Farm Subsidies Essays (1230 words) - Agricultural Economics

Farm Subsidies history farm subsidies: a necessary evil? Subsidies are payments, economic concessions, or privileges given by the government to favor businesses or consumers. In the 1930s, subsidies were designed to favor agriculture. John Steinbeck expressed his dislike of the farm subsidy system of the United States in his book, The Grapes of Wrath. In that book, the government gave money to farms so that they would grow and sell a certain amount of crops. As a result, Steinbeck argued, many people starved unnecessarily. Steinbeck examined farm subsidies from a personal level, showing how they hurt the common man. Subsidies have a variety of other problems, both on the micro and macro level, that should not be ignored. Despite their benefits, farm subsidies are an inefficient and dysfunctional part of our economic system. The problems of the American farmer arose in the 1920s, and various methods were introduced to help solve them. The United States still disagrees on how to solve the continuing problem of agricultural overproduction. In 1916, the number of people living on farms was at its maximum at 32,530,000. Most of these farms were relatively small (Reische 51). Technological advances in the 1920's brought a variety of effects. The use of machinery increased productivity while reducing the need for as many farm laborers. The industrial boom of the 1920s drew many workers off the farm and into the cities. Machinery, while increasing productivity, was very expensive. Demand for food, though, stayed relatively constant (Long 85). As a result of this, food prices went down. The small farmer was no longer able to compete, lacking the capital to buy productive machinery. Small farms lost their practicality, and many farmers were forced to consolidate to compete. Fewer, larger farms resulted (Reische 51). During the Depression, unemployment grew while income shrank. "An extended drought had aggravated the farm problem during the 1930s (Reische 52)." Congress, to counter this , passed price support legislation to assure a profit to the farmers. The Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936 allowed the government to limit acreage use for certain soil-depleting crops. The Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 allowed the government to set the minimum price and amount sold of a good at the market. The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, farmers were given price supports for not growing crops. These allowed farmers to mechanize, which was necessary because of the scarcity of farm labor during World War II (Reische 52). During World War II, demand for food increased, and farmers enjoyed a period of general prosperity (Reische 52). In 1965, the government reduced surplus by getting farmers to set aside land for soil conservation (Blanpied 121). The Agricultural Act of 1970 gave direct payments to farmers to set aside some of their land (Patterson 129). The 1973 farm bill lowered aid to farmers by lowering the target income for price supports . The 1970s were good years for farmers. Wheat and corn prices tripled, land prices doubled, and farm exports outstripped imports by twenty-four billion dollars (Long 88). Under the Carter administration, farm support was minimized. Competition from foreign markets, like Argentina, lowered prices and incomes (Long 88). Ronald Reagan wanted to wean the farm community from government support. Later on in his administration, though, he started the Payments In Kind policy, in which the government paid farmers not to grow major crops. Despite these various efforts, farms continue to deal with the problems that rose in the 1920s. Farm subsidies seem to have benefits for the small farmer. "Each year since 1947, there has been a net out-migration of farm people (Reische 53)." American farm production has tripled since 1910 while employment has fallen eighty percent (Long 82). Small family farms have the lowest total family incomes (Long 83). Farming is following a trend from many small farm s to a few large farms. Competition among farmers has increased supply faster than demand. New seed varieties, better pest control, productive machinery, public investments in irrigation and transportation, and better management will increase farm output. The resulting oversupply of farm products, which creates a low profit margin, drives smaller farms out of business. Smaller farms lack the capital and income to buy the machinery they

Individual Personality Essay

Individual Personality Essay Individual Personality Essay Individual Personality Derrick Ford PSY-211 February 6, 2014 Dr. Andre Watson Individual Personality Personality is defined as the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinct character. It is what makes an individual an individual, so-to-speak. It is the core essence of an individual that separates people from one another. Although, there are people who share or have the same personality traits, not one person is exactly alike another. According to Hockenbury (2014): â€Å"Personality is defined as an individual's unique and relatively consistent patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. A personality theory is an attempt to describe and explain how people are similar, how they are different, and why every individual is unique. In short, a personality theory ambitiously tries to explain the whole person,† (p.419 para. 1). Four Perspectives of Personality There are four perspective of personality, which are: â€Å"psychoanalytic, humanistic, social cognitive, and trait perspectives† (Hockenbury, 2014). Each perspective is a cluster of how personalities are theorized. According to Hockenbury (2014): â€Å"The psychoanalytic perspective emphasizes the importance of unconscious processes and the influence of early childhood experience† (p. 419). â€Å"The humanistic perspective represents an optimistic look at human nature, emphasizing the self and the fulfillment of a person's unique potential† (p. 419). â€Å"The social cognitive perspective emphasizes learning and conscious cognitive processes, in- cluding the importance of beliefs about the self, goal setting, and self regulation† (p. 419). â€Å"The trait perspective emphasizes the description and measurement of specific personality differences among individuals† (p. 419). Three Theories of Personality Development There are three perspective theories of personality development, which are the id, ego, and super ego. According to Freud (1933), each person possesses a certain amount of psychological energy, [which] â€Å"develops into the three basic structures of personality† (Hockenbury, 2014). â€Å"The id, [is] the most primitive part of [the] personality, [and] is present at birth, completely immune to logic, values, morality, danger and the demands of the external world† (Hockenbury, 2014). As Hockenbury (2014) noted, â€Å"It is the original source of psychological energy, (Freud, 1933, 1940) parts of which will later evolve into the ego and superego† (p. 422 para. 2). People are â€Å"equipped† with the id from birth (Hockenbury, 2014). When an infant is â€Å"cold, wet, hungry, or uncomfortable† the id is responsible for making sure the needs of the infant are met (Hockenbury, 2014). As the infant begins to real ize that all of its needs will not be met instantaneously, another part of the personality begins to emerge, which is the ego. Hockenbury (2014) notes that, â€Å"Partly conscious (Freud, 1933), the ego represents the organized, rational, and planning dimensions of personality† (p. 423 para. 2). â€Å"As the mediator between the id's instinctual demands and the restrictions of the outer world, the ego operates on the reality principle† (Hockenbury, 2014). Hockenbury (2014) states: â€Å"The reality principle (Freud, 1940) is the capacity to postpone gratification [or to wait patiently] until the appropriate time or circumstances exist in the external world† (p. 423 para. 2). Therefore, the ego itself is or becomes more practical when dealing with situations that can be strenuous to â€Å"reduce the tension of the id's instinctual urges† (Hockenbury, 2014). The ego can also repress instinctual urges especially those of a sexual nature â€Å"or remove it f rom conscious awareness (Freud, 1915a). When a child reaches the age of five or six, â€Å"a parental voice† emerges internally â€Å"that is partly conscious† known as the superego (Hockenbury, 2014). â€Å"As the internal representation of parental and societal

Ethical Principles in the Corporate World Essay

Ethical Principles in the Corporate World - Essay Example The matter at hand presents the dilemma in which the employee is placed by two important factors that determines destiny. It is important to note that the company management is reluctant to solve the issue of employee exposure to the harmful asbestos and instead avoids the cost of carrying out cleanup. The management silently threaten the employee with job loss in case of raising alarm on the health risk posed by asbestos in the vault while the employee is attempting to balance losing the job and retaining it but awaiting the consequences of long term exposure to the asbestos in the work place. What is wrong and why? What do you see as the conflict? The issue of central concern in this case is the healthy risk that asbestos in the vault poses to the employee. The company management has put in place restrictive measures that prevent the employee from airing their views or seeking government intervention over the evident health hazard they face from asbestos in the vault. The employee is juggling with two competing decisions with equally enormous consequences. If the employee report the matter to the healthcare agencies there are chances of losing job and silent on the other hand means ultimate health risk from the long term exposure to the toxic asbestos in the work place. ... In this case the consequence of seeking external intervention over the management unethical treatment of employees is losing a job. This comes with several socio-economic repercussions on the life of the employee. On the other hand, silence means continued exposure to the harmful asbestos which will end up with respiratory infections at retirement or upon leaving the company. In the context of this case, the employee will make decision based on the ultimate consequences attached to each move. Deontologist: decision is tied to duty and obligation From the approach of deontologist, the universal obligation and responsibility of every person to ensure safety and general welfare of humanity is upheld. It is important to underline the duty of every employee in serving the company with utmost faith and considering that the welfare of the employees takes center stage as far as productivity of the corporation is concerned. This mode of making a decision considers the cardinal significance of physical health in employee’s ability to discharge duties and derive better socio-economic life which is the fundamental role of corporates. In this respect, the employee should act for the interest of fellow workers without fearing for the short term consequences like loss of job. Virtue ethics: decision is based on â€Å"who am I?† (Consult article: â€Å"The Discipline of Building Character†) Personal identity is an important consideration when making such a critical decision. There are a number of factors to put to play and the most important one is the long term benefits from any decision made. Loss of job like in this case may mean seeking another one in a better

Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Humanities - Essay Example e, sceptics continuously claim that the flood of Noah in the book of Genesis is a rewritten version of the original myth called the Epic of Gilgamesh written and produced by the Sumerians in a form of a poem. It is imperative to note that, the flood of the epic of Gilgamesh is enclosed on the Tablet XI, which is one of the 212 tablets dated to 650B.C (The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Old Testament, 9). The tablets might not perceptibly be the originals, because the remains of the Gilgamesh flood story have been established on tablets dated to earlier dates such as 2000.B.C. On the other hand, the Genesis story about the flood is not dated, however, the liberal researchers have dated it between 1500-500B.C. some of the similarities that have made liberal scholars believe that the Genesis flood story is founded in the Gilgamesh story include The significance of the names of the heroes does not exhibit any common similarity or linkage. For instance, Noah meant â€Å"rest†, while Utnapishtim meant finder of life. However, both of them were considered righteous and faultless as compared with the rest. On the composition of those who entered the boat, Utnapishtim took a pilot, artisans and his family (The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Old Testament, 10). Equally, it is fascinating to find out that both floods trace to the same place; the Middle East, nonetheless the tow mountains, Ararat and Nisir are 300 miles apart. In addition, the gift or blessing the heroes received after the floods was different. For instance, Noah received the blessing of multiplying and filling the earth and taking charge of all animals, while Utnapishtim was offered eternal life. The account that in both floods a boat existed is an obvious expectation for any danger, there must be a means of escape and the boats served this purpose in both cases. Equally, the construction of the boats was attributed to the knowledge of the coming of danger, which originated from somebody thus the existence of both God

American-Mexican border issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American-Mexican border issues - Essay Example In addition, the border region between the US and Mexico is a place of significance for the people who live in it. These people have a shared history, culture and heritage. This region has two deserts and rapid population growth. Tourism in this area is a major source of revenue. The people inhabiting this region share several common features, and have adopted a common lifestyle. They also tend to be influenced by the geographical features of the region. Moreover, they enjoy the unique features of an international border (Anderson and Gerber 1). Communities from the US and Mexico that live in this border region have adjusted to the peculiar challenges posed by the international boundary, which in also divides the local communities of great similarity. The migrants to this region have been compelled to adjust to the integrated culture, language, economy, and politics. These factors have significantly influenced these migrant communities from both the countries (Anderson and Gerber 1). As such, the international border produces profound effects on the daily life of every person in the region. According to Global Exchange, entering into the US has become a difficult task for illegal immigrants. A large number of such people have died in their attempt to enter the country, since the inception of Operation Gatekeeper. A majority of the illegal immigrants had died due to the unfriendly nature of the region. Some people had drowned in the canals and rivers. Others had died in the desert, due to dehydration, heat stress, and hypothermia (Beyond the Border – Mà ¡s Allà ¡ de la Frontera). As such, Operation Gatekeeper adopted an inhuman attitude towards illegal immigrants. In addition, ranchers had shot Mexicans in Arizona and Texas. Crossing the border is a hazardous activity, in which nearly 370 immigrants have died in the year 2000, due to exposure to heat and cold. There are a number of illegal immigrants

Americas Founding Documents

Americas Founding Documents The founding documents refer to the documents such as Constitution and other written instruments in which an organization is established and governed. In the United States of America, various founding documents were used to shape the United States of America. These important documents included the Constitution, Bill of rights, Declaration of Independence, primary source documents and other documents that were written between the year 1764 and 1791.The discussion is based on these founding documents of the United States of America. The constitution was written in 1787 in Philadelphia by delegates who came from 12 states. This Constitution created a federal system which composed of three separate powers and also included the concurrent and reserved powers of the states. The facilitation of the formation of the constitution was championed by James Madson.   September 1787 this law was sent to the states for the purpose of ratification where 9 out of 13 states were to ratify it to be active to the states (Fischer, D. H. 2004). The constitution was approved by many of the countrys conventions who called for the amendments especially for the areas that protect the individual rights. The constitution was apportioned into articles and sections. All the legislative powers were to be vested in a Congress of the United States and had to compose of a Senate and House Representatives. The executive power was vested in the president of the United States of America who had to hold the office for the term of four years and was to government placed together with his vice. The constitution also highlighted that the judicial power of the United States be put upon the Supreme Court whereby it was to apply the law and equity when exercising power. The bill of rights was another founding document that has by Anti-Federalists who held that this law was necessary to protect and safeguard the liberty of the individuals. The paper of reasons was the list that has been created polished the government power. About the state authority, the founders found it to be important for the people to be free in conducting worship services and have freedom of speech likewise. The freedom was made free and protected with the amendments that were fist done. Another one was the natural right of people to secure in their houses, persons, papers against any unreasonable searches. The founders also established the amendment III that prohibited any soldier to be quartered in any house without the knowledge of the owner. The founders created various founding principles as one of the founding documents. For instance, individual liberty was at all times to be supported since without right the law loses its nature, and without law, liberty loses its meaning. They came up with the principle that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by the creator with some unalienable rights such as life, happiness, and liberty. The principle of separation of powers came out in the founding document where the powers of the government were to be divided and balanced among various bodies to avoid the element of tyranny and accumulation of authority in one branch. The principle of individual liberty came out clear in these documents where an individual had right to obtain and even control possessions and the fruits of their hard labor. Primary source documents are one of the founding documents in which many written works that existed from the time of the founders is kept. This report tells the story of how the colonies gathered together in the United States of America and created the constitutional republic which has been existence for a long time (House, H. W. (Ed.). 1998). The words and ideas of the founders of the America are placed in this document. The declaration of independence document is considered as founding document that has the foundation of the American freedom. The Declaration of Independence document marked the genesis of the Republic of United States containing unalienable rights. This paper has always been a beacon to those women and men that value freedom. It has sections like a general statement of natural rights and the purpose of the government placed in it.it has the truth that illustrates all men are equal and that Creator has endowed them with certain unalienable rights such as life, a pursuit of happiness and liberty. According to the national archives documents (McCoy 1934-1968), the material brings out the idea that if any form of the government becomes destructive of these rights, the people have the right to abolish such government. The people will vote in the new state which would provide them happiness and liberty without political influence and communicate much on federal agencies. In conclusion, the founding documents in the United States have elevated the freedom and the freedom of the American citizens. The documents contain the history of the founders and guideline and guidance that the government needs to follow when governing the citizens. Documents have also established various rights and freedom of the people of the United States. References House, H. W. (Ed.). (1998). The Christian and American Law: Christianitys Impact on Americas Founding Documents and Future Direction. Kregel Publications. Fischer, D. H. (2004). Liberty and Freedom: A Visual History of Americas Founding Ideas (Vol. 3). Oxford University Press. McCoy, D. R. (1978). National Archives: Americas Ministry of Documents, 1934-1968. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.

The Return of Martin Guerre Essay -- Natalie Zemon Davis French Histor

The Return of Martin Guerre Historian Natalie Zemon Davis wrote an informative novel about the lives of peasants in the sixteenth century. Entitled The Return of Martin Guerre, Davis tells a true story about a law suit against a man claiming to be someone he is not. She familiarizes the reader with peasantry, laws, and moral attitudes of the time. The story begins in 1527 with a family move from the French Basque country to the village of Artigat. There the Daguerre family settled and started a tileworks business; a prosperous business in the sixteenth century. They eventually started businesses in wheat, millet, vines, and sheep. To be accepted in the new town the family had to make some changes such as speaking a different dialect, dropping the 'Da'; from their name thus pronouncing and spelling it 'Guerre,'; and also in style of dress. As for the Guerre women, life in the village of Artigat was a drastic change. No longer could they push ahead of the men to make their offerings at parish mass or go about the church to collect for the vestry. The Guerre's seemed to like their new lives, their family grew, and they became successful in their trade. In 1538 the only son of the Guerre family, Martin, got married to Bertrande de Rols, the beautiful daughter of a well-off family. After much trying they have one son. In 1548 the rich peasant disappeared from the village of Artigat after a family dispute over his stealing some grain from h...

Oedipus the King by Sophocles

Karina Lazcano Oedipus the King by Sophocles English Literature Anderson Many will argue that fate cannot be escaped in Oedipus the King by Sophocles, where the main character is portrayed as a tragic hero with a predetermined fate. Both the concept of fate and freewill played an innate part in Oedipus' downfall. The play suggests that fate dominates over free will. Oedipus never had control of his fate; the day his mother gave birth to him, his parents attempted to kill him in order to prevent the prophecy. â€Å"True: it is not from me your fate will come.That lies within Apollo’s competence, as it is his concern† (75, 159-160). Oedipus fate was the God’s will that damned him since birth. Fate mastered free will when Oedipus’ pride overruns his arrogance and leads him to leave the parents he thought were his biological parents. Only to come that his arrogance drove him closer to his biological parents and doomed by the curse of Thebes. Consequently, Soph ocles points out that as much as free will takes place, life is predetermined. Oedipus tries his best to avoid the prophecy that Teiresias predicted; that he will murder his father and marry his mother.Oedipus tried to change his fate by moving away, in reality it only brought him closer to his crossroads fate. Jean de La Fontaine once said, â€Å"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it. † Oedipus confronts his biological father in an intersection, then killing his father with his bare hands, just as the oracle that was told to him. Killing King Laios started a new problem; Thebes was now under a new plague that leads Oedipus the King to find the murderer of the King Laios. â€Å".. The Sphinx was performing here, What help were you to these people?†¦But I came by, Oedipus, the simple man, who knows nothing- I thought it out for myself, no birds helped me! †(75, 175-182) Pride and confidence led Oedipus, the King of Thebes to guide and pro tect his people but in reality Oedipus’ free will only created a path, for which prolonged the search of the murderer of Laios. Oedipus promises that â€Å"once more [he] must bring what is dark to light† (71, 134). Creating new problem that he will save the people from the plague by finding the murderer of King Laios, in which ironically he is trying to save from himself.According to Fosso, â€Å"thebe’s plague, and have lived on in happy albeit plague-ridden ignorance†¦. his happiness would simply be that of not knowing that he had fulfilled his horrible destiny†. Even though the plague was caused by Oedipus himself he finally figured out the truth about his birth, Iocaste also figured out before her suicide that fate itself was inevitable. Even though Laios, Iocaste, and Oedipus all tried to escape their fate, it was bound to be sooner or later. Iocaste told Oedipus she was positive his fate was not to become true, because she is skeptical of prop hecies.Since at first Iocaste thought that her son was dead, she sent for his death and her husband was killed by a group of thieves but she slowly uncovers the truth and tries to slowly tie Oedipus down for comfort. â€Å"Why should anyone in this world be afraid, since fates rules us and nothing can be foreseen? A man should live only for the present day. Have no more fear of sleeping with your mother: how many men, in dreams, have lain with their mothers! No reasonable man is troubled by such things† (84, 64-69). She becomes upset of Oedipus’ attempts to find out the truth about his birth.Iocaste plays two roles in the play, as a mother and as a spouse. When Iocaste realizes that the prophecy did come true, she tries to tell him that the future does not matter. At the end Oedipus does not take in mind her advice, it is brutal for her as she knows what will happen and kills herself. Teiresias also plays a big role in the play as he has Oedipus begging for the truth. â€Å"But I say that you, with both your eyes, are blind: You cannot see the wretchedness of your life, nor in whose house you live, no, nor with whom. Who are your father and mother? Can you tell me?You do not even know the blind wrongs that you have done them but the double lash of your parents’ curse will whip you out of this land someday, with only night upon your precious eye†(75, 196-205). Tiresias predicts that Oedipus will end up blind and out of Thebes . Oedipus denies almost all of it and disrespects him. But Teiresias himself knows his inevitable fate. The play shows that fate is unavoidable without regard of the things done to avoid it. When Iocaste and Oedipus himself try to avoid the truth, Iocaste finally realizes that her ex-husband Laios, and herself could not defy fate. Everything that I say is for your own good! †(86, 147) Iocaste then tries to become a mother figure for Oedipus and intends to steer him away from his promise to the people of Th ebes. King Oedipus used his power to help him find the truth, in which he was blinded himself from. Seeking the truth was Oedipus own free will, nobody else made the decision to seek the murderer of Thebes but himself. His arrogance did not allow him to question himself. In a nutshell, Oedipus feels a sense of remorse as he realizes all the pain he has cause for his family and himself. But the blinding hand was my own! How could I bear to see when all my sight was horror everywhere? † (90, 112-13) However, now that he is blind he can now â€Å"see† his madness. At this point we see all pride, all arrogance set aside as Oedipus confesses that his freewill worked hand in hand with his fate. Oedipus was ultimately controlled by fate and not free will. Oedipus lost his wife, he lost his eyesight, and he lost his children, and lost his crown. To a certain extent, we see Oedipus downfall, his pride and arrogance led to this discovery which resulted in him losing everything th at he had.Oedipus’ overall attempt of free will to raise his level of the gods and trying to avoid his own fate failed. Works Cited Dudley, Fitts, and Fitzgerland Robert. â€Å"Oedipus the King (. 430 B. C. ). † Trans. Array. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1977. 67-93. Print. Apr. 2013 Fosso, Kurt. â€Å"Oedipus crux: reasonable doubt in Oedipus the King. † College Literature 39. 3 (2012): 26+. Literature Resource Center. Web. Apr. 2013. Jean de La Fontaine . â€Å"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it. † Think exist. Web. Apr 2013.

Age of Consent in Canada

Age of Consent in Canada Beginning May 1, 2008, the age of sexual consent in Canada is 16 years old. The age of consent in Canada is the age at which the criminal law recognizes the legal capacity of a young person to consent to sexual activity. Under the Criminal Code of Canada, anyone under the age of 16 cannot legally consent to any form of sexual activity, from kissing to intercourse. It means that adults are criminally liable if they have sex with someone under that age. The offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The law has a close-in-age exemption of less than five years, which permits teens to engage in consensual sex with a partner who is less than five years older, as long as the older partner is not in a position of trust or authority and the relationship is not exploitive. The age of protection for exploitive sexual activity, such as sexual activity involving prostitution, pornography, or a relationship of trust, is 18. The age of consent for anal sex is also 18.

Summary and Review of Proof, a Play from David Auburn

Summary and Review of Proof, a Play from David Auburn Proof  by David Auburn premiered on Broadway in October 2000. It received national attention, earning the Drama Desk Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and the Tony Award for Best Play. The play is intriguing with fascinating dialogue and two characters who are well-developed and an academic, mathematical theme. It does, however, have a few downfalls. Plot Overview of Proof Catherine, the twenty-something daughter of an esteemed mathematician, has just laid her father to rest. He died after suffering from a prolonged mental illness. Robert, her father, had once been a gifted, ground-breaking professor. But as he lost his sanity, he lost his ability to coherently work with numbers. The audience quickly learns: Catherine is brilliant in her own right, but she fears that she might possess the same mental illness which ultimately incapacitated her father.Her older sister wants to take her to New York where she can be cared for, in an institution if need be.Hal (a devoted student of Roberts) searches through the professors files hoping to discover something usable so that his mentors final years wont have been a complete waste. During the course of his research, Hal discovers a pad of paper filled with profound, cutting-edge calculations. He incorrectly assumes the work was Roberts. In truth, Catherine wrote the mathematic proof. No one believes her. So now she must provide proof that the proof belongs to her. (Note the double-entendre in the title.) What Works in Proof? Proof  works very well during the father-daughter scenes. Of course, there are only a couple of these since the father character, after all, is dead. When Catherine does converse with her father, these flashbacks reveal her often conflicting desires. We learn that Catherines academic goals are thwarted by her responsibilities to her ailing father. Her creative urges are offset for her propensity for lethargy. And she worries that her so-far undiscovered genius might be a tell-tale symptom of the same affliction to which her father succumbed. David Auburns writing is at its most heartfelt when father and daughter express their love (and sometimes despair) for math. There is a poetry to their theorems. In fact, even when Roberts logic has failed him, his equations exchange rationality for a unique form of poetry: Catherine (Reading from her fathers journal.)Let X equal the quantities of all quantities of X.Let X equal the cold.Its cold in December.The months of cold equal November through February. Another strong point of the play is Catherine herself. She is a strong female character: incredibly bright, but by no means prone to flaunting her intellect. She is by far the most well-rounded of the characters (in fact, with the exception of Robert, the other characters seem bland and flat by comparison). Proof  has been embraced by colleges and high school drama departments. And with a leading character like Catherine, it is easy to understand why. A Weak Central Conflict One of the major conflicts of the play is Catherines inability to convince Hal and her sister that she actually invented the proof in her fathers notebook. For a while, the audience ​is unsure as well. After all, Catherines sanity is in question. Also, she has yet to graduate from college. And, to add one more layer of suspicion, the math is written in her fathers handwriting. But Catherine has a lot of other things on her plate. Shes dealing with grief, sibling rivalry, romantic tension, and the slow sinking feeling of losing ones mind. She isnt terribly concerned about proving that the proof is hers. She is deeply annoyed that the people closest to her fail to believe her. For the most part, she doesnt spend much time trying to prove her case. In fact, she even tosses the notepad down, saying that Hal can publish it under his name. Ultimately, because she doesnt really care about the proof, we the audience dont care too much about it either, thereby diminishing the conflict. A Poorly Conceived Romantic Lead One more downside: Hal. This character is sometimes nerdy, sometimes romantic, sometimes charming. But for the most part, hes a dweeb. Hes the most skeptical about Catherines academic abilities, yet it seems that if he wanted, he could talk to her for about five minutes and discover her mathematical skills. But he never bothers until the plays resolution. Hal never states this, but it seems that his main contention against Catherines authorship of the proof boils down to sexism. Throughout the play, he seems on the verge of shouting: You couldnt have written this proof! Youre just a girl! How could you be good at math? Sadly, theres a half-hearted love story tacked on. Or maybe its a lust story. Its hard to say. During the second half of the play, Catherines sister discovers that Hal and Catherine have been sleeping together. Their sexual relationship seems very casual, but it does kick the level of betrayal up a notch when Hal continues to doubt Catherines genius.

Rural Urban Migration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rural Urban Migration - Essay Example Misra (1998) observes that those who migrate are often male who are young and better educated. Pull factors on the other hand, attract the population to big cities or destination area. Developed and developing countries are impacted differently by the migration pattern though some aspects are similar. The paper will discuss the push and pull factors as well as the impact of migration on areas of origin and destination DCs and LDCs. Push Factors These are unfavorable conditions in rural areas that push people to migrate to urban areas. According to Watson (2004), people move to urban areas so as to improve their lives. Many rural people depend on agriculture for survival. However, the agricultural sector is faced with many challenges such as drought, famine and floods leading to poor harvest. There are also inadequate agricultural jobs thereby pushing people to look for jobs elsewhere. Structural adjustment programs result in heavy debts for developing countries thus encouraging gover nments to displace people and offer the farms to large enterprises for production and resource extraction thereby pushing local people to move (Datta, 2003). Lack of basic social amenities and recreation facilities pushes people to big cities where such amenities are available. These include; poor education, lack of quality health care, transport and communication. Higher education is often found in big cities. People move there to have better education and enjoy better living standards (Twumasi, 1995). Lack of clean water supply, poor sanitation and drainage systems push people to get better services available in cities. Inadequate income pushes people to big cities. Varieties of occupations are found in urban areas; rural areas depend mainly in agriculture which doesn’t offer adequate income. Rural people also do not possess necessary skill to perform a job and formal employment is limited. Income is thus inadequate to feed the large families they have. Persuasion by contra ctors and agents also enhances the migration. They move with them to cities in promise of better benefits and to search for a livelihood (Misra, 19998). Pull Factors These represent the attractive attributes of big cities that pull people. The wage gap between rural and urban areas whereas wages are higher in urban areas pull migrants to the city. They have high expectations of getting a well paying job. Formal and informal jobs are also available hence they work in informal settings while awaiting formal job. Besides industries are concentrated in urban areas hence attracting the rural population (Srichar et al. 2010). Availabilities of public services and social amenities in big cities attract mass population. In big cities, there is access to education and high quality health care. There are also recreational facilities that make life in the city exciting (Birmingham, 2000). Those who travel to cities and come back to rural areas for holiday or to visit their families show signs of wealth or extravagance which makes the rural people to follow their example. They form a network whereby the extended family follows the migrant to the city to enjoy city life and its benefits. Effects of Rural-Urban Migration The movement of people from rural to urban areas of both developed (DCs) and developing countries (LDCs) has adverse effects.  

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

Hinduism - Essay Example e answer to this question can be found in the book â€Å"God is Dead: Secularization in the West†, 2002, wherein Steve Bruce defines religion as â€Å"beliefs, actions and institutions predicated on the existence of entities with power of agency (that is gods) or impersonal powers or processes possessed of moral purpose (the Hindu notion of Karma), which can set the conditions of, or intervene in human affairs†. Thus Karma is an essential component of Steve Bruce’s definition of religion and moral purpose that unites all Hindus. For Hindus the central belief is the never ending cycle of birth and death that an individual has to go through in his earthly existence, till salvation through unification with the Almighty is attained. In these different phases of an existence an individual is likely to commit both good and bad deeds. Karma is the total effect of these good and bad actions, which is the determining factor of the destiny of the individual (Chaudhuri, C. N., 1979). Hinduism is an open religious philosophy that gives its followers to tolerate any other religious beliefs. There are many who believe that Hinduism is more a way of life than a religion. In short this implies that it is the cultural and societal influences of Hinduism that are more important than the rigid religious beliefs. This aspect of Hinduism becomes extremely valid for the sub-continent of India, where Hinduism originated. The region is one of the most densely populated regions of the world. This population is made up of diverse religions in varying proportions with Hindus being the dominant religious grouping by far. Hinduism has provided to beneficial factors for the region. In the first place it as extremely tolerant religion on the basis of its nature, and thus religious minorities by far have not been subjected to domination by the Hindus. On the contrary in India the minority religious groups are recipients of special benefits from the administration just because they a re a