Essay --

Smithsonian Digital Libraries provided various materials for its user which are Databases, Exhibitions and Collections. These materials are very useful to researchers as it provide accurate and reliable information. Besides that, it also provides the collection of online books range from Art, History and Culture. Database is a collection of data to search materials easily. Smithsonian Digital Libraries provides databases such as Taxonomic Literature II which are a selective guide to botanical publications and collections with dates, commentaries and types. In addition, other available database is Smithsonian Research Online that itemized a set of services to the research community both within and outside the Smithsonian Institution. Other examples of databases available are listed as below. †¢ Example of Databases in Smithsonian Digital Libraries: o Taxonomic Literature II o Smithsonian Research Online o Index Animalium o Trade Literature Through exhibitions in Smithsonian Digital Libraries enable users to explore the rich variety of topics, images and materials featured in online exhibition. On the other hand, the current exhibition allows users to view the display of the latest exhibitions as the date and location are being stated. Besides that, National Museum of American History curators created the panel to offer users with reproductions of the world’s greatest pieces such as illustrations from rare books and document from the travelling exhibition column. †¢ Examples of Exhibitions in Smithsonian Digital Libraries: o Online Exhibition o Current Exhibition o Travelling Exhibition o Library and Archival Exhibitions on the Web Smithsonian Digital Libraries range from various type of collection. One of the collections is Caldwe... ...for its users. For educational purposes, user can easily access through the three main type of collection that have been provided. Researchers and scientist are being supply with current periodicals and professional society publications. In addition, with the existence of online books, user will acquire the same information as the printed book. On the other hand, user can also view the exhibition on interesting topic as Smithsonian Digital Libraries offers various type of exhibition such as online and travel exhibition. There are no broken links in this digital library. †¢ Link All the listed hyperlinks in Smithsonian Digital Libraries are well-functioning as it takes user to the accurate information. The link contains in this library were involve only internal link. For example, if user clicks on either one of the link, the tab will be open through the same page.

Housmans To An Athlete Dying Young :: Poem Housman Athlete Dying Essays

Housman's "To An Athlete Dying Young" A. E. Housman's "To an Athlete Dying Young," also known as Lyric XIX in A Shropshire Lad, holds as its main theme the premature death of a young athlete as told from the point of view of a friend serving as pall bearer. The poem reveals the concept that those dying at the peak of their glory or youth are really quite lucky. The first few readings of "To an Athlete Dying Young" provides the reader with an understanding of Housman's view of death. Additional readings reveal Housman's attempt to convey the classical idea that youth, beauty, and glory can be preserved only in death. A line-by-line analysis helps to determine the purpose of the poem. The first stanza of the poem tells of the athlete's triumph and his glory filled parade through the town in which the crowd loves and cheers for him. As Bobby Joe Leggett defines at this point, the athlete is "carried of the shoulders of his friends after a winning race" (54). In Housman's words: The time you won your town the race We chaired you through the market place; Man and boy stood cheering by, And home we brought you shoulder-high. (Housman 967). Stanza two describes a much more somber procession. The athlete is being carried to his grave. In Leggett's opinion, "The parallels between this procession and the former triumph are carefully drawn" (54). The reader should see that Housman makes another reference to "shoulders" as an allusion to connect the first two stanzas: Today, the road all runners come, Shoulder high we bring you home, And set you at the threshold down, Townsman of a stiller town. (967) In stanza three Housman describes the laurel growing "early" yet dying "quicker than a rose." (967) This parallels "the 'smart lad' who chose to 'slip betimes away' at the height of his fame" (Explicator 188). Leggett's implication of this parallel is "that death, too is a victory" (54). He should consider himself lucky that he died in his prime and will not out live his fame. Housman says: Eyes the shady night has shut Cannot see the record cut, And silence sounds no worse than cheers After earth has stopped the ears. (967) Leggett feels that "death in the poem becomes the agent by which the process of change is halted" (54). In the next stanza symbolism is used as the physical world is in Leggett's terms, "The field where glories do not stay" (54). "Fame and beauty are represented by a rose and the laurel, which are both subject to decay," Leggett explains (54). The athlete dying is described here by Housman:

How Useful Is Postmodernism in Understanding Contemporary British Fiction

How useful is postmodernism in understanding contemporary British fiction To examine the question of how useful postmodernism is in understanding contemporary British fiction, I will be using the example of ‘Sexing The Cherry’ written by Jeanette Winterson. The works that can be closely linked with this novel first published in 1989 are those of theorist and historian Michel Foucault. His ideas on sexuality mirror the ideas of sexuality used in Sexing The Cherry (Winterson. J 1989, 47-60). Postmodernism affects the way that we read a text, but why is that more important than reading a text for its own individual merit.Postmodernism as a movement is only the current movement in literature, and if we look into the past we can see that all the movements can be used to characterise some of the texts of the era in which they were written, but also there are other factors that go into analysing a text, such as historical and social context. During those times texts were analys ed by using the movement of the time, however there is nothing to say that previous movements can’ be used to analyse contemporary texts, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the current movement.For example Romanticism or Modernism could still be used as a valid theory to analyse texts that are currently being published; because some of the ideas used to create the basis of these movements are still valid in today’s society, as Postmodernism is still just the progression of Modernism. It is all dependant on what the author has intended to convey with his or her story, as in any case the ideas and theories that have influenced postmodernism are those of the previous movements and societies.Foucault’s ideas of sexuality and the taboo of sexuality can be seen in the retelling of the 12 dancing princesses in Sexing The Cherry (Winterson. J. 1989, 47-60). In the story told by Winterson the twelve dancing princesses all become married to twelve princes but all bu t one of them part with their princes for one reason or another, most of them kill their husbands due to their inadequacies or in one case because he asks her to. Foucault argues that the relationship between sex and power is defined by repression.Sexual repression is something that can be seen in some if not all of the stories Winterson tells, if not especially with the tale of the princess who married another woman and lives are happy and peaceful life until their persecutors come to kill them. In this Foucault’s ideas of sexual repression which he talks about in his book The History Of Sexuality (Foucault, M, 1976) in society come to be useful in the analysis of this, however this could also be done using the current social context concerning sexuality.The postmodernism critique of this is detracting from the individual and placing into a much larger concept and can take away all the emotional power of this story. Postmodernism is not concerned with the individual as previ ous movements had been but instead pushes all of us into groups or theories that characterise all people in a similar way, which I believe takes something away from the text by making the text merely a commentary on the social aspects of our society as opposed to being the thoughts on paper of one person who wishes to express his or her feelings.Postmodernism removes itself from reality by showing the nature of the society in which we have created for ourselves as fake â€Å"Postmodern theorists adopt the poststructuralist strategy of severing the connection between signs and their referents, thus abandoning modern theorists' efforts to represent the â€Å"real. †Ã¢â‚¬  (Robert J. Antonio and Douglas Kellner, New York: Guilford Press, 1994: 127-152. Sexing The Cherry does this with the playful way in which it deals with history, by placing the protagonist of the story in a time that is so different from now the author is able to play with and subvert our already existing id eas of that time and apply social stigma of our society onto a time that had different ideas to those which we have now. Postmodernism as a critical tool, I feel takes away from the text its individuality, and therefore the power from the words on the page, which the author has tried to put down on paper.Literature should be classed individually as it has been created by individuals, and the postmodernist way of critique dismisses the idea that the author had anything to do with it. Word Count: 745 Bibliography * Sexing The Cherry – Winterson J. 1989, Vintage ISBN 0-09-974720-0 * Beginning Theory an introduction to literary and cultural theory – Barry P. 995, 2002, 2009 Manchester University Press ISBN 978-0-7190-7927-6 * The History of Sexuality, Vol. 1: An Introduction – Foucault M. 1976 Vintage ISBN-13: 978-0679724698 * The A-Z Guide to Modern Literary and Cultural Theorists Sim S. 1995 Prentice Hall/ Harvester Wheatsheaf ISBN 0-13-355553-4 * MODERNITY AND SO CIAL THEORY: THE LIMITS OF THE POSTMODERN CRITIQUE Antonio R. J. and Kellner D. 1994 New York: Guilford Press

Native Americans (Subordinate Group) Essay

One often wonders where the Native North Americans originated from. Some theories have been discussed about the peopling of the Americas. Early theories involving lost tribes and continents were based purely on speculation instead of actual scientific facts. Discoveries made during many archeological expeditions have helped shape the always changing interpretations by adding more questions and more theories. There have been genetic and linguistic studies which raised more understanding and brought new questions. It is theorized that during the latter part of the Cenozoic era, also known as the age of mammals that the Wisconsin glaciation caused enough of the planet’s water supply to turn into ice. This lowered the oceans and exposed now submerged land. This event created a stretch of land that the large mammals of the Ice Age era, along with the natives of that era, could very well have migrated across the newly formed land bridge, which now connected two continents. This land bridge is known as the Bering Strait, or Beringia. During the time that Beringia existed, the Wisconsin glaciers most likely prohibited migration to any southern or eastern regions. Another theory suggests that the early natives may have inhabited the now Alaskan region because it was ice-free due to low precipitation. Several melts over a period of time created passageways, and evidence from archeological site implies that there was an ice-free corridor for thousands of years. It was during another melt approximately ten thousand years ago, that a second corridor was most likely formed farther east along the borders of Saskatchewan and Canada plains. This points to the possibility that the ancient people could have traveled eastward along the rivers in the Great Plains, and down further south. The Indians known to history as the Sioux are also known as Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota, meaning allies. This is my heritage. I am a member of the largest division of Siouan family, otherwise known as Sioux. The name is from a term given to the largest and well- known of the tribal groups. At one time, my people stretched from the west banks of the Mississippi northward from Arkansas and the Rocky Mountains. The Dakotas also inhabited territory east of the river up to Wisconsin and Missouri. They were here to encounter DeSoto on his journey in 1541, when he reached the Indian villages in what is now eastern Arkansas. Another hundred years passed before any mention of Sioux existing, when in 1658 some Jesuit missionaries heard of the existence of about thirty Dakota villages just north of a Potawatomi mission. This was located at about the head of Green Bay, Wisconsin, in St. Michael. It was during the middle 1600’s when the Sioux, along with the Arapaho and Cheyenne had to migrate further westward towards the Great Plains to what is known as North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota. This migration was mainly due to the O jibwa and Chippewa tribes pushing them out of the Great Lakes region. The Ojibwa and Chippewa had been pushed out of their own land that had been further east, by the European settlers of that time. In 1805 Lewis and Clark passed through the center of this region and made contact with the Sioux tribes. After this took place, several more expeditions brought traders that settled among the tribes, and in the course of some time, permanent settlers arrived. This made the area so small that eventually the people of my tribe were forced to live in Indian Territories or confined to Nebraska, the Dakotas, or Montana. This brought on a series of raids and counter raids that lasted from roughly 1850 through 1890 and were known as the Sioux Wars. In the first years of the twentieth century, the Dakotas also known as Tetons began the process of adapting to their new way of life. They still had strong faith in their own traditions, but realized that the old way was gone forever. Numerous changes with the economy and politics were forced on my people by the government. The people strived to establish a life for themselves that used both new changes, but still remained true to their values and beliefs. During the rest of the twentieth century, all of the reservations for the Dakotas, Lakotas, and Tetons lost more land due to ownership passes and inheritances. Division between rural dwellers and people who live in town have grown bigger. Rural residents tend to retain their use of native language, and be involved in cultural events, when townspeople adapt other aspects of the American culture. Most of the Sioux nation and other groups of American Indians live in South Dakota, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and North Dakota at present time on privatized land created by the government many years ago. Wendy Coghill ETH/125 Text Citations: Bonvillain, Nancy. â€Å"‘Seeking a New Way’. † Teton Sioux, Indians of North America, Heritage Edition. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2004. American Indian History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www. fofweb. com/activelink2. asp? ItemID=WE43&iPin=INATS06&SingleRecord=True (accessed May 22, 2011). Text Citations: Waldman, Carl. â€Å"arrival of humans in North America. † Atlas of the North American Indian, Third Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc. , 2009. American Indian History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www. fofweb. com/activelink2. asp? ItemID=WE43&iPin=ind5278&SingleRecord=True (accessed May 22, 2011). Text Citation: Waldman, Carl. â€Å"Assimilation. † Word Dance: The Language of Native American Culture. New York: Facts On File, Inc. , 1994. American Indian History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www. fofweb. com/activelink2. asp? ItemID=WE43&iPin=ind2991&SingleRecord=True (accessed May 22, 2011). Text Citation: Waldman, Carl. â€Å"Sioux. † Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, Third Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc. , 2006. American Indian History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www. fofweb. com/activelink2. asp? ItemID=WE43&iPin=ind2432&SingleRecord=True (accessed May 22, 2011).

Direct Marketing Case study Exam ( Mcdonalds ) Essay

Direct Marketing Case study Exam ( Mcdonalds ) - Essay Example McDonald's has been able to develop products which cater to both the segments. However, it is also critical to understand that most of the UK's population is now ageing with least preferences for eating food like that of offered by McDonald's due to obvious health reasons therefore Targeted segmentation may be going to change for McDonald's. UK's population is expected to grow by 8% by 2016 however, the total proportion of pensioners i.e. old age population would increase therefore there may be a shift in the overall demographics of the country. (The Times 100) It is also critical to note that the market segmentation of the firm is largely generic in nature as it attempts to capture almost every consumer in the market by offering them food products which fit into their life styles according to different criterion such as income, taste, preferences, excitement etc. The purchase behavior is largely dominated by the increasing health consciousness of the consumers as they value health over the taste. This change in the psychographics of the consumers suggests that the trends are shifting towards consumers who prefer to have healthy food which not only fulfills their taste buds but also provide them necessary nutrition for maintaining an optimum level of health. Further, since the incidences of obesity are on rise in children too therefore there is also a general shift in the buying behaviors of the parents as due to health consciousness and improved health related education; parents prefer to have healthy food for their children. Competitive Situation There are two basis of competition in this industry i.e. the demographics as well as the personal income of the individuals. The competitive landscape in this segment of the market is therefore driven by the effective marketing and efficient operations. The following graph suggests the output growth level of the food services industry in next few years. The growth rates are more or less constant during next five years indicating that the industry may be heading towards its maturity stage.1 There are two close competitors of McDonald's in terms of size and presence in the market. KFC and Burger King Offer similar products offered by McDonald's with little or no differentiation in terms of quality. However, McDonald's has largest market share followed by KFC. This traditional superiority of McDonald's has been due to its competitive advantage it gained over the period of time. KFC has traditional lead in Chicken market where it offers products based on its unique and somewhat secret chicken recipe based on 11 herbs and spices whereas Burger King has the advantage in producing products which are considered as healthy. As such both the competitors are offering products which serve a particular niche market and focus on delivering value through the quality products i.e. products which are

Confederate Government Complicity in the Assassination of Abraham Research Proposal

Confederate Government Complicity in the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln - Research Proposal Example Among the authors who have substantively dealt with this issue is William Hanchet who states that like in any crime where the perpetrator is not appropriately tried or punished, there are a lot of conspiracy theories that came forth concerning the murder of Lincoln.3 Fingers have been pointed at the Vatican, the confederate Government and Lincoln’s own cabinet on the issue of the murder4. In analyzing the issues surrounding such a historical event, it is important to state what the known facts are before delving into the unknown. The assassination United States President Abraham Lincoln was carried out on the 14th of April, 1865, by John Wilkes Booth who was a renowned actor at the time. This was the first in a subsequent long list of assassinations of United States Presidents. On the fateful day, Lincoln was seated inside the presidential booth at the Ford’s Theatre in Washington watching a play Our American Cousin. With him in the box was his wife Mary who witnessed t he assassination. Booth sneaked into the box and shot the president from behind. He subsequently made good his escape even though he was challenged and nearly captured by Major Henry Rathbone who was in the President’s party to the show5. ... In fact, he shouted in Latin â€Å"Sic semper tyrannis!† which was the motto of the Virginia state that meant: Thus always to tyrants. However, the entire plan that booth and his two associates Lewis Powell and George Atzerodt did not materialize after the latter two failed to assassinate Secretary of State William Seward and Vice President Andrew Johnson respectively. Powell managed to wound Seward but Atzerodt totally freaked out of the plan6. The purpose of this research is to find out to which extent if at all the Confederates were responsible for the plan to assassinate President Lincoln. The Hypothesis here is that the assassination of Lincoln was solely the work individual extremist fanatics inspired by the lost Confederate cause. Background By April 1865, the Civil War was nearing a historic crossroads. With the surrender of Lee’s badly mauled army, a rising chorus of voices from inside and outside of Confederate government called for a radical change of tactics . Members of President Jefferson Davis’ cabinet and a core group of army officers proposed a guerilla campaign, to be based in the wilds of western Virginia. Others favored a direct strike at the heart of the federal government, a bold and destabilizing gesture aimed at bringing the Union to its knees in on stroke.To that end, the Confederate government conceived a plan to kidnap Abraham Lincoln to force the Union to free Confederate prisoners of war. This scheme never came to fruition but does call into question whether, and to what extent, the Confederate administration may have been involved in Lincoln’s assassination.7 To be sure, Davis and key members of his government had conceived of, and funded, an initiative aimed at striking the Union beyond the battlefield, an initiative that

Organizational Change Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Organizational Change Master - Essay Example While it has many ramifications including corporate ones that need a greater degree of focus and analysis within the socio-economic environment in which the company operates, there is also the need for a more practical view of the challenges faced by the society. It's here that Unilever has succeeded. Many writers have defined the concept of sustainability in a variety of ways. However the definition given by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) is considered to be of prime importance - "Sustainability represents forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs". Big organizations meet most of these constituent elements in its efforts to sustain the very environment in which they operate. Both the production process and the consumption process in the economy of a country are shaped by the innovative strengths and the subsequent summation of the "five basic sustainability principles" as enunciated by Buckminster Fuller (Dresner, 2002, p.37). They are the material domain, the economic domain, the domain of life, the social domain and the spiritual domain. According to Fuller the material domain is the central principle necessary for the regulation of the mobility of materials and en ergy that help to sustain life as it's. The economic domain serves as a main mechanism to husband wealth.On the other hand organizational change and sustainable development refers to a process in which individuals, processes, practices and whole organizations are transformed from their current position to a new desired position. According to Warren Bennis organizational development and sustainability is a complex strategic process in which attitudes, values, beliefs and the organizational structure are subject to change through adaptation to new challenges and techniques in equally new market segments. In other words it's a dynamic process intended to bring about systemic improvement and change. Thus organizational response to sustainability issues plays a very significant role here. The process of transformation from what an organization now is to a new dimensional growth trajectory is determined by how best change is accepted by the staff. AnalysisDuring the past two decades organizational change and sustainability has become a very important aspect in the modern day management practice. Change is more appropriate when everything else has failed to ensure the continuous survival of the business (Clark, 1999). However change and sustainability in itself might not be desirable when the degree of resistance to change becomes stronger because when resistance gathers momentum that in itself is an indicator of the existence of other solutions. If organizational change and development were focused on improving critical success factors related to financial management, Human Resource Management (HRM), employee relations, supply chain management, quality management, marketing and corporate social responsibility (CSR), then the organization would have to face considerable resistance.In the first