Dionysus Essays - Dionysus, Mythological Kings, Nymphs,

Dionysus Dionysus was the god of the vine. He invented wine and spread the art of tending grapes. He had a dual nature. On one hand, he brought joy and divine ecstasy. On the other hand, he brought brutality, thoughtlessness and rage. This reflected both sides of wine's nature. If he chooses, Dionysus can drive a man mad. No normal fetters can hold him or his followers. Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele. He was the only god to have a mortal parent. Zeus came to Semele in the night, invisible, felt only as a divine presence. Semele was pleased to be a lover of a god, even though she did not know which one. Word soon got around and Hera quickly realized who was responsible. Hera went to Semele in disguise and convinced her she should see her lover as he really was. When Zeus next came to her, she made him promise to grant her one wish. She went so far as to make him swear on the River Styx that he would grant her request. Zeus was madly in love and agreed. She then asked him to show her his true form. Zeus, was unhappy, and knew what would happen but, having sworn he had no choice. He appeared in his true form and Semele was instantly burnt to death by the sight of his glory. Zeus did manage to rescue Dionysus and stitched him into his thigh to hold him until he was ready to be born. His birth from Zeus alone conferred immortality upon him.Dionysus' problems with Hera were not yet over. She was still jealous and arranged for the Titans to kill him. The Titans ripped him into pieces. However, Rhea brought him back to life. After this, Zeus arranged for his protection and turned him over to the mountain nymphs to be raised. Dionysus wandered the world actively encouraging his cult. He was accompanied by the Maenads, wild women, flush with wine, shoulders draped with a fawn skin, carrying rods tipped with pine cones. While other gods had temples, the followers of Dionysus worshipped him in the woods. Here, they might go into mad states where they would rip apart and eat raw any animal they came upon. Dionysus was also one of the very few that was able to bring a dead person out of the underworld. Even though he had never seen Semele, he was concerned for her. Eventually he journeyed into the underworld to find her. He faced down Thanatos (Death) and brought her back to Mount Olympus. Dionysus became one of the most important gods in everyday life. He became associated with several key concepts. One was rebirth after death. Here his dismemberment by the Titans and return to life is symbolically echoed in tending vines, where the vines must be pruned back sharply, and then become dormant in winter for them to bear fruit. The other is the idea that under the influence of wine, one could feel possessed by a greater power. Unlike the other gods, Dionysus was not only outside his believers but, also within them. At these times, a man might be greater then himself and do works he otherwise could not. The festival for Dionysus is in the spring when the leaves begin to reappear on the vine. It became one of the most important events of the year. Its focus became the theater. Most of the great Greek plays were initially written to be performed at the feast of Dionysus. Those who took part, including writers, actors and spectators, were regarded as sacred servants of Dionysus during the festival. This is a god who gives pleasure to mankind: he discovered honey and the vine and its cultivation. But some say that it was Aristaeus who discovered honey and that he competed with his honey against the wine of Dionysus but Zeus gave the first prize to the wine. Some say that Oeneus, king of Calydon, was the first to receive a vine-plant from Dionysus. Dionysus formed the women (MAENADS) into an army and made a campaign over all the inhabited world. Dionysus is also known because of his Indian campaign. He also instructed all men in the knowledge of his rites, but he punished severely those who opposed him (like Lycurgus and Pentheus). He was attended by SATYRS, MAENADS and others. Semele was a daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia. Zeus fell in love with Semele and consorted with her. But Hera was jealous, and in order

Neurofibromatosis Essays - Clinical Medicine, Medicine, Free Essays

Neurofibromatosis Essays - Clinical Medicine, Medicine, Free Essays Neurofibromatosis Neurofibromatosis is a disorder affecting the chromosomes of the human body. It is a hereditary disorder affecting the nervous system. The term neurofibromatosis actually refers to two different genetic diseases. The most common type is NF 1, and the less common type is NF 2. Both disorders are transmitted in an autosomal dominant fashion. An autosomal dominant disease is a disorder caused by the presence of a single autosomal dominant gene; an abnormal factor located on any chromosome other than the sex chromosome. They are both characterized by occurrences in multiple neurofibromas. The main symptom of these disorders is tumors that form on the ends of nerves throughout the body. NF 1 is most commonly diagnosed during childhood. The most outstanding symptoms seem to occur during adolescence and pregnancy. Although the symptoms of NF vary and are unpredictable another common sign is brown spots on the skin. The markings on the body usually measure .5cm in diameter for younger children and can reach 1.5cm by adulthood. They can also decipher NF by observing markings or freckling on the iris. The most common tumors occurring with NF 1 are located under the skin. They have even been found in deeper areas of the body. The amount or severity of pain from these tumors can range from minimal pain sparsely to intense pain constantly. One of the most severe results and the most apparent results of these tumors is disfigurement and orthopedic problems. These problems include scoliosis and pseudoarthrisis. There also may be some delaying in sexual maturation. There are many more learning disabilities and optic problems that may develop throughout their life. Neurofibromatosis 2 has symptoms that usually develop much later in life compared to NF1. Most people are diagnosed with NF2 between the ages of 14 and 20. There are fewer symptoms for this type than NF1. There are fewer brown spots on the body. This disorder is noted for the frequency of tumors found on the spinal cord and brain. These tumors more often than not cause loss of hearing or a ringing sounds to occur in the ears. The probability of being effected by neurofibromatosis is very surprising. It is actually one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States. The probability of being born with NF1 is 1 in 4000. The probability of being born with NF2 is 1 in 50000. This disorder effects all ethnic races and sexes. Because NF is an autosomal dominant genetic condition you cant get it from other people. Statistics show that only about 50% of those affected with NF have family history of NF. The only way to get NF is from your parents. The parents can only give NF to their offspring if they are also plagued by this disorder. In the past few years there have been huge advancements in treatment for neurofibromatosis. They still havent found a cure or effective treatment for this disorder. They have deciphered that NF1 effects chromosome 17 and that Nf2 effects chromosome 22. The problem with finding a cure for this disorder is that about of all cases occur due to new mutations of the genes. In 1990 scientists were able to clone the gene of NF1 and then produce its protein, neurofibromin. Once again in 1993 they were able to clone the gene of NF2 and create its protein, Merlin/ schwannomin. One of the only treatments for this disorder is removal of the tumors which is done like the removal of any other tumor. New advancements are made everyday toward finding the secret behind this disorder. Taking this fact into consideration, doctors must always be kept up to date concerning new procedures and treatment of this disorder. Even though there have been huge advances in understanding this disorder there is no medical therapy available. The diagnosis of NF1 and NF2 are still largely based on clinical criteria. The diagnosis for NF1 was established by the NIH Consensus Development Conference. They stated specifically that 2 or more of the following must be present: (1) 6 or more Caf-au-lait macules (brown spots) are present, (2) 2 or more neurofibromas (tumors), (3) freckling in the axillary or inguinal regions, (4) an optic pathway tumor,

Noise Level Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Noise Level - Research Paper Example In order to maximize private benefits of road transportation, people very conveniently discounted the external cost incurred on inhabitants of city. Because of noise pollution caused by road transportation, city dwellers suffer from sleep disorders; severe stress on nervous systems, escalated blood pressure, hypertension, chronic heart problems, continuous headache, frustration, annoyance, noise induced hearing loss, and finally, the loss of good quality life (Ventre, & Case, 1971). The best way to reduce traffic noise pollution is to install noise barriers at the residential area. â€Å"Noise barriers diminish the decibel level by 10 to 15 decibels, which means reducing the sound in half. Sound barriers consist of two types, earth berm and noise walls. Noise readings can assist engineer decide about type, location, length and height of a noise barrier† (Ventre, & Case, 1971). Noise walls are made up of concrete, stucco, wood, masonry, and metal (Gelfand, 2009). On the other h and, earth berms are more appropriate for visual looks depending on the material and room. Just like noise wall, earth berm also blends in with surrounding effectively. Moreover, plants are added to it in order to cover it up (Ventre, & Case, 1971). However, sound barrier will only be effective if residents behind it cannot see the road, which implies that they are in shadow zone.

Climate Change and Green Buildings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Climate Change and Green Buildings - Essay Example Global warming is not merely an environmental issue but has several far-reaching economic repercussions as well. Accordingly, a new revolution in the real-estate market is observed, where efforts are on to build a low-carbon society, which has now become highly popular among the public and a top international priority. Although, cynicism regarding the viability of such a project i.e. economic benefits of green buildings, exist there are equally enthusiastic reports by researchers regarding its positive influences on reducing the carbon footprint. In recent years, amid growing concern that the impact of climate change is becoming more severe, there are indications that we are moving towards solutions to the problem. For example, when it comes to global warming issues, it is said that anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, are more than double the amount absorbable by nature, such as by forests and oceans. In order to prevent any further increase in gree nhouse gases in the atmosphere, it will be necessary to cut these emissions by at least 50%. Regarding the issue of biodiversity as a serious environmental problem along with climate change, at the 9th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity held in May 2008, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity(TEEB) study was announced. The TEEB study showed not only serious economic losses brought on by the progressive loss of biodiversity and ecological destruction, but also by the impact of deforestation in poor countries causing various natural disasters, such as floods. These are examples of the various repercussions of global warming whereby human actions have triggered a series of natural disasters leading to a vicious cycle of worsening poverty, food crisis, and shortage of pure drinking water in several developing countries where the actions of people in developed countries cause a negative impact on the water, food, and fish in developing countries. An other aspect of the study involved the use of market mechanisms as an advanced approach to biodiversity conservation (TEEB, 2008). Also, at the 10th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity held in Nagoya, Japan in November 2010, the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity’s Final Report was published. It was reported that various species are rapidly becoming extinct the speed of extinction of species is climbing as a result of the effect of climate change on ecosystems, and if appropriate measures are not taken, global losses in annual Natural Capital may rise to as much as 4.5 trillion dollars (TEEB, 2010). According to the EDMC Handbook of Energy & Economic Statistics in Japan 2009, the total amount of CO2 Emissions doubled globally from 1971 to 2007, with an increase of 98% across the world. This study focused on developed and developing countries (BRICs) that regularly emit substantial amounts of CO2, and also tracked these emissions on an annual basis. Increased industrialization, spurred by more construction, manufacturing, transportation, and travel, is reflected in the raised CO2 emissions from all the countries in the study. The developed countries (BRICs), however, showed an even higher increase, as a result of foreign companies expanding their

The Sole Purpose of The One Percent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Sole Purpose of The One Percent - Essay Example Once this occurs, it will be very difficult for equality to ever exist in the United States again, since the rich will never give these democratic rights back to the poor once they have taken them. The one percent is based on the idea that one percent of the American population controls the majority of the country's wealth. This leaves the other 99 percent of people to fight over whatever money is left over. Capitalism is based on the idea of a free market, where individuals can make as much money as they want under the system. Those who are successful within the system become rich, while those who are unable to succeed are forced under the rich. The idea is also that a trickledown effect will occur, since the rich will pay the rest of society for services that are needed. This is quickly disappearing from society, however, since the rich are becoming greedier than ever before. They want to make much more money than they will ever need, which causes problems for the poor because this money comes out of their pockets. In previous generations, the middle class made up the majority of American society, since corporations were forced to pay their workers a fair wage. Today, however, much of this work can be outsourced to other countries at lower wages, which has left many Americans without jobs. Under a democratic system, the people should hold the majority of the power. Unfortunately, the current system has been influenced the presence of these major corporations. These corporate interests are able to make donations to political campaigns and the politicians respond by passing legislation that makes it easier for these corporations to capitalize on the average citizen. The country’s political system is based on money and if the average person does not have any money, it is almost impossible for that individual to make a difference. The goal of these corporations is to make it even easier on themselves to make money and, eventually, the 99 percent will no lo nger have a voice. If you look at what a company like Wal-Mart has done over the years, it makes sense. Wal-Mart pays its employees minimum wage and, therefore, it is able to offer products for a lower price than competitors. The company will then go into an area and put all of its competitors out of business very quickly, since consumers are attracted to low prices. This takes money away from the small business owners who owned the competitor stores and takes money away from the community as a whole because all of the profits from Wal-Mart head to the corporate offices. Unless something is done in the near future, it will be almost impossible for the United States to regain its place as a democratic union and the land of opportunity. Today’s opportunities are mostly working for the one percent for whatever wage the employer decides to pay. If you do not want that job, someone else will surely take it, since jobs are becoming more scarce. Unfortunately, the power than these c orporations have over the political spectrum are making it much more difficult. If Wal-Mart is donating large amounts of money to the Republican Party, that party will do whatever it can to keep that stream of revenue, since it can help the party get into power. Therefore, the corporation that donates this money has a major influence over the party’

Definition And The Pros And Cons Of Globalization Management Essay

Definition And The Pros And Cons Of Globalization Management Essay Globalisation describes the process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a global network of political ideas through communication, transportation, trade and the rapid increase in the share of economic activity taking place across national boundaries. The term is most closely associated with the term economic globalization: the integration of national economies into the international economy through trade, foreign direct investment, capital flows, migration, the spread of technology, and military presence. The term can also refer to the transnational circulation of ideas, languages, or popular culture through acculturation- cultural exchange. Singapore has evolved today as one of the flourishing nations of the world and it is regarded to be a global business nation as it is the home to about 7,000 multi- national companies. Singapores strategic location in South East Asia and infrastructure arrested the attention and encouraged many industrial companies and foreign investors to set-up businesses in Singapore, which started Singapores journey of globalisation. Singapore is a corruption free nation with high international standard machinery, well trained workers, a good world culture and an environment aptly suited for trading or business purpose. Singapore, despite once being an island country, has managed to progress rapidly. In the last ten years of the twentieth-century, Singapore has transformed into a recognisable global city through the process of nation-state building. This led to an increase in the migration of people at all levels of the economy which enabled Singapore to sustain a competitive economy. Although Singapores economy managed to prosper, its people were weighed down with numerous issues like structural unemployment and the increasing income inequality. Hence, the Singapore government came up with ways of maintaining and managing a sustainable economic growth in response to the issues. Social Effects of Globalisation in Singapore The phenomenon of Globalization is comparable to a double-edged sword. In society, globalization has the power to aggravate or alleviate existing social issues. Globalisation in Singapore has caused a lot of social problems. There is an increase in gamblers and the setting up of the two casinos in the past year has caused an increase in the number of problem gamblers. There is also an increase lost of national identity in youths as they are introduced to the outside world and start to move out of the country. It has also affected Singapores culture as foreigners bring in different cultures and people in Singapore, especially the youth have become more inclined towards the Western culture and may not appreciate the Asian culture as much anymore. As more people immigrate to other countries, there will be fewer Singaporeans to defend the country. When more foreigners immigrate to Singapore, it will further worsen the problem of ageing population in Singapore as well. Globalisation has also caused an increased gap in the income of the well off and not so well off people. However, globalisation has also helped Singapore in many other different ways. Globalisation encourages Singaporeans to increase their knowledge and upgrade their skills to keep up with the ever changing world and the advancements of technology. The casinos have also improved Singapores economy as it attracts a lot of tourists. Foreigners bring in talents that can also improve the standard of the workforce in Singapore. Therefore, globalisation can bring both positive and negative effects to the society in Singapore. Foreign Workforce in Singapore Foreign workforce in Singapore refers to the non-cititzen workforce in Singapore. As Singapore globalizes, more and more foreigners are coming into Singapore as there is a need for foreign workforce in Singapore so as to sustain the economy of Singapore and also for the benefits of improving our workforce as Singapore globalizes and becomes a global trading hub, there is a need to improve and sustain our workforce by having a foreign workforce. Foreign workforce in Singapore is divided into two parts: the skilled workforce and the unskilled labour. Unskilled labour refers to unskilled workers who mainly work in the manufacturing, construction, and domestic services sectors. The majority of them come from countries such as India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Thailand, as part of bilateral agreements between Singapore and these countries. Skilled workforce refers to foreigners with professional qualifications or acceptable degrees working at the higher end of Singapores economy (Yeoh, 2007). According to statistics from the Financial Times in 2010, it states that the foreign workforce make up about 34% of Singapores population, thus, proving that Singapore has a big foreign workforce. Skilled workers and professionals accounted for 13.4% of Singapores total foreign workforce, while unskilled labourers accounted for 86.6% of Singapores total foreign workforce. Research Methodology We did our research using the internet, newspapers and several books that were found in the reference section of the National Library. We did our research and found information from online journal articles and forums through the web. We also found information from other sources like magazine reports as well. Analysis of Research Skilled Foreign Talent Workforce Foreign talents in Singapore come to Singapore with their knowledge from their country and take up jobs that require special training for its satisfactory performance.   They usually have high qualifications and expertise in their job field. Their monthly income has already a minimum threshold of S$2500. Engineers, accountants, scientists and people from the research and development fields are examples of the skilled workforce foreign talents make up in Singapore. They mainly come from more developed countries like China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan. Specialized occupations that include neurosurgeons and doctors make up for the job expertise Singaporeans lack. Unskilled Labour Workforce Immigrants from countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Philippines and Pakistan come to Singapore and fill up lowly skilled jobs that require practically no training or experience for its adequate performance. Singaporeans are unwilling to take up these lowly skilled jobs as they do not sound attractive, have low wages, long working hours and require large amounts of manual work. Such jobs include manufacturing, shipyard and shipbuilding, construction and services, as well as in private households as live in domestic workers. Foreigners constitute 45% of the manufacturing workforce, and 61% of the construction workforce. Unskilled labourers with recognized skills and qualifications earned about S$1800 monthly. Unskilled workers make up the majority of Singapores foreign workforce. Comparison between Skilled and Unskilled Workforce 1. Safety Skilled Skilled immigrants are highly valued as they are important for the countrys growth. They are treated with great respect and are taken care of when they come to Singapore. However, be it skilled or unskilled labor in Singapore, everyone is taken care of properly and the government keeps the place as safe as possible, keeping the crime rate as low as possible. The government maintains a stable and peaceful society and cares for the peoples safety, be it locals, skilled or unskilled immigrants. Unskilled Majority of the unskilled workforce in Singapore is not invited by the Singaporean government to work in Singapore. Rather, they come to Singapore on their own in search of jobs to support their families back in their homelands. Upon arriving in Singapore, they usually acquire jobs that do not require much skills or knowledge. Since these foreign workers do not specialize in any key areas, they hold less importance to Singapores economic growth, hence they are not as protected by the government as compared to the skilled workforce in Singapore. The population of unskilled workforce in Singapore, though, still lead generally safe lives in Singapore as a whole. Although there are still various risks involved in the type of work that these unskilled foreign workers do like construction works. Therefore, they are not as protected by the Singaporean government as the skilled foreign talents are. 2. Housing Skilled Skilled immigrants are given privileges unskilled immigrants do not have. Skilled immigrants with university degrees, professional enough to hold high ranks in the company, high qualifications, are able to bring in their family into the country as long as their family members are eligible for a dependant pass and they do not have to pay levies (Yeoh, 2007). The government also has policies for such foreigners to gain citizenship more easily as well. Unskilled In terms of housing, the unskilled workforce in Singapore do not get to live in comfortable houses, as do the skilled workforce in Singapore. In most cases, these unskilled foreign workers live in simple rooms, with not much in them. There is no need for luxurious accommodations, as most of them only stay for a short period of time to work in Singapore, and do not stay in Singapore permanently. However, in some extreme cases, a number of these unskilled foreign workers are crammed into a small apartment with poor living conditions. These workers have much to put up with in terms of their living conditions; hence not all of these workers get to live comfortably. Therefore, as compared to the population of skilled foreign workforce in Singapore, the population of unskilled foreign workforce does not live as comfortably, instead, they are subjected to worse living conditions. 3. Types of Jobs Skilled Foreign talents in Singapore possess professional skills in their respective fields. Due to Singapores limited resources and low birth rates, there is a need for foreign talents to help the country keep up with the economy growth and its hopes for reaching out to the global economy. They fill up jobs that require skills which locals lack. With the lack of skills, Singapore will not be able develop and improve, which explains the need for foreign talent in Singapores society. In 2006, close to 13.4% of foreign workers are skilled. They take up high ranking jobs in marine industries, research and development, manufacturing and many more which require specific skills or knowledge. Unskilled The unskilled or semi-skilled foreign workforce in Singapore usually takes up jobs such as construction workers, maids, garbage men. This is because these jobs do not require prior or extra knowledge to complete, and these workers can be easily taught to do these jobs. 4. Healthcare Skilled Healthcare in Singapore is generally well taken care of, be it for the skilled or unskilled workforce. Germs are able to spread and it would not be pleasant when diseases are spread around the country. Healthcare services are easily available in Singapore. However, there are no healthcare subsidies for foreign immigrants. This is due to the fact that the government wants to influence the locals to support and encourage the immigration policy. Unskilled In general, foreign workers that fall under the category of being unskilled or semi-skilled have health checks conducted by the Singaporean government every now and then, to ensure that these workers are not carrying any dangerous diseases that could potentially spread to other Singaporeans and cause a pandemic (Yeoh, 2007). By ensuring that these foreign workers are relatively healthy, the Singaporean government is also keeping Singaporeans safe, hence the state of health of the unskilled or semi-skilled workforce in Singapore is important to the government. 5. Country of Origin Skilled Foreign talents in Singapore come from countries like United States of America, Britain, France, Japan, South Korea and Australia (Yeoh, 2007). Skilled foreigners can come to Singapore for various reasons. They come to Singapore and treat her as a stepping stone to advance towards better developing and more successful companies in other countries like the United States of America. However, there are also some skilled immigrants who come to Singapore because of the better living conditions. They are able to bring their family members to Singapore, where there is good education and healthcare. They are not as valued in their country as compared to in Singapore due to the fact that there are people who are better than them, so they come to Singapore to advance, where they will be valued greatly for their knowledge and skills. Unskilled Unskilled or semi-skilled foreign workers in Singapore usually come from countries such as China, Bangladesh, India, Philippines, and Indonesia. This is because the cost of labour from these countries is cheap, as compared to the cost of hiring skilled foreign talent. These workers are willing to work irregular hours under tough conditions to provide for their families back in their homelands. Workers that come from Bangladesh and India work as construction workers most of the time, and workers that come from Philippines and Indonesia work as maids most of the time. 6. Salaries Skilled Skilled immigrants in Singapore monthly salary starts from about $2500 and can be more than $7000 (Yeoh, 2007). This is because they have valuable skills that are able to help companies in gaining profits. They have professional skills locals do not have and hence, they are able to be successful when they come to Singapore. Unskilled In comparison with the population of skilled foreign workforce in Singapore, the population of unskilled foreign workforce in Singapore has generally lower salaries, usually below $2500 (Yeoh, 2007). This is because these foreign workers do not bring to Singapore new skills or new knowledge that can help Singapore to grow economically, hence their labour is not as valuable as the skills and knowledge that foreign talents bring to Singapore. Also, these workers receive low pay because they are willing to accept these low pays, hence their pays often do not increase. Therefore, unskilled foreign workers have lower salaries than skilled foreign talents. Advantages and Disadvantages of Foreign Workforce in Singapore: Advantages of the Foreign Workforce in Singapore: The foreign workforce is vital for Singapores economic growth and development. The foreign workforce in Singapore is divided into two segments, foreign talent and foreign workers. The Singaporean government has always stressed the importance of immigrant workers to Singapores economy and development. With the presence of the foreign workforce in Singapore, there is exposure to external influences like cultural exchange. It is a unique feature of Singapore, and allows local Singaporeans to interact with the foreigners that come into Singapore from different parts of the world, with different backgrounds and cultures. This hence allows local Singaporeans to understand these foreigners more, which leads to an understanding of different cultures and backgrounds. With better relations between both sides, this will lead to more opportunities for business deals between foreigners and Singaporeans, as there will be respect of each sides cultures and differences, hence leading to Singapores economic growth and development. The interaction between the locals and foreigners also helps increase the awareness of locals of the different cultures. This allows the locals to practice racial tolerance in their daily lives which promotes racial harmony is Singapores multi-racial society. Singapore aims to be a vibrant multi-cultural global trading hub working with people from a diversity of cultures and backgrounds. This factor will attract more foreigners to set up companies and businesses and invest in Singapore, which will provide more job opportunities for local Singaporeans. Singapores main resource has always been its people. However, as Singapore has a low birth rate and Singapores main resource of people has been depleting in the recent years, there is a need for more highly-skilled foreign workers to fill up the highly-skilled jobs. This will also help develop Singapore into the talent capital of the global economy. Advantages of the Skilled Workforce in Singapore The skilled workforce in Singapore, also known as foreign talents, refers to highly-skilled foreigners with professional qualifications or acceptable degrees working at the higher end of Singapores economy. With so many foreign talents coming in to take up highly-skilled jobs with high wages, this is a source of competition for locals. Many locals feel that these foreign talents, who are more successful in their jobs, are snatching their jobs and source of income from them. With the highly-skilled foreign talents, there will hence be less job opportunities for local Singaporeans. Based on research conducted by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), three out of four jobs in the past five years went to foreigners. This will motivate local Singaporeans to perform better in their jobs, and pushes them to seek self-improvement, to match up to the standards of the highly-skilled foreign talents. This is caused by the sense of competition for jobs between them and the foreign talents, making them want to put in more hard work, so that their jobs will be secured. Local Singaporeans feel challenged by these highly-skilled workers, and this will lead to improvement and higher efficiency of jobs as they will strive harder to do better than the foreigners, thus leading to an improvement in Singapores economic growth and development too. With Singapores economy prospering and growing, this will in turn attract more foreign branches and companies to invest in Singapore, as Singapore has a growing position as a regional and local global trading hub. Therefore, foreign talents, also known as the highly skilled workers, will lead to Singapores economic growth and development, as it actually pushes local Singaporeans to seek self-improvement. With more of these foreign talents coming to Singapore and taking up highly-skilled jobs, it helps in Singapores economic growth and development. Given Singapores aspirations to become a major player in a globalized world, Singapores main economic strategy is based on being home to a highly-skilled workforce, which will be consisted of the highly-educated local Singaporeans, together with the foreign talents in Singapore. Therefore, the highly-skilled foreign workforce is vital to Singapore for economic growth and development. The presence of foreign talents will lead to Singapores economic growth and development, as they bring new expertise and knowledge to Singapore, and help increase the productivity and efficiency of local Singaporeans by providing such new knowledge. This leads to Singaporeans learning and developing new skills, so that Singapore can improve and become more competitive in the global market, hence resulting in Singapores economic growth and development. Advantages of the Unskilled Workforce in Singapore The unskilled workforce in Singapore, also known as foreign workers, refer to semi-skilled or unskilled workers who mainly work in the manufacturing, construction, and domestic services sectors. In Singapore, foreign workers are needed to take up jobs that local Singaporeans refuse to take up, due to the fact that these jobs are low-skilled jobs with low wages and irregular working hours, for example, construction workers, toilet cleaners and road sweepers. However, these jobs are required to maintain Singapore in its clean and orderly state, and to ensure that Singapore will continue to prosper, grow and develop. Therefore, it is important that there are people to fill up such job positions. As locals refuse to take up these jobs, foreign workers are needed to take them up. Only if Singapore is in its clean and orderly state, and has new buildings and developments, with a strong workforce, it can be seen as a potential market to invest in, and attract foreign companies to set up businesses in Singapore. Furthermore, if foreign workers are available in handful here, more companies will be inclined to set up their factory bases in Singapore, as they can hire these foreign workers to work for them, with lower wages and longer working hours. This hence leads to Singapores economic growth. Therefore, the foreign workforce is vital for Singapores economic growth and development. Disadvantages of the Foreign Workforce in Singapore A large majority of Singaporeans feel that foreigners are putting up stiff competition for jobs in Singapore, hence threatening the livelihoods of Singaporeans. Local Singaporeans feel that the foreign workforce in Singapore is snatching away jobs and their source of income from them. Based on research conducted by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), three out of four jobs in the past five years were taken up by the foreign workforce. With an increasing number of jobs being taken up by the foreign workforce in Singapore, the unemployed, especially sole breadwinners, will be unable to support their families, leading to more families being in a state of poverty without jobs. This leads to Singaporeans becoming increasingly worried and concerned over the issue of the foreign workforce taking over the available high-skilled jobs in Singapore, leaving them with only low-skilled jobs. Additionally, due to a lack of social integration between local Singaporeans and foreigners, this will lead to discrimination of the foreign workforce by locals, with increasing dislikes between the two parties. Many Singaporeans already have preconceptions of foreign workers, as they do not have enough interaction and understanding of the foreign workers in Singapore, which stems from a lack of social integration, which might lead to future conflict. A lack of social integration leads to negative generalisations made towards foreign workers, without a clear understanding of them. Such negative generalisations will lead to the debate between Singaporeans over the issue of the need of foreign workers in Singapore, as they bring in both advantages and disadvantages to Singapore, and such debates will make foreign workers unhappy too. It might cause tension between parties if such negative generalisations are continuously believed in, and this might lead to future conflicts as well. Disadvantages of the Skilled Workforce in Singapore With the skilled workforce, also known as foreign talents, in Singapore, local Singaporeans feel threatened that their source of livelihood is being taken away by people who are not even Singaporeans. This causes Singaporeans to have less jobs to choose from, leading to Singaporeans discontent towards the foreign highly skilled workers. This in turn causes a lack of social integration between the foreigners and local Singaporeans, and they will not be able to bond together as one Singapore. Hence, both parties will be unhappy with each other and the foreigners will not be able to integrate into Singapores society despite working in Singapore for many years. This might lead to future conflict and disagreement with Singaporeans about the influx of the foreign workforce in Singapore. Therefore, foreign workforce will lead to disadvantages in Singapore too. Locals views towards foreign workforce Now, in Singapore, 34% of Singapores 4 million strong population are actually foreigners. Despite having been around in Singapore for decades, working hard to earn a living for their families back home, some locals are uncomfortable with them, some are prejudiced against them, while some have nothing against them. However, despite some local Singaporeans not approving of having foreign workforce in Singapore, and being prejudiced against the foreign workforce in Singapore, and not treating foreign workforce as equals, there are still people who approve of it and think that the foreign workforce is essential and vital to Singapore as be it skilled or unskilled, they contribute to Singapore economically and socially. Singaporeans are aware of the increase of foreign workforce in Singapore. There are both positive and negative views of these foreigners. Singaporeans are aware that they are able to learn a lot of news things culturally as they communicate with these foreigners. This enables them to learn things they otherwise would not have learnt and lets them learn new things while working which will promote racial harmony in Singapore as the people become more culturally sensitive towards one another. Singaporeans are also aware that foreign workers help create jobs for them as they come to Singapore with international companies which will be able to create more job opportunities for locals. Foreign workers also come up with more effective methods of working so productivity can be increased. This will help Singapore to not only advance, but also to advance even faster and keep up with the rest of this ever changing world. This enables the Singapore companies to learn from them and get valuable information from their expertise, thus being able to help Singapore to press forward and change when there is a need to. In some cases, having a skilled workforce also helps the locals to work better. This is because everyone has a natural tendency to want to do better than others, therefore, the presence of foreigners will spur the Singaporeans to want to work better than their foreign counterparts and so improving the productivity of that company and Singapore as a whole. Singaporeans are also glad that there are unskilled foreign workers to help to fill up jobs which are avoided by many Singaporeans, especially the youths, as they are picky about jobs and if the job does not provide an income they perceive as acceptable, then they will not take up the job. These jobs mostly do not require any prior training, and as such, have low salaries and odd working hours, resulting in these jobs being shunned by those finding a job and in the end, these jobs are left to the unskilled foreign workers to take up. However, there is still disapproval of having foreigners in Singapore. Some Singaporeans are also unhappy about foreign workforce in Singapore as they see them as competition for jobs. They lose their jobs when they are not competent enough and when the company values foreign talent. When a certain industry consists of mostly foreign workers, locals also feel discouraged from taking up jobs in the sector as they are afraid of being the minority. They also start to think that foreign talents are full of themselves. However, even then, lowly-educated locals are unhappy as foreigners also take away their jobs and more uneducated locals become unemployed. Locals also start to worry that they soon have to also compete with the foreigners for jobs, housing, medical care and other needs. They see the increase in foreign immigrants and the reason for increasing property prices. To make things worse, foreigners are getting similar benefits as locals as well. Having unskilled foreign workers commonly in a certain neighborhood may also cause people who stay in that area to feel uncomfortable and insecure as there is the common perception that these foreign workers may be a criminal or may turn into one. This has caused many Singaporeans to feel unhappy when there is a dormitory for foreign workers set up in their area as they find them a nuisance as they hang around the residential areas. Gradually, it has caused some people being prejudiced and discriminating against the foreign workforce in Singapore. Foreign workforces views on locals Foreign immigrants come to Singapore in search for better jobs and living conditions. However, some are welcomed while some are not treated well. Singaporeans have stereotypes for foreigners and they are prejudices against foreigners as most locals see them as bringing more problems into Singapore. As a result, social integration of these foreigners into Singapore has not been very good and the foreign workforce here in Singapore do not have the chance to integrate into Singapores society and mix around due to these views that Singaporeans have of them. They have difficulty integrating into the society due to the language barrier, the difference in culture and lifestyles. Despite their efforts to integrate, they face cold and unfair treatment by Singaporeans. Despite all of this, they have to cope with surviving in a new foreign place and their work. However, despite all of that, there are still people in Singapore who approve and think that the influx of foreign workforce into Singapore is essential and important for Singapores survival and economic growth if Singapore wants to become a regional and global trading hub. The unskilled labour will also take up the jobs that Singaporeans dont want but are vital to keep Singapore in its clean and orderly state. Only with these jobs done will Singapore be progressing and maintaining its orderly state and this will all contribute to Singapores economic growth.   Thus, some Singaporeans welcome foreigners and treat them nicely. Therefore, there are mixed views towards the foreign workforce in Singapore. Conclusion The many opportunities and resources being easily available has always been a strong advantage of globalization. However, the rapid speed at which globalization is occurring and its unintended consequences have proven to be detrimental to society to a certain extent and caused problems which requires government intervention to be resolved. In Singapore, Globalisation has resulted in issues like the significant influx of a huge number of foreign workforces in Singapore, which has both advantages and disadvantages towards Singapore. It is also evident that Singaporeans have discerning views towards this issue. Some feel they aid our economy nut others think they introduce competition and cause social problems. Globalisation aids in building up a competitive and knowledgeable population. However, its dire consequences bring about a host of problems which, if spirals out of control, can outweigh this. The pressure is hence on the Singaporean government to strike a fine balance between achieving the full advantages of globalization and countering the unavoidable side-effects. Limitations of Research Not all sources are reliable and accurate and while we were doing our research, there were many biased reports found on the foreign

Responding To Loss And Death :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my entire life there are some experiences of losses that some of them happened to me and some happened to people who were close to me and it was possible to see their responses, and the time that I spent with them during their suffering from losses was enough to realize their situation and recognize its details.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is interesting to compare the losses with each other as a way to assess my learning of loss experiences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At first I like to state my father’s responses toward his two different kind of losing. First one was his mother’s death. It happened by a car accident, so it was unexpected and sudden and was enough to shock him. At first days he was quiet and sometimes weeping silently, but one thing that in that time for me was interesting and I never forget, was visiting his mother’s grave every night or early morning when it was dark I do not remember exactly how long, but it did not last long. Then after Perhaps three or four weeks it became every Thursdays and probably continues up to now. In our religion Thursday afternoon is a holy time and people believe that this time is the best to pray for spirits’ absolution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another experience of my father’s losses that I like to mention is from wartime. War between our country and Iraq. During that time town almost was empty because it had been attacked by air force, and continued. One time as a result of the bombing my father’s house was destroyed, when we became aware every body rushed to the town and home, what we saw was an unforgettable scene, all doors, windows and walls were ruined and scattered and massed inside the house. Some furniture plus all rugs were safe, but my father touched nothing; he leaned to a wall and was gazing in space. After a short time he said, â€Å"leave all these stuff here. I do not need anything, leave them for people.† and turned back to the village. First days he was angry, sometimes he was silent and sometimes yelling at every body and for everything, but the main target of his rush and his offenses was the government. He was swearing to governors and the leader all the time. T hen he turned to sadness, but it did not last long and during an interval of war he rebuilt his house.

Confucianism and Legalism

Confucianism and Legalism Confucianism and Legalism were two philosophies developed by scholars as solutions to a period of disorder in China. Confucianism and Legalism are similar in that both originated during the Chinese Classical Period; however, they are different in government because Confucianism focuses on having an orderly, respectful, and successful ruler, while Legalism focuses on having an forceful and omnipotent ruler.In addition, education is extremely important in Confucianism, as opposed to the Legalist belief that people should never gain much knowledge. Both Confucianism and Legalism were developed in China during the Classical Period as solutions to bring back peace and harmony to the area. After the decline of the Zhou dynasty, there was a breakdown of social order (The Period of Warring States), so Chinese scholars and philosophers looked for ways to bring back a state of order and peace.Two different schools of thought, Confucianism and Legalism, developed as wa ys to move China out of chaos and help it return to stability. Another philosophy, Daoism, is similar to Confucianism and Legalism because it was also developed during the Classical Period in China as a solution to the disorder. The styles of governing found in Confucianism and Legalism differ greatly because Confucian government focuses on leading by example, while Legalist government focuses on having an all-powerful government in order to make sure people do not disrupt society for their own gain.Confucians believe that a ruler must be orderly, respectful, and successful in order for his subjects to obey him. This idea is due to their belief in The Five Relationships, one of which is between ruler and subject stating that subjects shall obey their ruler as long as the ruler respects the subjects. Legalist and Confucian beliefs are different on this matter because Legalists think that a ruler can do whatever he wishes regardless of his subjects, while Confucians value respect and devotion throughout society.They believe that there must be an all-powerful and forceful government in place to control society. The reason they think this is because they believe that humans are selfish in nature and that their desires bring about chaos and disorder in society. The views of Confucianism and Legalism on education are very different in that education is very important in Confucianism, while Legalism tries to restrict learning as much as possible. Confucianism deems education as the most important thing a person can have.This is because the Confucian social order – differing from the Legalist social order that focused mainly on ancestry – was not specifically based on birth, but on education as well; the more educated a person was the higher their status could be. However, Legalists believed that anyone or anything that opposed the emperor must be controlled by censorship. Those who opposed the emperor were punished or killed, and works that expressed op position were destroyed. The reason for these actions is that the powerful emperor did not want his reputation to be impaired by other’s â€Å"selfish acts.Confucianism and Legalism are both similar in that they developed at the same time in China; however, they are different in that in order to control society Confucians believe in governing by example, while Legalists believe in governing by force and power. Additionally, Confucianism and Legalism differ in that Confucianism values education to the highest degree, whereas Legalism tries to limit the knowledge of society. Both of these Classical Period philosophies were built up in order to pose as solutions to a period of disorder in China.

Critique of Angelas Ashes essays

Critique of Angela's Ashes essays It is a frequent view that times for the Irish majority in the 1930s and 40s were very hard. Especially for the Irish Catholic families with the stereotypical drunken father, emotionally ruined mother, kids running around her with her a sore back from the next child to be born. In Angelas Ashes, Frank McCourt examines his childhood experiences, the tragedies, hardships, and learning involved with growing up. One of the most interesting aspects of the writing in Angelas Ashes is how the text is written, from McCourts interpretation of the situation at his age that he was at the time, the spelling and grammar also indicate that the child is writing, not the adult. This contributes greatly to the emotions and enjoyment evoked from reading the book. It also better describes how a child actually sees the things that are going on around them, and what they may be thinking. Personally, sometimes it has made me think for a while about how I interpreted things I saw when I was that age, and the fun I had being a kid. McCourt describes his brothers and sister, even the ones that died, and how much he enjoyed growing up with them, how they cared and loved for each other. Because of the appalling quarters they lived in and the lack of money and food there was terminal illnesses in the family, which proved fatal to some of his siblings. McCourt in his childlike writing style describes how his siblings and he, interpret whats happened and how they see their parents reacting. McCourt also analyzes how his young brother Malachy looks up to him, and how much he takes Malachy under his wing and takes care of him. Parenting is said to be one of the hardest tasks out there today, especially sole parenting. McCourt carefully examines his mother, how she copes with her drunken husband, how her cousins who married gentlemen are constantly trying to run her life, and how she acts as a woman. His father, The...

The Benefits of Art Education on Children essays

The Benefits of Art Education on Children essays Over the past decade, the dramatic growth in promoting early childhood education and the encouragement of the four stages of child development (which are, cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development) has become a widespread trend across America. Promoting these stages are essential for the growth and development of tomorrows leaders. The two most important stages of child development, that often times go unnoticed, but is very essential for positive growth is social and emotional. Having art in early programs is one of the most important ways to encourage social and emotional behavior. Research (Bovey, Strain, 2003) indicates that having activities such as art lessons can support social and peer interaction. One of the roles as teachers and parents are to help young children identify and communicate their feelings, become attuned to and accepting of the ways young children approach and deal with emotional issues, and provide environments that enable young children to express their feelings (Dettore, 2002). Many children stresses that come to children and their families may include illness, job loss, economic crisis or poverty, relocation, birth, death, and trauma (Hatfield, 2003, p. 471). Socially and emotionally, young children of working parents, victims of abuse, or sufferers of constantly moving families may not develop completely as a child that may not have any of these issues. Young children are capable of deep feelings of lasting sadness and grief in response to trauma, loss, and early personal rejection. They can be seriously moved negatively by these emotions. A childs earliest human relationships affect later childhood relationships and provide the building blocks to future development (Hawley, 1998). The growth of self-regulation is the cornerstone of early childhood development (Raven, 2003). The way that family reacts to the stress affects the...

CONTEMPORARY DOCUMENTARY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

CONTEMPORARY DOCUMENTARY - Essay Example Numerous naturalists and every living creatures common sense entitlement activists acknowledge Disney for raising their sympathy toward the earth (Van Riper 181). Anyhow, this gratefulness has not been conveyed in a quality free bundle. From the beginning, Disneys tendency movies have upheld the idea that the characteristic worlds boss quality lies in the benefit that modern culture can remove from it. At first, this backing took the type of straightforward paeans to the honorability of logging, mining and urban improvement. Presently, in the midst of the expanding commodification of everything from tribal myth to basmati rice, the worth removed from nature is the privilege to characterize nature. Disney desires that privilege and will pick up it at our hazard. Very little other than insight into the past recognizes the organizations initial work from its ancestors and rivals. Where nature showed up, it was in its customary part of the destructive danger, or as humanoid cartoon creatures (Van Riper 148). It was not until Bambi (1942) that Disney discovered the structure on which his later nature works would hang. Instead of living clearly human lives, wearing garments, managing a furrow or in charge of a steamboat, the creatures in Bambi were far closer to the genuine article. They were not people; that part was saved for the films scalawag. They were, notwithstanding, individuals. So that the passing of Bambis mom because of the Hunter is plainly killed. Bambi was the model for Disneys later nature work, most outstandingly the Genuine Life Adventures, a progression of what were inexactly alluded to as documentaries, set in environments from the Sonoran Desert to the Canadian tundra (Van Riper 166) Winged Migration (2001) is an outwardly staggering "narrative enterprise" that takes a few groups of feathered creatures on their occasional transitory excursions. Despite the fact that the

CASE STUDY of the ESA Habitat Conservation Planning (HCP) process Essay

CASE STUDY of the ESA Habitat Conservation Planning (HCP) process - Essay Example The duration of HCPs can range from one year up to one hundred years. The United States Fish and Wildlife Services have the discretion to negotiate with landowners when there are no other stakeholders used. Found on the north of San Francisco Peninsula stands the San Bruno Mountain Habitat Conservation Plan. In this essay, this HCP will be analyzed in details from all dimensions. A development project in the San Bruno Mountains necessitated the development of the San Bruno Mountains HCP. There arose a conflict on the development of the mountainous region by the Visitacion Associates with the San Mateo County authorities. To discourage the development of the area, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) came in and recommended that the habitat would be conserved for butterfly conservation. The complexity arose from the interconnectedness of the Visitation Associates with the Republican government of Ronald Reagan. Despite their support from the Federal government, the local environmentalists were firm in supporting USFWS propositions. As a result of the confrontations, there was developed an agreement between the developer and the San Mateo County authorities to have the HCP established. The HCP provides a habitat for the mission blue butterfly (Plebejus icarioides missionensis) and the San Bruno elfin butterfly (Callophyrs mossi bayensis). These two have be en found to be endangered. In addition, the HCP provides for the protection of the Callippe silverspot butterfly (Spayeria callippe callippe). Despite the heightened disagreements at the start of the negotiations in the 1980s, the HCP was successfully established (Thomas Reid Associates, 1993). The establishment of the San Bruno HCP was surrounded by several controversies especially based on the involvement of many parties. The San Mateo County supervisor Bacciocco spearheaded the negotiation process by bringing the