the column has been eluted with 1 molar ammonium sulfate, the tris buffer is added to the ammonium sulfate to dilute it into . 5 molar ammonium sulfate. The volume of 1 molar ammonium sulfate inside the oak ridge centrifuge test tube is the volume of the tris buffer that will be added. After the column chromatography has been flushed with . 5 molar ammonium sulfate, more hydrophobic substances will be flushed out since the hydrophobicity of the tris buffer and the GFP has decreased. This causes the GFP to spread out in the column. Finally the amount of . 5 molar ammonium sulfate is diluted with tris buffer to . 5 molar ammonium which should cause most of the GFP to be flushed out of the column along with other substances that are very hydrophobic. While this experiment is going on the liquid that comes out of the column is collected in multiple test tubes. These test tubes contain GFP and other contaminants. The solutions are than read by a spectrophotometer. Each test tube will be tested by the spectrophotometer so that a graph can be made. Anion Exchange Figure 2: Siphon Bridge set up for Anion Exchange Figure 3: Centricon Test Tube In order to use anion exchange, the starting condition of the sample needs to be in a low salt solution.However after the GFP had gone through hydrophobic interaction, it was in a high salt solution. Before facing this dilemma, the fractions were pooled by centricon which decreases the overall sample volume by removing some buffer and salt solution. This greatly increases the GFP concentration in the samples. The fractions are placed in the centricon and then into a centrifuge for 25 minutes at 3,000 rpm to be separated by size. The large proteins stay in the entricon while buffer and salt solution goes into the plunger. To reduce the concentration of salt in the GFP sample, the sample is diluted 10 folds.Since the amount of GFP that was restored was 18 mL, 162 mL of tris buffer needed to be added. The diluted GFP is then put in the chromatography container, containing positively charged DEAE which is attracted to the GFP at a low salt concentration. After the GFP has been completely filled, the column is connected to a beaker that contains a low salt concentration. the low salt concentration beaker is connected to a high salt concentration beaker. As one drop of low salt solution goes into the chromatography column, one drop of high salt solution goes into the low salt solution.Gradually the salt concentration increases in the low salt beaker and in the column chromatography, causing GFP to spread down the container. The eluted GFP dripped out of the column chromatography to be collected in test tubes. I nree pnase partltlonlng Figure 4: Precipitate of GFP. T-butanol is one top while contaminates are on bottom GFP then went through three-phase partitioning, also known as TT P. The fractions taken after an anion exchange was 15 millilieter. Ten ml of 4 M ammonium sulfate was added to this volume to increase the salt concentration of the solution to 1. M, which is about 40% salt saturation. Twenty-five milliliters of t-butanol was added then added which was the same amount of ammonium sulfate and GFP in the container. The container was then placed in the centrifuge for ten minutes at 4600 RPM, causing the mixture to split into three layers; butanol on top, GFP in solution on the bottom, and precipitated contaminants in-between. The top layer of butanol and disk of precipitate were taken out. The volume of GFP solution was again matched in utanol and the container went into the centrifuge again. An aspirator was used to extract the GFP into a microfuge. . 6M ammonium sulfate was then added to the microfuge and the container was placed in a micro centrifuge for one minute at 13,000 RPM. Butanol and other contaminants that had not been take out previously f ormed a disc, was then taken out with an aspirator and the remaining GFP was then left in the microfuge. HPLC Figure 5: HPLC basic layout After the sample went through three phase partitioning, it was put through the High Performance Liquid Chromatography for a final purification. First liquid was put into the HPLC to clean out any previous GFP inside the loop of the HPLC and the column of the HPLC.Then, GFP in the microfuge was sucked into an injector to be put into the HPLC. Pushing the top of the injector slowly, GFP entered into a loop inside the HPLC. Once the GFP was placed in the loop, a knob was turned clockwise to the word lock. The GFP was then sent to the column where it was purified further by size through the minuscule beads. About 6,000 pounds of pressure per square inch was produced by the HPLC to push the GFP through the beads. While this was occurring, a pectrophotometer connected to the HPLC read the wavelengths of substances.Near the 396 nm wavelength, GFP was col lected in a microfuge tube. A UV light was held near tne exlt 0T Results e HPLC to measure tne amount ng sample. Graph 1: Results of the sample after HIC at a wavelength of 395 nm Graph 2: Results of the sample after HIC at a wavelength of 280 nm Graph 3: Results of the sample after HIC of the entire spectrum Seventeen test tubes were received after the HIC purification process. A blank consisting of tris buffer and ammonium sulfate was sampled in the spectrophotometer against liquid from each of the seventeen test tubes.Graph one represents the sample after HIC at a wavelength of 395 nm while graph two Results shows the results after HIC at a wavelength of 280 nm. After HIC, the fractions 12 to 16 were chosen for their purity and recovery of GFP. Graph one show the amount of GFP in each fraction number while graph two shows the total amount of protein in each fraction number. Graph three shows the spectrum of the entire sample. Graph 4: Results after Anion Exchange at a 397 nm wave length Graph 5: Results after Anion Exchange at a 280 nm wavelength Graphing 6 Thirteen test tubes were collected from the Anion Exchange purification process.This time the samples were blanked against tris buffer at 8. 0 pH and 0. 5 molar sodium chloride. Graph four shows results of the Anion Exchange at a 397 nm wavelength and graph five shows the results after Anion Exchange at a 280 nm wavelength. Once again, the graph at a 297 nm wavelength shows the amount of GFP while the graph at a 280 nm wavelength shows the amount of total protein. Graph six represents the results of the entire spectrum. The GFP peak was a lot more visible. Step Iotal sample (mL Abs (280) Total Protein Abs (397) GFP Ratio Crude sample 120 1600 . 25 At-ns042- 20 1 . 61 . 9 118 HIC 18 . 28 . 173 . 618 15 . 126 . 130 1. 03 3 Phase Partitioning . 01 n/a . 75 . 243 . 257 1. 06 Table 1: This is the overall data table. The second column shows the total volume at the start of each purification step. The following two columns are the peaks of the graphs at those wavelengths. The last column represents the ratio of GFP to the total Protein. The most desirable ratio is 1. 25. Dlscusslon The first method in purifying the crude GFP was using the ammonium sulfate precipitate. When ammonium sulfate is placed in water, it dissociates into ammonium (NH4+) and sulfate ions (S042-).Water, composed of two hydrogen ions and one oxygen ion, is a polar molecule because the oxygen has a high electronegativity. Oxygen has a greater affinity making the oxygen portion of water negative and the hydrogen portion of the water positive. The dissociated positively charged ammonium ion is allured to the negatively charged oxygen while the negatively charged sulfate ions are attracted to the dissociated positively charged hydrogen. The attraction between the ammonium sulfate and the water was so strong that the GFP and other proteins were left unoccupied, causing them to precipitate.When GFP in the 70% salt solution was placed into the centrifuge, substances such as DNA and RNA was removed because they became part of the supernatant. At a 70% salt concentration, only hydrophilic substances stay in solution while the more hydrophobic substances precipitate. When the GFP in a 25% solution of salt was placed in the centrifuge, the GFP and other substances went back into solution because there not enough water was occupied by the salt. Before the GFP is placed in the centrifuge, it must be balanced with another centrifuge with the same weight and the two containers must be placed across from one another.This is vital because the centrifuge needs to be balanced when it is rotating at an incredibly fast speed. Failure to have balanced centrifuge containers can result in a broken centrifuge and loud sounds. Also when mixing the GFP with salt, it is important not the shake the container or frothing will occur, making it difficult to transfer the solution in to an oak ridge centrifuge tube. The second p urification procedure that GFP underwent was hydrophobic interactions. During this purification, GFP binded to the non-polar Phenyl Sepharose beads because of its non-polar and hydrophobic traits.However the water in tris buffer is strong enough to separate the attraction between GFP and the Phenyl Sepharose. Therefore a high salt concentration is necessary to occupy the water so that the GFP and the Phenyl Sepharose to be attracted together. At a high salt concentration, GFP with bind easily to the Phenyl Sepharose since very little water molecules would interfere with the attraction and at a low salt concentration, GFP would not bind easily to the Phenyl Sepharose because tnere wlll De a lot 0T unoccuplea water molecules tnat wlll De aDle to InterTere wltn the GFP and Phenyl Sepharose attraction.Before the experiment, ten millimolar tris buffer at a pH of 8 was used to clean the column in order to keep the pH stable and to wash away the salt, ammonium sulfate, in the column. Remov ing the salt is vital because the buffer that once surrounds the salt will be allured to the hydrophobic benzene and to the hydrophobic patches on the GFP. Since the hydrophobic patches of the GFP are already filled, they will be flushed out, leaving mostly beads of benzene and the 10 millimolar tris buffer at a pH of 8. Once the column has been clean, it needs to be equilibrated so that the salt concentration is the same through the olumn.The step gradient used, started ata 1 molar ammonium sulfate concentration and was halved until a . 25 molar concentration to separate substances by hydrophobicity. The third purification procedure was anion exchange. In this procedure, GFP and other contaminants are separated by charge. The beads in the containers are different from the beads from the hydrophobic interaction because on they have a different chemical called DEAE which makes them positively charged. GFP has both protons and electrons on it which is why it was not easily attracted t o the DEAE, which is why the GFP is put in a basic solution.Ata high pH, the amount of negatively charged hydroxide increases and these hydroxides are allured by the protons on the GFP. The protons are than neutralized, making GFP a negatively charged molecule. The isoelectric point of GFP is at a pH of 5. 3. Ata pH higher than 5. 3, it is negatively charged and when it is at a pH lower than 5. 3, it is positively charged. Once the column chromatography is filled with GFP and connected to a beaker of low salt which connected to a beaker of high salt, anion exchange occurs. As the salt concentration increases, the GFP slowly spreads down the column and eventually out f the column into test tubes.Between the HIC and the Ion exchange chromatography, the sample the fractions were pooled and put in a centricon causing the GFP concentration in the samples to increase. This occurred because the ultrafilter only allowed particles smaller than protein to go in to the pusher. The large protei ns stay in the centricon while buffer and salt solution goes into the plunger. The sample of GFP was also diluted 10 folds because the sample needs to be in a low salt solution to use anion exchange and after the GFP had gone through hydrophobic interaction, it was in a high salt solution.The anion exchange method creates a continuous salt gradient because as one drop of low salt solution goes into the column chromatography, causing GFP to spread down the container. The follow procedure was the three phase partitioning purification. T-butanol and 1. 6 molar ammonium sulfate were essential for this procedure. T-butanol has a low density causing in to stay above the GFP solution. In addition it has an attraction for water and other hydrophobic substances causing 5 mL of water to be drawn out of the GFP sample and precipitated substances to float between the t-butanol and the GFP sample.Fresh t-butanol is necessary after removing the old t-butanol with the contaminants because at that point, the salt concentration had increased since water was drawn out. was aDle to De preclpltatea Decause 0T tne nlgn salt concentration. The final procedure for purifying GFP was using the HPLC which separated substances by size. The beads used in the HPLC column are miniscule and porous. The pours on the beads give substances of the same size more opportunities to leave the HPLC at the same time. Since the beads are so small, high pressure is needed to push the GFP sample through the beads.Naturally, smaller substances will exit the HPLC first while larger materials will exist last. In all scientific experiments room for error is unavoidable. During the HIC, IEX, three phase partitioning, and the HPLC, amounts of GFP were lost due to the GFP sticking to a container, a pipette, and even spills. During the HIC some of the GFP was lost due the overflowing the test tubes with liquid exiting the column. During the HPLC some GFP was lost because not all GFP dripping out of the HPLC wen t in to the microphage. Other errors include letting the column dry because the liquid was not dded to the beaker about the column.During the spectrophotometer runs, the blank was no inserted correctly causing the reading of the GFP to be incorrect. In addition, the order in which the GFP samples were suppose to be placed in the spectrophotometer was messed up. Judging from the overall purification table, table 1, the purification was quite successful. Originally, the ratio was only . 25, but by the end of all the purification procedures, it obtained a ratio 1. 06. A 1. 25 ratio is most desirable and through the purification, the ratio was nearly reached. The anion exchange, three phase artitioning, and the HPLC purification were the most impacting procedures.The anion exchange greatly increased the purity of the crude sample compared to the HIC purification. The three phase partitioning and HPLC purified the GFP even more. Some improvements to the protocols would be to start with t he anion exchange purification so that overall, the salt solution would go from a low salt concentration to a higher salt concentration. This also eliminates the need to dilute the solution. In addition, an automatic machine could be used to shift the test tubes that collect the iquid exiting the columns to prevent overflowing test tubes and the risk losing GFP.GFP is unique because of its florescent glow. This glow can be used as a marker or an indicator. If a glowing marker could be placed on infectious cells such as tumor cells or cancerous cells, it would revolutionize the treatment of these diseases because doctors will be able to track where the harmful cells are. In addition, if it is possible to trigger the florescence of GFP with UV light, it can eventually be used in light bulbs to produce light. GFP light bulbs would last for an incredibly long time ince they are very resistant to denaturing.In addition, in vehicles, GFP can be mixed in the motor oil, transmission oil, po wer steering oil, air conditioning oil, and other oils so that if a leak occurs in a car, it can easily be spotted by shinning UV light on the car. The purification of GFP can lead to endless new innovations in electrical engineering, automotive repair, and curing deadly diseases.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Marriage in the Postmodern Society

Marriage in the Postmodern Society Abstract The report presents the issue of marriage in the postmodern society. It carries out a comprehensive study on the status of the marriage institution in the 21st century by defining marriage under a postmodernist perspective: symmetrical family’s justifications and criticisms.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marriage in the Postmodern Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It then shifts its focus to the factors that are currently either affecting, or threatening the validity and desirability of marriage, namely, the appeal of and availability as an option of singlehood, the increase in divorce, and cohabitation. Consequently, it is apparent that the marriage institution has definitely evolved in the 21st century society. The aforementioned variables are just but a few of the possible explanations. The question that remains is whether a universal gauge is in existence to which society should strive t o adhere in terms of the ideal marriage. If so, what is the standard? Since this is just a report, the paper avoids committing to any specific answer to that question thus opting to leave it to the reader’s exercise of action. Acknowledgement I would like to express my profound gratitude to my parents who have been very helpful in the compilation of this report by offering interesting insights on marriage that I shall share in the report as examples. I am also very grateful for the library resources including the large volumes of sociology textbooks and the internet, which were priceless sources of information and insights into the history of the marriage institution. The library staff members were much cordial. I am grateful for them having availed the facility for my use for both research and discussions. Finally, I would like to thank my professor who gave me constant feedback and guidance towards the completion of this report projects, as well as the respective group memb ers for their time and dedicated input into the project. Introduction Marriage refers to different things to the diverse people in different societies. However, all these diverse personalities throughout the world seem to converge into an agreement on one critical factor that marriage is a merger between two or more parties with the intention of establishing a family. Beyond this very general definition of marriage, there are numerous diverging opinions on what marriage consists of, ranging from same sex marriages to polyandrous marriages.Advertising Looking for report on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Circa 900BC, the world only knew one type of marriage, at least the Judeo-Christian history, which is the best documented type that indicates that marriage was between a man and a woman with the option of an increase in the number of wives if the man was wealthy enough to provide for them (New Advent Para. 2). This point introduces a very interesting yet somewhat underestimated or contemporarily downplayed variable in the marriage institution, which is the economic perspective. Research indicates that, in the past, marital unions were majorly determined on economic and social grounds rather than the emotional basis of marriages in the 21st century. According to the proponents of this school of thought, this qualifies to be the reason why the marriage institution today is highly unstable, as people no longer look at unions for their profitability purpose. In fact, today, if a woman singles out a wealthy male and targets such a man for his wealth, she shall be referred to derogatively as a gold digger. Conversely, arranged marriages of the past were very stable despite the lack of emotional basis. The proponents for this school of thought cite economical stability of the husband or the wife in cases where women had large fortunes as the cause of stability as opposed to unwise or u nprofitable unions based solely on love and affection, or on the notion of soul mates. Brief background into the history of marriage Marriage dates back into time immemorial. What becomes apparent as one transcends centuries looking is that, in the past, unions were strictly between a man and a woman who were monogamous. The notion of polygamy started later during the Abrahamic era. Even then, it was only in very special circumstances that the man could take more than one woman to wife. What has become known as polygyny or polygamy today began innocently enough as a permissiveness of society towards promiscuity among males (Sociology Guide Para. 3). This was a manifestation of the excesses of a patriarchal society. Men saw this patriarchal status as a justification of their superiority over women. Soon enough, the worth of women was diminished and equated to that of property. A wealthy man could take as many concubines as he pleased to his harem (this was the case in Arabic cultures ). In other cultures, this was manifested by the permissiveness of society towards male sexual expression, as it became acceptable for men to have affairs though it was a cardinal sin for a woman to be caught in a sexual transgression. The offence was punishable by death during Jesus’ time. It is interesting to note that, even then, men who were responsible for women committing adultery rarely suffered equal punishment. Another piece of evidence for this chauvinistic attitude is found in the meaning of the word ‘prostitution’, which originated from the Latin term, prostituta, which means a harlot or a woman who offers up her body indiscriminately, usually for money. Further evidence is in the term ‘male prostitute’, which only got attested in 1948 (Etymology Online Dictionary Para. 4).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marriage in the Postmodern Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These examples are an indication of the evolution of the status of the marriage institution. In the past, dowry was a very significant part of marriage because the economical aspect was a critical decision maker. Chastity was also very crucial as evidenced by the number of â€Å"shotgun† weddings, which occurred on a very short notice when a certain male compromised a woman’s virtue. Variables that have contributed to the status of 21st century marriages Upon a fast tracking to the 21st century, marriage has become a fundamentally different institution from what it was in time immemorial. Today, people have a very different perspective concerning what they consider an ideal marriage (Cherlin ‘The Marriage-Go-Round’ 18). This case can be seen from the myriads of marriage types that have infiltrated the post modernist society. Some of these interesting developments in the marriage institution include same sex marriages, cohabitation (come-we-stay), polyand ry and polygamy, and open unions (whereby the partners are married to each other, but they are allowed to have other sexual partners and relationships without the bonds of matrimony). Other than these types of unions that have been formally recognised and even named and studied by sociologists, millions of married couples are having affairs from even the sixth month of the marriage. Such kinds of shocking news lead one to enquire, ‘why should we get married in the first place?’ This question is interesting. To source its answer requires one to travel back in time and look into traditional marriages. The reasons for marriage back in the days were interesting because they were politically, socially, or economically motivated except for the shotgun wedding scenarios. People married to form strategic alliances between kingdoms, families, or to benefit from the spouse’s fortune. They married because they were avoiding a scandal that was likely to ensue after having be en caught in a compromising situation or in honour of age-old promises between their predecessors whose promises usually consisted of conditions and a promise of a reward or sanction if the conditions addendum to such a promise were either complied with or defaulted upon respectively. In short, love and affection were rarely the reasons why people got married. Today, the society has completely turned around from these old motivations to marriage. People get married only when they are in love with each other or when they end up pregnant after having engaged in premarital sex and so marriage is hastily done in a bid to save face (Cherlin ‘The Marriage-Go-Round’ 27).Advertising Looking for report on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In short, the post modernist society has the traditional view towards marriage backwards because, whereas people in the past were accustomed to getting into matrimony as strangers and then growing into love with each other, today, people fall in love first after which they get into matrimony based on this love. The unequal distribution of wealth in the society, and specifically the gap between the rich and the poor, is also another significant factor in the analysis of post modernist society. Of course, this perspective requires a wider review of the economics of the post modernist society, specifically concerning the gender differences in wealth that are manifested in today’s society as compared to those in the past. This shall be the first factor that shall merit a discussion in this report. The Dynamics of Economic Balance The civil war in the early periods of the second half of the twentieth century in the United States of America is a magnificent example for use to expla in this factor of economics. At the time, civil rights activists and feminists came together to advocate for equality of men and women as they felt that the society was a reflection of the male chauvinism that was suffocating and insulting to women’s dignity and development as a sex since time immemorial (Sociologyweb Para. 5). This was a relevant complaint at the time because the society had always been rather private and silent on the status of women. Society was clearly patriarchal. However, since the industrial age and the intermittent world wars had proven to the world that women too could get an education and manage to provide for their families in the absence of their men, the government had no justifiable excuse for continuing to undermine women’s capacities. Consequently, in the US, the Affirmative Action took effect. The results were reflected in the increased emphasis on the ‘girl child’s’ success. Women thrived. They went to school and g ot scholarships to college. The barriers to college entry were utterly destroyed. If anything, they got a more favourable treatment than their male counterparts did (Cherlin ‘Public and Private Families’ 84). The effects of this mollycoddling are now felt as society is filled with prosperous women who do not need to rely on men to survive. Suddenly, society is confronted with a phenomenon that has never before been manifested in such great proportions throughout history. Therefore, there is no hope for alluding to past solutions to apply them into the current problem. Initially, marriages were stable because the woman relied on the man for all and any expenses that she accrued as evidenced by age-old common law principles in matters such as bankruptcy of women whereby married women could not be adjudged bankrupt. In case a woman was actually bankrupt, her debts would be answered upon the head of her husband. Now, women can afford to stay single indefinitely because, whe n they age, they simply move out of their parents’ homes and get a personal apartment. This case means that parents no longer need to stress about supporting adult daughters. This situation on the other hand results in less pressure being exerted upon the daughters to get married. This factor advises the next segment of this report’s discussion. The appeal of and availability as an option of singlehood In the 21st century, there is nothing surprising or shocking about being a woman who is more than 40 years old, and not having a husband. Neither is it shocking for a man to be without a wife at a similarly advanced age. It is only an issue if the said adult still lives with his or her parents at that advanced age. Research indicates that, as time lapses and adults fail to marry, or get married at a particular point or a period in their lives usually when their peers are getting married, they are likely to remain single for the rest of their lives or marry when they are very old. The same case applies to newlyweds that are widowed shortly after their wedding day. In 1901, only one out of ten households contained a single individual contrary to one out of every three households today that have a single person (Sociologyweb Para. 6). Conversely, in 1971, two-thirds (2/3) of people in single households exceeded pensionable age, which is sixty -five for men and sixty for women. Today, only half of those in single households exceed the pensionable age. Apparently, more people prefer to remain single in the twenty-first century. There are various reasons proposed to explain these alarming figures, including that the rate of marriages is declining, with an increase in divorce and separation. Secondly, people are delaying marriage or opting to cohabit until they are older. To explain this situation, the age bracket between 25 and 44 is dominated with bachelors. However, beyond 65 years, the numbers are opposite, with doubled women relative to men who are s ingle at this point of their lives (Sociologyweb Para. 2). The explanation for this case is that women have a higher life expectancy. Nevertheless, the reasons why people are choosing to remain single deserve further discussion. The next segment carries out an in-depth analysis of divorce as a cause of singlehood, which is a factor that is affecting the institution of marriage in the twenty-first century. It is interesting that this next segment is double pronged because divorce too affects the institution of marriage. Therefore, the segment shall discuss it under both faucets. The Increased Rate of Divorce The available several causes of divorce include individualism; dissatisfaction of conjugal rights, independence of women, social and legal permissiveness, and mass media influence. Individualism Most cultures in the 21st century are very individualistic. If two individualistic individuals come together in marriage, they are likely to carry this trait into wedlock. It becomes mani fest in spending their time separate from each other with each pursuing personal interests. This case is especially common when the two individuals are career-oriented with distinct professional goals that are different but equally important to them. Alternatively, when the husband has this trait, it means that he spends most of his time at work and/or hiding behind the excuse of being the sole breadwinner as the justification for staying away from home for so long. This scenario usually culminates in the development of romantic relationships with females at work, which if discovered, could result in divorce. Women too are integrated in the career world. When they see their male colleagues, who may be married, carrying on in this lecherous manner, it serves as a strong reason against marriage. Dissatisfaction of conjugal rights Dissatisfaction of conjugal rights is usually the next step after the development or continued sustenance of individualism. The spouse shall then start eying attractive options at the place of work, usually out of the boredom of having had only one partner for an extended period. An interesting observation now is that the survival rate of a marriage usually has a lot to do with the past sexual experiences of the spouses. If the spouse was accustomed to jumping in and out of relationships on a monthly basis, it may only take one month after the wedding for such a person to cheat. On the other hand, if the spouse had a more disciplined outlook to relationships prior to getting married, it is likely to last longer before feelings of boredom invade his or her mind. Other parties become interesting candidates for adventurous affairs. However, this explanation is not absolute, as there are those couples whose past life was very promiscuous, yet they survived longer than their more chaste counterparts did. In the end, the determinant is usually the amount of diligence exercised by both spouses about making their marriage work. Independence of Women Independence affects marriage in two ways. First, since women are now employable and that they can comfortably make their own income, they can easily get out of an unhappy marriage, which is unlike the olden days. Traditionally, despite the horrendous treatment that the wife was receiving in her marital home, she stayed on because she had nowhere else. Going back to her maiden home was some sort of proof that she was a failure as a woman. However, concerning this point, it is interesting to note that illiterate women who have no skills to market may still find themselves enslaved to their husbands, even in the twenty-first century. This assertion is deductable from the countless accounts of abuse in the matrimonial home and a closer review of the victims’ personal credibility in terms of independence. The second dimension to independence is that women are more focused on their jobs today so much such that what was initially known as the â€Å"second shift† in the representation of the role a husband plays in the household after he comes home from work has been renamed the â€Å"third shift† for women. It is inclusive of their professional lives’ demands, household chores and childcare, and emotional needs and fulfilments. Women are finding themselves very involved in work that they hardly have the time to deal with the emotional drama that comes with being in the relationship. This case causes the relationship to suffer, with divorce rates escalating. Social and Legal Permissiveness Society and the law have become more accepting of divorce. Whereas it was initially almost impossible to divorce one’s spouse, today, divorce proceedings in court last for a month for the case to be settled. If anything, the only contentious issue is the distribution of the marital property or the prenuptial agreement, which is another interesting development in the twenty-first century marriage arrangements. The society blatantly encourages divorce for unhappy unions as evidenced by marriage therapists and married or divorced friends telling their troubled colleagues to leave their marriages. In the past, marital problems were dealt with rather than pushing them under the rug and/or being allowed to fester because people knew that they were stuck with each other. Therefore, they had to work things out, which is no longer the case and divorce is seen as the exit clause in the event of major marital differences. Mass media influence Celebrities, who unfortunately, are the people’s icons, record the highest rates of divorces. When girls and boys dream about their future spouses, they fantasise about celebrities. When such impressionable youths then see such celebrity couples getting divorced barely two months after the wedding, they are disillusioned and misinformed about the marriage institution. Over time, their entire perspective on marriage becomes ruined. That case has led to the outrageous permissiveness tha t infests the twenty first century in the first place because, thanks to the fast dispersal of information, centuries-old traditional values of marriage and the family institution are being eroded within hours of watching certain movies or news bit on the latest contemporary marriage that went awry. Cohabitation Most couples in the twenty first century are forming a pattern of cohabiting rather than getting married. Watching the TV Series, â€Å"Better with You† that is directed by James Burrows neatly covers such a situation as Ben (acted by John Cooke) and Maddie- Maddeline (acted by Jennifer Finnigan) have been cohabiting for nine years. When the sitcom begins, they call their arrangement a â€Å"Valid Life Choice†. Sixty percent of couples that start cohabiting for the first time eventually get married. Seven out of ten couples give the same address on their marriage license while 56 percent of these carry out religious wedding ceremonies (Cherlin ‘Public and Private Families’ 97). It is becoming a norm to move in together and blatantly engage in sexual relations before marriage. The reasons for this include the availability, affordability and increased efficiency of contraceptives, and the geographical separation from the traditional family set ups, which allow couples to live together while not married without censure from relatives and other older generational members in the society among others. Status of marriage in the post modernist society The marriages that are prevailing in the post modernist society seem to follow a certain pattern. They seem to be symmetrical in the role of men and women although the extent of this symmetry is highly debatable. It has been the cause of much contention among feminist groups. The evidence of this symmetry is made manifest in the interchangeable and flexible roles of man and wife and the professional lives of both spouses as both are usually engaged in a paid employment meaning that the husband often helps in the housework. In fact, it does not make sense to leave it all to the wife yet both were in the office throughout the day. Additionally, since the wife is making a relevant contribution to the family’s income, the husband may feel obligated to help in the house. This income contribution also means that the wife and husband both engage in decision-making. Finally, the wife and husband in a symmetrical marriage share common friends and leisure activities thus giving them time and opportunity to bond and build their relationship. Criticisms of this deduction are mostly voiced by feminist activists who state that helping in the home is irrelevant as men count ironing their clothes as a form of helping. Women are still the primary homemakers and child caregivers in the home. Therefore, symmetry cannot be said to be in effect. Additionally, women have an emotional toll that they have to bear solely. Their role cannot be said to be equal to that of the men. Co nclusion This report has carried out a comprehensive study of the marriage institution in the post modernist society by first looking into the history of marriage and then looking at the matters that have come up since time immemorial to distort marriage. These factors include economic liberation of women and the social and legal permissiveness towards divorce among others. The factors prove the inevitability of change in the marriage institution. Finally, it has looked at the symmetrical status of the twenty-first century marriages. In conclusion, it posits that marriage has evolved significantly since historical times and will only continue to do so as society continues to evolve. Cherlin, Andrew. The Marriage-Go-Round: The State of Marriage and the Family Today. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. Print. Cherlin, Andrew. Public and Private Families: An Introduction (Sixth edition). London: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print. Etymology Online Dictionary. etomologyonline.com, 2010. Web. New Ad vent. Catholod Encyclopedia: History of Marriage, 2009. Web. Sociology Guide. Marriage, Family, and Kinships, 2012. Web. Sociologyweb. Sociology Changes in the Family, 2013. Web.