Learned Helplessness Essay

Firmin, Hwang, Copella and Clark’s research study focuses on testing the strength of the student against his or her â€Å"learned helplessness.† This phenomenon includes the following: Contingency, which addresses the uncontrollability or stability of the situation, and Cognition refers to the various attributes that individuals display in reaction to their environment. Having prior research studies regarding learned helplessness in motherhood (Kashdan et al. 2000) and boys with ADHD (Milich and Okazaki 1991), Firmin et al. were able to assemble an exam comprised of â€Å"easy† and â€Å"difficult† questions to be administered in the form of an exam to college students. The goal of the study assesses the students’ degree of frustration during test failure and how frustration triggers learned helplessness within the constraints of an exam. To what extent does a failure experience in the early part of a test influence or elicit helplessness within a student? Methodology Participants included students from two psychology classes from a private Midwestern university. The majority of participants are Caucasian and between the ages of 17 and 20. Each individual was administered an exam ensuring anonymity among scores and responses. A research edition of the Shiley Cognitive Scales was utilized in this experiment with a total of 88 questions in three sections: Vocabulary, Abstraction, and Block Patterns. The vocabulary portion included 50 words in which the participant was asked to identify a synonym to an original word. The Abstraction section included 24 self-generated responses that completed the appropriate sequence of words, numbers or letters. The final part of the exam, Block Patterns, asked students to choose the most appropriate pattern to fit the rest. Students were split into two groups: one group with higher SAT/ACT scores than the other. The questions asked in the exam were rated as â€Å"easy† or â€Å"difficult† by determining the success rate of each question (questions that were most often answered correctly in both groups were considered â€Å"easy†). Two tests were created with the same questions but in different orders: Test A began with the most difficult questions and gradually became easier; Test B began with the easiest questions and gradually became more difficult. Data Analysis Data was analyzed on three tiers: number or correct answers on easy items, number or correct answers on difficult items, and total number of correct answers. Results and Conclusions Those who took Test A had fewer correct answers on easy questions than those who took Test B, but more correct answers on the difficult questions, and the overall test. Generally, students who were administers difficult questions before easy questions tended to give up on the easy questions due to frustration, but performance on the difficult questions was not diminished. Because each group was given enough time to complete the exam (all participants finished the last section), Firmin et al. believe the difficulty to easy gradation of Test A created a negative impact on student’s ability to respond correctly.

What Children Really Need

Parenting is one of the hardest things to do. It can be a very stressful task to do in your life but it is one of the greatest things as well. Right from the time they are born, from infancy to adulthood, children have a vast array of growing needs and expectations from their parents. Apart from basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing, children look to their parents to fulfill their many essential needs. I feel that children need loving homes, parental guidance, and a feeling of security from the time they walk through the front door after school to when they awaken each orning. They deserve the stability that comes with discipline and well-placed expectations. Parental love should be special in two respects. First of all, it should be constant and unconditional, which means it is always present, even when the child is acting in an unlovable manner. In addition, parents should be open in expressing and showing love so that children are never uncertain about its presence. This means parents should hug and praise their children at every available opportunity. Parents can also occasionally review their strengths and eaknesses with them and work together on any difficulties in communicating or collaborating. The parents can also help children learn work skills. By not assigning responsibilities around the house, nor making certain that deadlines are met, they can become irresponsible and ineffective. Another thing is that all children need parental guidance. Parents need to actively teach basic values and manners in order for them to get along well in society. By offering guidance to children when they have problems, parents need to state their thoughts in a few sentences rather han giving a lecture. It is helpful to many children to understand that your door is always open. For example, instead of obsessing about the need to be admitted to a good college, talk to them about life beyond those years. A parent could discuss the pros and cons of their own c areer. Children often respond to the question, â€Å"What do you want to be when you grow up† as, â€Å"I don't know. † If you don't have that open communication to redirect their ideas, they could continue to have a cloudy idea for their future. Also, children need a range of authentic role models. Having regular family meal discussions about people the family knows is a great practice. If communication about appropriate role models are not discussed, a child could look up to members of their clique, rock idols, and unwarranted athletes. Finally children need to feel secure in their world. If the family feels safe, then the child feels secure. As they grow up this sense of security is then internalized. Life is like a roller coaster with many stresses and setbacks. Children should know how to deal with these feelings of uncertainty. They need to also learn how to solve problems as well as resolve conflicts. In our home we discuss and practice these skills in everyday life situations. Parents do not need to overindulge their children with the latest video games, extravagant vacations, or too many extracurricular activities after school to feel safe and secure. If a parent relentlessly tries this with their children, they will be creating inflated egos that will surely burst in later years. In conclusion, parenting is not a simple task, and it is easy to become frustrated and uncertain at times. It often means putting aside your own thoughts and feelings in order to understand the whole child. Children have a continuing need for parental support and encouragement from infancy throughout young adulthood. It is possible to build a future that is better than the past. Keeping this in mind, the most important thing is to remember to provide your children with unconditional, loving homes, guidance, and a sense of security.

Regression Analysis and Credit Balance

AJ DAVIS Generate a scatterplot for CREDIT BALANCE vs. SIZE, including the graph of the â€Å"best fit† line. Interpret. Determine the equation of the â€Å"best fit† line, which describes the relationship between CREDIT BALANCE and SIZE 2591+ 403. 221 Determine the coefficient of correlation. Interpret. .75/ r-sq(56. 6%). There is a mild correlation. Determine the coefficient of determination. Interpret. 56. 6% Test the utility of this regression model (use a two tail test with ? =. 05). Interpret your results, including the p-value. P-value=0. Reject the null hpothesis.T value 7. 9147 Based on your findings in 1-5, what is your opinion about using SIZE to predict CREDIT BALANCE? Size is a good predictor for credit balance. Compute the 95% confidence interval for beta-1 (the population slope). Interpret this interval. (300. 79, 505. 66) Using an interval, estimate the average credit balance for customers that have household size of 5. Interpret this interval. (4368. 20 , 4846. 90) Using an interval, predict the credit balance for a customer that has a household size of 5. Interpret this interval. (3337. 87, 5877. 23)What can we say about the credit balance for a customer that has a household size of 10? Denotes a point that is an extreme outlier in the predictors. Using MINITAB run the multiple regression analysis using the variables INCOME, SIZE and YEARS to predict CREDIT BALANCE. State the equation for this multiple regression model. Credit balance= 1276. 02+ 32. 2719 income(1000) + 346. 852 size + 7. 88209 years. Is this multiple regression model better than the linear model that we generated in parts 1-10? Yes. Reject years there is no corralation of coefficient. Income is useful and years in combination with size and income.

Influence of Security and Trust in the Use of E-Commerce among Essay

Influence of Security and Trust in the Use of E-Commerce among Consumers in China - Essay Example M-com does influence the business activities and consumer behaviour. However, despite these factors such as ease of use and perceived value, the Chinese consumers have been slow to adopt this technology. M-com is still in its infancy in China despite a high rate of mobile phone users (Zhou, 2010). While the e-com revenues are high in China, sophisticated m-com applications are still limited despite China having a mobile subscriber base of 461 million at the end of 2006 – the highest in the world (Xu, Yan & Zheng, 2008). M-com would continue to remain a supplement to the traditional distribution channel because businesses need to develop their m-com offerings to consumers (Zhihao, 2011). Besides, not every consumer likes to shop without visiting the real stores. Investigations on the reasons need to be ascertained. Aims and objectives Several factors influence the use of m-com and these factors may differ across regions, nations and cultures. With the aim to ascertain how secur ity and trust concerns influence the intentions to use m-commerce, the objectives of the study are: To evaluate the benefits of m-com over internet shopping To evaluate the extent to which security and trust deter consumers from using m-commerce To determine the extent to which Chinese consumers use m-commerce for bill payments Literature Review Studies have been conducted on evaluating the cultural reasons why Chinese consumers have been slow in adopting m-commerce. The intentions to use m-com have been determined and Dai and Palvia (2009) found that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use have significant influence on the Chinese consumers’ intention to use m-com. The study however, did not evaluate the reasons or factors that are responsible for low intentions to use e-com in China. One of the possible reasons cited by the authors is security and trust in m-com. Zhou (2010) finds that system quality and the information quality influence the perceived value and the p erceived ease of use of the Chinese consumers. Service quality impacts the level of trust that consumers have in using m-commerce. Switching costs and commitment can also influence m-com which has not been researched. Using mobile phones for financial transactions can bring many benefits to the banking sector but its usage is limited. It not only benefits the banks but also the consumers who can pay for remote purchasing but many systems had to be closed down (Cognet, 2010). Theoretical framework It thus appears that the intention to use depends to a large extent on the system quality, quality of the website and the content. The quality of these factors determines the level of trust that can influence the decision to use m-commerce. Hence the theoretical framework for the study would be based upon the elements of relationship marketing and the trust theory. Relationship marketing encompasses relational contracting and working partnerships. Successful relationship marketing requires mutual trust and commitment. This has become important as organizations realize that they have to collaborate to compete. Thus, to what extent the retailers have been able to generate trust among the consumers would be ascertained because this determines the confidence they would have in engaging in m-commerce. Research Design The youth are more

Financial reporting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial reporting - Assignment Example rganization is not to simply promote its very own business and increase the ultimate goal of profit figures but, on the other hand, these organization also acknowledges their secondary responsibility towards its society people and environmental affects. The primary purpose of conducting various CSER activities by Company is the clear acknowledgement on the part of the Company that they do care about its society, their peoples, and environment and therefore, is consistently working on the promotion of various subjects of the society including, literature, sports, health, safety and others. CSER involve in incurring some short-term expenses and costs for the organization that do not also provide an instant financial benefit to the business, but instead it provides some qualitative return to the business in the long run. The activities of CSER widely promote many positive and beneficial transformations into the society and environment, in which the organization is performing their operations. With the help of CSER report, the ultimate aim of the business is to signify towards the society that they are the organization which have strict regulations and controls over the various business evils, including, Frauds, Bribery, Political influences and gifts, conflict of interests, compromise of independence issues, tax evasion, unethical business practice, unfair competitive activities, lack of confidentiality of business information and acumen, harassment of human rights and values, discrimination and many others, depending on the structure and needs of the organization. Through, CSER, business organization also wants demonstrate they strictly follow health and safety measures, its code of conduct, regulatory guidelines and are continually striving for improvement in order to accrue lesser and lesser damage to physical environment and nature. ABF Plc’s Corporate Responsibility Report clearly demonstrates that how much importance they are actually giving to the area

Strategic Management of publically lisied company Essay

Strategic Management of publically lisied company - Essay Example The objective of the study is to measure Apple Inc’s current challenges and their strategies to cope up with them. Strategic analysis is the method of conducting research on a company’s internal and external business environment in which it operates, in order to formulate a suitable strategy (Rigby, 2001). There are a number of tools of strategic analysis such as PEST analysis, SWOT analysis, Porters five forces, Value chain analysis which will be described in details in context of Apple Corporation. Additionally, strategic planning involves defining the company’s mission, goals and objectives which initiates effective strategy formulation (Luo, 2008). Also, the viability of Apple Inc’s current strategy and recommended strategies depending on its business environment will be evaluated in details through this study. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities and provides a view of a company’s current and could-be position. SWOT analysis is conducted to evaluate Apple Inc’s current position and strategies with respect to its internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) environment (Cravens, Piercy & Baldauf, 2009). PEST stands for political, economic, social and technological factors which are macro-environmental factors that affect the decision making and strategy formulation of an organization (Cravens, Piercy & Baldauf, 2009). In case of Apple Inc., this analysis will help to analyze the current and projected position of the company. Political factors- In the recent years, 52% of Apples sales were outside America and it also manufactures many of its goods outside the country (Barney, 2001). Political conflicts in any of the countries such as China, Korea and Ireland in which it operates will have terrible effects on the business of Apple Inc. Economic factors- The economic depression can result to a wide

Loop Diagrams Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Loop Diagrams - Article Example This is to mean, if there is a decrease in the node where the link starts, the other node decreases as well. Similarly if there is an increase in the node where the link starts, the other node increases as well. A negative causal link shows the two nodes changing towards opposite directions (Richardson 1986). This is to mean, the increase of the node in which the link starts decreases the other node and the decrease of the node in which the link starts increases the other node. This diagram has two feedback loops. R represents the positive reinforcement loop. It indicates that the word of mouth is one of the factors that have been used to reinforce the price of the Nokia mobile phone. The more praises the Nokia mobile phone receives from its customers; the higher the demand of the product regardless of its price. The more people refer to the mobile phone and demonstrate its effectiveness, the positive feedback tend to generate growing sales of the mobile phone (Sterman 2000). The next feedback loop B, which is on the left is negative reinforcement. It can also be referred to as balancing. It is obvious that the Nokia mobile phone will not be praised forever. Once customers get used to the Nokia mobile phone, they will look for newer different products. At this point, the growth of the product is likely to decline. The manufacturers of this particular mobile phone brand will have to lower its price so as to continue selling the phone (Sterman 2000). Feedbac k loops act concurrently, but at some point they portray different strengths. Thus, the price of mobile phone is likely to remain high in the initial years and decline in the later years when people get used to it. The causal loop diagram above is a good example of a reinforcement loop; it is referred to as reinforcement loop because the feedback increases the effect of change (Sterman 2000). As more investment is imposed on the Nokia mobile phone, the manufacturer can regulate

Compare and contrast the economic, political and social environment of Essay

Compare and contrast the economic, political and social environment of the United States in the 1920s and the 1950s - Essay Example The economy of 1920 boomed and contributed to the success of the country during this era. It resulted in a boost in employment, cost-effective development and consumerism. In 1920s, there was a great enhancement in purchase of commodities, mass production, industrial production, corporate profits and movies. In 1920, every field witnessed innovative breakthroughs and creations. These inventions embrace cars, methods of transportation, gas stations, malls/shopping centers, radio, and sewing machines. The period of 1920 was a period of huge advancement in the sphere of mass communication and the movies became popular as well (Goff & Terry, 2002). The manufacturers made huge profits from new business and production approaches. Departmental stores along with service station chains benefited from considerable retail power and helped in wage rise. The figure of millionaires in US increased during this period. The share market reached to the pinnacle. The salaries of management were increased excessively. Banks offered significant bonuses to their staff. The moral codes of business distorted and corruption was prevalent in politics, business and society. This was an indication of the end of booming period in USA. Comparatively, the period of 1950 was somewhat outdated. The economy during 1950 observed no major innovation. The main issue of this era was inflation, the rise in consumer prices, in indirect business taxes as well as social security taxes. Tax rates along with employment rates carried on climbing during this period. First half of 1950 viewed the prosperity of progress of life insurance companies and enrollment of new private companies to take in the extremes of personal investments (Goff & Terry, 2002). The industries that flourished after the war comprised, transport industry, newspaper industry, automobile industry, housing industry, electronics and aviation and aerospace industry, military industry, Hollywood and newspaper industry. During this

Family centred care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Family centred care - Essay Example The author has rightly presented that the family plays a vital role in the nursing of the patient. Since the discovery of this fact, there has been vast interest on the topic of family-centered care. For purposes of establishing the role of the nurse in family centered care, the essay has its basis on a case study. The patient, Joan, who is in hospital, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It is evident that she has a family, a husband. In planning the discharge of this patient, the nurse has to consider a number of issues. Some of these issues are the feelings that her husband has, and the fact that he may be unable to cope with her condition, managing Joan’s agitation, assessing the risk that the disease brings about to Joan. In addition, the nurse should consider the stress that Joan’s disease puts on the relationship between the members of the family and the possibility that the family might have limited knowledge on the disease and may need guidance on how to cope. The paper will focus on four major topics with regard to family centered care. The first of these is the risk posed by Alzheimer’s. Secondly, the paper will look into the issue of the stress that Joan’s sickness could cause on the relationship between members of her family. The third topic entails the possible reasons for Joan’s agitation and the best way to manage it. The last issue to be discussed is the feeling that the family members may have towards Joan, and with regard to her condition and the part, they play in caring for her.... This kind of care, the institute adds, is applicable to patients of all age groups, and is recommended in all settings that deal with health care. This would mean that for the sake of quick recuperation of patients, the family would have to be heavily involved in the process of nursing, while acquiring relevant and vital information on what steps to take from the nurse in charge of their sick relatives. In the case study, Joan has dementia. Joan is set for discharge from the health facility where she has been. Family centered care begins from within the hospital. This means that the family is also heavily involved in the decision to discharge. At this point, the family needs to get reassurance that Joan is in a stable enough condition to go home. In addition, the dependent state of the patient warrants their involvement for purposes of establishing whom her primary caregivers will be and where she will be living (Davidson et al. 2007). Before the nurse releases her into the care of h er family, it is important that they come up with a family care plan that will aid in assessing the situation at home (Gulanick & Myers 2011). An example of the nurse’s family care plan is as shown. Table 1: Family care Plan for Joan with dementia Family Problem Goal of care Objectives of Care Intervention Measures Method of nurse-family contact Resources Evaluation -little knowledge on risks posed by Alzheimer’s . - possible source of stress for family - patient agitated - To put the patients at ease -Prevention of self-harm by patient Enabling the family to empathize with the situation and learn the understand the sickness -provide health teachings to the family on Alzheimer’s

Unique effects of apathy and depression signs on cognition and Research Paper

Unique effects of apathy and depression signs on cognition and function in amnestic mild cognitive impairment - Research Paper Example According to Zahodne & Tremont (2013), apathy and depression are distinct signs in amnestic MCI and for different patients the two are associated with specific executive functions. For mental health nurses, the distinction of apathy and depression relative to the presented differential frontal lobes neuropathology patterns and the affected functions are crucial in planning and delivery appropriate care. Zahodne & Tremont (2013), present the current diagnostic criteria as indicating that about 43% and 20% patients meet apathy and major depression criteria correspondingly with and without baseline dementia. Through a multiple regression framework, apathy and depression linked to specific cognitive abilities and functional status as presented in a sample of 90 elderly persons (with mean age 75.8 years) highly vulnerable to Dementia following amnestic MCI. For all participants, clinical assessments presented unbiased memory impairment and exclusion criteria of comorbid neurological illnesses, brain trauma history, and medical problems like cancer, and severe psychiatric disturbance (Zahodne & Tremont, 2013). The independent variables were apathy, depression, education, and age, while the dependent variables were unprocessed scores on individual tests. The result linked depression to inferior exclusive functioning and was independent of age, apathy, and education. Conversely, apathy pre sented intricacies in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living or IADL and did not link to age, depression, or education. These findings proved that apathy and depression distinctively associate with varying elements of executive functioning in amnestic MCI. For a mental health nurse, this information fundamentally contributes to the formulation of interventions aimed at fostering health, assessing dysfunction, and helping patients in regaining their coping abilities (Daniel, et al., 2014). Further, the nurse

Of mice and men presentation - Chapter one Essay Example for Free

Of mice and men presentation Chapter one Essay At the start of chapter one the setting is tranquil, there are many animals to show that the humans will not be welcome when they arrive. The animals seem to own the valley. (OHP EXAMPLES OF ANIMALS) * Because the lizard is small it would need to be very quiet and peaceful for it to make a Skittering sound. ** The rabbits are obviously very confident with the surroundings, which shows that humans do not go there often. The rabbits are a recurring theme in Of mice and men *** Deer are generally very timid animals around humans so, again, like the rabbits it proves the absence of human life and its effects on the wildlife. Steinbeck also uses a lot of natural colours that make the setting calm and harmonious. There are Deep greens of the trees, Golden foothill slopes and Yellow sands. These colours do not clash with each other and help contribute to the almost utopian environment. Because of a complete lack of human life, the area not only seems safer but also calmer. The trees have been personified to replace the humans. The sycamores were said to have White, recumbent limbs When Steinbeck says that Men who have sat on it have worn the limb of the sycamore he shows that people can destroy nature and the beauty of the setting. Another example of this is when he talks of A path beaten hard by boys This is just before George and Lennie enter the scene so could indicate that they are not entirely wanted. (SEE OHP FOR PICTURES) **** These pictures show the impact of humans In the paragraph when the men enter the novel the scene starts to have a darker atmosphere. The shade Climbs up the hills. This is not only an example of the personification of the shadow, but it also dims the previously bright setting. This could be because George and Lennie are arriving. Darkness shows evil and although I wouldnt call George or Lennie evil the animals do not want them there. The way the two men enter seems to be very significant. George walks before Lennie even though there is enough room for them top walk side by side. This shows Georges protectiveness and leadership over Lennie. It also shows Lennie is mentally younger and more simplistic because he is always copying like a child is. (SEE OHP GEORGE AND LENNIE WALKING) Lennies simplicity is also graphically portrayed when he is likened to different animals. For example when Steinbeck says: His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drunk from the surface of the green pool, he drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse. This simile shows that Lennie is not only as strong as a horse but also has manners like one. He is later referred to as bear-like in his actions and features. It is described that he is Dragging his paws Obviously, being a human, he has hands not paws but because they are so large and because of what he is doing with them they are called paws. There is a sequence in the first chapter where Lennie imitates Georges exact movements-this show that Lennie needs to copy because he cant think for himself and he is not confident. (ANDREW COPYS DAN AS LENNIE DOES GEORGE) As you can see I was playing the role of George, the intelligent character and Andrew the slow, simple character. Yet another example of George being the more confident character is when he starts to get angry and begins to shout, complaining about the bus driver. Whilst George is doing this Lennie is very quiet and acts timidly. It is, however easy for the reader to be sympathetic towards George and understand his anger. Because Lennie isnt very clever, George often has to repeat himself many times. At one point George has to ask Lennie three times to put down a dead mouse that he has got. When they want to eat, Lennie wants to go to the ranch that they are headed towards but George realises that they will have to do more work if they go straight away so he says no. Lennie cannot understand this. This shows that Lennie just wants immediate satisfaction whereas George can look at what will happen in the future. It is also possible to see a kind, caring side through Georges anger and frustration. He often says Aw Lennie when his friend gets upset about something and comforts him. The first chapter gives an in-depth impression of what the two main characters personalities are like and how they have similarities and differences.

The cyberpunk novel Feed Essay Example for Free

The cyberpunk novel Feed Essay Analyse how a writer used language to develop the theme(s) of the written text. The cyberpunk novel, Feed, is a book which explores the dangers of overpowering consumerism. Author MT Anderson uses language to develop the theme of a failing futuristic society as an outcome of constant consumerist influence. Anderson uses character dialogue, descriptions of environmental degradation and internally received ‘banners’ or advertising inside the characters’ heads to explore the problems encountered when a society fails to protect their most valuable resource – nature. The characters in Feed are all implanted with a chip at birth which allows them to access the internet without the need of any external device. Computers are no longer outside the body, but are referred to as â€Å"wetware†. This allows the characters to m-chat or text inside their heads. The feed also provides them with a near constant flow of advertising banners or pop-ups depending on current trends or a shop they may walk past. This corporate control of communication leads the characters to live a superficial existence, where their main concerns are for the latest hairstyles and show no interest towards political events, which are hinted at throughout the book. The story is narrated by Titus, a teenager who meets Violet while celebrating Spring break on the Moon. During the exposition the reader learns that in this society the characters have minimal vocabularies and use a lot of futuristic teenage slang. The group refer to each other as â€Å"unit† and describe a good looking girls as being â€Å"meg youch†.There is also a lot of swearing which illustrates how limited their vocabularies have become. The characters use the phrase â€Å"da da da† whenever they can’t think of what to say. This has happened because school no is longer run as a centre for education, rather, it has become â€Å"SchoolTM† and teaches students how to use their feeds, consequently how to consume m ore and more. The poor vocabulary, coupled with a preoccupation with peer pressure to keep up with current trends helps to create a mood of apathy and hopelessness in the characters thoughts and actions.

The decisive moment

The decisive moment Page | 1 This essay will look at the foundation, importance, and relevance of the decisive moment. It will evaluate how this notion is perceived in today’s society and evaluate how technology has affected it throughout the years and if it became less recognisable and less consciously considered. The idea of the decisive moment was established by Henri Cartier-Bresson (August 22, 1908– August 3, 2004) and quickly became the leading theory; soon basis of photography for centuries. In order to fully understand the decisive moment, it is highly important to recognise its origin and certain ideologies behind it. The idea was officially introduced and named by Cartier-Bresson in his book under the same title in 1952; the decisive moment was and still is considered to appear when both artistic and the meaningful aspects of life come together for a split second and can be then captured and documented through in this case the lens of the camera. The decisive moment photograph never exists as a singular image. Such image can only emerge as a part of an entire photo shoot. Not even the greatest photographers are capable of capturing a remarkable image with just a single frame. Cartier-Bresson’s theory, the decisive moment soon became known, much respected and used by all professional photographers; not much later being considered as a beginning of street and photojournalism style of photography. In his book Cartier-Bresson talks about his idea of the decisive moment- what later became known as photojournalism; he states ‘I wanted to capture the quintessence of the phenomenon in a single image†¦ in order to give meaning to the world, one has to feel oneself involved in what one frames in the viewfinder†¦ its putting one’s head, one’s eye, one’s heart on the same axis†¦ it is a way of life’. The above quote proves that the decisive moment itself was more than just an idea. It was a way of thinking, living and a style of work, obeyed not just by lifelong commitment of Henri Cartier-Bresson himself but many if not all professional photographers to follow. He believed in the unique purpose of photography in comparison to other visual arts such as painting. This therefore that photography has a unique capability to capture momentary and constant flow of life e.g. vide diversions within different cultures (he created series of photog raphs in countries such as India, France and Russia), political and economic changes. For example he was drawn to India by the significant political events – which then lead to major economic and cultural changes such as the Partition and assassination of Ghandi. Both of these events had a vast impact on the culture of India, the Partition for example lead to high independence of culture within the countries created. It also however raised the amount of violence which resulted in high expanse in deaths within the civilians and war between the countries. Cartier-Bresson believed that his photographs were a method of assessing the present against the past, that they allowed him to compare the country with what it once was, helped him and the viewer to realise and appreciate all of the things that remained the same and continued throughout the years as much as convey all that has changed through time. It is important to note that Cartier-Bresson’s ideologies therefore his art work, have a clear link to his education and reveal a strong philosophical knowledge. This is visibly observable when being aware of his early life and edification through school. As a young artist he attended the Lhote Academy in Paris in which painter and sculptor Andre Lhote, took on the method to teach his students to integrate the cubist’s approach to reality (depiction of space, mass, time and volume as well as the use of multiple perspective) with classical artistic forms such as beautiful, almost perfect sceneries and people, along with the most truthful representation of reality, scale and perspective. Cubism was a first abstract art movement, which abandoned the tradition of perspective, displaying many views at the same time while preserving the expressiveness of subjects granted with philosophical connotations. The art work of this movement displayed a very geometrical presence and s ubjects of the painting were often tough to spot with just a brief first glance. The paintings were often chaotic in a sense of composition yet were exceptionally intriguing and very easy to look at for a substantial period of time. They required the viewer to see it with an open mind, ready to interpret and thoughtfully consider the subject while classical art only just offered something pretty to look at. While at the Lhote Academy, Cartier-Bresson developed an interest into human psychology and studied all leading philosophers such as Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Arthur Schopenhauer and Karl Heinrich Marx. The theory of the decisive moment itself reveals a very high understanding and influence of such philosophical knowledge, and it is enough to look at the very basic yet complex principles of an effective the decisive moment to see a clear link. Further studies of Cartier-Bresson’s theory reveal that a successful the decisive moment in photography is not by any means accidental but it is a careful combination ‘of a unique set of technical, cognitive, and emotional skills’. All of these can only be achieved by far reaching training therefore a vast amount of experience, and psychological knowledge of people. Both the emotional and the so clear psychological significance of this theory are based on the ‘dynamic interaction of the experiences of subject and photographer†¦ which provides the springboard for effective insight’. All of these factors play an essential role in the composition of the decisive moment. A well composed photograph within this theory creates a feeling of understanding, balance, harmony, interest, unity and closure. Although, however considerate and successful the decisive moment theory is, it only applies to street and photojournalism photography. So as important and influential as it is, it did not help to form or develop other styles of photography. The geometrical and beautiful aspects of art, combined with psychological knowledge are represented in almost all of Cartier-Bresson’s photographs; such as the photograph of two women taken in 1953 (figure 1) and the image of a mother holding her baby taken in 1950 in India (figure 2). The first image uses repeated vertical lines to emphasise the subjects within the frame which s this case are the two women. In the second image there is a clockwise design of thin lines which immediately move the viewer’s eye around the frame. Both of these images show a clear and careful consideration of geometry and designed viewer’s response by the photographer. In an article on photographic psychology; John Suler PhD professor of Rider University described the decisive moment as a ‘highly debated concept’. Throughout the years, Cartier-Bresson’s theory has been discussed from various angles and perspectives. Many of the arguments are objectively recent and mainly refer to the growing technological advance. Now that the decisive moment is fully understood in all its aspects, both the supportive arguments as well as those against the theory will be considered and analysed. Some could argue that although Cartier-Bresson was the first one to name the decisive moment, he has basically described a way photographers worked from a very beginning. The term photography is derived from the Greek phos graphe which means drawing with light. Photography was and still is considered to be both the art and science. It is a way of creating resilient images, which has been present for almost two centuries. Recently however the scientific aspect of it seems to have disappeared giving way to more of an artistic approach. Todays ‘photographers have all become artists’and have disregarded the theoretical approach to photography. However in the early 1900’s, while photography was still developing, photographers remained scientists capturing and observing various aspects of life. The first camera was more about capability to capture anything permanently form a different angle (through the lens for example), and the general achievement of a photograph itse lf. Looking at some of the early photographs now, it is clear that somewhat unconsciously the photographer picked the moment or the final chosen frame for a reason. Like the train track photograph, the photographer picked a certain weather and time of the day because it meant something to him. Find the image The opposite side of this argument could be the early equipment. Images created back in the 1800’s or even during the 1900’s required extremely long exposures. What could now be classed as the decisive moment in these images could have happened by pure chance and luck; for example in the first ever photograph taken of a person (figure 4). The only reason for why this was able to happen is that the person so far away on the street, remained motionless enough for the camera to record it. This was not the moment consciously considered and chosen by the photographer, it was just a frame chosen out the whole photo shoot. Now this is when this side of the argument becomes inconsistent, as the image was still chosen due to its certain properties and content. The same properties later listed and described by Cartier-Bresson as the decisive moment. In his article John Suler, mentions the fact that some modern photographers rejecting the decisive moment as an ‘outdated idea’. This conveys the most discussed contemporary aspect of Cartier-Bresson’s idea the technology. Photographers in today’s society do not think about the decisive moment anymore, they simply do not have to. New equipment such as cameras are easily capable of capturing enormous amounts of images in incredibly short periods of time. Without the concern, neither the cost nor the necessity to change, acquire new film roll or even then the requirement to develop the shots. Photographers either professional or amateur are able to pick the decisive moment afterwards rather then consider it just before the shot or while taking the photo. In the book on Conceptual Limitations of Our Reflection on Photography, Jan Baetens argues that there is a fundamental disjunction between the practical knowledge of the non-academics and contemporary (artis tic) photographic theory. Photography in today’s society became greatly more accessible on considerably bigger scale and now it’s not just professional photographers capturing the flow of life but everyone is capable of doing so. In another article on the decisive moment, John Roberts vey accordingly states that ‘there has been an intellectual regression within photography†¦ the social implications and possibilities of new imaging techniques in various sciences rarely move from the realm of specialist technical discourse into the broader field of critical theories of photography’. In today’s society photography is easier to use, mainly due to the technology and requires much less training and general knowledge of the equipment, techniques and composition therefore smaller amount of people taking photos are truly aware of the decisive moment and theoretical approach to photography. Although the technology now rejects the idea and recognition of the decisive moment, mainly due to high growing technological improvement, some could argue that it was Bresson’s idea which pushed the development of photographical technology so fast forward. His idea of perfection within the frame and the â€Å"perfect† image actually has in some respect motored the society and technology to advance. (One more sentence needed but don’t know what!!) Many contemporary arguments disprove and dismiss the theory of the decisive moment. There is however a clear link between the theory and human psychology, which highly supports Cartier-Bresson’s idea and vice versa. Suler’s article speaks very little on the actual theory itself, as its main focus remains on the use of photography in psychoanalytic therapy. The concept of Cartier-Bresson’s theory plotted into authentic psychiatry is very intriguing as it now links back with its original establishment. An idea based on basic human psychology is now being used to analyse one’s mind. Although psychoanalysis in this case is not much of an arguable point, it does shine a new light on the original idea and displays it in a slightly different perspective. In 1956 E. Kris introduced the idea of the â€Å"Good Hour. To understand the relation this has towards Cartier-Bresson’s idea it is important to understand the term and its importance towards creative arts. Kris describes the Good Hour as a process an individual goes through while undertaking one’s goal. The good hour begins with a negative implication; a feeling of frustration and disappointment. Next step within this process is that all the negative feelings are then neutralised and converted into dynamic energy which impulses the individual’s mind towards personally meaningful perceptions. The Good Hour, in which the individual is powerful and independent in the pursuit for meaning, varies from the â€Å"Pseudo Good Hour† during which an individual is driven by an aim to please someone or gain approval. This idea of the Good Hour resonates the one of Cartier-Bresson’s decisive moment and both photographic and psychological elements emerging as one. He moreover compared photography to the psychoanalytic basis; while Kris trusted the psychological progression throughout the Good Hour bring to mind those during artistic accomplishments. Both the factual events being photographed and the personal interpretation of ‘the decisive moment shot are the therapeutic â€Å"Aha!† moment’, a moment of recognising oneself within the human existence. Both the Good Hour and the decisive moment are not about achieving the goal (the decisive moment shot) to please someone but about oneself in the world of human experiences and subconsciously designed awareness lying in awaiting the opportunity to express oneself through in this case photography. As much as the idea worked in practise with Cartier-Bresson, which in a lot of respect is due to his extraordinary and exceptional knowledge and understanding of human psychology, it doesn’t necessary mean it has to work for someone who’s knowledge only consist of basic photographic skills, someone who was never absorbed by anything else but photography itself. How would one know what is the right decisive moment? All of our interpretations of imagery and stories are strongly based on our cultural capital. Cartier-Bresson’s theory comes into doubt when tested by the mass and today’s fast spread of media such as photography. The decisive moment (as mentioned before) consists of a collapse of both what is beautiful and what is significant to the individual capturing the image. However, human understanding and interpretation of both them factors, commences and cultivates based on one’s personal experiences, culture and society one was raised within and various values one was taught throughout life. In the theoretical approach toward the cultural capital, Pierre Bourdieu states that ‘individualscan be restricted by their habitus’. This statement is highly relevant within this argument as it supports the idea of that what is considered as the decisive moment by the photographer may be perceived as the most far away point from it by the viewer. It is evident that Cartier-Bresson was fully aware of the effects his work had on people, he says ‘It is by means of form, by careful plastic organization, that our thoughts and emotion become communicable’ His photographs are so well composed they instantly become highly artistic, yet at the same time, they are such strong journalistic medium with even more powerful message behind it. Cartier-Bresson’s work created art which became an expression of common humanity, it became an expression of ordinary, day to day people; revealing their tragic stories. All of this became possible due to careful consideration of both beauty and meaning thereof the decisive moment. Although such complex idea may be challenging to understand in today’s society, inflexible and overwhelmed by the technology, it has undoubtedly marked its importance in history of photography. As much as it may not be consciously considered when taking the photograph, our â€Å"perfect† ima ge is still chosen according to the same principles. Consciously or not, the theory of the decisive moment is still used in practice by both the professionals and the general public. If it was not for this theory the field of photography and its equipment would not be as far developed as it currently is. Jan Baetens argues (‘Conceptual Limitations of Our Reflection on Photography: The Question of Interdisciplinarity’, pp. 53–73.), there is a fundamental disjunction between the ‘practical knowledge of theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °nonacademics’ (p. 61) and contemporary (artistic) photographic theory. Appendix Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 CLM 2045M, Sara Zimna, 12299092

Immanuel Kant’s Metaphysics Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Immanuel Kant’s Metaphysics THEME In regard to Metaphysics, Kant’s results were seemingly the opposite to what he strove to achieve, cf. the claim, in his Introduction, that â€Å"In this enquiry . . . I venture to assert that there is not a single metaphysical problem which has not been solved, or for the solution of which the key has not been supplied.† In the summing up of his Prolegomena, he records with evident pride in achievement: â€Å"Anyone who has read through and grasped the principles of the CPR . . . will look forward with delight to metaphysics, which is now indeed in his power.† Yet the image of an â€Å"Alleszermalmer† persists, who dismantled the foundations of a philosophical edifice which had barely withstood the ravagement of Hume’s onslaught on its â€Å"occult fancies†! These discrepancies should make us wonder how one of the three greatest thinkers of all time could be so far deluded as to miss the outcome and import of his efforts! I propose to consider this problematic issue from a slightly different than ‘usual’ perspective. I To put the question of the suitability of metaphysics as a science is equivalent to asking, â€Å"what is metaphysical knowledge?†, hence â€Å"can metaphysical conclusions be verified?† In the CPR, this issue is encapsulated in the question, â€Å"How are synthetic a priori judgements possible?† But before I address it, let me offer something as a curtain raiser: The metaphysical possibility as well as the epistemology of newtonian absolute space remained a mystery until Kant solved it . . . [Guyer 10]. My intention here is to throw into focus the possibility of metaphysics having stood still in the interim; that no successor (as Kant indubitably expected) has taken up the cudgels and ... ...g, but in my view a horizon beckoning for metaphysics by which to orient itself. Bibliography Kant, Immanuel: Kritik der reinen Vernunft & Prolegomena. Cited according to standard method. Secondary texts Adorno, Theodor W.: Kant and the Critique of Pure Reason. Polity Press, Oxford 2001. Ameriks, Karl: Kant and the Fate of Autonomy. Cambridge UP 2000. Dryer, P. D.: Kant’s Solution for Verification in Metaphysics. Allen & Unwin, London 1966. Gardner, Sebastian: Kant and the Critique of Pure Reason. Routledge, London 1999. Guyer, Paul (ed.): The Cambridge Companion to Kant. Cambridge UP 1992. Heidegger, Martin: Kant und das Problem der Metaphysik. Vittorio Klostermann, Frankfurt 1973. Janaway, Christopher: Self and World in Schopenhauer’s Philosophy. Clarendon, Oxford 1989. Pinkard, Terry: German Philosophy 1760-1860. Cambridge UP 2002.

As I Lay Dying : Anse Bundren :: As I Lay Dying

As I Lay Dying : Anse Bundren   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anse Bundren is one of the most exceptional characters in â€Å"As I Lay Dying†. He was the husband of Addie Bunden. In the Story, he portrayed himself as being a very selfish individual.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During his journey to the burial site of his wife, he always was worrying about his well being before the family’s well being. The only reason that he decided to carry out Addie’s wish was that he wanted to improve his image by getting false teeth. He did care for his wife, but this caring was overshadowed by his love to improve himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this story, it became evident to all of the readers that Anse was a very lackadaisical character. This was shown through a passage were he said, †If I work†¦. I will sweat†¦ and if I sweat, then I will die.† This passage is precise showing of his lazy attitude towards life. In another passage Addie said, †Get up, and move then.† Even after that statement, he sill didn’t feel the need to do anything to help others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another characteristic of Anse is that he is extremely thrifty. He didn’t feel the need to spend any money. This was clear when he didn’t call Peabody to observe Addie during her final hours. Another scene that exemplified his laziness is when he is talking to himself about the roads. He said that the roads were a direct reason why he was forced to pay taxes. He was disgusted at the sights of roads because it enabled people to bother him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During his journey to Jefferson, he had to overcome many obstacles to get to his goal like the flood, the crossing of the river, and the fire that was set by Darl. His main goal was not to look foolish but that was very unlikely because he was with a coffin with his son sitting helplessly on top with a concrete cast on his leg, and because of the hole in the coffin, the corpse smelled terrible.

Free Will in Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange Essay -- Free Will Bu

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is it better to be a man choosing wrong than a man who is forced to choose right? In the classic novel, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, a theme emerges. This is the theme of free will. Through the main character, Alex, Burgess is able to convey his ideas about free will and the oppressive nature of establishments such as governments and the media. Aside from these suggestions made by Burgess the question persists: When a man ceases to choose, is he still a man?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Free will is one of the features that separates us as humans from animals and allows us to attain intelligent thought and reasoning. Of course, all of the features mentioned are unique to humans; the ability to exercise free will enables us to engage in all other aspects that are unique to human life. For example, if we were not given free will, then we could not choose to act upon our reasoning achieved through intelligent thought. We see this when a priest in the book makes the statement â€Å"when a man ceases to choose, he ceases to be a man† (Burgess 67). So the answer to the question at hand, according to Burgess, is yes. A man does lose his personhood when his free will is taken. In the novel, a totalitarian rehabilitation is forced upon the main character and he is unable to choose whether or not to participate in the violent behavior he once adored.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A human being is endowed with free will. He can use this to choose between good and evil. If he can only perform good or only perform evi...

Microscopy of Living Microbes

Purpose: To prepare students to familiarize themselves with the lab equipment such as the microscope, square glass, cover slips, etc.; to facilitate students to observe the pond water; and enable them to discern and identify the microbes as bacteria, algae, fungi, or protozoa within the pond water. Additionally, this lab experiment will permit students to observe and distinguish the yeast suspension from the other microbes.Data/Results: (Attached)Conclusion: The student acquired the fundamental skills in which to properly handle lab equipment and execute an experiment. By examining the pond water with the 40X lens, the student was able to distinguish and identify the protozoa with cilia: colpidium, which was recognized by its unique oval shape, resembling a peanut, with small hair-like particles comprising the entire surface, and the vascular plant, which was discrete due to its array of composition of cells.By examining the pond water with the 100X lens, the student was able to diff erentiate and classify 1) the cyanobacteria: nostoc due to its distinctive S shape and beads with surrounding cells, 2) two nematodes (phylum nematoda) parallel to one another (the nematodes appeared as slender worms, colorless, and encompassed of cells), and 3) the cyanobacteria: anabaena, which was blue-green in its feature with long filaments of cells (resembling a seaweed structure). By examining the yeast suspension with the 40X lens, the student observed millions of budding yeast cell structures. The student was able to discern between the various structures of pond water microorganisms, such as cilia and algae, and the yeast suspension cellular material.Questions:1. What is Brownian motion and why is it generally seen when bacteria are observed in liquid media? Some bacteria, perhaps many in your presentation did not display Brownian motion. Why is that? Brownian motion is a non-directional movement triggered when cells are blasted by water molecules. Brownian motion is gener ally seen when bacteria are observed in liquid media primarily by the production of gas that bacteria yields, which is converted into liquid fluids. Thus, some bacteria, many in the experiment presentation, did not display Brownian motion because of the lack of energy of the system and the absence of flagella that impels bacteria to move voluntarily.2. How can Brownian motion be distinguished from motility?As mentioned previously, Brownian motion is a non-directional movement triggered when cells are blasted by water molecules whereas motility is the capability of an organism to independently move either towards or away from a specific stimulus. Therefore, Brownian motion is distinguishable from motility due to it being a false movement while motility enables organisms to transfer by means of flagellum, endoflagella, or axil filaments. 3. What are flagella? What is the difference between bacterial flagella and eukaryotic flagella?Flagella are long protein structures responsible for most type of prokaryotic motility and also propel cells through liquid. Bacterial flagella, which are also referred to as prokaryotic flagella, are smaller than eukaryotic flagella and have a simple structure, are made up of protein flagellin that provides a mechanism of motility, are proton driven, and have a rotatory movement. On the other hand, eukaryotic flagella have a larger and more complex configuration, are composed of tubulin that delivers a mechanism of locomotion, are ATP driven, and have a bending movement.4. In wet mount preparations, is it possible to see eukaryotic flagella? Prokaryotic flagella? In wet mount preparations, it is possible to see eukaryotic flagella, but it is not possible to see prokaryotic flagella. 5. Does crystal clear pond water contain living bacteria? What about air? Your finger? All things that are not sterile do contain living bacteria such as pond water, air, and fingers.

I Could See the Man Was Very Unhappy

I could see that the man was very unhappy. As I watched him sitting by himself at the bus stop, a big brown paper parcel beside him, I felt my curiousity perk and was also strangely troubled. I sensed that the old man felt confused and needed someone to talk to. Yet I held back. The party was in half an hour. So I could not make the time for him. Besides, who was I introduced into another person’s privacy? These were my thoughts as I boarded the bus. As the bus drew away from the stop , I looked back at the lone figure on the bridge.A few minutes later, I was back at the same place. He was still there, still alone. I sat down beside him. Other people were ignoring us. I started a conversation with him. At first, he was startled and was silent. As time passed by and he could see that I was sincere, he began to talk. His name was Arthur Tan. Barely, fifteen years ago, he had been a happily married man with two lovely children performing well at school. It seemed that nothing cou ld upset his beautiful life. Then, on one cruise, his family decided to go along with him for a family vacation.It was a hectic time for him, but he thoroughly enjoyed their company. Everything went well until one night, when taking over the wheel, he fell asleep. His ship collided with an oil tanker and both sank. He was the sole survivor of this tragedy. Since that fateful day, Arthur had lived miserable life. With his family gone, his life seemed to lose all meaning. He spent his days in despondency and guilt. His friends shunned him ; hardly anyone spoke a kind word to him, he rarely even saw a friendly human face.He showed me the brown parcel. He had collected all the mementos of his happier life before the tragedy – his uniforms, certificates and his family photographs. He had wrapped all these precious things and tied them up in the big brown paper parcel. As I looked at his collection of memories, I understood his sadness. The people in the photographs were laughing a nd smiling happily. The Arthur Tan in the photographs was so different from the man I could see now in front of me.He started to reminisce, and I let him. I did not care that I was already late for the party. This was more important. He talked for two hours, telling me about his family and the happy times he had with them. Finally, he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said â€Å"Thank you†. Then he got up and left. I found myself sitting alone, hardly noticing the trickle of tears on my cheeks, watching him walk away. I was glad I had been there for him as all he wanted was a person to talk to.

Diary of an Eating Disorder

The Book of Chelsea Browning Smith entitled â€Å"Diary of an Eating Disorder†. A mother and daughter share their healing journey greatly helped my outlook on eating disorders. This book also contains some compiled diaries of her in adolescent stage of her life. All along I thought that these were all just ordinary diseases that most women undergoes but as I read through the book, it exposes that it is more than having a problem with regards to foods but it is more on the emotional aspect. Everyday of every year many women becomes victims of these diseases due to emotional instability.Emotional instability may be cause by some aspects that most women sees everyday, may it be in terms of physical attributes they see perceive that are more acceptable towards the society, their families and most of all their loved ones. We can really never judge someone who is undergoing these disorders, namely anorexia and bulimia. She was very much open to everything that her openness helped th e readers realized the goodness of God. I really appreciated her transparency with regards to this matter.It is a fact that many of the women nowadays are fighting this dilemma and as humans we need someone to hold on to, to regain our confidence and strength. Every word in the book just depicts what exactly a normal human being feels. We all know that anorexia and bulimia nervosa has received a great deal of attention in the popular media in recent years. This disorder is listed under the category of disorders of childhood or adolescence in DSM-III. Anorexia consists of extreme weight loss due to a reduction in eating.It occurs most frequently in female adolescents; only about 1 in 10 people with anorexia are male. The disorder is believed to be rate, but one study found an incidence of 1 case out of 200 adolescent girls. The person often has major problems in self-esteem and concerns about physical appearance. Weight reduction may be one way for the person to feel in control of he r or his behavior, and to improve self-esteem. However, for anorexics, dieting gets out of hand. They develop an unreasonable fear of eating, and often suppress hunger by engaging in repetitive activity such as frequent exercising.When anorexics must eat because others (e. g. , parent) demand it, they often will induce vomiting after meals to get rid of the food ingested. At the other end of the spectrum from obesity is anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder associated with self-imposed starvation. The already underweight person continues to restrict food intake, often to the point where death is a genuine concern. One of the most distinguishing traits of people who have anorexia nervosa is that they do not see themselves as thin.When they look in a mirror, they actually perceive themselves to be overweight or gaining weight. In the latter case they may go out and jog 5 miles or stay up all night jumping jacks. The resulting weight loss and attendant physical stress often lead to an a bsence of menstruation among females, and the person may look pallid and gaunt. Having this overview in mind, I really can relate towards her feelings. It was not easy to experience the disorder but she managed to overcome and succeed her weakness.The book just touches the very heart and soul of the readers, especially those that are experiencing the same disorder. This book somehow gives them hope that as long as they have God and they have the will to overcome it, and then truly they will succeed. The book will really make you cry knowing how she struggled so much and knowing this, those who are also suffering these disorders will be strengthened in such a way that they know that they are not alone, that they are not the only one who is experiencing such troubled times.The author also believes that faith is a very important ingredient especially when are in tough times. It is through faith that we can be able to surpass all the waves that are before us. As adolescents, Chelsea emp hasizes the importance of having a relationship with the Almighty. Through that relationship we have in Him, we would not feel any pressures and insecurities at all because we see ourselves as precious creatures and beloved masterpieces of God, knowing these in mind we would do our best to take care of ourselves.The author’s choices of words acts as a medicine or a healing ointment that helps those who in bondage will be freed and will no longer be enslaved by self inflicted hurts and hatred. She was so brave; I salute her for her courage. It is not that easy to tell the struggles, troubles and hurts one has experienced but Smith stood up. Through her braveness many people were blessed and also encouraged. Smith and Runyon have done a wonderful deed when this book was published. The book is very point blank.Each detail that Smith exposes when she suffered anorexia and bulimia for two years was so vivid that all readers could clearly feel the intense emotions behind it. It is somewhat a living testimony that because of what Smith has undergone she has become a dignified and composed woman that she is right now. The book also shows how successful and happy Chelsea was but no one knew what was really happening within her, all her hatred, struggles and frustrations that eventually lead to her eating disorders that eventually she was able to recover.Her recovery also gave the readers joy as she survive the travails, the readers will really be able to relate with the whole book. Smith tells in her book everything that she felt at the different episodes of her struggle with the eating disorder. She shared in this book the treatments she had and how she felt with the process. Chelsea’s perseverance was so great that anyone who reads the book will really be blessed and encouraged by this life changing material. Reference: 1. Smith, Chelsea & Runyon, Beverly. (1998). Diary of an Eating Disorder: A Mother and Daughter Share Their Healing Journey. Taylor Publishing, New York.

The Italian Conquest of Abyssinia: How far was the LoN to blame?

Source A – the cartoon entitled â€Å"Dogs of War† – has a message of the ways in which the League of Nations failed. This is depicted through the cartoon in numerous ways. Firstly, the woman (representative of the League of Nations) is shown holding the dog collars which have writing engraved on them. One collar reads Japan while the other collar reads Germany. The fact that they are empty indicates that they have both left the League. When relating that to real events, Japan left the league as a result of them being condemned after the invasion of Manchuria and Germany left through the actions of Hitler (as a result of him disagreeing with the disarmaments). Another way in which the cartoon shows the failure of the League is through the actions of Britain and France. During the conflict between Italy and Abyssinia, Britain and France are shown as just â€Å"looking over†. In simpler terms, Britain and France are shown as if they do not care or just wish to let things go by as if it doesn't matter. This, in effect, undermines the League's objective of dealing with conflicts such as those and creating peace. When relating that to real events, Britain and France didn't really do much as they thought that would be jeopardising their relationship with Italy. By doing so, they reckoned Italy would join forces with Germany and that would make matters worse. As a result, they just stood by and let Mussolini invade and take over Abyssinia. However, it is not just about what Britain and France did; it is also about if they had the ability to do it. The fact that Britain is represented as a bulldog and France as a poodle – stronger than the dogs representing Italy and Abyssinia – shows exactly how they could have dealt with the problem if they wanted to. This relates to how they had the use of collective security to deal with problems, if need be. My point here is that this strengthens my argument above of how Britain and France just didn't want to deal with the conflict. In addition, the League of Nations on the whole is shown as a woman who is not bothered about the conflict. That aside, the fact that the league is represented a woman depicts peace. This is also emphasised through the addition of a dove above her head, which also represents peace. The ironic thing here, though, is that the situation is not one of peace and that the argument has not been dealt with in order to create peace. Instead of actually doing something about it, she is just doing what Britain and France are. Using this, failure has been shown as the cartoon is critical of the league not doing anything about the matter. My final point on this matter relates to what the woman representing the league is actually doing. The cartoonist has shown the woman with her arms tied. It seems as if he/she wants to get across the fact that woman is struggling to control the dogs. In terms of real events, Britain and France signed a Hoare-Laval pact which allowed Italy to take 2/3 of Abyssinia. However, when the public found out about this, it had a bad name on the LoN and so Hoare and Laval denied any knowledge whatsoever. Italy saw this and invaded Abyssinia as they no longer trusted Britain and France. This is a reason for the league having its arms tied. On the other hand, it can be said to be struggling as the league struggled to look after both the members and the conflicts that were going on. This point is reinforced from what is said at the bottom of the cartoon: â€Å"JUST AS WE WERE ALL GETTING ALONG SO NICELY! I WONDER WHAT I HAVE TO DO THIS TIME. † There are a number of ways in which sources A and B differ and allow the viewer understand the problems of peacekeeping in the 1930s. Firstly, a major difference between the sources is how each country is represented. While source A uses dogs to represent countries, source B uses sacks. The fact that dogs are closer to humans than sacks allows source A to have a huge advantage over source B. What I mean by this is that dogs are living and really significant things such as facial expressions and movement can be shown through them. However, those significant aspects cannot be shown through sacks and that is what allows a viewer to understand the cartoon better. For example; Italy and Abyssinia are shown to be having an argument of some sort. We notice that it is an argument from the facial expression of Abyssinia. In addition, they are in each other's face and in positions that are most likely when in a fight. This cannot be done with sacks and so source A is more understanding in showing the problems in this aspect. Likewise, in source A, the LoN is represented as a woman and things such as her movements can be shown (she is shown with her hands tied) whereas, in source B, the LoN is represented as a cart and that cannot be shown here. However, like source A, source B does have aspects that help understand the problems. One good aspect in my opinion is the showing of which countries are more likely to leave than others. A great example of this is how Great Britain and France are solid up the top whereas Italy is on the verge of falling off. This relates well to how Italy didn't have faith in the League after the pact because they felt betrayed by France and Britain and also because Mussolini was a fascist and disagreed with a lot of their views. Therefore, it can be said that this helps understand the problem of Italy being upset with the Council (Britain and France) of the LoN. In addition, the fact that the LoN is represented as a cart in source B indicates it is slow and needs to be pushed. This helps understand the slow aspect and an example of this would be how Lytton went out to Manchuria to sort things out really late in November. A good aspect in both sources that help understand the problems is that both show that Japan and Germany have left the league. Despite the fact that they are done in different ways, they both show and help understand the problem of not having 2 major forces in the league. On the other hand, a bad aspect in both would be that neither shows the â€Å"whys†. For example; both sources do not show why Japan and Germany have left the league. This is a major disadvantage as research or own knowledge is required to understand the source to full effect. Finally, something to note here is what the provenance states. Source A is a cartoon from a British magazine but is critical of the fact that Britain just looked on over the conflict between Italy and Abyssinia. On the other hand, source B is a cartoon from a British magazine and is saying that Britain is solely holding the league together, which is untrue as the help of France and other countries is also doing so. From this, we can say that source A is more reliable than source B as source B is biased. In conclusion to this answer, I feel that source A is more useful than source B for understanding the problems of peacekeeping in the 1930s for the sole reason that living creatures are used to represent countries as opposed to sacks. Despite the fact that source B shows how the league was slow and how Italy were about to leave, I still think that what the dogs and the woman show are more crucial in terms of understanding the problems. The fact that the conflict is shown and how Britain, France and the league is not interested are the core points justifies my point. There are ways in which source C would have worried members of LoN and ways in which the league would not be worried much at all. Benito Mussolini states that â€Å"once a decision is taken we march forward and do not turn back! In my opinion, this aspect of the speech would have worried the members of the league as it is implying how ruthless Italy can be/are. When that is put into perspective with the league's actions, things can become very concerning for the league. By mentioning that they will not turn back, whatever the league throws at them will, in effect, not stop Italy. Another reason for the league to be worried relates to what Mussolini says at the end of his speech. In his speech, Mussolini says that â€Å"It is better to live one day as a lion than a hundred years as a sheep! I reckon this would worry members of the LoN because that last part shows how much power means to him. In addition, he may be implying that the sheep are countries of less power such as Abyssinia or other African colonies. The fact that lions eat sheep further indicates his intention of taking hold of the countries/colonies. A reason for the league not to be worried, however, is that Italy showed its weakness in 1920 when it came running to the league after the incident at Corfu. However, this can be counter-argued by the fact that Benito Mussolini did not come into power until 1922. What I mean by this is that Benito's option would have most likely not included the league and so Italy wouldn't seem as weak. Members of the league would not be as worried due to the fact that Italy was on their own at the time and would therefore mean less strength. Once again though, Mussolini was a fascist and would have probably gone to extreme lengths to get an ally. Overall, I think that the members of the LoN would have been worried at his speech for a number of reasons. Firstly, his ruthlessness would have concerned the league as they would not know how to deal with it on occasions. Secondly, the fact that the speech indicates his love for power would also worry the league as they often struggle with situations whereby a powerful country has done something. A perfect example of this is the incident of Vilna. Vilna was awarded to Poland solely on the basis that they were strong/big and the league could do nothing about it, although it originally belonged to Lithuania. Finally, the league would be worried because they would be unsure as to how Mussolini would act. For example; in 1920, Mussolini may have chosen for Italy to use force instead of go to the LoN and that would have worried the league much more. Britain's attitude to Abyssinia is shown in different ways through each source (D and E). In source D, we are given the impression that Britain does not really care much about Abyssinia. It states, â€Å"The suggestions favoured Italy, were acceptable to France, and Eden gave the impression that England might accept them as well. † The fact that the suggestions favoured Italy meant that they didn't favour Abyssinia. Baring this in mind, the source later says â€Å"Eden gave the impression that England might accept them as well. † This meant that he thought England were going to accept the fact that Abyssinia were to be treated unfairly and so this quote indicates Britain do not really care much about Abyssinia. However, to counter-argue that, it can be said that Anthony Eden was a man who always used to try and impress people. This is evident from him being known as â€Å"Lord Eyelashes† – someone who always used to flutter his eyelashes in order to get on the good side of people or to get what he wanted. Using this, it can be said that the impression he gave didn't represent his true feelings or that what his views are may not be the same as the rest of Britain. Despite the fact that – from the provenance – Anthony Eden was charge of the LoN affairs of the British government, whatever he may think may not have been accepted by the public due to different viewpoints. Although Eden gave the impression that Britain may accept it, Britain, on the whole, may have not have actually done so. While Source D was written by an Italian historian, Source E was proclaimed by Sir Samuel Hoare, British Foreign Secretary. Samuel's first sentence in his speech immediately questions my trust of Britain's attitude to Abyssinia. When Hoare states that â€Å"The League stands for collective support of its Covenant (rules)†, what suddenly comes to mind is the Hoare-Laval pact. This was a pact signed between Britain (Hoare), France (Laval) and Italy (Mussolini) that stated Italy could have 2/3 of Abyssinia. While it was considered a reasonable conclusion by Hoare and Laval, the Covenant opposed it and so it reflects Hoare's personality and as to whether he can actually be trusted. However, regardless of his actions, it can be said that Samuel Hoare was a man of high authority considering the fact that he was British Foreign Secretary. In addition, another trustworthy aspect to this speech would be that Hoare was talking to the public and could not lie. Once again though, that can be counter-argued by the fact that he is talking to the LoN and doesn't want to disappoint them by saying negative things about them. By doing so, he could have been the cause of the LoN having an even worse name, which he would then be blamed for. My final point in this question relates to the provenance/details about the source. Source D was written by an Italian historian in 1961. Here, the author and the time play a major part in the reliability of the source. The fact that the source was written many years after and the writer was Italian means that, if – for instance – Italy didn't really like Britain at the time, the writer may have referred to Anthony Eden as â€Å"Lord Eyelashes† instead of something a bit more positive. On the other hand, the speech (Source E) was said by a British person and was said just after the time of the incident. Therefore, if Samuel Hoare hated the LoN years later, nothing would be different in terms of the speech as it has already been made. As mentioned earlier, time plays a huge part in reliability. Time goes on and as it does, memory becomes a less clear vision. What I mean by this is that people tend to forget things or not see them the way they were at the time and so Source D may be different to what had actually happened. Source E, however, cannot be as the speech was actually made at the time. In conclusion to this question, I trust source D more when reflecting Britain's attitude to Abyssinia for a number of reasons. The way I perceive it to be – from what I have learnt/my own knowledge – is that Britain didn't care about Abyssinia all that much as it didn't concern them much. In other words, the consequences of them being invaded didn't really concern affairs with Abyssinia; it just really concerned Italy's power and what they were going to do next. And so, firstly, this is backed up by source D (from my point earlier). Despite the fact that Anthony Eden was a â€Å"weird† man and the provenance could cause unreliability, I feel source E isn't any better. Source E states that Britain (in the LoN) will help Abyssinia and does not tolerate bullying but that is not actually how I feel about the matter. From previous cases, such as the one of Manchuria, the League only condemned Japan and did not act in terms of collective security. And, although Samuel Hoare was talking to the public, can he really be trusted after the pact opposing the Covenant? I think not†¦ There are numerous ways in which sources F & G agree and likewise in ways they disagree. Source F shows an old man on the verge of exiting a small house. He is holding something that is emitting light and the cartoonist has done this to emphasise the fact that the old man/LoN is living in the dark. What can actually be done in the dark is limited and so the cartoonist is trying to show the viewer that the LoN is limited to what it can do. What's more, the LoN is made out to be an old man. When referring something to an old man, the point being made is that it is slow and feeble. So the cartoonist's point here is that the LoN was slow and feeble. A further way in which the cartoonist is critical of the LoN is through the use of the Italian soldier. By making out the Italian soldier as big and armed, the message being sent across is that the old man/LoN cannot do anything about the soldier; all it could possibly do is go back inside and accept what has been said. In simpler terms, the fact that the matter has been settled by Italy should be of no concern to the league as absolutely nothing can be done about it. On the other hand, source G is a speech made by the emperor of Abyssinia, Haile Selassie. During his speech, Selassie stated that: â€Å"On many occasions, I have asked for financial assistance for the purchase of arms. That assistance has been constantly refused me. † This, once again, indicates how limited the LoN is in what it can do and so is a way in which they agree. Another obvious way in which they agree is the fact that they are both critical of the league in their own ways. A final way in which both sources agree relates to the first sentence of Selassie's speech, â€Å"I claim the justice which is due to my people and the assistance promised eight months ago. † Since the assistance promised had not been given to Abyssinia for 8 months, it would be fair to say that the LoN was slow. When put in comparison with the source F, the old man confirms this point. Although, there are a few points that prove the 2 sources agree, there are also a couple that prove the sources disagree. In source G, Haile Selassie says, â€Å"The problem is a much wider one than Italy's aggression. It is the very existence of the League of Nations. † This does not agree with source F as source F does not show the League of Nations being a problem or making matters worse; it just shows it as something that is not really powerful and nimble. In addition, at the end of Selassie's speech, Selassie questions the League of future actions through the last line of his speech, â€Å"Are you going to set a terrible example of bowing before force? † This disagrees with source F as source F does not show, in any way, the LoN actually bowing before force. In conclusion, I go somewhat but not too far in saying that sources F & G agree due to the fact that the points showing agreement between the sources have clearly outweighed the points showing otherwise. The fact that both sources agree in how the league acts (slow and in a limited way), in my opinion, is of more importance than whether the league made matters worse and so my conclusion to this question – from what I have seen from my arguments – is justified. Source H is a speech from Benito Mussolini in 1936. In this part to the essay, I will be answering as to how far I am surprised that the League of Nations did not ban oil sales to Italy. There are ways in which I am surprised and ways in which I am not. Immediately after reading the source, the first thing that surprised me was the fact that Mussolini had said, â€Å"The biggest worry was a ban on selling oil to us. If that had happened in 1935, the invasion of Abyssinia would have halted in a week. † This surprised me because; if we turn back to source C, we'll discover that Mussolini said there that â€Å"once a decision is taken we march forward and do not turn back! † The decision here was to invade Abyssinia but Mussolini just went against his speech in 1935 as he said he would have halted the invasion had the oil ban been imposed. On one hand, I was surprised with the League's actions while, on the other hand, I was not. The reason for me being surprised was that the LoN did not try out something different to prevent the invasion; it just imposed less serious bans. However, I am also not surprised at what the League did due to the fact that the league already had a bad reputation with Italy at the time. Since the Hoare-Laval pact had already been denied (a lie by both Hoare and Laval), Mussolini didn't trust Britain and France anymore and so people would see that imposing an oil ban, for example, would be a perfect way at getting back at them. A further way in which I am not surprised relates to the bad name the league possessed at the time. Had the league put oil bans on Italy, they could have put them in another depression. After the speech of Haile Selassie, putting another country in depression would just strengthen the point about the LoN existing being a problem in itself. What's more, a depression affects other parts of the world as well as Italy as trading becomes more of an issue and so my point here is that the world would have more reason to blame the league. Maybe if the league had a better name would it have imposed those bans. My final point in this question is about how Italy could have reacted if the bans were imposed on them. Since, Mussolini was a fascist; I do not believe the invasion would have halted in a week. Instead, I feel Mussolini would have endeavoured to get oil from other means. A perfect way in which to do so would have been to go to America, as both Italy and America would both be satisfied: Italy would get the oil required while America would see it as a profitable opportunity. In conclusion to this question, I am not really surprised that the LoN did not impose the oil bans on Italy for a number of reasons. Firstly, the fact that the league had such a bad reputation at the time meant that serious bans being put on Italy would have resulted in total blame on it if the consequences were outrageous. In addition, since the LoN did not really like Mussolini (his ideas went against it and the fact that he had found out their plan through the Hoare-Laval pact) meant that oil bans could have been an excuse to get back at Italy. As a result, it was further reason not to impose them! And despite the fact that I am surprised at what Mussolini said about halting the invasion, the League still took into account that Italy could have gotten oil from other means. The sources I have studied are all going to be put to use in the final part of this essay: how far do they collectively prove that the LoN was to blame for Mussolini's conquest of Abyssinia? Source A shows a number of ways in which they prove that the LoN was to blame for the conquest of Abyssinia. Firstly, by having the collars of dogs â€Å"Japan† and â€Å"Germany† empty, the source is trying to get across the message of how the League lost 2 of its most important members that could have made a difference to the outcome of the conquest. In addition, source A shows how Britain and France are not doing anything and so is critical of the fact that they – as council in the LoN – didn't really do anything but look over the invasion. Likewise, source A shows how the entire league is just looking over the invasion as if not bothered and also shows how her hands are tied. The whole idea is to show how the league could not really take care of both its members and the invasion and so is showing how the league failed in this aspect. This is proved from a quote at the bottom of the source: â€Å"JUST AS WE WERE ALL GETTING ALONG SO NICELY! I WONDER WHAT I HAVE TO DO THIS TIME. † One way, in my opinion, in which the source is not critical is through showing that maybe Italy's aggression (and Abyssinia's) was hard to deal with as the league's (woman's) hands are tied. Source B is also critical of the League of Nations in a couple of ways. For starters, the league here is represented as a cart. The fact that this is the case shows how the league was slow and needed to be pushed to keep it going. This relates well to what actually happened as the league were slow in doing something about the invasion, as by the time they could do something, Italy had already invaded Abyssinia. Another way in which it proves the league is to blame is by having Italy almost falling off of the cart. The significance of doing so is to show that, with Italy not fully associated with the league anymore; the league had less control of it and so couldn't really stop future actions. This is as a result of the Hoare-Laval pact, which was – once again – Britain and France's faults. A final way in which source B is critical is through the use of Japan and Germany. By having them off the cart, it is indicating it is easier to push and this is a good indication of the fact that the league found it hard to deal with so many members and problems simultaneously. Therefore, by having members of the league leave, the league works much smoother. Source C, on the other hand, is showing how the league is not really to blame for the conquest. By Mussolini indicating how ruthless he can be, it gives an idea of what the LoN were dealing with. By using terms such as â€Å"it is better to live one day as a lion than hundred years as a sheep†, the message we are getting is that it was not all the league's fault; it was also Italy's aggression that was to blame for the Mussolini conquest. Source D is a source written by an Italian in 1961 and talks predominantly about Anthony Eden, a person in charge of LoN affairs for the British government. This source, in my opinion, shows that the league was to blame for the conquest of Abyssinia. By using the phrase â€Å"Lord Eyelashes†, the writer is trying to get across the message of how the league appointed someone who just did what they did to impress people. In other words, he may have made the wrong decision in agreeing to let the suggestions favour Italy and not Abyssinia just because he wanted to impress Mussolini and others. Therefore, it is showing how the league employed the wrong person for that job, which – most probably did, from the argument I have discussed – drastically change the outcome. Source E, meanwhile, shows supposed positive aspects to the league and so does not show any ways in which the league was to blame for the conquest. This source talks about how the league reacts to things such as â€Å"unprovoked aggression† and states that â€Å"The British government and nation is firm on this principle. † As a result, it can be said that this source does not go far at all in proving that the league was to blame for the conquest of Abyssinia. Source F is a German cartoon published in May 1936, depicting an Italian soldier talking to the LoN (an old man). The soldier says, â€Å"I am sorry to disturb your sleep, but I should like to tell you that you need no longer bother yourself about the Abyssinian business; the matter has been settled. † By stating that he is â€Å"sorry to disturb† the old man's sleep, the cartoonist is showing that the old man was asleep/just been woken up and is living in the dark. The point being made here is that the league, on many occasions, did not really do anything due to the fact that they are actually sleeping. In addition, by making the LoN an old man, it is indicating that the LoN was slow and weak and therefore allowed the conquest to proceed. A final way in which the cartoonist is critical of the league is through the use of the quote. By making the Italian soldier say that â€Å"I am sorry to disturb your sleep, but I should like to tell you that you no longer need to bother yourself†¦ † it seems as if the cartoonist is trying to get the message across of the fact that the soldier has taken responsibility of the league's soldiers and done it a favour. What's more here, by making the Italians solve the matter themselves and having the Italian soldier as bigger than the old man (armed as well) shows exactly how the league could do nothing about the conquest. Likewise, source G is highly critical of the LoN. It is a speech made by Haile Selassie, emperor of Abyssinia at the time. The first way in which Selassie says that the league was to blame is through the first sentence, â€Å"I claim the justice which is due to my people and the assistance promised eight months ago. By using the time phrase â€Å"eight months ago†, it gives us a clear indication of how slow the league was. In addition, by stating that: â€Å"On many occasions, I have asked for financial assistance for the purchase of arms. That assistance has been constantly refused me†, Haile is otherwise saying that the league has its limits to what it can do. In addition to those points, Haile says that the problem is bigger than the aggression of Italy; it is the existence of the LoN. Despite the fact that it is saying that the league in existence is causing all the problems, it is also showing how Italy were also to blame for the conquest. Finally, source H is yet another speech by Benito Mussolini, whereby he says that; if the league had imposed oil bans, he would have halted the invasion. This is critical of the league as it gives me the message that the league should have taken the risk. However, it can also be said that the league was unaware of how to deal with Mussolini or how he would react to the oil ban. Ultimately in this essay, I feel that the sources go very far in proving that the LoN was to blame for the Mussolini conquest. All but 3 of the sources agree with my conclusion and, despite there are even 3, they can all be counter-argued. Firstly, source C shows how ruthless Mussolini was. However, the League of Nations collectively was stronger than him and could deal with whatever he threw (it was more of the fact that they could not be bothered). As a matter of fact, Britain and France on their own could deal with the likes of Mussolini and so the argument for Italy's aggression now seems small. Secondly, source E talks about how the league was meant to deal with issues like unprovoked aggression. However, the fact that Samuel Hoare's character is questionable (after the Hoare-Laval pact) alongside him talking to the LoN (wants to say good things about it) makes me wonder whether this source actually counts. And thirdly, despite the League were unaware of how Mussolini was going to react to the ban, I feel that it should have taken the risk in doing so nevertheless as it had nothing to lose; it had already lost its reputation†¦

Anti-dumping case of Vietnam Catfish in US market

Anti-dumping case of Vietnam Catfish in US market Abstract The â€Å"Vietnam Catfish war† was a famous yet controversial case in recent trade disputes. The U.S. Anti-dumping law protects American industries from supposedly unfair import competitions (Lindsey, 1999, p.2). On June 28, 2002, the coalition Catfish Farmers of America (CFA) and eight individual fish processors filed an anti-dumping petition against imports of â€Å"certain frozen fish fillets from Vietnam† under the US. Anti-Dumping Law to the Department of Commerce (DOC) and the International Trade Commission (ITC) (Le, 2004, p.1). Over one year after the original investigation conducted by the US. DOC, the case was finally concluded with the imposition of anti-dumping duties on imports of fish fillets from Vietnam. The range of the duties is between 37 and 64 percent on value of imports (Reynolds & Su, 2005, p. 40). This is what the US. Government said, is it true that the Vietnamese government subsidizes Vietnamese firms in Mekong Delta to unfairly gain a better market share in the U.S.? Or is it just the result of domestic political lobby in the U.S.? This paper will try to discuss related issues surrounding the story of that catfish war. The paper will go through the steps used in the class: issue, rules, analysis, and conclusion (I.R.A.C). Introduction the ISSUE Raising catfish is an important source of income for households residing in the Mekong Delta in Southern Vietnam for more than 50 years (Nguyen, Nguyen & Phillips, 2004, p.20). Catfish is also produced in the Southern United States where it is a major source of income for fish farmers in Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama and Louisiana (Hanson, 2005, p.1). In 2002, aquatic products represented 12 percent of total exports from Vietnam, and export value frozen fillets (mostly catfish) is 18 percent of the total value of aquatic exports (VASEP website). The increase participation of cheaper Vietnamese catfish in the U.S forced the Catfish Farmers of America (CFA) to lead a move to halt catfish imports. First, Vietnamese products were forced to be labeled as â€Å"Tra† and â€Å"Basa† instead of â€Å"Catfish†. Second, on the ground that Vietnamese government subsidized Vietnamese catfish farmers, in January 2003, the U.S. Department of Commerce ruled in favor of the antidumping claim and established duties ranging from 37 to 64 percent on imports of frozen catfish from Vietnam (Reynolds & Su, 2005, p. 40). In July 2003, the U.S. International Trade Commission ratified the ruling. As a result, Vietnamese exports of catfish to the U.S. plummeted, almost being shut down completely. Other facts According to the U.S. International Trade Commission, the catfish industry is the largest farm-raised fishing sector in the U.S. In 1999, it accounted for 80 and 64 percent of aquaculture production in volume and value, generating 440 million U.S. dollars (Hanson, 2005, p.1). The delta of the Mekong river, in South Vietnam, also provides a good hab itat for catfish. Known as Basa and Tra, Vietnamese catfish raised in ponds and cages that are placed in the river itself. In 1996, two years after the trade embargo of US. against Vietnam was lifted, Vietnam started exporting frozen fillets of Basa and Tra to the U.S. with sales of a few hundred tons and initially marketed as â€Å"Chinese sole†. West Coast Chinese restaurants responded allowing Basa to take one percent of the US. catfish market (Nguyen, Nguyen & Phillips, 2004, p. 22). The level of exports increased significantly in the early 2000s, reaching a market share in U.S. consumption of catfish of 8.4 percent in 2000 and 19.6 percent in 2002 (Hanson, 2005, p. 4). Also between 2000 and 2002, Vietnamese production capacity expanded by 100 percent, and approximately 50 percent of Vietnamese Tra and Basa was sold in the U.S. market.