Slavery in latin america Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Slavery in latin america - Essay Example Despite everything, this paper seeks to identify the context in which this book was produced and determine its implication on the study of Africans in Latin America. The journey for Africans, who were captured and enslaved in America, involved eleven million Africans, but only four hundred and fifty thousand of them, went to America; actually, the other millions went to Caribbean and Latin America1. In this case, the book â€Å"Black in Latin America† by Henry Louis Gates explores changes in events during the history of slavery in the West and its implication to culture. Moreover, analysis of this book gives substantial insights on the newly created and vibrant culture by Africans and understanding of influences caused by Africans, Portuguese and Spanish cultures. Context in Which the Book Was Produced The book â€Å"Black in Latin America† by Henry Louis Gates was produced in year 2011 to mark a celebration and the will of numerous Haitians and Dominicans to assert the ir African ancestry. Moreover, the book was produced during a period attributed to denial of African heritage by numerous Dominicans. In fact, the author of this book established an organization in Dominican Republic, which was referred to as Kong Brotherhood. Furthermore, the book was produced due to the assertion of African heritage in Haiti, which was denied by many Haitians. ... Moreover, it is written in a context that relates to events in the modern world, which are compared to the past to foster understanding of the influence caused by slavery. Furthermore, this book depicts facts related to race and African ancestries focusing on acknowledgement or denial of their past and the way these African ancestries interrelate with other cultures in a multicultural world of Latin America. The history of Africans in Latin America is unveiled by the author in this book, whereby ideas gathered from slaves’ experiences are extended to the present; in fact, this involves an illustration of the history of Africans in six Latin American countries, which include Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Haiti, Peru and the Dominican Republic. Moreover, these experiences entail art, music, dance, politics and religion, though it also focuses on presenting the anti-black racisms, which was aimed at expunging African culture2. Brazil has the world’s largest slave economy; thus, th is book sought to explore ideas that facilitate understanding of the way a country such as Brazil attained this status by enslaving Africans. Furthermore, there is a correlation identified between slavery and other aspects of life such as culture, religion, music and politics in a country such as Cuba. In fact, the book points out that this correlation is attributed to the amount of labour supply offered by the slave imported to Cuba with aims of generating significant profits during the nineteenth century in the sugar industry. Nevertheless, there are other ideas in this book, which are based on the context of communist revolution that occurred in 1959. In fact, that was a period when racisms instilled fear among numerous

Financial analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Financial analysis - Research Paper Example Return on equity is one of the most important ratios used to analyze the performance of the company. Investors and management of the company use returns on equity to analyze the performance and profitability of the company. DuPont ratio analysis is used to decompose the returns on equity of both the companies. By decomposing different elements that influence the returns on equity of companies, this report identifies important areas that help in increasing or decreasing the returns on equity. There are different elements that influence the returns on equity and some of these elements are Tax Burden, Interest Burden, Operating Margin, Asset Turnover and Leverage Ratios. DuPont analysis is applied on the two companies under study; Apple and BlackBerry, but this report also uses the data of other industry important players to analyze the factors that influence the ROE of the company. Industry players that are used in this report are Motorola Solutions, Inc. (MSI) -NYSE, Nokia Corporation (NOK) -NYSE, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) -NasdaqGS, Hewlett-Packard Company (HPQ) -NYSE, International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) -NYSE). It has been found that Apple has performed the better when compared with Blackberry and average of the industry as ROE of the company has been higher than Blackberry as well as higher than Industry averages. Moreover, it has been found that the returns on equity of Apple have been showing an increasing trend in the last five years whereas the returns on equity of Blackberry have been showing a declining trend. In the years 2008 and 2009, ROE of blackberry was higher than Apple but the ratio was more or less the same in the year 2010. However the returns of Apple kept on increasing and these returns exceeded the returns of Blackberry. Therefore ROE of Apple was higher than ROE of Blackberry in 2011 and 2012. Moody’s Bond Rating criteria are also used to analyze

Nature vs. Nurture essayPosted by admin as Essays Essay Example for Free

Nature vs. Nurture essayPosted by admin as Essays Essay The natural characteristics of a person can either be quite similar or quite different to the unnatural characteristics of a person. The natural characteristics of a person are the traits that come from their parents; the ones that people are born with which are genetical. These traits are developed biologically. The unnatural characteristics of a person, or the nurtured characteristics, are the traits that people develop themselves after they are born. The environment of a person’s life greatly determines their personality. The traits a person has that they weren’t born with are the traits that the environment has influenced on them. There are many traits that I have inherited naturally through genetics from my mom and dad. I can tell that my work ethic has been inherited from my dad because he is a very hard worker and I also strive to achieve my personal best. My mom tends to be very sensitive at times and concerned for other people’s feelings, which I know, I have inherited. I have also inherited my dad’s super mathematical skills and my mom’s artistic abilities. I can also tell that I have inherited a good sense of well being from my mom. There are also many behaviors that I have developed from the environment I grew up in. I have learned to respect all people from being influenced at school and by my parents. I’ve also been trained to be responsible of things such as doing my work. I learned that if I am not responsible and don’t do my work, then I must pay bad consequences. I have also learned from experiences that if I do what I am supposed to do, I may be rewarded for it. I have been influenced to do something that will benefit myself and be rewarded for good things done. My environment has influenced me in many ways to act upon certain things automatically. Things like looking both ways before crossing the street, or other things that appear to be common sense are learned from nurture. I believe that my personality is a combination of both nature and nurture. I think that I am probably more nurtured though. I have gone through many experiences in which I have learned different lessons. These lessons have taught me how to act in my life. I know that I am a very different person than my mom or my dad. I don’t have very much in common with either of them. Although we do share some of the same aspects, I feel that I am more different from them than alike. I have developed the majority of my social skills from my friends and not my parents. Most of my social life revolves around my friends, who have influenced me in a lot of the decisions I make and in the way I act. I don’t socialize with my parents nearly as much as I do with my peers. I don’t think I know my parents well enough to say if I am like them when they are around their friends or not though. My personality is also partly nature though because I find that I do think like my parents sometimes. Most of the time I find that I think more like my friends because I am around them a lot more. My parents and I share a lot of the same opinions too, and not just because I grew up thinking the same way they do. The nature and nurture of a person can vary greatly. Sometimes there are certain things that are hard to decide whether they are inherited or learned. I might share some qualities with my parents, but they could just be characteristics that I learned in my life that my parents also learned in their lives too and weren’t inherited. I believe that genes indicate the potential for one’s behavior and personality, and that the environment helps create the extent as to how that behavior is carried out.

The Neolithic revolution Essay Example for Free

The Neolithic revolution Essay The Neolithic revolution is often cited as the start of civilization. Here we see the end of the hunter-gatherer stage. Man has started farming and keeping livestock. It was the need of the Ice Age and thus, food was more available. The need to travel far distances for food came to an end. Groups started living in the same place all year round. People started to build permanent dwellings. This is important not only to western civilization but to all of us as a whole. The Neolithic revolution laid the groundwork for towns and cities. It fostered population growth and the need for an organized body to govern these settlements (Mithen, 2003, p55). What we now know as the Fertile Crescent was once occupied by the Sumerians thousands of years ago. At 4000 BCE, Sumerians lived in Mesopotamia. They built irrigation for their crops and great walled-in cities. Perhaps the greatest contribution of the Sumerians to early Western civilization was their system of writing and counting. It was the Sumerians who widely used the base ten for counting (Kramer, 1971, p25). Something that is still in use today. When we picture Pharaohs, we almost automatically see pyramids and the Nile. The Pharaohs were considered heads of government and the high priest of every temple. They were also considered half god and half man. Pharaohs are one of the earliest examples of a continuing monarchy as well as absolute rule. Their greatest contribution to civilization is their bureaucracy (Dowling. October 23, 2004. Mr. Dowlings Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt page,. http://www. mrdowling. com/604-pharaoh. html. 24 February 2008) A Greek city-state is called a Polis. These were independent cities with their own laws and rulers. Greeks pride themselves as being the only people who practiced democracy. It is said that the greatest innovation of the Greeks was the creation of the Polis. Democratic government required the creation of another foundation of modern civilization. And this was the determination of citizenship. Only citizens could participate in democratic exercises. Much of what the Greeks have instituted is still in practice today. (Hines, 1996, p. 156) The three early civilizations; Sumerian, Egyptian and Assyrian civilizations had much in common. First, these three civilizations each had a way of writing and counting. Second, all three were polytheistic (worshipped more than one god). Lastly, these civilizations thrived because they had a stable system of food production and were located near a body of water. The Sumerians used a system of writing called cuneiform. They used a sharp writing instrument called a stylus. The Egyptians used a set of â€Å"picture words† called hieroglyphics. The Assyrians used the Akkadian language, a branch of Semitic language. This was also written a form of cuneiform script (Ascalone, 2007, pp. 55, 90, 127) All three were polytheistic. The Sumerians worshipped various gods whom governed their daily lives. Like the Sumerians, the Egyptians viewed their gods as immortals with mortal attitudes. The Assyrians worshipped gods which they inherited from earlier civilizations (such as the Hittites and the Sumerians) (Simpson, 1971, p. 35) Lastly, the Egyptians thrived near the Nile River. The Sumerians and the Assyrians both thrived in the Mesopotamia, an area between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. These civilizations benefitted greatly from being near a source of food and irrigation. All three differ at two points. First, are their ideas of an afterlife. And secondly, is their view on the absolute rule of monarchy. Sumerians believed that after death, there was no hope of being happy at all. In contrast, the Egyptians saw the afterlife as a joyous and abundant time for all. The Assyrians, owing to their ferocity and power did not stress the importance of an afterlife. Event though they did share the Sumerians’ beliefs. (Kramer, 1983, pp. 15, 68, 88) The Egyptians believed that their Pharaohs were half deity. In contrast, the Sumerians had different city states and were ruled by governors, kings and priests. The Assyrians had â€Å"merchant colonies† which also served as cities (Schomp, 2005, pp 74, 36, 11).

Slavery in Ancient Rome

Slavery in Ancient Rome A slave was a person who was usually captured in battle and send back to Rome to be sold. Most slaves in ancient Rome were acquired through warfare, and the Roman armies would bring back captives as part of a reward for their presence in battles. Some of the defeated soldiers were also brought back as slaves and normally brought in a lot of money and this could also serve as an alternative to imprisoning them or killing them. Fathers could also go on and sell their children into slavery if they had a need for money and this was actually lawful. The abandoned children on the streets could also be brought up as slaves. Slaves were brought in from all over Europe and the Mediterranean especially among the Germans, Thracians, Celts and Eastern Mediterranean. It was against the law to enslave Roman citizens or Italians living in Gallia Cisalpina. New slaves were acquired first by wholesalers who dealt directly with the Roman armies. Many of these dealers were Jewish in origin and slavery trade served as their main source of livelihood for the Roman Jews. Julius Ceasar once sold the whole populace of a conquered region in Gaul of almost 53000 people to slave traders at a go. Slaves were sold at public auctions within the empire or in shops and the most valuable were sold by private sales. The sales were overseen by Roman fiscal officials called Quaestors. Sometimes the traders built revolving stands where the slaves stood and they hung around their necks a plaque describing each slave in terms of their origin, health, intelligence, character and any other information that would help the buyer make a sale. Prices were usually pegged on age and strength and some sales have been documented to have fetched thousands of dollars in todays dollars. The dealers gave a six months guarantee if the slave showed any defects that were not stated at the time of the sale by taking back the slave or returning the buyers money. Slaves that were sold without a guarantee were made to wear a cap at the time of the auction. The experiences of slaves generally varied with the place and the person who owned them. There were many reports of abuse and harsh treatment given to slaves though it is not possible to indicate how widespread this was at the time. Cato the Elder was recorded as saying that he expelled any old and sick slaves within his household. Some defeated soldiers usually chose to commit suicide rather than be taken into slavery by the Romans. Seneca who was a Roman writer held the view that a well treated slave performed better than a mistreated slave. An example of different experience by slaves would be that of Cicero who had a slave called Tiro. Tiro was Ciceros secretary, confidant editor and right-hand man. After Ciceros death Tiro went on to publish a number of Ciceros speeches since he had known where they had kept them. Tiro also wrote the biography of Cicero, a grammar book and a book on philosophical questions and also invented a new type of shorthand that he had used to take notes from Cicero. Ciceros brother and his family were very close to Tiro and when Tiro had been taken ill before, his master; Cicero had literally taken care of him like he would have his own child. Ciceros son, Marcus, often wrote to Tiro whenever he needed any advice and the two had a relationship more of an uncle and nephew rather than that of a young lord and family slave. In 53BCE, Cicero freed Tiro. On that day Ciceros brother Quintos wrote him a letter of congratulations that read,: I am truly grateful for what you have done about Tiro, in judging his former condition to be below his deserts and preferring us to have him as a friend rather than a slave. Believe me, I jumped for joy when I read your letter and his. Thank you, and congratulations. [Tr. K. Bradley, Slavery and Society at Rome]. Scholars believe that Tiro may have turned 50 on the day he was freed. This relationship raises many questions about slavery, why did it take Cicero so many years too free Tiro if he had noted for all those years how loyal and true Tiro was? Most compelling of all, if you grew up in a world where the social institution of slavery was normal, even normative, how could one recognize the human dignity of any slave? As many enemies as slaves was common proverb heard throughout Roman lands. Most citizens believed there was a constant danger of servile insurrection, which had more than once seriously threatened the republic, and as such this justified the severest measures in self-defense. They used the law of collective responsibility: if a slave killed his master, the authorities put all of the slaves in that household to death. Slaves who misbehaved have been known to be beaten, burned with an iron or sometimes even killed, regardless of their age or sex although most slaves were usually males. Slaves normally sought freedom by escaping their homes. Historian Moses Finley noted as such, fugitive slaves are almost an obsession in the sources. Harboring of fugitive slaves in Rome was illegal and professional slave-catchers were hired to hunt down runaways. Advertisements were posted everywhere which provided descriptions of escaped slaves, and offered rewards in some cases. When caught, fugitives were brutally punished and branded on the forehead with the letter F, for fugitivus. Sometimes slaves had a metal collar riveted around the neck and such a collar was preserved in Rome and states in Latin, I have run away. Catch me. If you take me back to my master Zoninus, youll be rewarded. The legal status of slaves in ancient Rome was well defined. First and foremost slaves were property and their owners exercised dominium over slaves. Dominium was the absolute right to dispose of and control the use of a piece of property. Secondly, slaves could have no family. Any children conceived of the slaves automatically became slaves and mothers chose to kill their babies rather than expose them to slavery. Slaves formed families but they had no legal authority to protect these relationships. Third, a slave by all definition had no honor and dignity and the essence of being a slave was the inability to protect ones body. A slave was also defined by the absence of the right to a fair trial and appeal before suffering any physical punishment. Owners could beat slaves as they wished and even demand for sexual relations with slaves of either sex. The mere experience of a state in which an individual could not protect his own body from abuse was inherently and permanently degradin g. As in the case of Tiro and Cicero, Tiro was still a slave in spite of all the respect and loyalty he received from his master and his family. No-one is sure how many slaves existed in the Roman Empire. Even after Rome has passed it days of greatness, it is thought that 25% of all people in Rome were slaves. Slavery in the Roman Empire did not suddenly end, but it was slowly replaced when new economic forces introduced other forms of cheap labor.

Breaking Down Barriers with Positive Feedback Essay -- Education Feedb

Breaking Down Barriers with Positive Feedback Each one of you is faced with the challenge of giving feedback each day. Whether it is on a stimulating topic in class or something as simple as telling a friend whether or not you like the outfit that they have on, giving feedback is something that everyone has had experience with. However trivial this process may seem, it is imperative that one understands its importance. This semester I took a course called En101, or College Writing. In this class we are required to give feedback on essays and articles. Giving negative feedback is often easier than giving positive feedback. In fact, most people would probably admit that giving positive feedback is very difficult for them. The same things applies in my College Writing class. Most students find that the most difficult thing to do in this class is to give feedback without saying something negative. However, we all have to learn how to give positive feedback, or be prepared to face the consequences. For instance, imagine what woul d happen if your best friend asked you whether or not he had a good chance of dating a girl that you know. If you laugh in his face, he may never speak to you again, and if he is really sensitive and truly values your opinion, he may never date again. Okay, so this example may seem a little extreme, but have you ever sat down and really considered the effect that your words may have on someone? Perhaps now is the time to do so. If you are someone that has no idea how feedback can truly affect a single person's ideas or feelings, I invite you to sit in on my eight o'clock morning class for College Writing. As the students shuffle in, half asleep, a few nervous classmates sit quietly at their desk... ...sten to you. Once you begin with a negative comment, it is difficult to repair the damage. It is even more difficult for the people that have gone through life not really understanding how to give feedback correctly. However, maybe these people can surprise everyone by learning how to give positive feedback. It is amazing how much a nice comment can mean to someone, especially authors. After all, authors are very sensitive people. They have worked hard on creating their paper, and generally do not like to hear negative things about it. However, when you phrase your comments just right and create a positive atmosphere, you will be surprised at the difference. So as you move on to read another essay or go meet a friend consider the power of your words. And if your friend really has no chance in dating that girl, find a better way to say that than laughing in his face.

Comparing Womens and Mens Fears in Frankenstein and Pet Sematary Essa

Comparing Women's and Men's Fears in Frankenstein and Pet Sematary      Ã‚   Childbirth and the resulting mother/child relationship are realities for women that leave plenty of room for anxiety. It is no wonder, then, that these themes of birth and motherhood should be featured prominently in women's horror. In contrast, men's horror tends not to focus on these fears, but, instead, focuses on the act of intercourse (the nuts and bolts of making a baby) and the man's fear of the woman's strange childbearing power. In comparing women's and men's fears on these subjects, one can see what fuels resulting horror texts.    In Frankenstein by Mary Shelly a man gives birth which is very curious when considering Frankenstein as a feminist text. The male mother in this text can be read in different ways. One reading of the phenomena could be man's attempt to control nature can have dire consequences. Upon closer reading, however, one can see that by having a male protagonist in the situation of life-giver, Shelly was allowed to make her fears known to her male contemporaries and at the same time explore her own fears concerning birthing and raising a healthy, productive child.    Mary's focus on the birth process allowed men to understand female fears about pregnancy and reassured women that they were not alone with their anxieties. The story expresses Mary's deepest fears; What of my child is born deformed? Could I still love it or would I wish it were dead? What if I can't love my child? Am I capable of raising a healthy, normal child? Will my child die? Could I wish my own child to die? Will my child kill me in childbirth? Mary was expressing her fears related to the death of her first child, her abilit... ... of making a child-the aspect of child bearing that they are most directly responsible for. For men birthing and the relationship between mother and child are foreign and consequently characterize what men are afraid of: "the Other."    Works Cited and Consulted Abrams, M. H., ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 6th ed. Vol. 1. New York: Norton, 1993 Botting, Fred. Making monstrous. Frankenstein, criticism, theory. Manchester University Press, 1991. Boyd, Stephen. York Notes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Longman York Press, 1992. King, Stephen. Pet Sematary. New York: Signet, 1984. Mellor, Anne K. Mary Shelley. Her Life, her Fiction, her Monsters. Methuen. New York, London, 1988. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992