Does High School Affect Social Mobility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Does High School Affect Social Mobility - Essay Example Student mobility i.e. students moving from one school to another for reasons other than being promoted to the next school level-is common in the United States. It is a topic that repeatedly surfaces in discussions about the problems of urban schooling. Remarkably, it tends to fade from the program as discussion turns toward reform initiatives and school restructuring. Student mobility and the resulting school instability are usually relegated to a background condition a part of an external context to which schools must adjust. However, mobility's effects can be deep and wide-ranging. They penetrate the crucial activity of schools the interaction of teachers and students around learning. In addition, not only does mobility have an effect on those students who are changing schools, it also more in general disturbs the functioning of classrooms and the basic operations of schools. This is not to say that just reducing student mobility will unavoidably translate into school improvement. Stable schools can also provide bad quality instruction to their students. Stability, in contrast, provides a base condition on which a school can build and transform successful programs. Without a certain level of stability, it is in doubt how school -based educational programs, no matter how modern, could effectively develop and show long-term impact. Mobility is an occurrence that is strongly deep-seated in the urban context and in urban schools. Accordingly, no one-policy approach alone is likely to reduce its prevalence and to improve its effects. The analyses suggest that an array of policy issues merit consideration. Discussions should focus on two levels: policies that can assist in decreasing the level of mobility between schools, and initiatives that can assess the negative impact of student mobility on learning and support school improvement efforts more generally. Over their whole elementary and secondary careers, most students make at least one non-promotional school change (Rumberger et al., 1999). Many educators think that student mobility is a definite result of students changing residences. In actual fact, 2000 U.S. census data show that 15% to 18% of school-age children moved in the previous year. There have also been indications that welfare reform may affect moving, with parents moving to accept jobs. On the other hand, research has also found that between 30% and 40% of school changes are not related with residential changes (Kerbow, 147-169; Rumberger et al., 1999). School factors such as overcrowding, class size reduction, suspension and expulsion policies, and the general academic and social climate also contribute to student mobility. The increase of parental options included in the No Child Left Behind legislation may also contribute over time to increased mobility. Impact on Students Academic Growth: A Literature Review The existing studies of the effect of student mobility on achievement tend to point out that a general decline in achievement is associated with mobility (Benson, Haycraft, Stayaert, & Weigel, 444-47; Benson & Weigel, 15-19; Blane et al, 127-42; Felner et al., 449-59; Johnson & Lindblad, 547-52; Schuler, 17-24; Wood et al., 1334-1338). The

The international trade theories implemented by KFC Essay

The international trade theories implemented by KFC - Essay Example In relation to the study, the company which has been selected is Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is one of the most renowned brands in the segment of fast food chain restaurants in the international market. It was started in the 1930s in Southern USA as a small franchise business by Colonel Harland Sanders. Â  Presently, it has 13,000 restaurants in all over the world. Â  The three most important success factors including service, quality, and relaxing atmosphere make KFC be a market leader. The exchange of goods, services, and capital across an international border and/or territories is widely referred as international trade in the modern business environment. In the similar context, international trade theory emphasizes on understanding the traditional influences over particular businesses in order to appreciate international trade that in turn provides assistance to improve the welfare of countries in terms of economic aspects. It is in this context that the factors which are consi dered to be of utmost significance by KFC in its international trade theories include cultural, political, legal and economic factors. The attitudes, beliefs, and values of a society are considered as cultural aspects of that country. A culture can be treated as one of the strongest influencing factors in terms of conducting international trade between two different countries. For instance, KFC is engaged with many countries including China, Mexico, Latin America, and the US among others in terms of trade.

Petrogenesis of the Basalts From Lanjiafan Formation

Petrogenesis of the Basalts From Lanjiafan Formation Chapter 5: Petrogenesis of the basalts from Lanjiafan Formation and Evaluation of Tectonic setting Most trends on variation diagrams are the result of mixing. Below consider some of the more important mixing process. 5.1 Alteration It is observed from the field evidence as well as petrography that the studied basalts are experienced varying degrees of alteration, which were observed by the presence of the secondary minerals such as calcite and a larger LOI varying from 3.87wt%-13wt%. Elements which are mobile during alteration include SiO2, CaO, Na2O, K2O, indicating that these major elements easily migrate with alteration occurs and low strength elements (Humphris et al., 1978). However, the high field strength elements (HFSE, such as Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, Th, U, and Y) and the rare earth elements (REE) are relatively immobile in all even the most severe hydrothermal alteration (Pearce, 1975). In contrast, large LILE (LILEs, such as Cs, Rb, Sr, Rb, Pb and Ba) show no linear relation with zirconium. For this reason only high field strength elements Ti, Zr, Y, Nb, Ta, Hf, Th and REE have been used in the discussion of the source properties and petrogenesis of these mafic volcanic rocks. 5.2 Fractional crystallization Fractional crystallization is a major process in the evolution of many igneous rocks, and is frequently the cause of trends seen on variation diagrams for igneous rocks, especially basalts rocks. However, the basalts from the Lanjiafan Formation have Mg# varying from 46.2 to 89.3, slightly higher than those of the primitive mantle derived magmas (about 70-72; Irving and Green 1976; Frey et al., 1987). Besides, they are relatively low in Cr (0.68-37.8) and Ni (14-123), indicating a fractional crystallization to a certain degree in the magmatic chambers or during the ascending processes of the parental magma most likely of plagioclase (Xu et al., (2015). Accordingly, the petro graphical observations show the presence of plagioclase as the dominant mineral. For the alkaline basalts, the weak Eu and Sr anomalies imply a minor fraction crystallization of plagioclase, (Frey et al., 1978). For sub alkaline basalts, the negative Eu (0.58Niu et al, 2009, suggest fractionation crystallization. Therefore, in both alkaline and sub alkaline rocks experienced fractional crystallization. 5.3 Crustal contamination Generally, the compositional variation of magma is subject to different degrees of contamination by different crustal components during their ascent to the surface through continental crust, which changes the composition of magma (Manikyamba et al., 2014). Although it is difficult to assess crustal contamination without having isotope data, some critical geochemical characters may help to identify possible involvement of crustal material during emplacement of alkaline magmas. The basalts samples show a depletion in Nb, Ti, and Ta and a positive Pb anomaly, and some samples show an enrichment of LREE, indicating these samples may have been subjected to crustal contamination (Hawkesworth., 1984) or derived from the enriched lithospheric mantle (Wang et al., 2008). Nb-Ta and neighboring elements (Th, U and La) are not fractionated from each other during partial melting or fractional crystallization (Hofman., 1988), but the enrichment of the mantle source and the crustal contamination can significantly increase LILLE and LREE content and decrease HFSE/LILLE or HFSE/LREE ratios. For alkaline basalts, the higher Nb/Th (11.43-12.84), Nb/U (12.41-54.58) and Nb/La (1.28-1.89) ratios than those of the primitive mantle (Nb/Th=8.4; Nb/U=34; Nb/La=1.04; Sun and McDonough, 1989) values reflect the primary signature of the mantle sources with a significant involvement of crustal contamination in the alkaline basalts (fig 5.3.1). Thus, the alkaline basalts from Lanjiafan Formation were likely derived from a relatively less depleted mantle, and the alkali basaltic magmas were assimilated with minor crustal components. However, sub alkaline basalts show crust-like characteristics with obvious enrichment in Th, U, LREE and depletion in Nb, Ta (La/Nb>1), they have Nb/Th Although, sample D26-11 exhibit no visible HFSE depletion (La/Nb2.5ppm) and Th-U positive anomaly indicate contamination with upper crustal materials (fig 4.6 and 5.3.1). We consider that the primary magma must have experienced significant crustal contamination. Indeed, Fig 5.3.1 shows a general trend toward more crustal contribution from alkaline basalts. Trace-element ratio-ratio plots (fig 5.3.2) for these basalts show a good hyperbolic correlations between Lu/Hf and Hf/Yb, Lu/Hf and Zr/Yb, also indicating crustal contamination in the form of a binary mixing (Wang et al., 2008). 5.4 Nature of the mantle sources The basaltic magmas mainly originated in the continental lithospheric mantle or asthenospheric mantle. Turner et al (1995) presented the statistics of the worldwide continental flood basalts, the CaO/Al2O ratios for the basalts from the continental lithospheric mantle are less than 0.7 while those from the asthenospheric mantle are greater than 0.7. The basalts from western USA (Fitton et al., 1988) have La/Nb ratios greater than 1.5 if the basaltic magmas are derived from the lithospheric mantle, whereas those that originated from the asthenospheric mantle have ratios less than 1.5. As for the analyzed samples in this study, except for sample D26-7 and D26-8 with lower LOI, all of samples have CaO/Al2O ratios between 0.13 and 0.53 with a mean of 0.34 and La/Nb ratios from 0.53 to 0.85, indicating an asthenospheric mantle source. In addition, the La/Ta ratios (>30 for the lithospheric mantle) may also be considered as the discriminating index for the basaltic magmas (Deng et al., 2013). The La/Ta ratios for all of the analyzed samples from Lanjiafan Formation vary from 11.89 to 25.22, with an average of 15.44, indicating an asthenospheric mantle source as well. Although, differences in the degree of melting of mantle peridotite can lead to variation of TiO2 content in basal. Ewart et al., (1998) showed the basaltic magma from the asthenosphere has a relatively high Ti content (mean value of TiO2 in OIB’s is 2.86), while Ti content of basaltic magma from the lithosphere mantle is relatively low. High TiO2 content in alkali basalts rocks (2.46%-3.66%), mainl y comes from the asthenosphere mantle, except for D26-10 sample. For the tholeiitic samples TiO2 (0.44%-0.56%) content is low. 5.5. Evaluation of Tectonic setting Basaltic magmas are known to be emplaced in a variety of tectonic settings including intraplate continental or oceanic environments, intraplate rift zone settings, fast and slow spreading mid-oceanic ridges, island arcs, and back-arc basins (Pearce et al., 1973; Manikyamba et al., 2014). It is further demonstrated that, the Dabieshan orogenic belt has a complex evolution history, and different tectonic settings occurred in its southern and northern slopes in the Early Paleozoic (Ma et al., 2005). The enrichment in HFSE and LREE of the alkaline basalts may be directly derived from the asthenospheric mantle such as ocean island basalts (OIB) like source or the small degree partial melting of a normal-type MORB. On the other hand, contents of the basalts from Lanjiafan Formation suggest that the basaltic protoliths might have been derived from an enriched mantle source. The positive Eu anomaly points to the early plagioclase phenocryst accumulation in the magma chamber, may suggest that they originated from the plagioclase-bearing mantle reservoir and experienced the low degree of partial melting (Frey et al., 1987). As a result, the primary magma of the alkaline suite is possibly generated from the partial melting of the asthenospheric mantle caused by a mantle plume. However, the high contents of HFSE (e.g. Nb, Ti and Ta) relatively high Ti/Y (mostly >350), except for four samples (D26-7, D26-8, D26-10 and D26-11) and low Hf/Ta (mostly Even, the ratios of Zr/Y (10.00-12.47ppm) and Zr/Sm (29.20-34.38ppm) are similar to many intra-plate basalts (Zr/Y>3.5 and Zr/Sm So the alkali basalts from Lanjiafan Formation exhibit some characteristics of the within-plate basalts, they may have been derived from ocean floor, ocean plateau or mature back-arc basin basalts, because they have significant positive Nb anomalies (Floyd, 1989) (fig 4.6a). Most of oceanic island are generally considered to be related ascending plumes of hot mantle (Wilson, 1989). In conclusion the basalts from Lanjiafan Formation are likely formed in an extension-related within-plate environment probably induced by a mantle plume, rather than the supra-subduction zone. Chapter 6: Conclusion and Suggestions 6.1. Conclusion In summary, the Lanjiafan Formation is widely dominated by basaltic rocks, which are mostly alkaline rocks. These basalts contain basanite, trachyte, and rhyodacite. Through advanced Zircon dating method, we first obtained the ages of the of set of these basalts in the southwest Suizhou tectonic zone 459.5-464.4 Ma, which belong to the middle Ordovician, suggesting that a tectono-magma event affected the study area during Paleozoic, which might be the response to occurred of alkaline basalts in the Lanjiafan Formation. The CL images of zircon show that the zircons from the basaltic rocks are off magmatic type and most of them are euhedral. The basalts contain plagioclase phenocryst altered, magnetite, and calcite and pyroxene minerals. Geochemically, the analyzed basalts, which have a large variation of LOI, indicate that the basalts rocks from Lanjiafan Formation experienced of the strong alteration. These alkaline basalts present a weak Eu and Sr anomalies imply minor fraction crystallization of plagioclase, and suggesting that they undergone significant crustal contamination. Thus, the basalts from Lanjiafan Formation were likely derived from a relatively less depleted mantle, and the alkaline basaltic magmas were assimilated with minor crustal components. For sub alkaline basalts, the high Th content (>2.5ppm) and Th-U positive anomaly indicate contamination with upper crustal materials. The basalts from Lanjiafan Formation may be formed in an extension-related within-plate environment probably induced by a mantle plume. Being part of the South Qinling-South Dabieshan Paleozoic alkaline rock belt, the basalts from Lanjiafan Formation result from the Paleozoic extension-initial rifting in the northern margin of the Yangtze Craton.

Free Essays on A Dolls House: An Essay :: Dolls House essays

A Doll House A Doll House was one of Henrik Ibsen's most controversial plays. He wrote this realistic play in 1879. Ibsen's writing style of realism was clearly shown in this play. This play was controversial at the time it was written, shocking conservative readers. But, at the same time, the play served as a rallying point for supporters of a drama with different ideas. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the Art Nouveau style became an international movement. For the first time in decorative arts history there was a simultaneous movement throughout Europe and America. Art Nouveau brought the finest designers and craftsmen together in order to design buildings, furniture, wallpaper, fabrics, ceramics, metalwork and glasswork. Art Nouveau was considered more than a style, it was a philosophy. From this philosophy carefully designed articles for the home were designed intended to fit into the scheme of the whole Art Nouveau style. Line was the most important aspect of the Art Nouveau period. Art Nouveau was a rebellion against machine made articles of the 19th century that were copies of past designs. Art Nouveau was also a reaction against the old Victorian tradition. Art Nouveau designers borrowed from the past but because of the emphasis on line and adaptation of natural forms to design. Art Nouveau is easily distinguishable from any other p eriod in decorative arts. In conjunction with Art Nouveau style, the Edwardian style of costume and dress was also implemented during this time period. The Edwardian style embodied both extravagance and pageantry. A Doll House was a play written well ahead of its time. This play was written in a time when it was considered an outrage for a woman such as Nora not only to display a mind of her own, but also to leave her husband in order to obtain her freedom. This play relates to the Art Nouveau and Edwardian period because just as the furniture and clothing were considered decorative pieces, so were women. Women were expected only to tend to the husband's and children's needs. Women were not supposed to do anything without first consulting the husband and certainly never do anything without his prior knowledge and approval. Women were expected to be at home and always looking presentable for their husbands. *Please note all visual elements for this term paper can be viewed at the conclusion of this project.

Prejudice And Discrimination In Snow Falling On Cedars Essay

How does Guterson present the prejudice and discrimination against the Japanese Americans in chapter 1-15 of Snow Falling on Cedars. This book shows a great difference between cultures on the island of San Piedro. To start with the island is a very cosmopolitan island with its residents all from different backgrounds and countries, Japan, England, Germany, Spain and Denmark to name a few. We can tell this from the long lists of shops and their owners on page three. Chapter one tells us more about San Piedro. It tells us of the great beauty of the island. The â€Å"solitary fields and vales of alfalfa†, â€Å"careless roads† and the animals. It also tells us more about the residents. It says that they are close knit, a lot are deeply religious, they are respectful and are of limited means. The island in very quiet and so the trial is a very big event for them, â€Å"San Piedro generally lay clear of violence†. They also seem serious minded and conservative and traditional in their way of thinking. With the story being set after the Second World War and the bombing of Pearl Harbour the people of Japanese origin are experiencing the most discrimination on the island. In chapter four there is a scene with the fishermen at Amity Harbour. When they are talking about the accused man – Kabuo Miyamoto – also a fisherman, Dale Middleton referred to him as Miyamoto, not his first name. He then goes on to call all Japanese â€Å"suckers† and says â€Å"Never could tell them guys apart†. The term â€Å"Jap† is used throughout the book to refer to the Japanese. This is very insulting and sounds quite racist and rude. The first time this is used is by fellow fisherman William Gjovaag. This is the first real indicator in the book of the Japanese status on the island. Ishmael Chambers is the islands reporter and he is of Irish and Scottish descent. His function in the book is to be the person who experiences an inter-cultural relationship with a Japanese American girl. He isn’t a racist and his job as journalist is to give a fair view in the paper. He can’t be seen as discriminating in the paper. We learn more about this relationship as we read into the book. When Horace Whaley – the coroner and the local G.P. – sees Carl’s injury on his head he speculates straight away. He says of Sheriff Art Moran â€Å"he ought to start looking for a Jap with a bloody gun butt – a right-handed Jap to be precise†. He suggested all this from one wound in Carl’s skull, and instantly thinks it was a â€Å"Jap†. We learn from chapter five that Whaley is a war veteran and he feel bitter about the Japanese and this causes him to discriminate without any proof that it was a â€Å"Jap† to blame for the wound. Whaley wouldn’t say any of this in court, under oath, because he had no strong evidence, but he would speculate if he didn’t have to back it up. In chapter seven we learn that the Japanese people who are attending the trial sat at the back of the of the court room it says that they didn’t have to sit at there but did so because â€Å"San Piedro required it of them without calling it a law†. The chapter then continues to talk about the racism inflicted on the Japanese in the work place. They weren’t referred to by their Christian names, but by numbers or names that the census taker decided for them, such as; â€Å"Jap Number 1† or â€Å"Dwarf Jap†. This was very racist and disrespectful for them, aswell as embarassing and hurtful. We pity this verbal abuse. They were given the worst, most dangerous jobs. As if they were so insignificant it didn’t matter if they got injured. If this wasn’t bad enough the Japanese weren’t even paid the same as the other workers. They were made to sleep in barns and were treated like animals. They were on the same level as the Red Indians and treated with same amount of disrespect. Then in 1942 the government deported all of the Japanese workers out of San Piedro because of the start of the Second World War, they were seen as a threat or the â€Å"enemy†. Even though they were natives, it was thought that they could be spies for he Japanese government, and were therefore deported. Although many of the islanders were racist towards the Japanese some of the Japanese had their own views about the white people. To contrast Mrs. Shigemura taught Hatsue that white men were â€Å"dangerous egomaniacs† and that they had â€Å"fantasises† about Japanese girls and that it â€Å"distorted their sex drives†. Hatsue should â€Å"marry a boy of her own kind whose heart is strong  and good†.This shows us that all Japanese people don’t take the abuse. They practice their views like the white racists. The book carries a lot of detail about the Second World War and has many descriptions and feelings during and after the war. Also in this chapter we learn about Kabuo, his Buddhism and beliefs. These beliefs say that everything has a soul and shouldn’t be harmed and so he feels he carries the burden of war. The Americans didn’t think about, or take into consideration the fact that the Japanese Americans would be going out to fight their own kind, people from their homeland. Kabuo feels enormous guilt about this and carried it through out his whole life. Carl’s mother, Etta is asked to give evidence for the prosecution in chapter nine. She is a farmer’s daughter who was brought up in South Germany and she is very hardworking and proud. From the evidence she presented in court we feel she isn’t emotional in any way and that her traditional views make her seem set in her ways. It also becomes apparent that she is extremely racist and feels that the Japanese are below her. She talks about her husband – who doesn’t share her racist views – and Kabou’s father and about how they had an agreement, when her husband died she totally ignored the agreement, which is what she wanted to do in the first place. Carl was like his father in that he wasn’t racist either, he was friends with Kabuo and worried about them and their safety when they are told top leave the country. He relates to them and sees them as individuals rather than one awful race, like Etta. Carl’s and his mother’s views sometimes clashed. For example when he brought the fishing rod home that Kabuo gave him, she told him to take it back. Etta never gave Zanichi- Kabuo’s father – and his family a chance and she always talked down to him, even though he was constantly polite. This highlights the contrast between the two characters well and shows Etta to be old, bitter and twisted and very close-minded. When Etta tells the court about her and Kabuo’s conversation in chapter ten it emphasise Etta’s cold hearted, selfish, pathetic ways. She says that Kabuo has a â€Å"mean face†. She doesn’t realise that this is what the Japanese look like, and that it is impossible to read their faces. Yet she doesn’t  want to learn or listen either way. Etta’s character conveys racism very clearly and depicts how low, hurtful and quite petty some of the islanders actually are. We see how these attitudes effect the Japanese and how they cause problems and conflict, yet these people feel that it is their right to act this way toward them. A description of Pearl Harbour is given in chapter thirteen. It also tells us of what happens to the Japanese after and how they are discriminated against. Their bank accounts were stopped because there is a slight chance that they may be traitors. Also in chapter thirteen we learn more about Arthur Chambers, like his son he isn’t a racist at all and is a friend to the Japanese. He feels confusion when he hears the story of the bombing and doesn’t know what to print in his paper, because he doesn’t want to support or defend the actions of either the Americans or the Japanese. Instead he prints stories of Japanese contribution to the community. He is a balanced, stable character and isn’t racist in any way and therefore contradicts other characters in the book such as Etta and Horace. We learnt that Ishmael wasn’t racist right at the start of the book and here we start to find out why. Ishmael had his first relationship with Hatsue Imada who is Japanese. To Hatsue when she was growing up her relationship with Ishmael felt young, innocent and fun. They both enjoyed each other’s company and most of all liked each other. They found sanctuary in a hollowed out Cedar Tree in the woods earlier on in the book. There they were hidden away from the world and weren’t effected by anything going on in the outside. There they could be themselves and it wouldn’t matter that their love for each other was forbidden. Now in chapter thirteen the fortress of the cedar tree start to fall apart. The war starts it and now the fact that their countries are against each other upsets Hatsue and she realises that they have to stop meeting, especially as the relationship is starting to get sexual. Ishmael doesn’t see it that way he is naive and doesn’t see the problem as clearly as Hatsue as she starts to feel she is deceiving her parents. The F.B.I search on the Imada’s property takes place in chapter fourteen.  They come at night for the search. This instantly suggests they don’t have the decency to come during the day they arrive at night to cause upset and grief. The family is referred to as the â€Å"enemy† and â€Å"aliens† which misplaces them from the San Piedro community instantly. The men take away guns, dynamite and swords; they say that they are violent weapons and don’t listen when they tell them that they are only used to assist them with farming the land. The big men also take cultural objects, like a flute, some music and hatsue’s scrapbook. This is unjust and they are abusing their authority and their warrant. ThEy root through their draws and rummage in their underwear, this is embarrassing and very disrespectful. One of the officers deliberately says Hisao’s name incorrectly, this is very rude and must be frustrating because he said it wrong even when corrected. When the men unjustly arrest him they try to justify it as a sacrifice, even though none of this mess was their fault. Everything is taken away from the Japanese and they are then sent away to camps. The baseball team lost its best players and this saddened many people so they dedicated the match to them. This makes us realise that most people in San Piedro don’t want them to leave. Hatsue and her mother – Fujiko have a conversation about the discrimination she has been suffering or that she will suffer later in life, Fujiko is a bias character because she has suspicions about all white people and she has a very pessimistic outlook. She tells her how she and Hatsue’s father were embarrassingly poor yet they got through it with dignity. She explained about how she feels invisible to the whites of the island and that she was and is constantly ignored, but they should all except this because that was how it was and nothing was going to change. She tells Hatsue that the Japanese are worthless to the whites and their value is like â€Å"dust in a strong wind†. The journey to Manzanar is discussed in chapter fifteen. There is no comfort and they are treated like animals and we feel for these people because they don’t know the outcome of their fate, but they had to conform to the rules of the American Government. Fujiko tries to show she is strong by suffering  inwardly. The fact Manzanar is a desert we know there will be no escape and the hostile, barren, hot landscape will be a total contrast to San Piedro. Also in this chapter Fujiko finds out about Hatsue and Ishmael’s relationship. This is quite hypocritical because she talks to Hatsue about how white always discriminate against them but here a white person is being kind and loving to her daughter and she gets so upset. This is quite a contrast and shows that the Japanese can be just as bad at discriminating. In these fifteen chapters we see the suffering of the Japanese at the hands of the white islanders. The Japanese could not help many of the reasons at all and a minority of Japanese Americas punished for a war between the country they currently live in and the country they originated from. We pity the Japanese throughout and understand why some of them are suspicious. Some of the islanders are constantly hateful, spiteful and rude, with no respect for their fellow human beings. Whereas others are polite and kind and treat them as they would anyone else. Guterson conveys this pity in many of the nasty comments made by the whit islanders. Like the term â€Å"Jap† and many of the awful things they were subject to at work. Even though a couple of the Japanese characters don’t like whites. Much of the pity in the book is directed at the Japanese Americans.

In the Modern World, Image Is Everything

It only takes about seven seconds for a stranger to form a first impression of you. Especially in our modern world, the image we project of ourselves is becoming even more crucial since the increasing openness and inter-connectedness of the world makes it much easier for people to do ‘research’ on who you are. An image is paramount to all levels of society from the individual, to the corporate, to the national. Therefore, image does play a pivotal role in our lives in both the public and private domains. Nowadays, it is rare to find someone who does not have a Facebook profile or a Twitter account.Social networking has become a norm in our world today, with so many people putting up their personal lives on the Internet for anyone to see. What we choose to put on the Internet inevitably forms an image of ourselves that we present to others. This image will be able to make or break you regardless of whether you are in the public spotlight. Almost every celebrity has public ists that help him or her manage their public persona. It is often with their reputations that celebrities are able to land the most well paid jobs.Such employers view the celebrity’s good reputation as one that will be able to most effectively sell a product or a movie. Additionally, the way in which a celebrity manages his or her image when hit with a crisis affects his or her future employment prospects. For example, when Kate Moss was hit the scandal of her being photographed snorting cocaine, she did not do anything that would help fan the flame of the scandal. Alternatively, she continued working hard and producing the beautiful shots that her employers wanted. The scandal did not kill her career, as many would have expected.Moss’ career received a boost instead where she signed lucrative contract with Calvin Klein that effectively doubled her income. Additionally, an increasing number of companies are making use of social networking sites to gather background in formation on prospective employees. Countless people have lost out on amazing job opportunities because they posted pictures of them drunk on their Facebook profiles. This then proves that the image that portray of ourselves has a great impact on our lives in that it can help determine your success or failure in your chosen profession.In the corporate world, many businesses are also starting to realize the importance of the image of the company. Image consultants are being paid thousands of dollars to spruce up a company’s profile, where the company hopes that the better the image it presents the more successful it will become. Marketers and advertisers are also making use of prominent public personalities to help sell their products by making them more attractive to the masses. Given a small business, without a company website can be destroyed as a result of any acerbic comment on the Internet.Potential clients upon doing their research and discovering a bad review of the co mpany’s services will decide to patronize the services of another company instead. The significance of a good public profile is seen clearly in the aforementioned example, whereby a company can falter due to the lack of an image that the fails to showcase to the public. Thus, a positive image presented to the masses can prove to be the deciding factor of whether a company succeeds or fails in the event of a public relations problem, proving that image is indeed everything in the corporate world.On a wider scale, image is also critical to the many nations in the world. Small countries very often want to show the world that it is to be underestimated, while developing countries want to show the world that it is growing into its own and is just as capable. The most explicit examples of this are in the countries that vie to host the Olympic Games. Winning the coveted role of hosting the Olympics is often a great source of national pride for a country whereby it can show the world what it is capable of.The prestige that comes with hosting the Olympics is also immensely substantial thus accounting for the many countries wanting to host the Olympics. Even the first Youth Olympic Games was not spared from the competition between countries to host it. Singapore ultimately won this honour and it was widely celebrated by the government and its people. Almost all of Singapore’s youth were involved in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in one way or another.All were happy to serve their country in any way they could in this grand and prestigious occasion. Another apt example is when China hosted the 2008 Beijing Olympics. China poured billions of dollars into the organization of the Games and spared no expense in ensuring that the Beijing was ready to receive athletes from all around the world. The pride that the Chinese had in the fact that China was hosting the 2008 Olympics was evident in the hundreds of hours of dedicated service that the Chinese selflessly con tributed.Thus, image is of great significance on a national level where countries are able to display what it is made of and can be a source of great national pride. On the other may argue that image is nothing without substance to back it up. Take the example of a customer going to a company for a particular service due to an initial good impression of the company. However, if the company fails to measure up to the image it presents of itself, the customer will be hugely disappointed and will not patronize the services of that company again and might even influence others into avoiding that company.Although one should concede that â€Å"well done is better than well said† as spoken by Benjamin Franklin, the first impression is ultimately one that is more powerful where a good impression often results in good outcomes. Particularly in our modern world where people move so fast that they only have time for first impressions and where the image one presents is one of the most r eliable ways to judge a persons character in such a short time.We have seen in the paragraphs above that image does play a pivotal role in our individual lives, in the corporate world, and on the national level. Despite the fact that actions do speak louder than words and that substance is more important than the image, it cannot be denied that the first impression is often a strong and lasting one. Image is hence essentially everything in our modern world where people are more often than not caught up in flash and superficiality.