Thursday, August 27, 2020

Free Essays on Rousseau’s Inequality Among Men

Rousseau’s Inequality Among Men Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s â€Å"Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among Men,† gives a canny method to see the way disparity a treachery came to fruition and how we ought to react to it. His talk is, pretty much, an investigate of the implicit understanding as saw by a portion of his constituents. Rousseau concurred with John Locke and Thomas Hobbes on shifting thoughts in regards to the condition of nature and the implicit agreement, however his thoughts of an implicit understanding are distinctive from multiple points of view. In this exposition I will clarify Rousseau’s perspective on human instinct, his thoughts of private property, and how a common society came into place and the effect this had. Rousseau didn't feel that the condition of nature was such regular. He questions if there ever even was a condition of nature and if there was, how would we hit it up. He expresses that the ‘Holy Scriptures’ notice the main man was given illumination and statutes promptly from God and Moses never discussed this condition of nature (414). In any case, Rousseau concurs with John Locke that all people are brought into the world free and self-sufficient. In contrast to Locke, he feels that there is no explanation in the condition of nature and that good or political imbalance isn't approved by common law. Like Hobbes, Rousseau believed that a condition outside of society contains no ethical quality. Rousseau felt that excellencies, or common products, existed in the condition of nature and two ethics existed before reason. He felt that self-conservation and empathy for others were the two common excellencies that existed in the condition of nature. Sadly, these ideals are ch anged as we enter an implicit understanding. As per Rousseau this happens on the grounds that Human Nature is pliant. Rousseau’s perspective on private property gives a superior gander at how the common society was made. He didn't feel that society was common rather that the effortlessness of the ‘noble-savage’ was liked to society. ... Free Essays on Rousseau’s Inequality Among Men Free Essays on Rousseau’s Inequality Among Men Rousseau’s Inequality Among Men Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s â€Å"Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among Men,† gives a wise method to see the way disparity an unfairness happened and how we ought to react to it. His talk is, pretty much, an evaluate of the implicit understanding as saw by a portion of his constituents. Rousseau concurred with John Locke and Thomas Hobbes on shifting thoughts in regards to the condition of nature and the implicit agreement, yet his thoughts of an implicit agreement are distinctive from multiple points of view. In this paper I will clarify Rousseau’s perspective on human instinct, his thoughts of private property, and how a common society came into place and the effect this had. Rousseau didn't feel that the condition of nature was such regular. He questions if there ever even was a condition of nature and if there was, how would we hit it up. He expresses that the ‘Holy Scriptures’ notice the primary man was given edification and statutes quickly from God and Moses never discussed this condition of nature (414). Notwithstanding, Rousseau concurs with John Locke that all people are brought into the world free and self-governing. In contrast to Locke, he feels that there is no explanation in the condition of nature and that good or political imbalance isn't approved by normal law. Like Hobbes, Rousseau believed that a condition outside of society contains no ethical quality. Rousseau felt that temperances, or normal products, existed in the condition of nature and two ethics existed preceding explanation. He felt that self-protection and sympathy for others were the two common ideals that existed in the condition of nature. Tragically, these idea ls are modified as we enter an implicit understanding. As per Rousseau this happens in light of the fact that Human Nature is flexible. Rousseau’s perspective on private property gives a superior glance at how the common society was made. He didn't feel that society was regular rather that the straightforwardness of the ‘noble-savage’ was liked to society. ...

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Philisophical good vs evil essays

Philisophical great versus insidious articles What is acceptable? What is abhorrent? These are apparently simple words to characterize, yet on the off chance that you ask any individual on the road you likely won't get a straight or clear answer. I began to scrutinize my meaning of good and wickedness a couple of days prior, and I presently have arrived at a couple of resolutions. As a reason, I need to really discuss the words great and fiendishness. I cannot utilize the word fiendish in this setting since society has changed the significance of the word. In the days when the speculations of Plato, Socrates, and significantly progressively present day rationalists like Kant, Heidegger, and Kierkegaard were being defined, the importance of philosophical wickedness implied something contrary to great; which, to me implies terrible. At the present time the word abhorrent has a strict implication; thusly, I cannot legitimize its utilization in this specific circumstance. It is much more clear to keep on utilizing the word great, and allude to underhanded as the philosophical inverse of good. This inquiry seems straightforward yet is without a doubt an extreme inquiry to reply. The word reference characterizes human goodness to be acting with moral greatness, which would make something contrary to great to be acting with poor profound quality; there is no uncertainty that we as a whole partner great ethics with goodness, however what is forgotten about? What drives somebody to act or not to act with profound quality? The appropriate response is bliss. The meaning of goodness goes connected at the hip with being cheerful. Think about the individual that is the best case of goodness. Consider what their past resembled; especially their youth learning years, did the individual have adoring guardians? Consider the manner in which they act around you; do they fulfill you when you are around them? Odds are that their joy is fortified with their character. This is the stuff to normally think with unadulterated goodness. Oskar Shindler is the man at the peak of goodness in the film Shindlers List. This is alarming to me in view of who Oskar was, and what was rea... <!

Friday, August 21, 2020

Blog Archive Mission Admission The MBA Admissions Committee Will Believe You

Blog Archive Mission Admission The MBA Admissions Committee Will Believe You Mission Admission is a series of MBA admission tips; a new one is posted each Tuesday. Candidates are often skeptical about whether or not MBA admissions committees will believe their stories. After all, is anyone available to corroborate that  you  were what made the difference in a particular situationâ€"that  you  had that innovative idea? The response to this concern is pretty simple: if what you are describing actually happened, you do not need to worry about your credibility. You just need to write about your experience with sincerity. If you can offer the details about the events as part of a narrative, the story will unfold logically and truthfully and will have its desired impact. Conversely, if your story is basic and vague, it will not come across as compelling (regardless of its veracity). An equally important point is that you are innocent until proven guilty. The MBA admissions committee  is not assuming that you are a liar and reading your applications seeking proof of facts that are in doubt. They are taking stories at face value, recognizing that truth is stranger than fiction and that strong candidates will stand out on the strength of their experiences. In addition, if you accomplished something truly remarkable, you can always ask your recommender to emphasize this in his/her letter. This does not mean that the committee is seeking proof and that if something is not highlighted in a reference, then it will not be believed. Still, your recommender can play an important role in legitimizing certain accomplishments. Share ThisTweet Mission Admission

Monday, May 25, 2020

Robo o extravió del pasaporte americano qué hacer

El robo o extravà ­o del pasaporte americano debe notificarse inmediatamente ya que no hacerlo puede ser origen de un gran nà ºmero de problemas. En este artà ­culo se explica cà ³mo se notifica, lo cual se realiza distinta manera si su titular se encuentra en Estados Unidos o està ¡ en el extranjero. Tambià ©n se dan consejos sobre quà © hacer si existe una urgencia para obtener otro pasaporte, cà ³mo cuidarlo y cà ³mo acelerar el paso migratorio cuando se ingresa de nuevo a Estados Unidos. Y tambià ©n cà ³mo las deudas por pensià ³n de alimentos a hijos pueden dar lugar a que se cancele un pasaporte o a que no se tramite una solicitud. Cà ³mo notificar el robo o extravà ­o del pasaporte americano Si le roban su pasaporte americano, o si lo pierde, debe notificarlo inmediatamente de la siguiente manera: A la  Embajada o el consulado correspondiente, si el titular del pasaporte americano se encuentra en el extranjero.Si està ¡ en Estados Unidos, por telà ©fono marcando al 1-877-487-2778, de lunes a viernes de 8am a 10 pm hora de la costa Atlà ¡ntica (E.T.) o  rellenando el formulario DS-64 y envià ¡ndolo a la direccià ³n que en à ©l aparece. Ademà ¡s, si se desea obtener un nuevo pasaporte, entonces deberà ¡ acudir en persona con el formulario DS-64 y DS-11 a una Oficina Autorizada o a una Agencia de Pasaportes. Urgencia en el trà ¡mite del pasaporte americano Si se da cuenta de que ha extraviado o le han robado el pasaporte cuanto tiene un viaje inminente al extranjero, puede tramitar de urgencia que le entreguen un nuevo pasaporte americano. Si estuviese en el extranjero cuando tiene lugar el robo o la pà ©rdida, comunà ­quese directamente con la Embajada o el consulado americano mà ¡s cercano e indicar la naturaleza urgente de su peticià ³n. Sin embargo, hay que tener en cuenta que no hay pasaportes americanos en blanco en las oficinas consulares americanas para casos de urgencia. Pero pueden solventar el problema, si hay de verdad una urgencia, para que el ciudadano americano que se ha quedado sin pasaporte pueda regresar a Estados Unidos. De interà ©s: cà ³mo acelerar el paso por el control migratorio El pasaporte es el documento principal que pueden utilizar los ciudadanos americanos para ingresar y salir de los Estados Unidos. Es conveniente saber que a la hora de regresar al paà ­s existen diversos programas que permiten un cruce un mas rà ¡pido por el control de Inmigracià ³n en las fronteras de Estados Unidos. Cada uno tiene sus propios requisitos pero merece la pena conocerlos y estar familiarizados con ellos. Nexus:  para cruce entre Estados Unidos y Canadà ¡Global Entry  y  APC  en aeropuertosSENTRI para cruce terrestre o marà ­timo entre Mà ©xico y Canadà ¡. Consejos sobre cuidado de pasaporte y por quà © te lo pueden retirar Si pierde el pasaporte o se lo roban, notifà ­quelo inmediatamente, denuncie que ha sido objeto de un robo y guarde constancia de ello. Nunca se sabe en quà © manos puede acabar su pasaporte. Puede ser utilizado para un robo de identidad y dar inicio a un tremendo dolor de cabeza. Es una muy buena idea tener fotocopiada en un lugar seguro la hoja del pasaporte americano que contiene todos los datos de su titular. Asà ­ se puede saber el importantà ­simo dato que es el nà ºmero del pasaporte para denunciar su robo o pà ©rdida. Tambià ©n lo puede anotar en la hoja que recibe cuando solicità ³ el pasaporte por primera vez o lo renovà ³. Precisamente el objeto de ese papel es anotar el nà ºmero del documento para estos casos de robo o pà ©rdida. Si se trata del pasaporte de un menor, los padres o los guardianes legales son los obligados a denunciar el robo o la pà ©rdida del documento del nià ±o y estas son las reglas sobre cuà ¡ndo se requiere su presencia para solicitar o renovar el pasaporte. Finalmente, una  de las consecuencias de no pagar pensià ³n de alimentos (child support) es la posibilidad muy real de ver cà ³mo se cancela el pasaporte y/o no es posible obtener uno.  Esto sucede cuando se deben mà ¡s de $2,500.   En estos casos para recuperarlo o poderlo obtener por primera vez es necesario pagar la deuda. Ademà ¡s, desde esa fecha se necesitan entre 2 y 3 semanas hasta que se puede procesar la solicitud del pasaporte. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

From A Dolls House To Dolls Home - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 597 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/06/10 Category Literature Essay Level High school Topics: A Doll's House Essay Did you like this example? In the presence of social construct, there is an apparent debate of the role and value of women. A standard which often reflects a societyrs cultural standards and level of education. Within the traditional eras (est. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "From A Dolls House To Dolls Home" essay for you Create order prior to modern depiction) women were categorized as inferior to men. Unable to act independently, women were to depend on men in order to complete any task. In the midst of these ideologies Henrik Ibsen, a self-proclaimed humanist, published A Dollrs House a play that sparked controversy due to the role women portrayed. The protagonist, Nora, finds her family in the depths of a household crisis caused by debt. In the hopes of assisting her family in their financial crisis; Nora quickly mobilizes by sacrificing her dignity and adapting as a working woman. By doing so Nora rejects the traditional expectation of women as dependent and helpless. During this time a working woman was rare and seen as a humiliation to the husband, for his inability to fend for his household. Norars husband soon uncovers Norars contribution to their instability and is angered by embarrassment. In the virtue of self-worth, Nora abandons social norms-and her family. Modernists address A Dollrs House as a femi nist literature, using the playrs neutral perspective of women as independent, dignified, and a contributing member of society. Henrik Ibsen challenged the social depiction of women, controversy sparked as audiences hated and praised feminine independence through the use of female characters. Critics claimed, the play deterred women through selfish acts of the abandonment for self-growth. The consideration of A Dollrs House as a feminist play is dependent of the standards a society holds as feminist. In 1800rs a feminist ideology was perceived as the empowerment of women as nurturing and loyal to her household in comparison to the modern definition of feminism as the advocacy of womens rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes. The modern ideology of feminism reflects Henrik Ibsenrs moral values of humanism an ideology that disregards genders and emphasizes the injustices embarked by all; despite oners age, race, or gender. In other words, Ibsen perceived his literary work as much more than a depiction of a woman, his workrs intention was to portray the injustice that anyone may confront. He proclaim s his work as humanist, that coincidentally is embarked by a feminist role. Disregarding Ibsens intentions, A Dollrs House embodies feminist ideologies. The exposure of the injustice done to a woman , and the response she has.As a woman , Nora, claims individuality through her establishment of independence as a contributing member of society. Norars acts of servitude to her family received a negative backlash from her husband due to pride. It is then when Nora chose to not only abandoned her family but her squeal marriage with Torvald. Nora illustrated ger relationship as being with Torvald is a little like being with papa, (2.217) reflecting her sentiments of inferiority within her marriage. The granted feminine critical-mind, unintentionally empowers a social revolution against the depiction of women as dolls. Despite the authorrs intentions, A Dolls House left the audiences -in the 1800rs- in dismay. Nora received criticism because of her inability to endure feminine responsibilities. Her characteristic rejected the ideal women, which wear on her persona in the eyes of traditional values. The audience believes Noras demand for justice disillusioned the expected role of a woman. The modern response to Ibsen humanist literature is of feminist persie. The neutrality of gender abilities diminished the social issue of inequality, Directed towards a culture of male-domination, the play endorses feminism through the neutrality of genders.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Impact Of Cyber Attacks On Technology - 1760 Words

Introduction 1 Everyday we see innovations, new technology in the market, updates, upgrades. The world is moving forward and it is moving rapidly. Businesses around the globe are becoming more dependent on an ever-increasing selection of IT systems and technologies more and more as time goes on. Furthermore, they need to be interconnected with their suppliers, venders, customers and business partners. The dependency on technology combined with interconnection of their business and rapid increase has increased the potential of cyber security risks. Cyber attacks are not just an IT problem; they are more a business risk. Hacking has evolved from hackers to hack for fun to just look for technical vulnerabilities to being sponsored attacks that are targeting specific industries, sectors, companies, and individuals. Cyber attacks methods evolve incredibly fast, complexity, and impact with new, more complex cyber risks everyday. â€Å"Many organizations across the industry spectrum are suffering from substantive technology debt.† (PWC.com). Companies are so focused with their emerging business technologies, but they forget that their IT infrastructure is suffering. Their IT infrastructure is aging and it is getting to the point that it cannot even support basic data security functions. Yes, Technology has grown its influence on business, such as â€Å"mobile solutions, social media, alternative workplace solutions, collaborative product innovation, digitized healthcare, and telemedicine.†Show MoreRelatedCyber Security Case Analysis961 Words   |  4 Pagesareas of technology, people and policy and the perspective attach vectors, an impact assessment was completed and counter measures identified. The counter measures also addressed the areas of current weaknesses and emerging weaknesses in hopes to maintain a strong cyber security posture. For current technology vulnerability the outdated antivirus was used an example that pertains to all corporations to include Yahoo!, where malware can be introduced into the companies system. The attack vector forRead MoreInformation Is A Source Of Power In International Relations.967 Words   |  4 Pagessource of power in international relations. Technology is the capability by which states store information. More so now than ever, countries heavily rely on information technology and data storage in order to facilitate the basic functioning of a state. However, when any state places enough importance on a resource of power, that resource becomes a target. An attack on informational structures of a state are cyber-attacks or â€Å"the use of computational technologies in cyberspace for malevolent and destructiveRead MoreThreat Assessment Ranks Cyber Related Vulnerabilities1508 Words   |  7 PagesThe 2014 Worldwide Threat Assessment ranks cyber-related vulnerabilities as the nu mber one homeland security threat against the United States. In addition to cyber threats within the nation, Russia and China continue to hold views substantially divergent from the United States on the meaning and intent of international cyber security. Also stated within the 2013 Worldwide Threat Assessment is North Korea as they are becoming a tier one threat to the United States. Supervisory Control and Data AcquisitionRead MoreBusiness 360 Airport Safety And Security1005 Words   |  5 Pages Aviation Cyber Security Yulissa Menendez Aviation Management Business 360 – Airport Safety Security Dr. Robert Aceves Section: PQ March 2nd, 2015 Abstract The aviation industry has rapidly changed and is constantly expanding because of new technology entering the market. Currently the passengers are more linked with airlines and flights though technology. New technology produces a high risk of disturbance. Thus, airlines need to take action to maintain passengers and flight informationRead MoreOntology Of Information Security In Enterprises. Stephen1483 Words   |  6 PagesEnterprises have become an integral part of a complex relationship within the new socio- and techno- economic paradigm. The cornerstone of this new model is the Internet formed from a collection of eclectic commodity-based and inconsistently constructed technologies that, at an aggregate level, do not lend themselves to provide a secure and trustworthy channel to conduct or transact business. Enterprises have struggled to implement an appropriate and continuous level of protection in part by underestimatingRead MoreCyber Security : A Multi Billion Dollar Operation1415 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Cyber Security is a multi-billion dollar operation. This can be said to be true for both sides of the law. Companies spend thousands of dollars a year to guard their information from competitors, even hackers who try to access information illegally. Usually competitors hire hackers to snoop through another company’s information to find out what they have to offer. While on the other side, corporations spend thousands of dollars to keep these hackers out, by designing â€Å"so called† impenetrableRead MoreCyber Terrorism1716 Words   |  7 Pagesbombing of a Chinese embassy in Belgrade. During this attack, government sites were hijacked and some sites suffered a denial of service attack. Most recently, it was suspected that Bank of America was the victim of a cyber terrorism attack; although no definitive evidence is available to substantiate that claim.   Cyber terror attacks pose a threat against the national security of the United States. In order to fully comprehend the threat that cyber terrorism poses, it is essential to understand theRead MoreCyber Security And Cyber Attacks Essay1246 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction: Cyber security is a major concern for every department, business, and citizen of the United States because technology impacts every aspect of our daily lives. The more we use technology the more complacent, we get with the information that is stored within our cyber networks. The more complacent, we get, the more vulnerable we become to cyber-attacks because we fail to update the mechanisms that safeguard our information. Breaches to security networks are detrimental to personal,Read MoreCyber Security Is A Growing Concern For Governments Around The World1296 Words   |  6 PagesGlobal Cooperation for Cyber Security Cyber Security is a growing concern for governments around the world. Cyber-attacks pose a direct threat to the security of the nations’ critical infrastructures and Information Technologies (IT) as a low-cost asymmetric warfare element. Most of these nations are aware of the vulnerability of the information technologies and the significance of protecting critical infrastructures. To counteract the threat of potentially disastrous cyber-attacks, nations’ policy makersRead MoreInformation Technology Business Model Of The Organization1435 Words   |  6 PagesInformation technology business model of the organization The IT industry business models have changed a lot from past many decades, as compared to the traditional direct selling to providing a free platform and then drawing margin out of it. Historically, IT industry use to work on a model of direct selling, where the companies develop a software or hardware and either it is purchased by direct consumers or vendors, and or the same customers may undergo licensing or maintenance contract. One of

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

English Language & Linguistics Samples for Students-Myassignment

Question: Outline the Advantages and Disadvantages of Making English the Single Language for Business in INDIA. Provide Specific Examples to make your Case. Answer: Introduction India should adopt English as the single language for business. This is because, over the recent past, many multinational companies have turned to the English language as their business language. They have mandated it as the common corporate language with an aim to facilitate communication and major performances across many countries where their product reaches. The diverse functions of multinational companies like Coca-cola, Microsoft, Technology companies like the Nokia, Samsung, and Technicolor has all been addressed by the English language (Rogerson-Revell, 2014, p.137). It might have some of the major reason as to why these companies have chosen to do this for their business. The essay will be looking at the reasons, advantages, and disadvantages of making English the single language for companies in India. Advantages India should adopt English as the single language for business. English has the most number of speakers in the globe with 335 million speakers which are approximately 25% of the total population. Being that many World speakers use English language, India should not be left behind. The reason is that India runs many Multi-national companies. Some like, Nestle, Procter and Gamble, Nokia company. All these companies were founded from different countries. For example, Nokia company was founded at Tampere, the Grand Duchy of Finland and then it spread to other nations (Melitz, 2016, p.583). For this reason, if a company uses the language of its founders all through, it might not be able to extend its services to other peoples who speaks a different language. Therefore, India should make English the language of business to its premises and the overall multinational companies. English is also the official language of India. According to Devanagari, the Indian government has adopted Hindi and then English for the state matters. It means that it has a higher status than many other Indian native languages. Consider the case where the Indians have more than one languages. Some parts of India, for instance, Dravidian-speaking states like the Maharashtra, Punjab and others like West Bengal who use words that are not related to Hindi. It means that, for them to have a common business term within India and also with other states, they need to have unity regarding selecting a business language. The Multinational companies wont work for Indians if the Indian population is not well trained in English language (Luo Shenkar, 2017, p.59). India should adopt English as the single language for business because, the competitive pressure in business is another reason that should make the India adopt English as the only language of business. Failing to diversify the language system of the company, leads to limiting the growth and expansion of the firm opportunities. If India, for this case, does not have a language that other enterprises like Japanese and Chinese companies are adopting, it means that they will be left behind in the International business field. Disadvantages There is also a downside of adopting English as the only business language in India. Many people, especially the consumers, are used to local Hindi language. Selecting a single and foreign language like English which is associated with colonialism is not so much friendly to the Indians. Again, a transition is not easy because the people are not ready for change as it can be recalled that India wanted to even do away with English in the last century though it did not succeed. Having a single business language, that is English, may lead to a drop of performance in many multinational companies from the employee drawbacks (Azam, Chin, Prakash, 2013, p.335). Conclusion In Conclusion, India should adopt English as the single language for business for the reason that, language plays a pivotal role in any business premise. It can lead to the expansion of a company, stagnation or retrogression. India can be in a position to expand its internal business companies by learning English and adopting it as the only business language and also developing the multinational corporations. It would take India a step forward on business development and expand its territories in procuring external business relations. References Melitz, J. (2016). English as a global language. In The Palgrave Handbook of Economics and Language (pp. 583-615). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Azam, M., Chin, A., Prakash, N. (2013). The returns to English-language skills in India. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 61(2), 335-367. Luo, Y., Shenkar, O. (2017). The Multinational Corporation as a Multilingual Community: Language and Organization in a Global Context. In Language in International Business (pp. 59-92). Springer International Publishing. Rogerson-Revell, P. (2014). Pronunciation matters: Using English for international business communication. Pronunciation Matters Accents of English in the Netherlands and Elsewhere, 137.

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

3 Tips to Write Your Stanford Roommate Essay

3 Tips to Write Your Stanford Roommate Essay SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you preparing your college application for Stanford University? If so, you’ve probably heard about theStanford roommate essay, which you must complete as part of your application.The Stanford roommate essay is a unique essay that asks every applicant to write a letter to their future roommate. In this article, we’ll talk about what the Stanford roommate essay is, show several Stanford roommate essay examples, and offer tips for making your response stand out from the thousands of other Stanford applicants. What Is the Stanford Roommate Essay? The Stanford roommate essay is one of the four essays you must write as part of your Stanford University college application. Let’s take a look at the actual text for this essay question: â€Å"Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate- and us- know you better.† The Stanford letter to roommate prompt has a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 250 words. Other than that, there are no specific guidelines for how you should complete the question. What Is the Stanford Roommate Essay Question Asking (And Why)? Since Stanford doesn’t give any specific examples of what they’re looking for in responses to the Stanford roommate essay prompt, you might be wondering what you should write about for the question and why they’re asking in it the first place. The Stanford roommate essay is definitely unique - and you should take that as license to write about topics you otherwise wouldn’t in your college application. The admissions committee includes this prompt to get an idea of what you’re like with your peers, as well as how you’ll fit in with Stanford’s student body. This prompt is an opportunity to show a different side of you than the rest of your application. The question isn’t concerned with your plentiful extracurricular achievements or spotless academic record; rather, it’s asking about what you do after you’re finished studying or practicing. What do you like to do when you’re just relaxing? How you spend your free time? How do you interact with your peers? What are the quirks that make you, you? Asking this question gives the admissions committee a better picture of the whole you, rather than just the student who will be attending class. This essay question is a great opportunity to talk about unique aspects of your personality and interests that weren’t showcased on the rest of your application. If you have a special talent for, say, racking up quadra-kills in League of Legends, this essay is the time to share that. If you've always wanted to write about your love for video games, your Stanford roommate essay is the time and place to do so. Stanford Roommate Essay Examples, Analyzed Stanford roommate essays look very different than other types of college application essays. It’s not often that you read about a student’s aptitude for a frog impression or their addition to Bubble Trouble in a college essay. Let’s take a look at two different Stanford roommate essay examples (both of which resulted in admission to Stanford) and see what made them stand out. Stanford Roommate Essay Example #1 Dear Future Roommate, First things first: my Starburst is our Starburst. Feel free to grab some (but don't touch the lemon) off my desk whenever. I hope this works the other way around too. I have my own quirks as do most people. For starters, I can do a hyper-realistic frog impression. (Don't worry, I'll chase out any frogs that happen to hop inside.) Also, I prefer socks and sandals over sneakers because I like having a breeze around my toes. You'll often find me reading old issues of Model Airplane News or munching on weirdly delicious food combos such as strawberries and black pepper. I hum minor-key Bach fugues while studying but sing Disney songs in the shower. I can probably make you groan with terrible interdisciplinary science jokes. For example, what happens when a mosquito bites a mountain climber? Nothing; vectors cannot cross scalars. Beethoven is my jam and l often subconsciously start humming along to his symphonies. I may even start trumpeting "BAAA DAA DAA DUMMMM" when the brass comes in. If I start humming or trumpeting while you're studying for your o-chem final, tell me and I'll stop. If you don't mind biking out on 3AM donut runs (lemon cream filled is my favorite, by the way), we'll get along just fine. Here's to four years of groaning over p-sets and doing everything we can to keep fun alive, even if it appears to be on life support during finals week. This Stanford roommate essay example comes to us by way of Reddit user u/ChunkySpaghettiSauceChunkySpaghettiSauce wrote this essay as part of his 2016 Stanford application. He was accepted to Stanford. Let’s take a look at what makes this essay great. First of all, the writer includes very specific details that make him easily identifiable and relatable. After reading this essay, you get a great idea of what the student would be like as a roommate. You can picture him having an open bowl of Starburst on his desk and storing his bike at the foot of his bed. Above all, your Stanford roommate essay should paint a full picture of you as a person. This essay does an excellent job of describing the writer holistically; in addition to talking about his academic interests, it shows what he’s like after the problem sets are completed and the homework is turned in. The juxtaposition of the phrase â€Å"four years of groaning over p-sets† with â€Å"everything we can to keep fun alive† shows that the student will work hard, but also take part in the rest of Stanford’s campus life, too. The writer peppers in specific examples, such as his favorite flavor of donut, which add believability and personality to the essay. By the time you’re finished reading it, you get the feeling that this essay couldn’t have been written by anyone else but it’s original author. Want to get into Stanford or your personal top choice college? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Stanford Roommate Essay #2 TO MY FUTURE ROOMMATE: IF YOU HAVE EVER- l. Kidnapped your best friend at 3:00 a.m. with a bunch of buddies and taken him/her for an emergency milkshake run? 2. Made snow angels in the nude on the school ski trip when it’s 0 degrees outside? 3. Told tourists that if they â€Å"pee in the ocean,† they’ll attract great white sharks? 4. Re-enacted Monty Python and the Holy Grail in its entirety before your history class? 5. Taken apart your broken MP3 because you are sure that you can fix it? 6. In the middle of the summer, dressed up in all of your ski clothes, gone to the nearest 7-Eleven to buy ice blocks and joined your friends to slide down the nearest grassy hill, all the while complaining how cold it is? OR l. Memorized the first half of Whitman’s Song of Myself, because there was nothing better to do? 2. Spent three days arguing with your friends about the socio-political ramifications of the word â€Å"Chick?† 3. Stayed up until 5:00 a.m. because the conclusion of your English paper just wasn’t right? 4. Received a parking ticket because you had to respond to a piece of racist graffiti in a public bathroom? 5. Spent the entire day at a cafe re-reading a book by your favorite author? 6. When you were a second grader, explained to a classmate’s mother why you thought screaming at her kid was inappropriate while she threatened to spank you for being so insolent- THEN WE’RE GOING TO GET ALONG JUST FINE! This Stanford roommate essay example comes to us by way of a Huffington Post blog. You can tell right away that this essay isn’t your normal college application essay. The writer is playing around with structure, tone, and voice. The Stanford roommate essay is a great place to break from traditional essay rules. You don’t need five fleshed out paragraphs here. You can write in a way that feels authentic to you as an applicant. Remember, this essay is written to your roommate, not to your parents or your teachers. You talk differently to people your own age than you do to people of different ages. Your writing should reflect that. Another thing that this essay achieves is specificity. Each of the incidents that the writer describes are vivid and real. Instead of saying that he or she â€Å"works hard on an English paper,† the author describes staying up until 5:00 a.m. to correct the assignment. Instead of saying that he or she loves spending time with friends, the essay describes a specific incident that perfectly illustrates that point. Being specific adds authenticity to your work and fleshes you out as a person. Finally, the author does a masterful job of peppering in information about his or her habits as a student in a fun and playful way. For instance, the anecdote about taking apart the MP3 player indicates curiosity, a trait highly prized by the Stanford admissions committee. Similarly, the anecdote about staying up late to finish an English paper shows that the student works very hard and cares about grades and the quality of submitted assignments. Potential Topics for Your Stanford Roommate Essay We know what your Stanford letter to roommate essay shouldn’t be: a long-winded, formal recollection of your greatest achievements as a high school student.But what should you write about?Let’s take a look at potential topics for your Stanford roommate essay. #1: Your Unique Quirks Your Stanford roommate essay is a great time to show off your unique quirks. Do you do 30 pull-ups before going to bed each night? Meditate each morning? Always slightly undercook your cookies? Whatever the quirk, the Stanford roommate essay is a great place to share it. Bonus points if it’s funny! Don’t just think about the quirk itself, but the motivation behind it: do you do 30 pull-ups because you’re looking to increase your strength to try out for college intramural sports? Do you undercook your cookies because your grandma always did it that way? Adding that extra spin to the description helps to round you out and gives an extra opportunity to share about your interests and motivations. #2: Your Relationship With Your Peers The admissions committee wants to get a sense of how you’ll fit in on Stanford’s campus. Not just in the academic classes, but in the overall community as well. The Stanford roommate essay is a great place to share about your relationships with people your age. You can talk about how you interact with your classmates. Maybe you formed a relationship with another student who you always stayed late after band to practice with. Or maybe you formed a homework club with other students who also sucked at Latin. You can also talk about how you interact with your friends. You can share funny stories about ordering too much food while going out to eat or how you guys always get front row seats for the latest Marvel movie. Remember, the examples you pick should show that you’re a well-rounded and fun person. If the rest of your application talks all about your academic achievements, talk about something different in your Stanford roommate essay. #3: Your Favorite Things to Do Just for You The rest of your Stanford application will indicate your academic and extracurricular achievements. This essay is a great place to show what you do for you. Maybe you spend every Friday night building out a new board game or write fanfiction on Tumblr. Maybe you’re teaching yourself Photoshop or like watching YouTube videos about photographers. Maybe you read lots of fitness blogs and are chasing a new marathon PR, even if you don’t run track on your school’s team. Maybe you just watch a lot of Netflix. Whatever you like to do for fun, the Stanford roommate essay is a great place to share it. Talk about how you spend your down time and what you like to do to relax. Tips for Writing Your Stanford Roommate Essay While your Stanford letter to roommate essay can and should look different than the responses of your peers, there are certain tips you can keep in mind when completing the assignment to ensure that you produce the highest quality essay possible. #1: Be Specific Your Stanford roommate essay should paint a very specific and vivid portrait of who you are as a person. The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond your test scores, grades, and honors. Your Stanford roommate essay is your opportunity to make yourself come alive for the essay readers and to present yourself as a fully fleshed out person. Don’t try to emulate what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you’re not. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think Stanford wants you to be. The more details you can add, the more real you’ll seem. #2: Be Real Don’t worry about sounding impressive in your Stanford roommate essay. The admissions committee isn’t expecting every student to spend their time Googling strategies for world peace or outlining their best-selling novel, unless that’s what you’re actually doing. Don’t try to make yourself seem more important than you actually are (unless, of course, you are spending hours outlining your best-selling novel). If you try to make things up to sound better, you’ll come across as phony and insincere. The admissions committee would much rather read about the real you - the one who spent 20 hours capturing every nearby creature in Pokemon Go - than a made-up person who you think the admissions committee wants to see. #3: Proofread It should almost go without saying, but you want to make sure your Stanford roommate essay is the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your Stanford application, make sure to edit and proofread your essays. Your work should be free of spelling and grammar errors. Make sure to run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit. It’s a good idea to have someone else read your Stanford roommate essay, too. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure you haven’t missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be. Remember, even though your Stanford roommate essay should be fun, it still needs to be well-written. What’s Next? Wondering what a good SAT score is?Check out our post on how to set your goal scorebased on the schools you want to get into. Wondering what you should do to make your application stand out even more?Check out thisguide to four amazing extracurricular activitiesand learn why they're so important to colleges. Trying to decide between taking community college classes and AP classes? Wondering which one looks better on college applications? Readour guide for a complete overview of both. Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

Monday, March 9, 2020

Florence Kelley essays

Florence Kelley essays Florence Kelley was born in Philadelphia in 1859 into a cultured and affluent family. Her family was actively devoted to social reform. Her father, Congressman William (Pig Iron) Kelley, fought passionately to persuade government to uphold the rights of the poor and weak. He strongly believed that every child in America, whether born rich or poor should be afforded the same opportunities and chances in life. Florence was conditioned from a very early age to despise the sight of little children hard at work. Her father was a dominating influence throughout Florence's life. He taught her to read at the age of seven. He provided books that focused on child labor and children who were far less fortunate1. He took her on a midnight tour of factories where young boys helped in the manufacturing of steel and glass. There she witnessed the deplorable and dangerous conditions children were forced to work under. She often contends that through this experience, she developed her enthusiasm to advocate for child labor reform. She wrote while still a very young woman, "We that are strong, let us bear the infirmities of the weak."2 1 Goldmark, Josephine Clara, "Florence Kelley's Life Story: Impatient Crusader". 1953. University of Illinois Press, Urbana. ISBN# 0-8371-9011-8 2 *idbsu.edu/socwork/dhuff/history/extras/kelly.htm*, "Florence Kelley A Woman of Fierce Fidelity." Florence's mother, Caroline Bartram-Bonsall, lost her parents at a very young age. Caroline's adoptive family Isaac and Elizabeth Pugh, were close friends of her parents. It was through them that Florence was connected to Sarah Pugh. Florence's Great-Aunt Sarah was a leading abolitionist who advocated on behalf of the women's suffrage movement, the oppression of women, free trade, peace, and a single standard of morals for men and women. Sarah was feisty and strong. She confided to Florence that she never used sugar and she only wore li...

Friday, February 21, 2020

Rights for Autonomy and Protection from Violence Essay

Rights for Autonomy and Protection from Violence - Essay Example Local officials and leaders who are against it see no value for FGM, particularly when human rights are considered. First, FGM violates autonomy. Girls, as young as one year old, are being forced to undergo FGM. It does not even matter if it is a simple â€Å"circumcision,† as Omoigui wrote in her article, â€Å"HB 22 Bill and Genital Mutilation,† where she defended the merits of female genital cutting.   The main point is that these very young children are forced to do something they do not understand and believe in. Second, an increasing number of local officials believe that FGM is a form of violence against women. Diallo remembers how some women pinned her down, as one performed an excruciating circumcision (Poggioli). Her community violated her physically and psychologically. Based on these human rights alone, local officials and leaders can be further compelled to support FGM’s eradication. Numerous leaders from different religious denominations believe t hat FGM is not based on the Holy Scripture. While some Muslims and Christians believe that FGM is written in the Bible, other religious leaders counter these claims (Poggioli). These religious leaders are certain that the Word of God does not espouse the mutilation of young children for the sake of hygiene, culture, or religion. These leaders will be useful in influencing communities and families in changing their mindset toward FGM. For parents of daughters, the arguments that will rally their support further are human rights and love for their children.

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Placement search Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Placement search - Essay Example Job specifications of the identified opportunities identified my employability skills. Some of the major employability skills, according to Wilczenski and Coomey (2007, p. 7), are ability and readiness to assume responsibility, intra-personal competence, inter-personal competence, and moral competence. These were common competencies in each of the job specifications and understanding my competencies in these informed me of a recommended level of my employability skills. Self-assessment and peer comments on my personality informed my opinion on my personal competencies. I chose to abandon my search because of time and resource scarcity. Placement requires a year but I plan to register for my masters program immediately after my current program. This means I shall not be able to afford a whole year for placement. In addition, plans for the masters program has also constrained my financial resources and makes participation in the placement, even on private time basis, impossible. My placement search was therefore successful and helped me identify my employability potential. I however abandoned the search because of my plans for a master’s program and scarcity of time and

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The Role Of State In Rural Sustainable Development Economics Essay

The Role Of State In Rural Sustainable Development Economics Essay This chapter basically presents an overview of the rural sector of Pakistan with glances of comparison with the urban sector. Further on this chapter also relates to the function and specific strategies carried out by government and institutions that are required for sustainable development. The objective of this chapter is to give an insight in to the profile of rural sector of Pakistan in order to closely view the problems and enhance the efficiency of these areas by improving the quality of development activities through a professional approach. 1.1Rural Urban divide and profile in Pakistan. Pakistan, a nation, is in its developing phase even after 64 years of Independence has been making countless efforts to reach the stage of sustainable development in urban and rural areas of Pakistan. The challenges of implementation of resources and the scarcity of public funds available for allocation between urban and rural backfires against Pakistan development process, as development is naturally a risky business and the structure of Pakistans development expenditure is not stable enough to lead to sustainability. Most of the poor people of Pakistan currently live in rural areas. There are approximately 50,000 villages (Pak) According to the economic survey, 63.6% (Nizami, 2009)of the total population lives in villages. The rural population lacks tools and facilities to adequately cope with the risks and difficulties that they are often faced with. Therefore they are more vulnerable. Further on, the recent incidents like flood and earthquake in 2008 has dampened the situation in the rural areas and have made them worse off than before by destroying the agriculture sector completely. On the other hand, the economic survey of Pakistan reports that in currently 36.3% of the total population lives in the urban areas which has expanded sevenfold since 1950 (Nizami, 2009). Urban areas are more advanced and developed in telecommunication, media awareness, educational and health facilities when compared to the rural areas but issues like air pollution from industrial effluents, vehicle emissions, traffic congestion and low literacy rate pose a very strong threat to development. Overall, infrastructure and facilities in both rural and urban areas are lacking and substantial improvements are required and careful consideration needs to be provided by the government on resource allocation as it will lead towards sustainable economic growth in future. 1.2. An overview of the livelihood and provision of social services in rural settings of Pakistan; Inter-regional and Infra-regional disparities. The rural economy of Pakistan mainly consist of high population growth, with very low literacy rate, unhygienic living facilities, poor water and sanitation facilities, lack of health and infrastructural facilities. Moreover social sector of the rural economy is deprived and lacks basic facilities with household size on average greater than that of urban areas. Inter- regional disparity basically is the disparity that exists between the provinces of Pakistan whereas intra-regional disparities are the disparities that exist between within the province. The inter-regional imbalances have economic, social and political implications; in case of Pakistan the economic activities are concentrated to specific provinces. The insufficient provision of public infrastructure obstructs the private capital formation and economies in relatively lagging regions cause underdevelopment. Pakistan consists of four regions, Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan which are highly diverse in terms of size, population and level of economic activity, sizable interregional disparity exists in per capita income, the extent of disparities in employment ratio and labor productivity is also high and have growing trend since 1982. The two regions Punjab and Sindh are more advanced when compared with Balochistan and NWFP. There are technological differences also leading to difference in productivity On the other intra-regional disparity also exists in Pakistan. There is significant difference within the provinces itself due to varied economic structure and dynamism. Large gaps in the living standards have been seen due to the variations in the development stages of cities. The quality of physical infrastructure and expenditure spent by the government also contributes to disparity in Pakistan as cities with more facilities will have more exposure to opportunities and thereby leading to more income, 1.3 Transformation of Agriculture, mobility of capital from Agriculture and sustainability of rural development. In spite of the structural shift towards industrialization, the Agriculture sector still is one of the significant growth areas of the Pakistan economy, It is known to be the second largest sector in terms of labor employment and as well as GDP composition which accounts to 21% of GDP (Farooq, 2009). Its a source of living for majority of the rural population and is also the prime contributor in Pakistans exports. The efforts by the policy makers have been to encourage the growth in the industrial sector for a vision of sustainable rural development which is being funded at the expense of the agriculture sector is not an efficient approach. Even though both the sectors have a positive impact on the GDP but since most of the rural population is employed in agriculture and illiterate thus agriculture growth will lead to rural development and ultimately industrial growth. Despite the agriculture importance, a fluctuating trend has been followed by this sector over the past six years but has still shown a rise of average rate of 3.7 percent per annum. The overall performance in the year 2009 was weaker than expectations. The previous years performance showed a 4% growth so the expected growth in year 2009 was 3.8% whereas only 2% growth was seen. (Farooq, 2009) In order for Agriculture sector to advance, critical investments need to be made in new seeds, employing advance technologies and procedures and irrigational facilities which currently are not being provided. Globalization and transferability of technology in free market economy has necessitated employment of advance, cost effective and efficient technological agricultural equipment to be used by the farming community. The efficient use of scarce agriculture resources with employment of advance technology will assist in meeting the future challenges and industrial growth. Sustainable development has been defined intersection of social, environmental and economic goals (Levett, 1998).Without sustainable development in agriculture no tactic of economic reforms can be appreciated, as it is the key to raise the living standards, giving food security by reducing poverty, expanding market of industry and services and ultimately leading to sustainable development. However, the recent economic situation of Pakistan does not provide any support to industrial growth, the electricity shortage and instability in the economy has lead to low investments and shut down of many of the industries, as no positive returns were being realized. 1.4. Agriculture transformation, skilled labor migration and rural livelihood. The government has been making efforts to encourage industrial growth in Pakistan and provisions of human capital facilities have not only leaded to increase in output and income but also indirectly affected labor allocation. Education leads to a shift of rural household resources from farm activities to off-farm activities. Further on, the rapid economic growth in urban areas and the rural income inequality lead to an increase in rural urban labor migration, which caused reduction of the size of rural workforce therefore further reduction in the productivity of agriculture. From 1950à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 2008, Pakistans total population expanded over fourà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ fold, whereas the total population increased over sevenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ fold (Nizami, 2009). Rural urban migration does not have very positive result on an economy instead leads to adverse conditions of overloading of housing and social services, increased crime rate, pollution, unemployment and congestion in urban areas. Therefore factors contributing to the urbanization should be a major concern so that corresponding policies can be made accordingly but on the other hand, rural population of Pakistan is scattered over a vast areas of mountainous and forested terrain. Therefore it makes it expensive and difficult to extent the basic resources to all areas through migration, the population moves towards the areas where the services can be delivered with reasonable cost. In order to control the problem of skilled labor migration from agriculture, effective policies by government should be taken to reduce and minimize the rural-urban gap as its the key reason for migration. Moreover, in agriculture sector advance mechanization techniques should be adopted and a shift to land use growth. Agriculture is one of the vital sectors of economic growth in Pakistans economy. Therefore careful consideration needs to be given to it. 1.5 Government initiatives and institutions for rural development in Pakistan. The basic purpose of the government is to provide appropriate instruments and support to the vulnerable rural areas for effective and sustainable rural development. A framework must have strategies that are adequate in dealing with the problems faced by the rural areas and also emphasize on the sources and characteristics of the problems that are being occurred in order for a better understanding of the situation. Not only this task is challenging for government, NGOs and the international agencies but also varied but still initiatives are being carried out by the government to cope with the situation. However, deficiencies in the provision of basic infrastructure and social services in rural areas still remain. For the promotion of growth in agriculture sector the government has taken recently several steps which has increased the availability of fertilizer by 25.3%.The installation of tube wells and water for irrigation was enhanced by seepage control and land leveling. The positive features also include empowering local governance and greater funds accessibility under Tameer-e-Pakistan and Khushal Pakistan Programme. Further on, the permission to import machinery not produced locally at zero tariffs by the federal government has also encouraged the use of latest technology (Farooq, 2009).Other processes like laser land leveler, broad bed framing system and ridge are also being promoted by the government at subsidized prices to the farmers Through the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), rural industrialization of labor intensive industries and technologies has been encouraged by value addition and enhancing worker skills and facilitating technology up gradation. Industrial estates are also established along the motorways in close proximity for rural areas. Emphasis has been placed on provision of physical and social infrastructure, including farm to market roads, village electrification, clean drinking water and sanitation, and education and health facilities. The capacity for disaster management for floods, earthquakes, epidemics and other emergencies has also been improved and networking of training institutions will be undertaken to support the training efforts in line with the rural development strategy. National Population control programs and other policies have been adopted by the government for population control. Media awareness has been provided in the form of advertisements. The provision of Lady Health workers program and rural health centers have been provided to the rural and poor people for awareness and increasing health standards. 1.6. Rural Development, rural planning and intergenerational equity. Pakistan aims to transform itself into a just, prosperous, and sustainable society. In order it to be just, the concept of intergenerational equity is necessary to understand which basically means to keep a balance between the present and future generations with regard to the rural development and also a balance between the community and all individuals should have equal access to community resources and opportunities. While planning rural development, intergenerational equity should take into account resources utilization, rural poverty reduction and environmental degradation. With the use of resources and depletion of some resources, the options and choices available to future generations are decreased. Permanent losses can take place if the natural resources are depleted as they cannot be created by artificial scientific procedures. Therefore careful consideration needs to be given when allocating resources. Deforestation, ozone layer depletion and acid rain are the common developmental problems that future generation have to deal with if the current generations are not cautious in their consumption. Thus, environment plays a major role when making developmental plans. 1.7. Elements and sources of lack of sustainability in rural development; issues and concerns for Pakistan. The major issue and concern for Pakistan in rural development is the risk what managers and policy makers are very often faced with as Agriculture is a very risky and uncertain sector but since the risk is unavoidable in every situation so the decisions and policies should be devised by taking all possible alternate into account and gathering all the information and then choosing the best possible one with minimum risk. Moreover there is lack of proper technology facilities available in the rural settings which are also a major drawback and a hurdle in rural development process. Telecommunication technology can be used by the farmers to obtain up-to-date information on the market price leading to a clear idea of selling price that can be set. Further on, weather forecasts can also be used by the farmer for precautionary planning of the crops and farming practices accordingly. Even though efforts has been made in the past to provide credit facilities to the rural sectors of Pakistan through SMEs but government and other bank institutions still remain reluctant to provide loans as there are more chances of default in rural areas but may give loans to small farmers if they offer some sort of collateral which usually is in undesirable form. Therefore informal credit practices are mostly used by the developing countries including Pakistan as they have a better knowledge of the activities of the farmers. Illiterate population is also one of the contributing factors in the increase of poverty in rural areas of Pakistan. The skilled and somewhat literate labor migrate to urban areas in search of a better living standards and job opportunities making the development of rural areas stagnant and slow. Moreover rural areas are also not assisted with proper health care facilities therefore increasing number of diseases are being travelled throughout the rural areas mainly after the flood incident the number of waterborne diseases has increased to large extent. The highly uneven distribution of resources is one of the major concerns being faced by Pakistan. The industrialist and politicians have formed alliance and taken over the resources of the nation. Further on, urban areas are readily accessible with resources whereas rural areas continue to be neglected. 1.8. Key words and definitions. Inter-regional disparity: Disparity among provinces. Intra-regional disparities: Disparity within the provinces. Sustainable development has been defined intersection of social, environmental and economic goals (Levett, 1998) Tameer-e-Pakistan: a social intervention aimed to undertake schemes relating to federal functions such as rural electrification, gas supply, etc (2003) Khushal Pakistan Programme: a social intervention aimed at generating economic activity through public works and temporary employment (2003) Intergenerational equity is a concept that says that humans hold the natural and cultural environment of the Earth in common both with other members of the present generation and with other generations, past and future (Beder, 2000) Small and Medium Enterprise (SME): means an entity, ideally not a  public  limited company, which does not employee more than 250 persons (if  it is manufacturing concern) and 50 person (if it is trading / service  concern) (State bank of Pakistan) 1.9. Study objectives. To test the proposition that how employment in SME sector has impacted rural development. To test the proposition that how quality of institution has an impact on rural development. To test the proposition that military regime compared with other regime has an impact on rural development. To test the proposition that exchange rate depreciation has an impact on rural development Chapter 2: Literature Review This chapter of extensive literature review would help develop a clear idea about what are the reasons behind the role of state in sustainable rural development in Pakistan. It enhances the previous chapter where study objectives and concerns were raised about the need for this research. 2.1 A brief profile of rural settings and rural livelihood in developing countries. Pakistan is basically an agro based economy at its developing stage but recently the slow growth, increasing unemployment and the rising costs have created problems for the policy makers to allocate agricultural subsidies in rural areas. Pakistan represents an interesting and vital projection to test market imperfections faced by the developing countries. Ramus Heltberg, in his article, talks about the market imperfections that are normally found in the rural sectors of Pakistan. According to him, the ownership of land is traditionally considered a source of status and political power in Pakistan, Therefore the urban population is unwilling to let go of their belongings in the rural areas which makes the distribution of land extremely disproportionate and unequal. Further on he pointed out that there exist policies with regard to different farm sizes, which include subsidies for mechanization and credit for large farms. Moreover, small farms cannot fulfill the collateral requirements therefore they are excluded as most of the loans for tractor etc are ultimately defaulted; a biased strategy is followed by the institutions in case of loans to large farmers. (HELTBERG, 1998). Thus showing that role of small medium enterprise is very vital in sustainable economic growth in the rural areas as they facilitate backward areas with loans and funds despite the imperfections. Emphasizes is also paid on the relationship of farm size and productivity which was inverse and one of the major factors in rural development. This study was basically carried out by taking into account Pakistani farm data and concluded that the small farms are more productive when compared to the big farms and also that they can enhance agriculture productivity and increase justice but however the effect on social efficiency remained ambiguous. (HELTBERG, 1998) With the growing economy, Credit is increasingly becoming an integral part of the process of development, even in rural areas of Pakistan. The paper by M. Ali Chaudhary and Mohammad Ishfaq, attempts to provide baseline estimates of probability of repayment from borrowers belonging to rural sector in Pakistan which is the most important component, to be estimated in access the credit risk. It also points out that that although the rural borrowing still amounts to a small proportion of the total borrowing of the country but the supply of institutional credit to the rural residents is increasing slowly. The main findings indicate that collateral should be based on potential credit worthiness of borrowers. (M. Ali Chaudhary, Mohammad Ishfaq., 2003) Further on, the study also suggests the recommendations that can be helpful for the lenders and the policy makers to design credit programs accordingly. The results also highlight that interest rate do not affect the repayment schedule much. Agriculture income is very variable in nature and the non-agriculture sector borrowers have a higher probability of repayment. Therefore the lenders should diversify the portfolio of their loan and reduce covariant risk possibility. 2.2 Indicators and instruments of assessing sustainability of rural development. Hermann Kreutzmann, in his article highlights the indicators required to assess the development in mountainous region. According to him, the sustainability of rural development of mountainous regions escapes adequate attention due to lack of appropriate methods. Further on comparative data is also absent, and it is complicated to verify the position of mountainous region within nation states. The purpose of this article was to discuss by investigating comparative approach of selected indicators that are mainly used in development reports. This discussion helped in better understanding of the application process and revealed the theoretical limitations that facilitated us with a vision to apply appropriate strategies for development. (Kreutzmann, 2001) International Year of Mountains stated that consideration and special focus needs to be given to research and application of comparative approaches. This article also used examples from the case studies in South Asian high mountain regions and introduced approaches that applied human development indicators to various regional levels. Analysis and evaluation of the results and interpretations of the indicators would reveal problems in the mountain research for further investigation. The results showed that in order for development to take in High Mountain areas, comparable indicators of development should be used to enhance our understanding of existence of disparities. Further on same development concepts applied to other regions should be used for developing countries mountainous areas. The demand to advance the living standards of the living standards of the mountain dwellers are brought into light several times but rarely realized. In order for development to progress the policy makers should identify the regions and enhance communication and facilities of people living in the mountain regions. (Kreutzmann, 2001) 2.3 Infrastructure, provision of social services and their livelihood. Mohammed A Ghaffar in his paper underlines that most of the government spending is allocated in the energy sector as Pakistan has few energy resources and the country is heavily dependent on the import of fossil fuel. It is stated, that more than 20% of foreign exchange earnings is spent on oil imports every year still the rural population consumes wood, animal and crop waste for its domestic energy needs. This paper presents the energy supply situation in the rural sector of Pakistan and identifies the energy shortage problem through means of a survey. The key findings of this paper is that very few farmers have access to electricity and those who have, mainly use it for lighting purposes which does not increase their comfort level. Farmers suffer during summer due to the shutdown of electric tube-wells when there is a shortage of irrigation water supply due to the low levels in canals. This is ultimately reflected in low productivity of farms. The load shedding has created a negative impact on the economy of Pakistan, because the industrial sector is closed down during peak hours in the evenings. The intensity of load shedding is expected to increase in future with increased demand for energy. (Ghaffar, 1995) Energy expenditures are influenced largely by other variables, such as the family size and energy consumption pattern. The contribution of electricity is negligible to overall energy supply in the rural sector. A common person in the rural sector could increase his standard of living by empolying renewable energy resources, such as solar Pv methods can be used to supply d.c. power to households and for lighting. Biogas can be used for cooking and heating purposes. (Ghaffar, 1995). Moving on the article by Nadeem Ilahi and Franque Grimard accessed the important role that women play in reducing poverty and ultimately promoting development in developing countries. (Nadeem Ilahi and Franque Grimard, 2000). Further on the article also highlighted the role of infrastructure in promoting development, it stated that infrastructure should be improved to increase the efficiency in production; it is not only confided to benefits in the production efficiency but also contributes to increase in the living standards of rural households. In the case of Pakistan, it also helps to raise the nutritional status of rural children. The article aimed to investigate how the quantity and quality of infrastructure affect the time women allocate to their various activities by focusing on the water structure and variations in the quality by taking into account the time allocated by rural women to market-oriented activities, leisure and water collection. The results concluded a negative relationship between the advancements in Pakistans water supply infrastructure and the time spent by rural women in water collection. As the infrastructure is improved, women allocate more time to income-generating activities. The social and institutional components may play a role in coming up with such a conclusion but economic opportunities and limitations should not be neglected of ignore in being one of a major influence on the time allocation of women in the developing countries rural areas. (Nadeem Ilahi and Franque Grimard, 2000) 2.4 Agricultural transformation, mobility of capital and prospects of rural development. In the article, by Shida Rastegari Henneberry, Muhhamad Ehsan Khan and Kullapapruk Piewthongngam, An analysis was carried out by basically making comparison between industrial and agricultural sectors of Pakistan for better insight in Pakistans economy and ultimately development. Pakistan is known to have heavy dependence on the agricultural sector which is carried mostly in the rural areas of Pakistan due to vast availability of land. The results showed that both the industries complemented each other, industry however grew more from agricultural growth than the other way round. Pakistans policy makers require a lot of information in order to make appropriate policies for industrial development through agricultural development. Further on, the article also stated that development of the industry will not only increase the profits of the private sector but also increase the potential of the economy causing an increase in amount of goods that can be produced more efficiently in given amount of resources. Industrialization not only benefits a nation by meeting its domestic needs but also enhances the exports through exporting the excess manufactured goods. Moreover, the excess labor is also absorbed by the industrial sector ultimately leading to an increase in income of the nation. For developing countries like Pakistan, the growth of the agricultural along with industrial sector needs to be given due importance. (Sh ida Rastegari Henneberr, Muhhamad Ehsan Khan, Kullapapruk Piewthongngam, 2000) In order to follow the footsteps of the Western world, many third-world nations have adopted the path of industrialization but if the resources are inefficiently allocated among the industrial sector, it slows the growth of the economy and also reduces the labor absorption rate of the industry and ultimately reducing opportunities for expansion of income and causing income inequalities. Therefore to avoid such a situation, development in agriculture sector is needed as it would effectively widen the income base and promote industries development with lower capital per worker ratios. This study proved that the agricultural growth has a considerable impact on the industrial growth. (Shida Rastegari Henneberr, Muhhamad Ehsan Khan, Kullapapruk Piewthongngam, 2000) Further on, this study highlighted that some policies to promote industrial development have not been implemented properly, like the interest rate subsidies are given to encourage capital structure in the industrial sector. However results showed that the policies to increase investment and industrial growth have not been able to achieve their desired objectives, showing that developing countries need not to abandon agriculture development completely to achieve industrial development. (Shida Rastegari Henneberr, Muhhamad Ehsan Khan, Kullapapruk Piewthongngam, 2000) This study basically proved that the role of institutions and bureaucracy is very vital in the rural development as they make and implement the right strategies that are required for development. 2.5 Skilled labor migration and rural development. The article basically underlines the rural development projects and schemes that reduce rural-urban migration. According to the study equalized land or income distribution with increase in cultivatable land will lead to reduced rural urban migration. Whereas on the other hand easily access to cities, commercialize agriculture, increase in rural inequalities and education and skills disparity among rural urban stimulates migration. (Rhoda) The basic approach taken by this research was to review migration theories and the empirical research, further establish rural-urban migration concerns and then evaluate the impacts of the migration on the rural development. The development strategies focused on agriculture development, provision of rural social services and off-farm employment. The study explains rural-urban migration as the household transfer from a predominantly agricultural area to area with mainly employment in non-agricultural activities. The definition did not distinguish between seasonal, temporary and permanent migration. Permanent migration is more of concern since it creates more problems for urban areas, however seasonal and temporary migration often lead to permanent migration. The factors leading to migration in this study was economic opportunities and availability of friends in urban areas. The cost/benefit model indicated that rural development decreased both the costs and benefits of migration. This research basically discusses rural-urban migration advantages and disadvantages. It also explains the costs and benefits of urbanization in Bolivia. According to the article, promoting rural-urban migration is one of the cheapest ways to reduce poverty in Bolivia as it is cheaper to facilitate basic services like electricity and health services to particular rural areas when compared to providing the facilities to vast areas of mountains or forest terrain is not only difficult but expensive also. Although rapid rural-urban migration is known as a dilemma for majority of the developing countries, but this paper highlighted the case Bolivia to prove that for some developing countries it might be a solution to many problems, by promoting rural-urban migration with reasonable policies, it may be possible to lessen most of the problems faced by Bolivian economy. In order to curb with the problem of urbanization, this article suggested that the efficient city planning with the location of streets and public areas need to publish to public so that sensible houses are constructed. 2.6 Elements of intergenerational equity and justice in rural development. 2.7 State initiatives and rural planning in developing countries. Development in rural areas is without doubt a risky business which has caused a challenging and highly varied task for the governments, NGOs and internatio

Monday, January 20, 2020

Religious Women in Medieval Time Essays -- History Females Religion Es

Religious Women in Medieval Time The Middle Ages did not offer women many options of lifestyles. During these times women could either be virgin martyrs and sacrifice themselves in religious rituals, or become wives and mother. None of these options offered women a real chance to live, to create, to enjoy. New options emerged, these options allowed them not only to live free of male dominance, but also to be educated and to use their creativity in areas like music, theater, science, and philosophy. These options were monastic life, mysticism and life among the Beguines. Among the women who opted one of these ways of life, were: Hrotswitha, Hildegard and Teresa of Avila, whose work was among the most famous and recognized in the Middle Ages. Monasteries and convents in the Middle Age were like a ray of light in the dark for women in the Middle Ages. Women who found their future in a nunnery, either by their own choosing or otherwise, had the opportunity to be educated and in many occasions to develop their creativity without the pressure of a male figure. This freedom that nuns enjoyed allowed them to work and use their creativity in many different ways. In the monasteries besides getting educated, women also had the option to be trained as illuminators. Since in these time the production and storage of sacred books and secular classics was confined to monasteries and convents, women got a chance to use their training as painters in the production of these sacred books. The production of sacred books, allowed women of this time more than one choice at the kind of creative work they wanted to do. One of these options was to work as an illuminator. There are many illuminations from these times, but none o... ... sacred music functioned as a bridge for humanity to life before the Fall because it was the sacred breath that God breathed into humans when he created them the one used to sing. Teresa the Avila is the last of the most accomplished women of the Middle Age. She was a Spanish nun, like Hildegard, who had mystic visions. She viewed Jesus as a spouse. After a while in her convent she decided to go all through Spain sharing her religious faith. On this quest she was able to create 25 more monasteries throughout Spain. She suffered considerably because of her visions because her confessor told her to ignore them since they came from the devil. She did not challenge this in a direct confrontation, but instead decided to choose a different priest to be her confessor. Her vision, were finally given authority by the church when she got help from Peter de Alcantara.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Cross-Cultural Competency Essay

You have no choice about which culture programs you from birth. So don’t judge others because of their cultural differences from you. All complex societies (such as our own) contain subcultures that share the larger cultural outlook, but have significant differences. The culturally savvy Soldier will take an active interest in any culture he or she works in. ReALLIT: read, ask, look, listen, investigate, and think. Look for styles of interaction/proper behavior, greeting rituals, local dress, daily routines and movements, transportation, eating habits, treatment of children, major or common ceremonies and rituals, and frequencies of young men visible on the street. Soldiers who are not culturally savvy compromise the mission by alienating the locals, or even by creating major crises. All cultures impart huge amounts of information to their members—but often it is information of a different type than we focus on in our culture. Cultures vary greatly around the world. Any generalizations about culture have exceptions. Knowledge of the specific culture is necessary. Individual characteristics and personalities vary greatly within one culture. To attribute one characteristic to everybody in a culture is called stereotyping. Cultural relativism is critical for understanding the locals among whom you work, but some cultural differences, particularly regarding ethics, cannot be brushed aside. Things we hold to be fundamentally wrong—abrogation of human rights, for example—may require us to impose our outsiders’ ethical standards on locals’ behavior. Read materials from the TRADOC Culture Center (like Smartbooks and online trainings), published ethnographies, and popular media of the area; Ask locals already available to you on the FOB, such as interpreters, or culture experts around you, as well as people you meet on patrols; Look at the behavior of locals in markets, on the roads, in meetings on post; Listen to the conversa tions you have access to, as well as local media; Investigate in more depth any questions that come up; and Think about what you know and what you don’t yet know, and how you can find out what you don’t know. Often in non-Western society’s beliefs are not â€Å"beliefs† in the way we think of them and as such are more or less open to modification. Things that we would call beliefs are often thought of by other cultures as just the way things are – matters of fact, not opinion.  Religious belief systems in particular and other aspects of locals’ world view can be driving motivators for conflict; economics is not the only reason people fight. Power Systems In most cultures, any visible formal power structure will lie over a more fundamental, less formal, structure of influence. This underlying power system will often be based on patron-client relations, in which patrons become influential by acquiring clients who owe them favors. Often, this takes a pyramid form as more powerful patrons acquire clients who have clients of their own. Interacting directly with this patron-client power system can be more effective than trying to deal with people in overt formal positions of power. Kinship Kinship is usually much more of a cohesive social force in non-Western societies. Kin group members internalize a corporate identity – the family is viewed as an extension of the self. Often large, pyramid-shaped kin groups – usually descendants of one man (or, rarely, woman) and their dependents – serve to organize political, military, economic, and religious activities. City vs Country People in the city generally have much different ways of living and worldviews than people in the country. Adherence to rural customs may begin to slacken, groups of acquaintances and awareness of the outside world broaden, and people may become more tolerant of others’ beliefs. In the countryside, no matter how remote the region, there will probably be considerable awareness of the outside world, often from men travelling outside to work. Do not underestimate the importance of language in establishing good relations with locals. Taking the time to learn even basic greetings can make a huge difference in establishing rapport. Usually, you are starting at a disadvantage, seen as a stranger with a gun. Using greetings in their own tongue shows locals that you have enough respect for them to make an effort to speak in their language. Failure to communicate is often interpreted as hostility or at least a lack of interest. Learn some of the local language and avoid that misimpressi on. Knowing some of the local’s language can be invaluable in helping you determine if your interpreter is  doing his or her job well. Knowing the language can also give you insights into locals’ conversations, which they may presume you cannot understand. The language barrier is often used as a disguise of local intentions and a tool to maintain separation from outsiders—a sort of built-in everyday code. Switching languages in the course of conversation is known as code switching. In many regions of the world, most people can speak two or even three languages. Use of a second language in the context of a conversation often helps locals maintain ethnic or otherwise specialized identities during social interaction. Generally, use of a particular language in these code-switching contexts shows insider knowledge and positive sentiment toward the culture of the language used. If you use local phrases in your communication, it can send a signal that you value local culture and want to become an insider. Demonstrating that you want to speak the local language will be much more important than your degree of expertise. Impression Management World views can make you or the locals misinterpret behavior Enemy information operations (IO) tactics will strive to take advantage of this fact You need to be very clear and vocal as to why you undertake any action Seek feedback from those impacted by the action (stakeholders) Seek out local’s concepts about Army motivations Hostile IO efforts will seek to spread negative stereotypes of the Army. They may assert that we’re all greedy and looking for material gain, we are ignorant and hostile to all the locals, we are dirty, we are sexually promiscuous, we are excessively violence prone, we don’t really care about the locals, and so on. The best way to combat such stereotypes is to consistently show, by your actions, that they are inaccurate. Most important is the development of trust. Never promise something you are not sure you can deliver. Do everything you say you are going to do and follow up with the locals to be sure they know you did it. In a chaotic environment, be the element of consistency, truthfulness, and reliability. In short order, deception erodes relations with locals. Be aware of and help inform Army IO campaigns in your AO. Have talking points ready if locals argue with you, particularly when there is an audience. Redirect the conversation to local  cultural practices or, if necessary, break off contact once you have made your points, or if a local adversary gets the best of you. Be willing to admit to yourself when this is happening. Though you want to be as conversational as possible with the locals-be transparent enough that they can read for themselves your genuine good intentions-do not continue an argument about military or political issues if it gets too heated, or if you are clearly losing. â€Å"Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.† It is much easier for your enemy to malign what you said than to malign what you did not say. Remember, from the point of view of the locals, you are the Army. Mission success often depends on your behavior presenting the Army in the best light. Locals in your area may be receiving propaganda broadcasts and leaflets in foreign languages you do not understand. Usually enemy propaganda campaigns will be carried out in the locals’ language, but often they will be in a language that is secondary but known to the locals. If you notice foreign language broadcasts or print media in your area, make sure the G2 is aware of it. Local insurgents may use clandestine means of communicating with and intimidating locals, such as the infamous â€Å"night letters† left by insurgents in local mosques in Afghanistan. Look for such means of communication if you notice a sudden about-face in the locals regarding U.S. Army initiatives or agreements. Just being attuned to subtleties and complexities of local social situations usually gives the locals the upper hand in assessing the overall situation in the area. Acknowledge this and try to get the locals to share their understanding with you. There are many non-threatening ways to elicit explanations that may substantially change your perception of what is going on in your area. Asking about such non-sensitive subjects such as proper behavior; greeting rituals; local dress; daily routines and movements; transportation; eating habits; treatment of children; and major or common ceremonies, and rituals can help give you a general picture of social life in the area and a backdrop against which to gauge your situational awareness Probe all the methods used by people in your area to make sense of what is going on around them. They may use completely unexpected means of assessing their environment. In Afghanistan, for example, most people can tell what region any given person comes from based solely on facial and bodily features. Help your Soldiers maintain their cool and reserve judgment An uncertain and probably harsh future adds a huge psychological burden In situations of extreme poverty, the power of money increases dramatically. For example, insurgents may be able to influence locals to take what might seem like insane risks for paltry material gains. If we maintain a proper perspective on the impacts of poverty, we can use this fact to our own advantage, winning the cooperation of locals and demonstrating our good will with economic development programs of relatively small scale that will provide tangible benefits quickly. The Practical Implications of Poverty (continued) The perception of poverty can be powerful Relative poverty can have significant psychological and social impacts People who are unable to afford symbols of material success may suffer feelings of personal inferiority People who have relatively low incomes may choose to invest in highly visible items Additional Reading: Perceived disparity in wealth can fuel problems between social groups, particularly when the material differences are not in line with hereditary markers of social status. If a particular racial or ethnic group, for example, suddenly hits on a way to make money that elevates them â€Å"beyond their station† in the traditional hierarchy, the traditionally higher-status folks may become angry and take steps to keep the upstarts â€Å"in their place.† Commonly, those who feel the most resentment are others of the same traditional social status as their lucky, newly wealthy neighbors-â€Å"They’re no better than us, who do they think they are?† Community Influence Power of Wealth Often the power of wealth is used to obtain other, more formal, types of power. In India, for example, it is not uncommon for politicians to send buses out to their rural constituents to take them all for a large feast in the city. It is understood that in exchange for this largesse, the voters will vote the powerful man into political office, whereby he can exert still more influence Influence One can have influence by holding an important position in various types of groups: kinship groups, religious or healing-related groups, groupings based around occupation or land use, age set groups or groups based around education. For example, the most important person in your AO may derive their status in part from being able to perform divinations. If you are not aware that divinations – making decisions, explaining situations, or telling fortunes based on seemingly random occurrences, such as flipping a coin – are important in your AO, you could fail to recognize the most important person for you to influence City and the Country Forms of community influence will differ markedly between the city and the country. Cities tend to be more oriented toward impersonal, economically based influence or western-style â€Å"democratic† governance. At least in the city these things may be more visible. But don’t underestimate the effects of neighborhood-level influence based on patron/client relations, kinship, religion, healing, or trade guilds in the city. As always, take a cultural ReALLIT check to give you the basic lay of the social situation. The more you know about the locals, the smoother your relations with them will progress. Social Stratification Most societies separate their people into ranks of social worth Commonly, one is born into the group and its status Differences in status are often subtle and difficult for an outsider to detect It is important that you try to discover such differences when you deploy Low-status individuals may be the most eager to engage you and try to enter into agreements with you in order to gain what they can from you and enhance their local status. You should engage them and learn what you can from them, but do not be hasty to enter into agreements until you understand the relative status of the people you are dealing with. In South Asia, for example, to enter into an agreement with a low-caste man could discourage later agreements with more influential high-caste men. Long-standing resentments between high-status and low-status groups can fuel conflict Genocidal conflicts have usually centered on co-residing ethnic, religious, or kin groups The group with the superior social status attempts to inflict genocide on those of lower status On a smaller scale, insurgents may exploit  resentment over status differences to recruit locals or to incite destabilizing violence between locals. Since few, if any, Army missions call for destabilizing an area, you generally want to be careful to take local social stratification into account for all of your operations. Simple awareness can help you avoid worsening existing ill feelings between groups. Levels and Sources of Internal conflict These complex webs of allegiances and grievances can make working with locals a very tricky business. This is especially true since disagreements are usually the last thing anybody wants to talk about to outsiders. Particularly in cultures, which place a high value on saving face or public honor, people may not want to say anything that could be taken as disrespectful of their neighbors, even though they may have big problems with them. For this reason, it is desirable when possible to talk to locals out of earshot of others so they may feel freer to hint at conflicts with their neighbors. Any information you can pick up about who gets along and who has a beef with who could be very helpful in carrying out successful engagements and initiatives with the locals. For example, if you know that members of one subgroup are in collusion with insurgents, you will be more likely to find willing partners among that group’s current detractors in a lower-level conflict. Disagreements and cross-purposes regarding ethnicity, politics, religion, kin groups, or economics are likely to exist in even the most placid-seeming community. Such conflicts can revolve around material concerns such as land, inheritance, water rights, death re-compensation, or bride price. Likewise, they may be centered on purely ideational (non-material) concerns such as religious disagreements, a history of fights between groups in the distant past, or discord over the ways children should be educated. Since people in different cultures have different worldviews than our own, elements which might seem insignificant to us could be worth killing or dying for, to them. So do not discount farfetched-sounding explanations for local conflict until you have learned enough about the culture to judge. In fact, if you can get locals talking about any conflict past or present, you can learn a great deal about their culture in a short time.