Public Library Essay

Library is something which has a lot of importance in everyone’s life. And specially in the life of school going children’s. It is responsible for teaching those children the moral values which are required a lot in further run of their life. Library is something whose importance cannot be neglected at any point of life. I consider myself to be very lucky as I was being provided with one of the best library by my school. My school had a big and efficient library. Almost all sorts of books required by student’s could be found in that library. And also there were many different types of magazines and newspapers in our library. We had a different room known as Reading Room adjacent to our library. It was the place where we used to take our books for reading them or making notes. No one was allowed to read books in library instead of teachers. Students till class 10th had two library period in a week. They had permission to issue books during those two periods only. Also they had to return the issued book within 15 days. No student till class 10th was allowed to keep books for more than 15 days. Keeping books with themselves for more than 15 days would require the student to pay a fine of Rs5 a day for each extra day. But this was not the case with senior students or students of class 11th-12th they were allowed to issue books whenever they wanted. There was no specific Library period for senior students. Also they had the permission to keep books with themselves till they want. They had to return books only during the time of examination. There were different sections in our library which were divided according to classes. The section for senior students mostly consisted of reference books. But they too had an option of issuing novels and other story books. Although due to study pressure there was hardly any student who issued novels or story books. Everyone issued references.

An Old Man’s Winter Night

An Old Man's Winter Night by Robert Frost All out-of-doors looked darkly in at him Through the thin frost, almost in separate stars, That gathers on the pane In empty rooms. What kept his eyes from giving back the gaze Was the lamp tilted near them in his hand. What kept him from remembering what it was That brought him to that creaking room was age. He stood with barrels round him†at a loss. And having scared the cellar under him In clomping there, he scared it once again In clomping off;†and scared the outer night, Which has Its sounds, familiar, like the roar Of trees and crack of branches, common things,But nothing so Ilke beating on a box. A light he was to no one but himself Where now he sat, concerned with he knew what, A quiet light, and then not even that. He consigned to the moon†such as she was, So late-arising†to the broken moon As better than the sun in any case For such a charge, his snow upon the roof, His icicles along the wall to keep; And sle pt. The log that shifted with a Jolt Once in the stove, disturbed him and he shifted, And eased his heavy breathing, but still slept. One aged man†one man†can't keep a house, A farm, a countryside, or If he can,It's thus he does it of a winter night. An Old Man's Winter Night is written by the American poet Robert Frost in 1916. He went through a lot of tragedies during the whole life. After experiencing the death his mother, his grandfather and his 2 children, the sense of helpness inevitably worked to shape and color the views of life's possibilities. It's unforeseeable for Frost to predict what will happen tomorrow so that he was called a poet who terrifies†. That's why the peotry is a mix of the calm and rural.The peaceful surface with an underlying darkness is an uncommon feature in this poetry. Symbolism Forst is representative of cold winter, â€Å"separate stars† showing hope and comfort of the mysterious and dangerous outer world at night. â€Å"ga thers on the pane†lmpersonate the forst to make the atmosphere warmer and more quiet. â€Å"cellar†, â€Å"branches†, â€Å"log fired†create some scaring sounds In the winter's night to emphasize the peaceful and lonely environment. The dark colours of these ugly and hard images snow tne repressed emotions. lamp† â€Å"Tire† make Teel warm ana peaceTul, Drlng llgnt to the dark and cold night to eliminate the feeling of scare. The poet tells us how he as â€Å"a light for no one but himself†, yet again confirms how isolated he is. Frost uses many different literary devices throughout the poem. Imagery which appeals to our sight, touch and hearing senses. Frost has used Imagery such as â€Å"In clomping there, he scared it once again† which appeals to our touch because you can almost feel how he has stomped the floor to try and frighten off the unknown.He has appealed to our hearing senses by using personification, â€Å"like the roar of trees† lets you almost hear how the trees were thrashing around on the cold winter night. Using contraries and ontradictions is another characteristic of this poetry. For example, the scaring sounds and the peaceful and quiet atmosphere make the old man feel more threaten and lonely. The warm light and fire in the room is on the contrary to the dark and cold winter to convey the scare of the unknown outer world of the old man. Also, Frost determinde to continue his old syle of using common, everday speech.It is simple to understand the superficial meaning of his poetry instead of the underlying theme. The poetry tells that an old man stands alone in his house in the middle of winter. His memory and legs crippled by old age ambles around his house without remembering who he was or even what he was doing. At one point, he becomes frightened by the cellar beneath his feet and the dark night outside, and he stomps his feet loudly to frighten away the unknown. Eventually th e old man dozes in front of the fire, after being disturbed by a shifting log, falls into a deeper sleep.The rural images like â€Å"forst† â€Å"cellar† â€Å"tree† â€Å"lamp† â€Å"moon† to convey his emotion of scaring and isolation. An Old Man's Winter Night creates a concrete view ofa lonely and amnesiac old man in the wooden house. I can see an old man who is trying to get away from the scaring environment and finally he succeed in sleeping beside the warm fire. An Old Man's Winter Night deals with the predicament of an old man who is dying on a cold winter's night. From the title of this poem, the reader might expect a warm and cozy narrative about an old man in front of a crackling fire.Frost denies this comforting expectation and instead creates a haunting narrative. What is the most scaring point is that the old man has lost his memory and it seems nonsense to exist in this world. But he still keep a house, a farm in the countryside. As to the emotion author wants to express, I think, it's relative to the life story of him. At that time, he still didn't sell his farm and enjoyed the life being a farmer in the countryside. However, the death of his children make him to imagine the future life in his old age.He is afraid that people will forget him and he will die by himself without accompanying by his children. This kind of depressed emotion influence the poem. The readers will find a poor old man struggling to prove his value to live. From my perspective, I feel merciful to the old man. He was place at the position of finding o clues to who and where he is. Maybe he is in his home but he cannot find the sense of belonging and he would like to risk for the dangers. He absolutely knows that the outer night is dangerous and he still goes out and talk to the moon.I can feel the old man is who really wants to get cares and love from other people but he cannot know what is going on. He is representative of the Frost and they are all want to escape from the scare of death and company. Obviously we can see from the poem, Frost treasured his country life and this kind of life really give him sparks in wrltlng poems mos OITTerent Trom tneme 0T otner Frosts poems, tney focus on the isolation from the modern society, on the contrary, this poem doesn's want to express this kind of meaning.http://www.studymode.com/essays/An-Old-Man's-Winter-Night-Analysis-1602199.htmlhttp://www.gradesaver.com/the-poetry-of-robert-frosthttp://www.english.illinois.edu/Maps/poets/a_f/frost/frost.htmhttp://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/frost/oldman.htmhttp://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/A_f/frost/fireice.htm

Criminal justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Criminal justice - Essay Example This involves considering several factors that cannot be quantified in a simple formula that can be standardized to enable control. Judges also have unreserved authority to decide what type of sentence to impose to eliminate discrimination in the decision making process (Cruz 74). If the judge is allowed to consult external authorities before passing the final verdict, then there is a probability of being misguided by parties that stand to benefit from the outcome of the case. Allowing judges and prosecutors to exercise discretion in their decision making ensures independence of the judicial system. A judge is bound by the law to impose a verdict based on the provisions allowed by the constitution only. Before deciding which sentence to impose, the judge should take into account all the factors related to the case and choose the best punishment that is provided by the law for the offense committed (Cruz 75). On their part, prosecutors should be allowed to determine who to charge with a crime basing their decision on evidence presented to them. Currently, there are cases that have taken years to be concluded due to lack of valid evidence. Prosecutors should be allowed to decide which charges to drop to ensure proper utilization of state resources. In addition, some charges do not qualify to be decided by the judge as they can be amicably resolved by the parties involved outside the court, thus reducing congestion in the judicial system. Part 2 Civil liberties are often abused unknowing by citizens due to the ambiguity of their existence in the constitution. For instance, the freedom of expression is commonly abused by individuals or groups who believe they have the right to express their opinion, which at times might offend others. If citizens can learn to respect each other, then discretion can promote civil liberty in the society. For example, when exercising their freedom of religion, religious leaders should practice restraint in their public utterance to av oid causing animosity among their followers (Gostin 48). Muslims often overstep their religious mandate when they try to force their ideologies on others in a bid to popularize Islam in Christian societies. This has led to conflicts such as the civil war between the Palestinians and Israelites. However, the right to privacy ensures individuals in a society can perform their activities as they please as long as they do not engage in illegal activities. Freedom from slavery and forced labor ensures no individual is held against his or her will and forced to work. In essence, civil liberties ensure members of the society have specific rights that they are expected to exercise with utmost discretion. If individuals in a society learned to respect each other and practice their rights in discretion, then peace and harmony would prevail (Gostin 48). Most social conflicts arise as a result of misunderstandings that occur due to varied interpretations of the limits of freedom specific to an individual. Department heads in an organization should formulate an ethical code of conduct that ensures officers exercise discretion in their duties to avoid civil liabilities. In concise, if officers in each department learned to respect each other, then they would be able to work efficiently together and fulfill their personal needs of freedom. Otherwise, conflicts are bound to occur, thus impacting their output negatively. Part 3 Several psychologists have

Write a tight, spare story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Write a tight, spare story - Essay Example Henry was in his office when Alice, boss’s wife came into his room, she dressed to kill in a red tightly fitted dress. She stood there in front of his desk staring right into Henry’s eyes. Henry inhaled. He clearly knew what the woman was all after and the thought of it terrified him to his bones. He lit a cigarette to try and ease the tension that had started to build up. A chemical smolder build in his lungs, somewhat stinging the raw flesh of his body, through his throat to his nose making his eyes water. Exhaling into the dark room Alice was still there standing plotting on how to trick this man into her fantasy. After a while they chanted about all sorts of things and the relationship between them started to blossom gradually. That day was the beginning of their clandestine relationship. They began to meet often for dinner and would occasionally spend the night at restaurants without the knowledge of anyone who knew them. However, as time went by, the husband, the boss, began suspecting the two after observing some of the behaviors the two showed towards each other. He decided to hire a private investigator to look into the matter well. It was a fateful evening when Henry and Alice embarked on their affairs as usual in one of the most secluded hotels in town near the beach. The sky was calm and so was the breeze. The two were enjoying their lustful acts when the boss emerged all of a sudden in the hotel room they were! The two were perplexed and petrified beyond words; the bossed looked at them disappointed and then left without uttering a word. The following morning Henry was sacked and embarked on a journey back to London wondering where to

Discuss the rapid progress of Urbanisation in 19th Century Britain and Essay

Discuss the rapid progress of Urbanisation in 19th Century Britain and the associated massive population growth and social problems which developed - Essay Example These steps include passage of various reforms such as the Poor Laws and laws related housing and sanitary and policing. In this writing we will focus upon the various changes that took place due to the urbanization within Britain during the era of 19th century, we will even pay emphasis to the issues that Britain experienced due to urbanization and how government tried to relax these issues through changes is legislature. The 19th century industrial revolt has altered Britain completely. Previously in 1801, only 20% of the inhabitants resided in cities but by 1851 about 50% and by 1881 about 2/3 of inhabitants have departed themselves to cities (Thackeray 107). In 1801 most of the people work as farmers and used handmade products but by late 19th century industrial units were widespread and most of the products were manufactured by electrical machines (Thackeray 107). During the initial period of the 19th century, Britain experienced ample amount of prejudiced and mutual chaos. Certain individuals of Clapham Sect had much interference in the political affairs (Stobaugh 2012). They were against slavery and cruel sports. Stobaugh states â€Å"on May 11, 1812, John Bellingham murdered the Tory leader Spencer Perceval† (Stobaugh 2012). Uptil then he was the single British Leader yet to be offended. In the year 1820 a plan was made to gun down entire cabinet. Gatrell states â€Å"the leader of Cato Street Plot was Arthur Thistlewood† (Gatrell 299). In this plan the leader’s associates were caught on 23 February 1820 (Gatrell 299). Later the leader was murdered with his 4 attendants later. In the meantime in the year 1811-1816 cloth factory employees in the Midlands and North of England destroyed all newly invented machines in fear of joblessness (Kingfisher 327). In March 1817, various cloth factory employees from Manchester walked to London. They were named as blanketeers as all of them

Managerial Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Managerial Accounting - Essay Example Anything in which a firm excels than its competitors is considered as its competitive advantage. Michael Porter has mentioned three main strategies in order to gain the market share by acquiring competitive advantage. They include: Cost Leadership Differentiation Focus Differentiation Cost Leadership Parts Limited is that company which doesn’t earn through number of units sold, but it maximizes its profits through the price of units. Parts Limited charges higher prices to its customer which means that they sell their products on relatively premium prices. When it comes to cost differentiation, this strategy is an option for Parts Limited. There is a possibility that the company start focusing on generating revenue not through premium prices but through number of units sold. ... In my opinion, this strategy is currently availed by Parts Limited because it is selling its unique products and charging premium prices for them. These products are perceived as unique and important in the eyes of the customers and the firm utilizing this strategy, usually is aware of the needs and unique demands of its customers. Focus Differentiation This strategy usually consists of two variants. In focus strategy a firm can either go for: a) Focus differentiation in its own target market b) Cost focus to seek cost advantage within its target market In this regard, usually targeted customers have unusual needs or the delivery of production system. Cost focus assist in acquiring cost advantage of a particular segment whereas focus differentiation fulfills the special and unique needs of the customers. As far as Parts Limited is concerned, this type of strategy cannot be applicable for a company dealing in machines industry. The reason is hardly customers are concerned about using unique and high priced parts for their machines. In fact, the emphasis is basically on sustainable and good quality products. This type of strategy mostly applies in the apparel & garment industry, cellular industry, electronics industry (including personal computers, T.Vs etc.), cosmetic industry etc. Implications of Porter’s Generic Strategy In the above section, a brief analysis has been done of each of the three porter’s strategy. Coming to back to Parts Limited and before analyzing which strategy can prove to be productive for Parts Limited; all the three strategies need to be analyzed in respect of Parts Limited. a) Product Differentiation Parts Limited has been utilizing product differentiation strategy. It

Ethics of the Sale of Body Parts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Ethics of the Sale of Body Parts - Essay Example The Anatomical Gift Act, drafted in 1968 was the initial effort made in an attempt to give a tissue and organ donation policy (Talbot, 2012). It created a uniform legal procedure for people who wished to donate organs to medical institutions. In this act that is operational in up to fifty states, it states that a person of sound mind and 18 years of age can donate part or all of his body. The donor may put his wish to donate a body part in a will that is operational only upon his death. This act forbade the sale of body parts, but the recipient of the donated body part is to pay for the transportation of the donated organ or body part. Organs and tissues can only be received by surgeons, hospitals, physicians and educational institutions in medical or dental research. There is also a National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 that provides funds for the establishment of organ procurement organization. The act also banned the sale of organs between states and established a task force to en force policy issues regarding organ transplantation. The following body parts can be donated in the United States. They include the heart, kidney, lungs, skin, eyes and the liver. These parts of the body get harvested as soon as one passes on and become implanted onto someone else. Despite the medical and legal mechanisms that encourage organ donation, demand exceeds supply. It gets estimated that there are daily reports of deaths of up to 8 people as a result of waiting for a transplant that never came. On medical conditions associated with each body part to be donated, it is up to the doctor to decide if the body part if fit for transplanting. Regardless of one’s illness when they die, some parts of their body may still get transplanted. Some infectious diseases, drug abuse history and general health of the donor become considered before acceptance of any donation. The lungs of a tobacco smoker may be turned down as chances of them being helpful are so minimal. To avoid suc h a scenario where body parts get rejected, it is crucial to note that an individual has to be healthy and medically fit to allow any of his body part donations. He or she should not have any history of drug use or abuses as this are contributory to rejection of a body part donation (Talbot, 2012). If one has kidney failure, he or she has to go through a process for the acquisition of a donated kidney to be transplanted. Kidney transplantation is the process where there is fixation of a healthy kidney from one person to another. The new kidney replaces the failed kidney. The process of acquisition of a transplant begins as soon as one’s kidney fails. Transplantation as a result of failure depends on one’s condition (Talbot, 2012). Some conditions make it impossible for implants. If implantation is possible, then the patient undergoes medical evaluation at the transplant center. The pre transplant process involves several weeks or even months. X-rays and blood samples g et carried out to ascertain one’s compatibility with the available donated kidneys. Evaluation of one’s health and also of the donor gets done at this stage. Once the patient passes the medical evaluation and is a suitable recipient, but without a donor, then he or she is put on a waiting list for as long as a kidney is there from a dead donor. The length of one’s wait depends on one’s location and the donor’s region (Petersen & Freckelton,2006). The length of

How the economy has affected the automotive industry Essay

How the economy has affected the automotive industry - Essay Example Most of the automobile manufacturers are struggling hard in order to survive in the market. â€Å"In 1990, Mexico exported around 180,000 vehicles, whereas in the first 11 months of 2002 manufacturers in Mexico have sent 1.23 million units abroad. (DeMarines) The growth of automobile industry was huge before the current economic recession starts. Not only Mexico, the leading car manufacturers in Japan, America and Germany were also recorded huge growth in their sales before the unexpected crisis began to affect the whole world. In November, 2008, U.S. sales for the Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands combined fell 33.9 percent; year-to-date sales were down 13.4 percent in the United States, to about 2.1 million, according to Auto Data Corp. (Henry) Inside the 789 Chrysler showrooms to be cast aside, fear is starting to set in as dealers try to figure out what to do with expensive inventories that werent selling well (MSNBC.com) The proposed $ 700 billion bailout package especially to save the automobile industries in America from total destruction, is seems to be not enough as per the experts. GM and Chrysler announced last week to shed almost 2,000 retail outlets to bolster the survivors. Reducing competition from stores with the same brands is supposed to allow the remainder to boost prices and profit, and to reinvest in their businesses (Merx) â€Å"In their appeals to Congress, the U.S. automakers were short on accepting blame themselves, and long on blaming high gas prices, the credit crisis and a global recession for the sales downturn and their economic dire straits† (Henry) When we analyze all the above factors we can conclude that automotive industry is directly linked with the economy of a country. Fluctuations in economy will affect the automobile industries more than any other industries. Shift in policies and also the supply and demand of automobiles in

Google and Education Essay Example for Free

Google and Education Essay Google is today’s era is contextual to the education. The Google application is spreading tremendously in the field of education whether it is through the Google search engine for searching different information or through the books and scholarly articles search. Children of all ages and of numerous courses from different parts of world are using the Google as an educational package. The students are finding the Google as a much promising website for searching the valuable information. Many students have participated in the Google project. Using Google Docs Spreadsheets the student aware of different educational virtues like Google Earth has provided the student about the different perspectives related to the earth. The Google has empowered the education with many descent tools like mail, calendar, Google Earth, Books, Scholarly articles and others. The Google has offered the students with its application and provide them the power of fast communication like email, instant messaging, calendar and other. The Google has made the information and knowledge to be shared all over the world speedily and effectively without any error. The Google has outspread the knowledge transfer by providing huge data storage either through books or through mails. The embedded Google presentation like power point has conceptualized the idea of knowledge transfer interactively as the presentation on slides is much better and effective than reading books. The Google images have provided the stuff related to each and every field. The Google images have provided the teachers and professors to make their presentations more effective as compared to earlier. The Google images have covered all the fields like geography, buildings and other stuffs. Earlier in making slides, the teachers and professors had to spend a lot of time. Today by the Google images, the photographs can be converted into slides very easily. This is experienced by the many of the students and scholars. The Google has provided huge area illustrations from every period and from every field whether it is related to the nature or related to the history. The Google has provided the material at the fingertips of the people. Now the people can make their slides and transparencies on their own. The Google News has given a platform for viewing the news and information of whole world. The students can get through the numerous perspectives of the knowledge. The different area of information in the world is covered by the Google through the Google news. The Google Notebook has the feature for the student as a tool of research. The student can paraphrase and refine the educational material through it. By the Google Notebook the student can share their knowledge also to their colleague and with their mentors. Even they can public their knowledge to the others also. Thus the knowledge sharing is made easy by the Google. The Google has announced to launch the Google Apps Platform in the Arizona State University and the schools which are using the Google APIs including the e-mail gateways also. This contains the tools from the Google like Gmail, Google Talk, and Google Calendar. The virtues from this pack includes the back-end infrastructure like directories, single logon platforms etc. The Google uses the effective values such as the security Assertion Markup Language to support single logon and an XML interface based on Representational State Transfer to link to directory services. These services are being used by the users frequently. These services for the educational purpose are an effective step taken by the Google to incorporate the whole knowledge sharing easy. The Google is incorporating its educational packs and services all over the world for making the education interactive and easy. The Google search engine is the most efficient tool provided by the Google up to now. One can search the whole websites according to his requirements. The different articles, bolgs and other information, needed by the students and others can be obtained easily. The people can search the whole stuff he need on the internet in every area of the world. The new updates from the different websites are included and updated by the Google frequently and regularly. This feature of updating the data resources has included by the Google which is appreciated by the scholars all over the world. The Google Earth has incorporated the users for educational purposes. The users can search the roads, geographical features, maps through the Google Earth. The student can search different locations through the Google Earth. The student can see different historical features also and take them into their studies. The Google Earth has incorporated the three-dimensional view also to locate the buildings, and other historical buildings also. The maps on the Google Earth can also be viewed and studied through the Google Earth. The Google Reader has been termed as the inbox of the web by the users. The Google Reader was termed as a must tool for the academic students. The users can find current information on the Google Reader. The student related to every discipline can find the information related to its field. The versatility of the Google Reader has incorporated different fields. It contains the information related to the medicines, history, as well as related to the geography and other fields also. This feature has made the Google Reader, a powerful tool for the education purpose. The Google Book Search has empowered the users for exploring the books written by the author in different parts of the world. The books are updated regularly by the Google. The Google Book Search option has enabled the student to read the books free of cost. The Google Book Search has incorporated numerous features like updating the list of editions, references to the Scholarly Work about the books, related articles, selected pages from the books and others. Even one can search the books according to its key words search. The Google has shown the way for exploration in education according to every perspective. The users can explore the Google as a knowledge database for their requirements. The Google has helped the education a lot. The educational knowledge provided by the Google has helped the students as well as the scholars, teachers and professors also. The different features and tools from the Google have helped the education for the growth of the students. References: 1) Max W. Fischer, Gaga Over Google: Photo Images Bring Lessons to Life, Education World. http://www. education-world. com/a_curr/voice/voice121. shtml 2) Google More†¦an Introduction to Google in Education, CUE Conference-Palm Springs, California, Monday, March 05, 2007. http://jakespeak. blogspot. com/2007/03/google-morean-introduction-to-google-in. html 3) Fontana, John, Google education app hints at plan for service, Network World, Monday, October 16 2006. http://www. allbusiness. com/technology/computer-software-programming/4092190-1. html 4) Jeff VanDrimmelen, Google and Education, February 2nd, 2007. http://www. edutechie. com/2007/02/google-and-education/ 5) Jeff VanDrimmelen, Google Reader and the Academic Community, October 31st, 2006. http://www. edutechie. com/2006/10/google-reader-and-the-academic-community/ 6) Mehran Sahami, About the Google Education Summit, 10/26/2007. http://googleblog. blogspot. com/2007/10/about-google-education-summit. html

Mobile Technology and Communication

Mobile Technology and Communication The mobile technology has evolved over time and has seen the world move away from the fixed telephone booths to wireless and more portable devices for communication. One decade ago mobile phones were medium in size and still relied on direct connections to sources of power since there were no portable batteries (Barney, 2005). Today mobile technology has improved; we have very small and portable mobile phones that can be carried in the pockets and small bags. Mobile phones are more powerful and have become part of the human lifestyle and many people prefer to carry them wherever they go. Mobile technology has greatly improved communication in today’s world. Mobile technology has made sending and receiving of information faster than ever before. In today’s world someone who is in a far country can call directly and talk to another who is in another continent within minutes. Today people can receive live news of what has happened all over the world faster than ever before (Barney, 2005). Very large texts can be sent across the world without the use of messengers and can be received by recipients located in different parts of the world. This has made it easier to communicate with these people, improving the time and speed of communication. Because of advances in communication technology, it is now possible for universities to offer long distance courses. All that a student needs is an access to computers, and internet connectivity. Long distance courses or classes are a popular method that universities use for purposes of reaching out on students who are in other countries. Some students also prefer to use long distance classes, because of time factors. Mobile technology has also increased efficiency and reliability in the methods and ways in which business leaders communicate with their employees. Due to the advancement of mobile technology, a business manager can now control his workers whichever place they are (Preston, 2001). It is not a must for the business manager or administrator to go to the location of his or her employee. They can use the mobile phones to request for information they need. Companies with large number of branches are able to give orders to be received immediately by their specific branches with a lot of ease. We can collaborate with co-workers no matter how spread out they may be. Any one who needs confirmation or approval of vital decisions can get them without waiting for the head of the organization to return from a trip in order to make approvals. Mobile technology has made doing business better than before (Barney, 2005). Mobile technology has made communication between the doctors and patients more easy since doctors who are attending to other patients are able to make follow ups on how other patients are doing through mobile phone. This helps them make choices to attend to emergency cases first and make prescriptions for other patients without having to be there in person (Barney, 2005). The local doctor only needs to observe the patient and describe the situation to the expert who in this case might be far away, sometimes even in other countries. All the expert needs to do is to listen and make recommendations and procedures to be followed and finally prescribe the correct medication. Mobile technology has made it so easy for people to communicate with their loved ones even while away(Hackett, 2008). This has reduced loneliness and brought families and friends more close than before. In today’s world you can receive information on everyday basis on what’s happening around the people you love and see pictures and videos of the same. Because of advances in mobile technology, it is now possible to share so much information with family members, friends, and the society. Advances in mobile technology have increased the rate of people who can access internet services. Accessing the internet has also increased the rates of people who are enrolled in social networking sites like twitter. This has improved the relationship that people have towards (Grant and Meadows, 2010). Green (2002) therefore explains that without the development of mobile technology, social networking could not be possible. Mobile technology today has made it possible for government to communicate warnings to its citizens on dangers like conflict arreas, floody areas and outbreak of disease. The bus driver today do not have to bump onto any danger on his way ahead since information spread very fast and thy can be alerted through their mobile phones to avoid such risks. The nation can be aware in one hour of any threats posed to them. The government can achieve greater results since control of diseases is made easy (Bourke, 2004). The whole country can know within seconds that there is a problem and people need to take precautions. Mobile technology has improved communication of security threats by individuals to the authorities since today the policeman is just a call away. Many houses have mobile phones and thy can be able to alert the authorities on the dangers or attacks they are facing or think might affect them. The government can also carry out security operation with ease due to ease of communication (Bourke, 2004). The search for criminals has been made easy since information can reach the police faster. Gone are the days when individuals would suffer silently while being tortured the whole night by gangs waiting for morning to come before the police could know what is happening. This has reduced massacre in villages. Mobile phones have also made it easy for enquiries to be made like cost of goods, balances and bills can be paid by use of mobile phones. People do not need to walk to offices to fine information since this can be done from the comfort of their homes. Payment of these bills can also be done from the comfort of ones home. Today one do not need to travel to the bank to find information about their bank accounts. The bank is able to update individuals on deposits and withdrawals made from their accounts (Barney, 2005). In today’s world, Mobile technology has created convenience in communicating directions by individuals. People do not to loose direction while in strange land or country or city. The mobile phone has become the basic guideline for individuals. When you are lost, you can use mobile phone to locate where you are by use of applications that have maps. The simplest use would be to call the host or call back from where you were given direction in order to ensure you are moving to the right place. Mobile technology has made it so easy for individuals to get feed back faster than ever before. It would take a long time for a horse or a messenger to travel to a far distance in order to deliver a message and come back with a feedback. Today you send information and if there is a delay you just make a call, and the response is there with you. It minimizes time wastage and improves productivity of individuals. It is, therefore, important to conclude that mobile technology is an important innovation in the 20th and the 21st century. This is mainly because it played a great role in ensuring that effective communication between people occurs. This also includes communication between the government and the people, communication between business personalities, etc. Because of effective communication made possible by the emergence of mobile technology, most business institutions are able to achieve efficiency and productivity. Without efficiency in communication, it is possible for an organization to make losses. References: Barney, D. D. (2005). Communication technology. Vancouver: UBC Press. Bourke, J. (2004). Communication technology. Greenwood, WA: Ready-Ed Publications. Grant, A. E., Meadows, J. H. (2010). Communication technology update and fundamentals.  Amsterdam: Focal Press/Elsevier. Green, L. (2002). Communication, technology and society. London: SAGE. Hackett, E. J. (2008). The handbook of science and technology studies (3rd ed.). Cambridge,  Mass.: MIT Press :. Preston, P. (2001). Reshaping communications technology, information and social change.  London: SAGE.

Globalisation The Prospects And Challenges Politics Essay

Globalisation The Prospects And Challenges Politics Essay Without an iota of doubt it can be said that one of the metanarratives of our time is globalisation. Indeed, the phrases like the world has become a global village have become clichà ©s. To quote Fred Halliday Globalization has become, over the past few years, the catchword of international economic and political analysis. [Halliday, 2000, pp. 238] David Held and Anthony Mcgrew have expressed this in a slightly different way Indeed, globalization is in danger of becoming, if it has not already become, the clichà © of our times: the big idea which encompasses everything from global financial markets to the Internet but which delivers little substantive insight into the contemporary human condition [Held, Mcgrew, et al. 1999, pp. 1] They then superinduce globalization reflects a widespread perception that the world is rapidly being moulded into a shared social space by economic and technological forces and that developments in one region of the world can have profound consequences f or the life chances of individuals or communities on the other side of the globe.[Ibid] Here in this paper, first we will deal with the definitional and conceptual aspects of globalization. Then we will focus on the prospects and challenges of globalization. Finally, we will try to arrive at a cogent conclusion. Globalization has been defined by different writers in different ways. Indeed, it has got different meanings to different people. According to Anthony Mcgrew, in simplest terms, globalization refers to widening, deepening and speeding up of worldwide interconnectedness [Mcgrew in Smith and Baylis (ed), pp. 20]. Martin Griffiths and Terry O Callaghan have defined is as the acceleration and intensification of mechanisms, processes and activities that are allegedly promoting global interdependence and perhaps ultimately global political and economic integration. It is, therefore, a revolutionary concept, involving the deterritorialisation of social, political, economic, and cultural life. [Griffiths and OCollaghan, 2004, pp. 126-127]. According to Steve Smith and John Baylis, globalization is the process of increasing interconnectedness between societies such that events in one part of the world have more and more effects on peoples and societies for away. They have also conceptualized the global world as one in which political, economic, cultural and social events become more and more impact. [Smith and Baylis ed, 2005, pp. 8] It is to be viewed not as a mere series of reforms giving free rein to transnational companies but as a radical programme to reshape the entire, economic, political, legal and ideological landscape of capitalism [Zuege, Leys et al (ed), 2006, pp. 1]. Amiya Kumar Bagchi has provided a different interpretation of globalization in his paper Womans Employment and well-being in a Globalising world as a deliberate concatenation and control of processes of production, exchange, information and services by the rich in rich nations of the world in collusion with the rich of most countries so as to increase their own power and wealth at the cost of the poor and disadvantaged everywhere. [Bagchi in Kar (ed), 2005, pp. 276] We may cite a few more definitions of globalization In words of Giddens, globalization refers to the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa. [Quoted in Smith and Baylis (ed), 2005, pp. 24] Gilpin calls it The integration of the world-economy. [Ibid]. Scholte conceptualizes it in terms of De-territorialisation or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the growth of supraterritorial relations between people. [Ibid] David Harvey defines globalization in terms of time space compression. [Ibid] Anthony Mcgrew defines globalisation as a historical process involving a fundamental shift or transformation in the spatial scale of human social organization that links distant communities and expands the reach of power relations across regions and continents. [Mcgrew in Smith and Baylis (ed), 2005, pp. 24] In his presidential address to the 78th Annual Conference of the Indian Economic Association (28-30 Dec, 1995), Deepak Nayyar defined globalization as the expansion of economic activities across political boundaries of the nation states. More important, perhaps, it refers to a process of increasing economic integration and growing economic inter-dependence between countries in the world economy. It is associated not only with an increasing cross-border movement of goods, services, capital, technology, information and people also with an organization of economic activities which straddles national boundaries. [Nayyar, 1996, pp. 1] Held and Mcgrew have written, A satisfactory definition of globalization must capture each of these elements : extensity (stretching), intensity, velocity and impact. And a satisfactory account of globalization must examine them thoroughlyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. By acknowledging these dimensions a mere precise definition of globalization can be offered. Accordingly, globalization can be thought of as: a process (or set of process) which embodies a transformation in the spatial organization of social relations and transactions assessed in terms of their extensity, intensity, velocity and impact generating transcontinental or interregional flows and networks of activity, interaction, and the exercise of power. [Held and Mcgrew (ed), 1999, pp. 15-16]. According to C. Sheela Reddy, Globalisation is a complex, multidimensional, social, economic, cultural, technological and political process in which the mobility of capital, ideas, technology, organizations and people has acquired a growing global and transnational form. Advances in new technology (in particular information and communications technology), cheaper and quicker transport, trade, liberalization, increase in financial flows and growth in the size and power of corporations are its distinctive features. It is a blessing to people benefitting from the new opportunities. At the same time others are being left behind in poverty, effectively marginalized from the hopes that globalization holds out. [Reddy, 2008, pp. 84] Thus, from the above definitions, we may reiterate some important aspects of globalization like increasing interaction of social, economic, and political activity, relative deterritorialisation and de-nationalisation of the state, increasing movements of good and services, deregulation of national economy and so on. Anthony Mcgrew observes that globalization is characterized by a stretching of social, political and economic activities across political frontiers. the intensification, or the growing magnitude of interconnectedness in almost every sphere of social existence. the accelerating pace of global interactions and processes as the evolution of world wide systems of transport and communication. the growing extensity, intensity and velocity of global interactions. [Mcgrew in Steve and Baylis (ed), 2005, pp. 22] PERIODISATION OF GLOBALISATION: The periodisation of the process of globalization has been a matter of intense debate. Some regard it as a new phenomenon, while others regard it as the new phase of an old phenomenon and thus old wine in a new bottle. Chandan Sengupta has written One opinion is that the concept of globalization dates back to the voyage of discovery in the 15th century. According to Immanuel Wallerstein, the capitalist economic foundation of globalization was laid as early as in the16th century. Ronald Roberstson traced the historical temporal path of globalization to the present complex structure of global system through five phases: (i) the germinal (1400-1750) phase of dissolution of christendom an emergence of nationalism in Europe, (ii) the incipient (1750-1875) phase of nation state and the initial phase of internationalism and universalism in Europe, (iii) the take off (1875-1925) phase of conceptualization of the world as a single international society, global calendar, first world war, mass international migration and inclusion of non-Europeans in the international club of nation states; (iv) the struggle for hegemony (1925-1969) phase of cold war, the emergence of legue of Nations and the UN, and the emergence of third world, and (v ) the uncertainty (1969-1992) phase of space exploration, recognition of global environmental problem and global mass media, via space technology [ ] The roots of newly emerging forces of globalization have been traced in specific economic and political developments in the late 1980s or early 1990s. [Sengupta, 2001, pp. 3137] TWO PERSPECTIVES OF THE CONCEPTUAL CONSTRUCTIONS OF GLOBALISATION: According to Chandan Sengupta, there are two broad contexts in which globalization has been defined. These two contexts are not very far from one another. One is the economic context, the other that of non-economic which broadly includes socio-cultural, historical and political dimensions of globalization. Such a division of however, the author admits, in reality appear to be false because it is difficult to observe cultural dimensions of globalization totally independent of its material aspects. Scholars like Immanuel Wallerstein have resorted to the first perspective. While, Giddens, Robertson and Waters et. al, have tried to look globalization through the prism of socio-cultural perspective. [Ibid, pp. 3138]. THE GLOBALISATION DEBATE AND THE THREE SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT: Anthony, Mcgrew, David Held et. al have pointed out three broad schools of thought in relation to the globalization debate namely the hyperglobalizers, the sceptics, and the transformationalists. In essence each of these schools may be said to represent a distinctive account. We will highlight briefly what these theses are: For the hyperglobalisers, such as Ohmae, contemporary globalization defines a new era in which peoples everywhere are increasingly subject to the disciplines of the global marketplace. By contrast the sceptics, such as Hirst and Thompson, argue that globalization is essentially a myth which conceals the reality of an international economy increasingly segmented into three major regional blocs in which national governments remain very powerful. Finally, for the transformationalists, chief among them being Rosenau and Giddens, contemporary patterns of globalization are conceived as historically unprecedented such that states and societies across the globe are experiencing a process of profound change as they try to adapt to a more interconnected but highly uncertain world. Interestingly more of these three schools map directly on to traditional ideology positions or worldviews. [Held and Mcgrew, et. al, 1999, pp. 2] Held and others have also summarized the three dominant tendencies of globalization debate in a tabular form as follows. Conceptualizing globalization: three tendency Hyperglobalists Sceptics Transformationalists Whats new? A global age Trading blocs, weaker geogoverance than in earlier periods Historically unprecedented levels of global interconnectedness Dominant features Global capitalism, global governance, global civil society World less interdependent than in 1890s Thick'(intensive and extensive) globalization Power of national governments Declining or eroding Reinforced or enhanced Reconstituted restructured Driving forces of globalization Capitalism and technology States and markets Combined forces of modernity Pattern of stratification Erosion of old hierarchies Increased marginalization of south New architecture of world orders Dominant motif McDonalds, Madonna etc. National interest Transformation of political community Conceptualization of globalization As a reordering of the framework of human action As internationalization in regionalisation As reordering of interregional relations and actions at a distance Historical trajectory Global civilization Regional blocs / clash of civilizations Indeterminate global integration and fragmentation Summery argument The end of the nation-state Internationalisation depends on state acquiescence and support Globalization transformation state power and world politics [Ibid, pp. 10] It is noteworthy that when it comes to the sources of contention in the globalization debate, Held and others have mentioned five principal sources namely conceptualization causation periodisation impacts and the trajectories of globalization. [Held and Mcgrew et al.,1999,p10 ] It is not the purpose of this paper to explore them all at length. So, we will limit our discussion to the prospects and challenges of globalization only. PROSPECTS OF GLOBALISATION: Globalisation is a double edged phenomenon. It has got prospects as well as challenges. As regards the prospects or post dimensions of globalization, Smith and Baylis have written: The pace of economic transformation is so great that it has created a new world politics. States are no longer closed units and they cannot control their economies. The world economy is more interdependent than ever, wit trade and finances ever expanding. Communications have fundamentally revolutionized the way we deal with the rest of the world. We now live in a world where events in one location can be immediately observed in the other side of the world. Other side of the world. Electronic communications alter our notions of the social groups we work and live in. There is now, more than ever before, a global culture, so that most urban areas resemble one another. The world shares a common culture, much of it emanating from Hollywood. The world is becoming more homogeneous. Differences between peoples are diminishing. Time and space seem to be collapsing. Our old ideas of geographical space and of chronological time are undermined by the speed of modern communications and media. There is emerging a global polity, with transnational social and political movements and the beginnings of a transfer of allegiance from the state to sub-state, transnational, and international bodies. A cosmopolitan culture is developing. People are beginning to think globally and act locally. A risk culture is emerging with people realizing both that the main risks that face them are global (pollution and AIDS) and that states are unable to deal with the problems. [Smith and Baylis, 2005, pp. 10-11] C. Sheela Reddy wrote about the positive dimensions of globalizations as follows Increasing economic opportunities for countries to find markets in which their labour forces can compete effectively. Opportunities for countries with institutional and technical infrastructure to attract investments. Increasing consumer choice and falling prices for individuals around the world. Increasing protection of vulnerable groups, as communications technology facilitates global awareness and actions by international solidarity and human rights movements. Better protection of the right to seek, receive and impact information through new communication tools including cellular phones, satellite television and the internet. The right of freedom of association or freedom of assembly for which physical presence is no longer required due to new communication tools. Facilitating exchange of information on social policies and services, access to educational information and multicultural link with people of other cultures. [Reddy, 2008, pp. 86] Certain writers argue that now national boundaries do not stand in way of process of an individual or a community thanks to globalization. Men (and women) have gained access to the treasure of knowledge and culture which is the product of genius all over the world. Now local communities have the opportunity to benefit from technology information, services, and markets available anywhere in the world. Finally, globalization has created an awareness regarding the global environment all over the world, and different nations have come to recognize global problems as a matter of their individual and collective responsibility [Gauba, 2005, pp. 173] Another section of writers who strike a balance between the merits and demerits of globalization have noted that globalisation has raised per capita income in the world to three times since 1945; it has created awareness regarding environment, and congenial conditions for disarmament. It has brought the condition of subordinate groups to limelight and inspired them to form their global organizations for their emancipation. It has also liberated them from the ideological domination of their local communities and enabled them to fight for their legitimate rights. [Ibid] As regard the impact of globalization on women, Lene Sjorup has written: women are ( ) involved in globalization at a number of interlocking, diverse and sometimes even contradictory levels. They may very well be the victims of one aspect of globalization, while they remain central actors in other aspects. Why, I ask myself, paint a picture of an overwhelming enemy confronting women, when a more detailed socio-religio-political analysis shows that women participate in complicated ways in global developments? Women surely are confronted with a number of obstacles at many levels. But, why use a mega-term like globalisation for describing the arch-enemy, instead of analyzing the many forms of oppression women face within the process of globalization, and including those from which we also benefit. [Sjorup, 1997, pp. 97] Thus, it would be wrong to treat globalization as a total anathema. As regards the future of globalization, Stanley Fischer (the first Deputy Managing Director of IMF) commented to Closing Panel Discussion of IMF on Aug 26, 2000: What about the future (of globalization)? Two cheering observations to begin with: First, most developing countries continue to liberalize trade despite their complaints about the global trading system. We calculate an index of trade barriers for individual IMF member countries. Almost uniformly, it shows that barriers to trade have been declining in the developing countries. They understand that unilateral trade liberalization is in their own interest, they are arguing for the advanced countries to open up not for themselves to close down and that is good news. Second, despite the recent crisis, capital accounts in almost all emerging market countries have remained open. And the two largest economies with relatively closed capital accounts. They understand that is the best way to go. They understand that is the best way to go. They are doing it cautiously and gradually and they are right to do it that way. But the direction in which they are moving is clear. Policy-makers in almost all developing countries have no intention of reversing the process of capital account opening, despite their complaints over much of what is going on in the world, and despite their concerns over the recent crises. [http: // www.imf.org/external / np/ speeches/2000/082600.htm. visited on 21/03/10 at 8.30 p.m] He has also mentioned two forecasts.The first is conditional : if we, and this means policy makers of the advanced countries and the international institutions, manage the processes well and bring the developing countries into the process of globalization, it will continue, to the potential benefit of all and to the likely benefit of almost all. And, second, there will be surprises along the way. [Ibid] CHALLENGES OF GLOBALISATION: The rewards of globalization has not been uniform and equitable. It has benefitted only a certain category of states and people. M.A. Ommen has even called it a contrived phenomenon. He cites three reasons why globalization is not the culmination of a natural process: Firstly, the world today is virtually governed by the G-7 countries (the USA, the UK, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy). The IMF, World Bank and the World Trade Organization (WTO), the avatar of GATT, are neatly co-opted into the process of the economic management of the world. Second, science and technology are not a free pursuit. They are in captivity, so to say. The military powers (this includes the former Soviet Union) and transnational corporations (TNCS) have manipulated science technology for power and profit. This trend continues. The end of cold war has not materially altered the situation. Third, the United States of America as Prof. Vernon points out, has been trying to create an international system in its own image has pioneered the so-called development ideology to counter communism. [Ommen, 1995, pp.75] GLOBALISATION : THE NEW AVATAR OF IMPERIALISM Some scholars are viewing globalization as the new face of imperialism. They are of the view that imperialist globalization is gradually spreading its wings to cast an abysmally dark shadow world over. Thinkers like Ranen sen are very much critical of this contretemps. He writes Globalisation is paving the way for the US imperialism which is out to exploit the unipolar geopolitics. Militarization and more aggressive programmes are designed within framework of hegemenistic objectives of the CIS authorities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Washington has a long-term plan to destabilize the south and central Asian countries which have untapped hydrocarbon resource. Afghanistan has a massive resource of natural gas and Iraq has a developed oil industry. The US scheme of subversion in Afghanistan, Iraq and adjacent countries in nothing new. After becoming the hegemonistic ruler of world capitalist order, following the collapse of the USSR, Wash ington pressed Pentagon more vigorously into service to dominate the oil and natural gas sectors in those countries.[Sen in Kar (ed) 2005, pp. 93-94] It is often claimed that globalization has led to the increasing interdependence. Now, the basic questions concern. Interdependence among and who are the beneficiaries? Samit Kar writes in the preface of GLOBALISATION : ONE WORLD MANY VOICES [pp. 12] Is this interdependence of world society real or tilted in favour of the richer nations? Neo-Marxists are also apprehensive of the lopsided development brought by globalization Robert Cox and other neo-Marxists à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ stress the uneven hierarchical nature of economic globalization. The global economic power is increasingly concentrated in the leading industrialised countries, including the United States, Japan, and the States of Western Europe. That means the economic globalization will not benefit the impoverished masses of the Third World. Nor will it improve the living standards of the poor in the highly industralised countries. [Jackson and Sorensen, 2003, pp. 217] Mahuya Chakrabarty writes in the same vein in the article Free Market Globalisation: Oil conflict and US aggression-This so-called free market globalization does not actually mean the spread of productive capital in the world but the accelerated accumulation and concentration of capital in the few imperialist countries, chiefly the US. Liberalization, p rivatization and deregulationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the key factors attached with free market globalization à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. have accelerated the outflow of social weather created by the people from the neo-colonies to the neo-imperialist countries. Here, the principal actor is the MNCs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the multinational agencies like the IMF, World Bank and WTO. [Chakrabarty in Kar (ed), 2005, pp. 108] Ranen Sen has written Globalisation is a bid to restructure the power and politics of developed capitalist countries under the US hegemony. It is in a way to recolonization through the trinity of World Bank, IMF and WTO. [Sen in Kar (ed), 2005, pp. 94] In the same tune Petras and Polychroniou, have pointed out the real nature and motives of these financial institutions These institutions were controlled by appointees of the respective imperial states and their function was to displace national markets and local producers and undermine popular social legislation in order to facilitate the entry of multinationals and the primacy of domestic export elites producing for the markets of the imperial counties. [Petras and Polychroniou, 1997, pp. 2251] GLOBALISATION AND UNEVEN DEVELOPMENT: The process of globalization is highly uneven. Deepak Nayyar observes There are less than a dozen developing countries which are an integral part of globalization in the late twentieth century. Argentina, Brazil and Mexico in Latin America and Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in Asia. These eleven countries accounted for about 30 percent of total exports from developing countries during the period 1970-1980. This share rose to 59 per cent in 1990 and 66 per cent in 1992. The same countries, excluding Korea, were also the main recipients of direct investment in the developing world accounting for 66 per cent of the average annual inflows during the period 1981-1991à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ this evidence suggests that globalization is most uneven in its spread and there is an exclusion in the process. Sub-Saharan Africa, West Asia, Central Asia and South Asia are simply not in the picture, apart from many co untries in Latin America, Asia and the Pacific which are left out altogether. [Nayyar, 1996, pp. 15] Nayyar also notes that the benefits of integration with the world economy, through globalization, would accrue only to those countries which have laid the requisite foundations for industrialization and development. This means investing in the development of human resources and the creation of a physical infrastructure. This means the acquisition of technological and managerial capabilities at a micro-level. This means the creation of institutions that would regulate, govern and facilitate the functioning of markets. In each of these pursuits, strategic forms of state intervention are essential. The countries which have not created these pre-conditions could end up globalizing prices without globalizing incomes. In the process, a narrow segment of their population may be integrated with the world economy, in terms of consumption patterns or living styles, but a large proportion of their population may be marginalized even further. [Ibid, pp. 16] According to C. Sheela Reddy, the benefits of economic globalization have not accrued to the majority due to certain adverse consequences like: The increase of inequalities among regions and nations, within nations and among individuals The continued growth of poverty. The increase of peoples vulnerability due to social risks such as unemployment and crime. The decrease in opportunities for regions, nations, communities and individuals to enjoy the benefits and advantages provided by globalization. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Thus the benefits of globalization are not uniformly enjoyed at present as many people still live in poverty and the result of alleviation efforts are uneven within and between the regions of the world. [Reddy, 2008, pp. 87-88] Hirst and Thompson have made a very harsh criticism of globalization. According to them, the most extreme versions of globalizations are a myth. In support of this claim, they have offered five arguments. First, the present internationalized economy is not unique in history. In some respects they say it is less open than the international economy between 1870 and 1914. Second, they find that genuinely transnational companies are relatively rare, most are national companies trading internationally. There is no trend towards the development of international companies. Third, there is no shift of finance and capital from the developed to the underdeveloped worlds. Direct investment is highly concentrated amongst the countries of the developed world. Fourth, the world-economy is not global, rather trade, investment, and financial flows are concentrated in and between three blocs Europe, North America, and Japan. Finally, they argue this group of three blocs could, if they co-ordinated p olicies, regulate global economic markets and forces [quoted in Smith , Baylis, 2005, p. 11] We will highlight here some other challenges of globalization First it must be borne in mind that competitive markets may be the best guarantee of efficiency, but not of equity. And markets are neither the first not the last word in human development. There was a time when many activities and goods that are crucial to human development were provided outside the market à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but these are now being squeezed by the pressure of global competition. The policy of structural adjustment which was forced on most of the third world countries has reduced the amount of government expenses in health, employment as well as in education sector, subsequently making the people of the third world the victim of globalization. Second, unequal distribution: When the market goes too far in dominating social and political outcome, the opportunities and reward of globalization spread unequally and inequitably à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. concentrating power and values in a select group of people, nations and corporations, marginalizing the others. When the market goes our of hand, the instability grows up, as in the financial crisis in East Asia and its worldwide implications cutting global output by estimated 2 trillion dollar in 1998-2000. Since 1980s many countries have captured the opportunities of economic and technological globalization. Other than the industrial countries, the countries like India, Poland, Turkey, Chile are attracting foreign investment and taking advantage of technological progress. At the other extreme there any many countries, not all benefited from expanding markets and advancing technology Madagascar, sub-Saharan countries among others. Third, Inequality within and between countries: Jayati Gosh has written in her article Imperialist Globalisation and the political economy of South Asia à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The recent process of imperialist globalization has been marked by greatly increased disparities, both within countries and between countries. [Ghosh in Kar (ed.), 2005, pp. 260.] Inequality has been rising in many countries since the early 1980s In China, disparities are widening between the export oriented region of the coast and the interior. The human poverty index is just under 20% in coastal provinces, but more than 50% inland Guijhou. Inequality between the countries has also been increasing. Noteworthy that the income gap between the richest and the poorest fifth in the world was just 3:1 in 1820. Today, the gap in one word is gargantuan. Let us look at the following statistics included in UNDP 1999 Report: Year Income Gap Ratio 1820 3:1 1870 7:1 1913 11:1 1960 30:1 1990 60:1 1997 74:1 Again at the turn of the 21 century, the richest 20% of the worlds population had: > 86% of world GDPà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The bottom fifth had 1% > 82% of world export markets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the bottom fifth had 1% <

Mrs. Hayashis Creative Outlet Essay -- Seventeen Syllables Hisaye Yom

Mrs. Hayashi’s Creative Outlet Women who assume the traditional role of staying at home to care for their children and their household responsibilities often need a creative outlet to express themselves, their ideas, or just to get away from monotony they experience in the day after day domestic routine. Many women find various forms of art a fulfilling way to satisfy their need for personal expression. Similarly, in the short story â€Å"Seventeen Syllables† by Hisaye Yomamoto, the â€Å"stay-at-home-mom†, Tome Hayashi, discovers that she possesses a talent for writing haikus and finds it very fulfilling, as she is able to express herself well through the mere seventeen syllables contained in a haiku. Mrs. Hayashi’s passion for writing haikus appears to be present because she simply enjoys it; however, writing becomes the only way she is able to express herself. Unfortunately, numerous barriers placed in front of her eventually leads to the smothering of her creative ambition. One of the major barriers that Mrs. Hayashi encounters is the difficulty of communicating with her daughter. As she begins writing haikus more frequently, she wishes to have someone to share them with, but neither Rosie nor Mr. Hayashi seems interested. Rosie is unable to appreciate her mother’s haikus because her mother writes in her native Japanese language, and Rosie does not speak it fluently, nor does she wish to. In his review of â€Å"Seventeen Syllables† in the book Masterplots II, Yasuko Akiyama insightfully notes that â€Å"Mrs. Hayashi’s English is no better than Rosie’s Japanese†, thus creating a large communication barrier Rosie did not want her mother to know concerning the â€Å"quality and quantity of Japanese she had learned in all the years now that sh... ...self, [†¦] she [was] smothered† (Mistri 201). The barriers placed in the way of the pursuance of her dreams seemed too large for her to overcome because her husband could not let go of his simple-mindedness and her daughter could not bridge the communication gap present between them. She was forced back into her tragically traditional role as a submissive, passive, and unhappy wife and mother. This depiction of a divided family offers no solution of how to overcome similar struggles women may face even in today’s society. However, women must continue to explore ways to express their creativity uniquely and individually, as Tome Hayashi did, and not allow men to frown upon it and dictate what their role as women should be. Our world would be filled with much more creative artwork if more women like Tome Hayashi were given the opportunity to freely express themselves.

William Kinmond’s What a newsman found who got into red China and Mark

William Kinmond’s What a newsman found who got into red China and Mark Salzman’s Iron and Silk In William Kinmond’s â€Å"What a newsman found who got into red China† and Mark Salzman’s Iron and Silk, the reader experiences a mental ride of China. Both Salzman and Kinmond use subtlety and skill to write about what they found in Red China. The texts’ have somewhat different subject matters because each writer visited China with different motives and at different time periods. As the title suggests, Kinmond who goes to China in 1957 is there to report for the Canadian newspaper ‘The Globe and Mail’. On the other hand, Salzman goes to China in 1982 to teach English. Nonetheless, both writers’ construction of Red China and its people can be zeroed in with the help of one important issue; their coverage of train transport. Trains are by far the main means of transport in China and most people’s lives are centered around them. Although, through the analysis of train travel, both Salzman and Kinmond construct the C hinese people, Salzman concentrates on the government connection in train transport while Kinmond concentrates on the actual conditions aboard a train. Salzman’s first point about government interference is that travel officials are on a power trip when it comes to dealing with travelers. Since the communist government controls and governs all aspects of train business, Salzman vividly constructs the relationship between the people and the government. He shows that unlike in his home country of USA, travel officials in China go out of their way to deliberately interfere with people’s travels. After two years of teaching English and learning kung-fu in China, Salzman’s received lots of gifts from hi... ...r the reader through their coverage of train travel although they each largely concentrate on the different aspects of it. Salzman illustrates that the government is present in all aspects of train travel in china and people have to put up to its way of running the show. Kinmond shows that the train accommodation is of so low key, but the Chinese people put up to it anyway. Their similar observation concerning government propaganda soliciting should show the ‘the cause and effect’ relationship between government interference and bad accommodation. Works Cited List: Chui, May. Student at Lafayette College. An interview with her in the library. April 11, 2001. Kinmond, William. â€Å"What a Newsman Found Who Got into Red China†. US News and World Report. New York. August 9th, 1957. Salzman , Mark. Iron and Silk . Vintage Departments . New York (1986).

Agricultural_Development

Before the start of the 20th century, the overwhelming majority of increases in agricultural production were the result of an increase in the amount of cultivated areas. However, the start of the 21st century has come to demand that nearly all increases in agricultural production result from the increased productivity of existing cultivated areas, thereby leaving an extremely window of time for countries to make the dramatic shift from a system of production that has long been based on resources to one that is based on science (Ruttan, 2001 p. 179).To quantify the shift in terms of population, as the global population neared $1 billion, the increased demand for agriculture was met by expanding farm land area. In sharp contrast, the population, and consequently the demand for agriculture, more than doubled after 1950. Virtually all of the demand, which suddenly doubled, was met by increasing farm productivity (Federico, 2005 p. 388).For developed countries, the shift from a most resou rce-based system to a science-based system began in the 19th century. But, unfortunately for developing countries, these changes did not begin to take place until the second half of the 20th century, thereby leaving the developing countries at a disadvantage because the demands place on agriculture had doubled by this time.Population and income growth were the underlying causes of this two-fold increase. Because demands are expected to rapidly double again, substantial and scientific and technical effort will be required in the world’s poorest in countries in order for them to complete the transition to the science-based system (Ruttan, 2001 p. 179).Since the 1950s, the overall understanding of agriculture’s role in economic development has increased. In the past, development economists in premodern and traditional societies viewed agriculture as static as sustained annual growth rates as low as 0.5 to 1% were feasible over extended periods.With industrialization, agri cultural output growth rates increased to 1.5% to 2.5%, rates which were sustained for extended periods of time in Western Europe, North America, and Japan. Since 1950, growth rates have shifted further upward to 3%.This increase primarily took place in newly developing countries like Brazil, The People’s Republic of China, and Mexico. As output growth rates steadily increased, economists came to adopt the new view that agriculture was dynamic rather than static (Ruttan, 2001 p. 180).By 1960, the high-payoff input model merged as a new theory by which economists were attempting to understand agriculture. It took into consideration agroenvironmental constraints and is based on the conclusion that these constrains make agricultural technology location specific.For example, it was discovered that technologies that were developed in highly developed countries were generally not transferable to less developed countries which had different climates and resource endowments.Additiona lly, it appeared evident that because poor countries were not providing peasant farmers with technical and economic opportunities, reallocating resources in traditional peasant agriculture would only produce marginal productivity gains.Under the high-payoff input model, it was argued that developing economies could be transformed by investments from the public and private sectors to make high-payoff technical inputs available to poor farmers (Ruttan, 2001 p. 187).Between the 1970s and mid 1980s, Hayami, Ruttan ,and Binswanger developed a new agricultural model in which conditions in the economic system arose from technical and institutional change. This model was based on the recognition that there is more than one path to technological development.These different paths to development make it possible for a country to substitute more abundant factors for scarce factors. Techniques which allow for the substitution of other labor factors are termed â€Å"labor saving†, while te chniques which facilitate the substitution of other land factors are referred to as â€Å"land saving†.Mechanical technology corresponds with labor saving technology, as it substitutes power and machinery for labor. Biological technology, which tends to substitute intensive production practices and industrial inputs for land, corresponds with land saving techniques.Chemical fertilizers, increased recycling of manures, pesticides, and pathogen-resistant crops are example of land saving technologies. Mechanical technology and mechanical processes were the driving force of the industrial revolution. But biological and chemical technologies became more prominent in the latter half of the 20th century (Ruttan, 2001 p. 188, 190).

Pakistani Art and Culture Essay

Culture and Components of Culture Culture Culture is the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group In the 20th century, â€Å"culture† emerged as a central concept in anthropology, encompassing the range of human phenomena that cannot be attributed to genetic inheritance. Specifically, the term â€Å"culture† in American anthropology had two meanings: the evolved human capacity to classify and represent experiences with symbols, and to act imaginatively and creatively; and (2) the distinct ways that people living in different parts of the world classified and represented their experiences, and acted creatively. Distinctions are currently made between the physical artifacts created by a society, its so-called material culture and everything else,[3] the intangibles such as language, customs, etc. that are the main referent of the term â€Å"culture†. Components of Culture Language. Language is a set of symbols used to assign and communicate meaning. It enables us to name or label the things in our world so we can think and communicate about them. Norms. Norms are humanly created rules for behavior. Norms are considered as rules and expectations eventually set by a particular society that serve as guides to the behavior of its members. It varies in the terms of the degrees of importance and might be change over a period of time. It is reinforced by sanctions in the forms or rewards and punishments. These are standards accepted by society culturally and serves as obligatory and expected behavior’s of the people in different situations in life. Types of norms * Folkways * Taboos * Rituals * Social Control * Ideologies, beliefs, and values. * Physical and verbal reactions. * Embarrassment and stigma. Values Values are anything members of a culture aspire to or hold in high esteem. Values are things to be achieved, things considered of great worth or value. Values are human creations. They are social products. Values can and do become reified. Values can be renegotiated and changed. While people and groups may disagree as to which are most important, Examples * Democracy, liberty, freedom, independence, autonomy, and individual rights. * Capitalism, competition, hard work, self-discipline, and success. * Wealth, prosperity, materialism, and consumerism. * Equity, fairness, and justice. * Equality of opportunity. * Love, compassion, humanitarianism, charity, service, and respect for others. * Tolerance, forgiveness, and acceptance. * Faith, religion, family, conformity, and tradition. * Nationalism, patriotism, civic responsibility, and loyalty. * Health, happiness, and life. * Education, knowledge, science, technology, and innovation. * Complimentary and conflicting values. A groups values tend to compliment and support one another. They tend to be in agreement and make sense when considered together. A careful look at the values above reveals â€Å"sets† of values that seem to go together. However, it is also possible for values to contradict and conflict with each other, especially in complex modern industrial societies. For example, competition and success can be seen as contradictory to humanitarianism, compassion, service and self-sacrafice; while equity and justice contradict forgiveness and conformity and tradition contradict tolerance and acceptance. In fact, many social and political problems can be seen as conflicts between groups emphasizing different values. Beliefs and ideologies Beliefs are the things members of a culture hold to be true. They are the â€Å"facts† accepted by all or most members. Beliefs are not limited to religious statements, but include all the things a people know and accept as  true, including common sense everyday knowledge. Like all other cultural elements, beliefs are humanly created and produced. They are collective social agreements produced during interaction and reified over time. What is â€Å"true† or â€Å"factual† for a given people is what they collectively agree to be true at that point in time. Beliefs can and do change, especially in modern industrial societies. Today we laugh at things our grandparents used to believe and chances are that our grandchildren will laugh at many of our beliefs as well. This suggests that their is no absolute knowledge or absolute truth. All knowledge and truth is relative. Ideologies are integrated and connected systems of beliefs. Sets of beliefs and assumptions connected by a common theme or focus. They are often are associated with specific social institutions or systems and serve to legitimize those systems. * Capitalism. * Christianity (Protestantism). * Individualism * Scientism * Sexism. * Racism. Ideologies are, themselves, often related and connected to each other in complex ideological systems, such that one ideology â€Å"makes sense† when considered with another. They also often serve to legitimize each other. Religious ideologies often encompass or subsume many of a culture’s ideologies, giving them added legitimacy. Statuses and Roles. Status, although related, is not a measure of a persons wealth, power, and prestige. To speak of â€Å"high† or â€Å"low† status is somewhat misleading. A status is a slot or position within a group or society. They tell us who people are and how they â€Å"fit† into the group. Master statuses–age, sex, race, class. Status, prestige, wealth, and power. Roles are norms specifying the rights and responsibilities associated with a particular status. The term role is often used to mean both a position in  society and role expectations associated with it. Roles define what a person in a given status can and should do, as well as what they can and should expect from others. Roles provide a degree of stability and predictability, telling how we should respond to others and giving us an idea of how others should respond to us. Roles are negotiated and produced during interaction, and often become reified over time. However, roles can be renegotiated and changed. Cultural Integration. Cultural integration refers to how interconnected, complimentary, and mutually supportive the various elements of culture are. Cultural heritage Cultural heritage (â€Å"national heritage or just â€Å"heritage†) is the legacy of physical artifacts (cultural property) and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations. Cultural heritage includes tangible culture (such as buildings, monuments, landscapes, books, works of art, and artifacts), intangible culture (such as folklore, traditions, language, and knowledge), and natural heritage (including culturally significant landscapes, and biodiversity). The deliberate act of keeping cultural heritage from the present for the future is known as Preservation (American English) or Conservation (British English), though these terms may have more specific or technical meaning in the same contexts in the other dialect. Cultural property (tangible) Cultural property includes the physical, or â€Å"tangible† cultural heritage, such as buildings and historic places, monuments, books, documents, works of art, machines, clothing, and other artifacts, that are considered worthy of preservation for the future. These include objects significant to the archaeology, architecture, science or technology of a specific culture. Intangible culture â€Å"Intangible cultural heritage† consists of non-physical aspects of a particular culture, often maintained by social customs during a specific period in history. The ways and means of behavior in a society, and the often formal rules for operating in a particular cultural climate. These  include social values and traditions, customs and practices, aesthetic and spiritual beliefs, artistic expression, language and other aspects of human activity. The significance of physical artifacts can be interpreted against the backdrop of socioeconomic, political, ethnic, religious and philosophical values of a particular group of people. Naturally, intangible cultural heritage is more difficult to preserve than physical objects. Folklore Oral history Language preservation Cultural Heritage of Pakistan PAKISTAN, LAND AND PEOPLE Pakistan, which means ‘land of the pure’, is the inheritor of a long and varied history, rich in cultural traditions. Its sands have been the playground and burial place for some of the greatest imperialists and adventurers. The land has attracted scholars and mystics, adventurers and missionaries. It is not easy to categorize Pakistanis. They belong to different tribes and ethnic groups and speak different languages. It has been shaped and united by a common faith for centuries, through the message of love, peace, dignity and support for the poor preached by the Sufis who came to the region centuries ago. THE LAND OF INDUS A young nation created in 1947, Pakistan is the inheritor of an ancient past. A country of dramatic landscapes, it is home to eight of the world’s highest peaks, including the breathtaking K2. From the Karakorams in the north, giant glaciers spill down the mountain slopes, melting as they reach lower altitudes to fill the gorges with racing torrents of water. This is the home of the spring known as the ‘Mouth of the Lion’, from where the Indus flows down, cutting its way through barren, forbidding terrain. The river twists through Pakistan for more than 2,800 kilometers. By the time it reaches the rich alluvial plain of the Punjab it has matured, flowing slower and slower as it meanders through Sindh before ending in the warm waters of the Arabian Sea near the port of Karachi. The Indus has been the lifeblood of this  predominantly agricultural economy through the millennia, instrumental in shaping the history and culture of the region. Center of the Indus Valley Civilization, one of the oldest river valley civilizations of the world, it was home to an advanced urban culture and a sophisticated trade network which included the Middle East and Egypt. By virtue of its accessibility through passes to the north and north-west, as well as via the coastline bordering the Arabian Sea, the land that became Pakistan has been the domain of adventurers and invaders, scholars and mystics. Invasions by the Greeks under Alexander, the Huns, the Arabs, and the Central Asian tribes who settled to form the Muslim Slave Dynasty and later the Mughal Empire left their mark on the culture, faith, language and physical appearance of its people. The region that is now Pakistan fostered Buddhism at Gandhara in the north, and Sikhism at Nankana in the Punjab. For several centuries, however, it has been predominantly Muslim. Muhammad bin Qasim, who secured the territory around Multan in the early eighth century, introduced Islam to the region with epic consequences, making it a defining force that unites the nation even today. Known for its breathtaking, dramatic landscapes, home to the highest range of mountains in the world, the Karakorams, and to the ‘Lion River’, the Indus, Pakistan has a rich history. Indus Civilization This land also witnessed the glorious era of Indus civilization about 8000 years B.C when the first village was found at Mehargarh in the Sibi District of Balochistan comparable with the earliest villages of Jericho in Palestine and Jarmo in Iraq. Here, during the last decade i.e., 1980’s, the French and Pakistani archaeologists have excavated mud built houses of the Mehargarh people and their agricultural land known for the cultivation of maize and wheat, together with polished stone tools, beads and other ornaments, painted jars and bowls, drinking glasses, dishes and plates. The archaeologists believe that by 7000 B.C., the Mehargarh people learnt to use the metal for the first time. From the first revolution of agricultural life the man moved to another great revolution in his social, cultural and economic life. He established trade relations with the people of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and the Arab world. He not only specialized  in painting different designs of po ttery, made varieties of pots and used cotton and wool but also made terracotta figurines and imported precious stones from Afghanistan and Central Asia. This early bronze age Culture spread out in the countryside of Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. This early beginning led to the concentration of population into the small towns, such as Kot Diji in Sindh and Rahman Dheri in Dera Ismail Khan District. It is this social and cultural exchange that led to the rise of the famous cities of Moenjodaro and Harappa, with largest concentration of population including artisans, craftsmen, businessmen and rulers. This culminated in the peak of the Indus Civilization which was primarily based on intensively irrigated agricultural land and overseas trade and contact with Iran, Gulf States, Mesopotamia and Egypt. Dames were built for storing river water, land was cultivated by means of bullock-harnessed plough – a system which still prevails in Pakistan, granaries for food storage were built, furnace was used for controlling temperature for making red pottery and various kinds of ornaments, beads of carnelian, agate, and terracotta were pierced through and above all they traded their finished goods with Central Asia and Arab world. It is these trade dividends that enriched the urban populace who developed a new sense of moral honesty, discipline and cleanliness combined with a social stratification in which the priests and the mercantile class dominated the society. The picture of high civilization can be gathered only by looking at the city of Moenjodaro, the First Planned City in the World, in which the streets are aligned straight, parallel to each other with cross streets cutting at right angles. It is through these wide streets that wheeled carriages, drawn by bulls or asses, moved about, carrying well-adorned persons seated on them appreciating the closely aligned houses made of pucca-bricks, all running straight along the streets. And then through the middle of the streets ran stone dressed drains covered with stone slabs – a practice of keeping the streets clean from polluted water, seen for the first time in the world. Gandhara Civilization Pakistan is the land which attracted Alexander the great from Macedonia in 326 B.C., with whom the influence of Greek culture came to this part of the  world. During the 2nd century B.C., it was here that Buddhism was adopted as the state religion which flourished and prevailed here for over 1000 years, starting from 2nd century B.C., until 10th century A.D. During this time Taxila, Swat and Charsaddah (old Pushkalavati) became three important centres for culture, trade and learning. Hundreds of monasteries and stupas were built together with Greek and Kushan towns such as Sirkap and Sirsukh both in Taxila. It was from these centres that a unique art of sculpture originated which is known as Gandhara Art all over the world. Today the Gandhara Sculptures occupy a prominent place in the museums of England, France, Germany, USA, Japan, Korea, China, India and Afghanistan together with many private collections world over, as well as in the museums of Pakistan. Nevertheless, the zenith of this Gandhara Art is one and only â€Å"Fasting Buddha† now on display in Lahore Museum, Lahore. Finally, the light of Islam penetrated in this part of the world as early as 7th century AD. from the west with the Arabs and during the 10th century AD from the north with the Turks. Islam replaced the early way of life of worshipping idols and introduced new philosophy of faith in one God. With Islam in came a new culture in this land from Arabia and Central Asia. Hence, a new type of architecture, hitherto unknown in this area, was introduced. Tens of thousands of Mosques, Madrassahs, tombs and gardens were created by the Muslim rulers all over the Sub-Continent. The new style of Islamic architecture prevailed and matured in this land for over a thousand years. The most important contribution of the Muslim rulers to this land, however, is a new language ‘Urdu’ which became the national language of Pakistan since its independence in 1947. Islamic Period The light of Islam penetrated in this part of the world as early as 712 A.D from the west with the Arab General Muhammad bin Qasim and during the 10th century A.D from the north with the Turk Sultan Mahmud of Ghaznah ( better known as Mahmud Ghaznavi). Islam replaced the early way of life of worshipping idols and introduced new philosophy of faith in one God. With Islam in came a new culture in this land from Arabia and Central Asia. Hence, a new type of architecture, hitherto unknown in this area, was introduced. Tens of thousands of Mosques, Madrasahs, tombs and gardens were created by the Muslim rulers all over the Sub-Continent. The new style of  Islamic architecture prevailed and matured in this land for over a thousand years. The direct influence of the Muslim Rulers was not only confined to the architecture; their food added a variety of new dishes in the Sub-Continental cuisine. The national dress of Pakistan, â€Å" Shalwar Qamiz† is also a direct gift of the Muslim Turks. Since the mother tongue of the Muslim Rulers was Arabic, Turkish and Farsi, it was only natural that the local languages of the Sub-Continent were greatly influenced and new language was introduced. Thus the most important contribution of the Muslim rulers to this land is a new language ‘Urdu’ which became the national language of Pakistan since its independence in 1947. British Period: 1857 – 1947 Just before the independence of Pakistan this land remained a part of the British Empire for almost a century. Hence the British culture also left an impact on the life of the people of Pakistan. Amongst the British legacy a new form of architecture which is a blend of Islamic and the Western Architecture emerged. This colonial architecture in the form of Residential Bungalows, Educational Institutions, Churches and Railway Stations is still very attrative and in a good condition. Examples of the British Architecture can be seen in all the major cities of Pakistan. The British patronage towards introducing Railways in the Sub-Continent is indeed a great gift and the operational railroad and railway stations in Pakistan today are the same laid and built by the British before 1947. Old Presidency in Rawalpindi, Rest house in Ziarat, Empress Market Karachi, Punjab University’s old Campus, Islamia College Peshawar, and Cathedrals in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar are jus t few examples of the British Heritage.The British Empire, however, ceased to exist in this part of the world after 14 August 1947. Lecture II Culture of Pakistan and Characteristics of Pakistani Culture The society and culture of Pakistan (Urdu: Ø «Ã™â€šÃ˜ §Ã™ Ã˜ ª Ù ¾Ã˜ §Ãš ©Ã˜ ³Ã˜ ªÃ˜ §Ã™â€ ) comprises numerous diverse cultures and ethnic groups: the Punjabis, Kashmiris, Sindhis in east, Muhajirs, Makrani in the south; Baloch and Pashtun in the west; and the  ancient Dardic, Wakhi, and Burusho communities in the north. These Pakistani cultures have been greatly influenced by many of the surrounding countries’ cultures, such as the Turkic peoples, Persian, Arab, and other South Asian ethnic groups of the Subcontinent, Central Asia and the Middle East. In ancient times, Pakistan was a major cultural hub. Many cultural practices and great monuments have been inherited from the time of the ancient rulers of the region. One of the greatest cultural influences was that of the Persian Empire, of which Pakistan was a part. In fact, the Pakistani satraps were at one time the richest and most productive of the massive Persian Empire. Other key influences include the Afghan Empire, Mughal Empire and later, the short-lived but influential, the British Empire. Pakistan has a cultural and ethnic background going back to the Indus Valley Civilization, which existed from 2800–1800 B.C., and was remarkable for its ordered cities, advanced sanitation, excellent roads, and uniquely structured society. Pakistan has been invaded many times in the past, and has been occupied and settled by many different peoples, each of whom have left their imprint on the current inhabitants of the country. Some of the largest groups were the Proto-Indo-Aryans, of which Sindhis and Punjabis descend from and later Iranic peoples which the Baloch and Pashtuns descend from. Other less significant ones include the Greeks, Scythians, Persians, White Huns, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, Buddhists, and other Eurasian groups, up to and including the British, who left in the late 1940s. The region has formed a distinct cultural unit within the main cultural complex of South Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia from the earliest times, and is analogous to Turkey’s position in Eurasia. [1] There are differences in culture among the different ethnic groups in matters such as dress, food, and religion, especially where pre-Islamic customs differ from Islamic practices. Their cultural origins also reveal influences from far afield, including Tibet, Nepal, India, and eastern Afghanistan. All groups show varying degrees of influence from Persia, Turkestan and Hellenistic Greece. Pakistan was the first region of South Asia to receive the full impact of Islam and has developed a distinct Islamic identity, historically different from areas further west.[1] Ancient sites in Pakistan include: Zoroastrian Fire temples, Islamic centres,  shi’a shrines/Sufi shrines, Buddhist temples, Sikh, Hindu, and pagan temples and shrines, gardens, tombs, palaces, monuments, and Mughal and Indo-Saracenic buildings. Sculpture is dominated by Greco-Buddhist friezes, and crafts by ceramics, jewellery, silk goods and engraved woodwork and metalwork. Pakistani society is largely multilingual, multi-ethnic and multicultural. Though cultures within the country differ to some extent, more similarities than differences can be found, as most Pakistanis are mainly of Aryan heritage or have coexisted side by side along the Indus River for several thousand years, or both. However, over 60 years of integration, a distinctive â€Å"Pakistani† culture has sprung up, especially in the urban areas where many of the diverse ethnic groups have coexisted and ithe country now having a literacy rate of 55%, up from 3% at the time of independence. Traditional family values are highly respected and considered sacred, although urban families increasingly form nuclear families, owing to socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional culture of the extended family. The past few decades have seen emergence of a middle class in cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Quetta, Faisalabad, Sukkur, Peshawar, Sialkot, Abbottabad, and Multan. Rural areas of Pakistan are regarded as more conservative, and are dominated by regional tribal customs dating back hundreds if not thousands of years. â€Å"Pakistan’s culture is again unique like the rest of the country. Pakistan’s geography is the meeting point of South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia/Gulf. Its culture could be termed as a combination of sub continental, Islamic, Regional, English, and more recently global influences. Let us consider them piecemeal. The newly born Pakistan had to have a sub continental leaning, having been a part of for last 5000 years of its civilization. However, the Indus Valley, present day Pakistan, culture was different from the rest of North India or South India† Religious Uniformity Islam is the state religion of Pakistan. 97% of the population is Muslim. The minority community includes Hindus, Christians, Parsis, Ahmedis (Mirzais), Kalash, Sikhs, Bah’a’i, Buddhists and Jews. The Constitution guarantees equal rights to Muslims and non Muslims. Sufi traditions of love, peace, progress, perfection and support of the poor  have strongly influenced Islam in Pakistan. Islam arrived in Sindh in the eighth century, following which the Sufi movement multiplied all over the sub-continent. Pakistan came into existence to provide its people a system of life based on Islam. The people ,in spite of some differences of languages, customs and traditions commonly follow one religion of Islam. Language The national language of Pakistan is Urdu, while English is the official language of the country, widely spoken and understood. Urdu, meaning ‘language of the army camp/caravan,’ is a mixture of predominantly Turkish, Arabic, and Persian with languages of the sub-continent. Urdu is written in the Persian script. It was adopted as the court language during the latter period of the Mughal Empire. Urdu played a dominant role in the re-awakening of Muslim nationalism in the sub-continent, which culminated in the Pakistan Movement. Urdu was therefore adopted as the national language of the country. Besides Urdu, there are six major and over fifty regional languages. The major regional languages are Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Baluchi, Saraiki and Hindko. Other widely spoken languages are Potohari, Shina and Broshishki. All these languages have their own literary tradition. Evolution and development of any language is dependent on the evolution and development of a society where that language is spoken. Various invasions and conquests on a place affect the development of its language. Pakistan is a land that attracted many foreign races and empires during the course of its long history. Such was the sponge like quality of the sub-continent of India that under every invasion it readily absorbed foreign traits yet, maintaining their own distinct individuality as well. Language was one such trait. The inhabitants of Indian subcontinent were the speakers of Sanskrit and eventually, words and dialects of the languages of each successive intruder intermingled with Sanskrit and gave birth to various dialects and languages. Most of the languages spoken in Pakistan are part of the Indo-European family of languages. The main language families in Pakistan are Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Dravidian and Dardic. Literature Pakistani literature originates from when Pakistan gained its nationhood as a  sovereign state in 1947. The common and shared tradition of Urdu literature and English literature of South Asia was inherited by the new state. Over a period of time, a body of literature unique to Pakistan has emerged in nearly all major Pakistani languages, including Urdu, English, Punjabi, Pashto, Seraiki, Balochi, and Sindhi. Poetry Poetry is a highly respected art and profession in Pakistan. The pre-eminent form of poetry in Pakistan almost always originates in Persian, due in part to the long standing affiliation the region had with the Persian Empire. The enthusiasm for poetry exists at a regional level as well, with nearly all of Pakistan’s provincial languages continuing the legacy. Since the independence of the country in 1947 and establishment of Urdu as the national language, poetry is written in that language as well. The Urdu language has a rich tradition of poetry and includes the famous poets Dr. Allama Iqbal (national poet), Mirza Ghalib, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Ahmad Faraz, Jazib Qureshi, and Ahmad Nadeem Qasimi. Apart from Urdu poetry, Pakistani poetry also has blends of other regional languages. Balochi, Sindhi, Punjabi, Seraiki, and Pashto poetry have all incorporated and influenced Pakistani poetry. Poetry in the form of marsia salam and naath is also very popular among many Pakistanis. Performing arts * Music The variety of Pakistani music ranges from diverse provincial folk music and traditional styles such as Qawwali and Ghazal Gayaki to modern forms fusing traditional and western music, such as the synchronisation of Qawwali and western music by the world renowned Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In addition Pakistan is home to many famous folk singers such as the late Alam Lohar, who is also well known in Indian Punjab. Dances Kathak – classical dance developed in the Royal courts of the Mughals. Folk dances are still popular in Pakistan and vary according to region such as: Bhangra – Punjab Luddi – Punjab Sammi – Punjab Jhumar – Saraiki and Balochi folk dance Lewa – Baluch folk dance Chap – Baluch folk dance performed at weddings Jhumar – Saraiki and Balochi folk dance Attan – Folk dance of Pashtuns tribes of Pakistan including the unique styles of Quetta and Waziristan Khattak Dance – Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chitrali Dance – Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Dhammal – Performed at Sufi shrines/ dargahs in Punjab and Sindh Ho Jamalo – Sindhi dance Drama and theatre These are very similar to stage plays in theatres. They are performed by well-known actors and actresses in the Lollywood industry. The dramas and plays deal with many themes from life events, often with a humorous touch. Bollywood movies are also popular. Visual arts Painting Abdul Rehman Chughtai, Sughra Rababi, Ustad Allah Baksh, Ajaz Anwar, Ismail Gulgee, Jamil Naqsh, and Sadequain are prominent painters of Pakistan also known as the old masters. Pakistan is now producing a variety of contemporary art and Pakistani Artists have become world famous. Pakistani vehicle art is a popular folk art. Architecture The architecture of the areas now constituting Pakistan can be traced to four distinct periods: pre-Islamic, Hindu heritage, Buddhist culture, Islamic, colonial, and post-colonial. With the beginning of the Indus civilization around the middle of the 3rd millennium B.C., an advanced urban culture developed for the first time in the region, with large structural facilities, some of which survive to this day.[Mohenjo Daro, Harappa and Kot Diji belong to the pre-Islamic era settlements. The rise of Buddhism, Guptas, Mouryas, and the Persian and Greek influence led to the development of the Greco-Buddhist style, starting from the 1st century CE. The high point of this era was reached with the culmination of the Gandhara style. An example of Buddhist architecture is the ruins of the Buddhist monastery Takht-i-Bahi in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The arrival of Islam in today’s Pakistan introduced the classical Islamic construction techniques into Pakistan’s architectural landscape. However, a smooth transition to predominantly  picture-less Islamic architecture occurred. The town of Uch Sharif contains the tombs of Bibi Jawindi, Baha’al-Halim, and Jalaluddin Bukhari, which are considered some of the earliest examples of Islamic architecture in Pakistan and are on the UNESCO Tentative World Heritage Site list since 2004.[5] One of the most important of the few examples of the Persian style of architecture is the tomb of the Shah Rukn-i-Alam in Multan. During the Mughal era, design elements of Islamic-Persian architecture were fused with, and often produced playful forms of, Hindustani art. Lahore, occasional residence of Mughal rulers, exhibits a multiplicity of important buildings from the empire, among them the Badshahi mosque, the fortress of Lahore with the famous Alamgiri Gate, the colourful, still strongly Persian seeming Wazir Khan Mosque as well as numerous other mosques and mausoleums. The Shahjahan Mosque of Thatta in Sindh also originates from the epoch of the Mughals, as does the Mohabbat Khan Mosque in Peshawar. In the British colonial age, the buildings developed were predominantly of the Indo-European style, with a mixture of European and Indian-Islamic components. Post-colonial national identity is expressed in modern structures like the Faisal Mosque, the Minar-e-Pakistan and the Mazar-e-Quaid. Recreation and sports The official national sport of Pakistan is field hockey, but cricket and squash are the most popular sports. The Pakistan national field hockey team has won the Hockey World Cup a record four times. The Pakistan national cricket team has won the Cricket World Cup once (in 1992), were runners-up once (in 1999), and co-hosted the games twice (in 1987 and 1996). Additionally, they have also won the ICC World Twenty20 once (in 2009), and were runners-up (in 2007). The team has also won the Austral-Asia Cup in 1986, 1990, and 1994. At the international level, Pakistan has competed many times at the Summer Olympics in field hockey, boxing, athletics, swimming, and shooting. Hockey is the sport in which Pakistan has been most successful at the Olympics, winning three gold medals (1960, 1968, and 1984). Pakistan has also won the Hockey World Cup four times (1971, 1978, 1982, and 1994).[6] Pakistan has hosted several international competitions, including the South Asian Federation Games in 1989 and 2004. A1 Grand Prix racing is also becoming popular with the entry of a Pakistani team in the 2005 season.  The Tour de Pakistan, modelled on the Tour de France, is an annual cycling competition that covers the length and breadth of Pakistan. Recently, football has grown in popularity across the country, where traditionally it had been played almost exclusively in the western province of Balochistan. FIFA has recently teamed up with the government to bring football closer to the northern areas too. Cuisine Culinary art in Pakistan comprises a mix of Middle Eastern, Iranian, Afghan, Indian, and Turkish influences that reflect the country’s history as well as the variation of cooking practices from across the surrounding regions. Urban centres of the country offer an amalgamation of recipes from all parts of the country, while food with specific local ingredients and tastes is available in rural areas and villages. Besides the main dishes of salan, with or without meat and cooked with vegetables or lentils, there are a number of provincial specialties such as karahi, biryani, and tikka, in various forms and flavours, eaten alongside a variety of breads such as naan, chapati, and roti. There are also local forms of grilled meat or kebabs, desserts, and a variety of hot and cold drinks. Festivals Ramadan The holiest month of the Islamic Calendar, which is a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset and self-discipline, it is widely observed in Pakistan. Muslim Pakistanis (about 97% of the population) fast, attend mosques with increased frequency, and recite Qur’an. Special foods are cooked in greater quantities, parties are held, and special accommodation is made by workplaces and educational institutes. Chand Raat Occurs after the Islamic month of Ramadan. Chand Raat occurs the night before Eid day celebrations commence, marking the end of the month of Ramadan. In the night known as Chand Raat, people celebrate by various means, such as girls putting henna on their hands. People buy gifts and sweets that will be given to friends and families who come over to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Eid celebrations The two Eids, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha, commemorate the passing of the month of fasting, Ramadan, and the willingness of Ibrahim A.S to sacrifice his son Ishmael for God. On these days, there are national holidays and many festival events that take place to celebrate Eid. As Pakistan is a Muslim state, there are three days off for all businesses and government offices. On the night before Eid, people search for the new moon to mark the end of Ramadan and arrival of Eid ul-Fitr. The day starts with morning prayers, then returning home for a large breakfast with family members. The day is spent visiting relatives and friends and sharing gifts and sweets with everyone. During the evening people hit the town for some partying, going to restaurants or relaxing in city parks. On Eid ul-Fitr, money is given for charity and as gifts to young children. On Eid ul-Adha, people may also distribute meat to relatives and neighbors and donate food for charity. Milaad un Nabi Milaad un Nabi is a known religious festival which is celebrated in many parts of Pakistan. The Milaad is the celebration for the birthday of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. Muharram (Ashura)  In Pakistan, the first ten days of Muharram are observed officially. The 10th day of Muharram is marked in the memory of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Muhammad, who was a martyr, along with 72 family members, friends and followers during the Battle of Karbala. Jashn-e-Baharan Jashn-e-Baharan aometimes referred to as Basant, is a pre-Islamic Punjabi festival that marks the coming of spring. Celebrations in Pakistan are centered in Lahore, and people from all over the country and abroad come to the city for the annual festivities. Kite flying competitions take place all over the city’s rooftops during Basant (now prohibited).[7] The fertile province of Punjab was intimately tied via its agriculture to the different seasons of the year. The arrival of spring was an important event for all farmers and was welcomed with a celebration, hence the name Jashn (celebration) Baharan (spring). Christmas Christmas is usually celebrated by Pakistani Christians who account more than 3 percent of Pakistan and mostly reside in Punjab of Pakistan. Other Pakistanis also commemorate this event to promote inter-communal harmony. Holi Holi is celebrated by Pakistani Hindus. Other Pakistanis celebrate with them as well to promote communal harmony. Nowruz This festival is like Nowruz of Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. In Northern Pakistan (Chitral, Gilgit, Baltistan), and Northern Punjab, Nowruz is celebrated as a socio-religious festival. It is also celebrated with much fervour in Balochistan, and in almost all of Pakistan’s major urban centres. In Baltistan, the main features of Nowruz are the giving of coloured eggs to friends and polo matches. In Balochistan, the festival is marked with outdoor feasts, and the traditional jumping over a fire to wash away sins and usher in a fresh start. The origins of this festival are pre-Islamic and date back to when Pakistan was part of the Achaemenid and Sassanid Persian empires. Independence Day On August 14, the people of Pakistan celebrate the day when Pakistan gained its independence from British India, and formed an independent state for Muslims. There are many celebrations all over the country, with people singing and dancing in the streets. Concerts are held with many pop and classical singers. Parades are held in the capital city (Islamabad). Many people decorate their houses and fly the flag of Pakistan. At night, fireworks are used in many cities. Many people pray for the country and reflect on their pride in the country of Pakistan. Defence Day September 6 is another patriotic day, when the Army of Pakistan is put on display for the general public to show Pakistan arms. All Government officials attend the ceremony and recognitions are awarded to special people for their work. In March 2007, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) put on display the new joint manufactured Chinese-Pakistani aircraft called the JF-17 Thunder. Popular media Television Traditionally, the government-owned Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) has been the dominant media player in Pakistan. The PTV channels are controlled  by the government and opposition views are not given much time. The past decade has seen the emergence of several private TV channels showing news and entertainment, such as GEO TV, AAJ TV, ARY Digital, HUM, MTV Pakistan, and others. Traditionally the bulk of TV shows have been plays or soap operas, some of them critically acclaimed. Various American, European, Asian TV channels, and movies are available to a majority of the population via Cable TV. Television accounted for almost half of the advertising expenditure in Pakistan in 2002. Radio The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) was formed on 14 August 1947, the day of Pakistani independence. It was a direct descendant of the Indian Broadcasting Company, which later became All India Radio. At independence, Pakistan had radio stations in Dhaka, Lahore, and Peshawar. A major programme of expansion saw new stations open at Karachi and Rawalpindi in 1948, and a new broadcasting house at Karachi in 1950. This was followed by new radio stations at Hyderabad (1951), Quetta (1956), a second station at Rawalpindi (1960), and a receiving centre at Peshawar (1960). During the 1980s and 1990s, the corporation expanded its network to many cities and towns of Pakistan to provide greater service to the local people. Today, there are over a hundred radio stations due to more liberal media regulations. Cinema An indigenous movie industry exists in Pakistan and is known as â€Å"Lollywood†, as it is based in Lahore, producing over forty feature-length films a year. National Dress The national dress is Shalwar Qameez for both men and women. It consists of a long, loose fitting tunic with very baggy trousers. The dress is believed to be an amalgamation of the dresses worn by the ancient Persians, and Mughal Empire who have left their impression on the people and culture of Pakistan.[10] The men’s version consists of solid, masculine colours, and is almost always accompanied by a collar and buttons (similar to a polo shirt). Men often wear an outer waistcoat over the shalwar kameez. The women’s version almost never contains collar and buttons but is often embroidered and consists of feminine colors and may feature lace or flower patterns. In the summer, a light, cotton version is often worn, while during the winter,  a heavier, wool version is worn. The sherwani or achkan, with karakul hat is the recommended dress for male government employees and officials, as it is not specifically associated with any of the provinces. Most male government officials wear the formal black sherwani on state occasions. A large Pakistani diaspora exists in the Western world and the Middle East. Whereas Pakistanis in the United States, Canada and Australia tend to be professionals, the majority of them in the United Kingdom, Germany and Scandinavia originally came from a rural background belonging to the working class. These emigrants and their children influence Pakistan culturally and economically, keeping close ties with their roots by travelling to Pakistan and especially by returning or investing there. Cultural traditions Pakistanis have evolved an often distinct and unique set of culture, traditions and customs in the region. Shalwar Qameez is the dress commonly worn, both by men and women, and Kashmiru, etc. put and dances are distinctly unique with their own melodies, instruments, patterns and styles. Pakistani arts in metal work, tiles, furniture, rugs, designs/paintings, literature, calligraphy, and much more are diverse and renowned internationally. Pakistani architecture is unique with its infusion of Islamic, Persian, Turkish and Indigenous styles. The manners and lifestyles are guided by a blend of traditions as well as the culture. Food dishes are also attracting quite a lot of attention with its wide blend of flavours and spices. Ethnic groups The vast majority of Pakistanis are Caucasoid by race but many other distinct minority are also present. The majority of Pakistanis are of average to above average height. Pakistan is notable for having several individuals in the Guinness Book of World Records, such as Alam Channa for the tallest man in the world. Pakistanis are diverse, many possessing dark hair and eyes but light coloured eyes and light coloured hair do occur in significant portions of the population as well, notably in the North amongst the Dardic, Kalash, Burusho, Wakhi, and north western Pashtun tribes. The typical Pakistani can range from light to dark brown skin tones with a few exceptions in mountainous regions of the north. Many of the people inhabiting Pakistan’s  western regions share genetic affinities with ethnic groups in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. While the racial features of each ethnic group in Pakistan are not uniform, Chitralis and some of the Dardic tribes in the north are the most Caucasoid phenotypically, followed by the Pashtuns (also known as Pakhtuns), Kashmiris, Paharis/Potoharis, Balochis, Punjabis, and Sindhis, Muhajirs, and Seraikis. The Negroid people live along the Makran coast and are a small minority known as the Sheedi who came from East Africa in the 15th century. Panjabis, Seraiki and The Sindhis have considerable admixture and show a diverse phenotypic features representative of their multicultural history. The Mongoloid people also inhabit Pakistan are of Central Asian origin where oftentimes their racial elements are infused within the dominant Caucasoid genes of the vast majority of Pakistanis, however there are many instances in which some have retained their distinct racial characteristics. Pakistan’s genetic diversity is due to various factors including the numerous waves of migration from other regions and include Aryans mainly, in smaller amounts Greeks, Iranians, Arabs, Turks, Scythians, Afghans to name a few and also because of its geopolitical location straddling the Iranian Plateau, Central Asian, Tibetan, and South Asian genetic spheres and as a result, the phenotypic expression of its people is reflective of this diversity. Large influxes of refugees from the surrounding nations have further exacerbated this change.