The other characters in the play Essay Example for Free

The other characters in the play Essay Sheila is deeply affected by the Inspectors visit compared to the other characters. As soon as the Inspector enters and introduces the victim to the family, Sheila was upset and depressed because of the misery she sensed which made her feel apologetic and guilty of what she had done to Eva Smith. Nonetheless the others were not interested and thought that they were not responsible for Evas death except for Eric. Furthermore the Inspector has a mischievous attitude, with the intention of, made the rest of the family suspicious about him. Inspector Goole (as he addresses himself) is a sly and secretive individual who acts like a detective and uses his skills to make them confess the truth. The Inspector mentions society to be treated fairly and Mr Birling replies in an intolerable way, nonsense a man has to make his own way. Priestly is trying to say that everyone should be working and helping each other where everyone can be equal. As the Inspector visits the Birlings who are celebrating an engagement, Sheila looks confused and feels depressed because she is suspicious of the Inspector and feels uncomfortable; (Sheila stares at him) wonderingly and dubiously whereas the others such as Mr and Mrs. Birling enters briskly and self confidently. This demonstrates that the audience is aware of the situation and expresses she is distrustful hence it illustrates that everyone reacts differently towards the Inspector. Additionally, Eric was the only one that reacted the same way as Sheila. Mr. Birling responded differently because he knew that it wasnt his responsibility which led to Evas death; (he replies rather impatiently) Yes, yes. Horrid business. But I dont understand why you should come here, Inspector. Similarly Mrs. Birling reacts the same way because they care about their reputation and business. Also Gerald reacted in a way that seemed to make it obvious that he knew her by giving himself away as soon as the Inspector mentioned Evas other name, Daisy Renton. What D you mind if I give myself a drink, Sheila? At this point it seems clear to Sheila, the others and the audience that Gerald knew the victim and his ridiculousness excuse made it easier for

Role of carbon credits and carbon footprints in the Middle East

Role of carbon credits and carbon footprints in the Middle East Introduction Many organizations across the world have improved efforts geared towards ensuring social responsibility and business ethics are followed when undertaking organizational activities. Consumers are now aware of the ethical and social responsibility which business organizations have towards society. Due to the effects of environmental destruction, consumers are inclined to associate themselves with firms which manufacture products while following environmental conservation criteria. Recently, adverse effects of environmental destruction such as climate change and global warming has increased demand for green products or firms which observe environmental regulations. In the Middle East and especially the UAE, there is a demand for products which conserve energy and which are reusable or can be recycled (Anderson et. al., 2006). This explains the increased demand in the UAE for products such as hybrid cars, green building materials, recyclable bags and others. Carbon footprints and credits are two common forms of measuring the impacts which organizations have on the environment. Carbon footprints are emissions of greenhouse gases which are attributed to a product or an organization (Wiedmann Minx, 2008). These gases are emitted due to consumption of fuel and fuel products, materials, manufactured goods and fuel sources such as coal and wood. Carbon credit on the other hand represents permits or certificates by business organizations allowing them to emit carbon dioxide or carbon equivalent to one tonne. It is a form of mitigating carbon emissions by international and national markets. Already, Qatar and the UAE implement the carbon credits as a form of reducing carbon emissions. This paper will discuss carbon footprints and emissions as far as the social responsibility and ethical role of business is concerned. The paper will also discuss how carbon footprints and credits work in order to understand their benefits. Their relevance to business planning for sustainability and environment in the Middle East will also be analyzed. The paper will restrict research to the UAE and other countries in the Middle East. The discussed issues will be summarized at the end of the paper. Carbon footprints Carbon footprints have been defined as emissions of greenhouse gases which are attributed to a product or an organization (Wiedmann Minx, 2008). Greenhouse gases arise from consumption of fuel and fuel products, materials, manufactured goods and fuel sources such as coal and wood. The term originated from ecological footprints in environmental studies. In order to measure the carbon footprints of organizations, an assessment on emissions known as the GHG is undertaken. This measurement determines the levels of carbon emitted by businesses in a region. Once this information is known, it is possible to develop a strategy aimed at mitigating carbon footprint levels (Wiedmann Minx, 2008). Such strategies include use of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar or implementation of strategies to conserve the environment such as planting trees. In the Middle East economies, there are certain factors which affect the levels of carbon footprints. These include economic output, population, carbon intensity and energy in the economy (Beaumont et. al., 2008). Businesses and regions which aim at reducing carbon footprints target these factors. Generally, in order to effectively reduce carbon footprints, countries and businesses should either strive to reduce reliance on carbon fuels or reduce energy levels used in production. Carbon credits Carbon credits have been defined as permits or certificates by business organizations allowing them to emit carbon dioxide or carbon equivalent to one tonne (Wiedmann Minx, 2008). It has been recognized that carbon emissions are some of the most harmful gases to the environment and carbon credits aim at mitigating their release into the atmosphere. Carbon trading is form of trading in emissions. In order to implement carbon credits, carbon levels in the atmosphere are measured and capped to determine the most sustainable levels which will lead to minimal damage to the environment. After this is performed, the capped levels are allocated to regulated sources in the various markets. The major objective of carbon credits is to encourage markets to emit less carbon emissions when undertaking commercial and industrial processes. Since the carbon credits are sold, the revenue generated can also be used to fund environmental conservation efforts, including carbon emission reduction indifferent parts of the world. There are many firms which have specialized in selling carbon credits. These credits are sold to businesses voluntarily and these businesses strive to reduce carbon emissions in their activities. Demand for carbon credits in the Middle East has begun to rise and there is an increase in firms selling carbon credits to businesses. This has seen positive impacts as far as reduction of carbon emissions is involved. Further analysis of the effects of carbon credits and carbon footprints in the Middle East will be discussed in the following section of the paper. Kyoto protocol and the Middle East The Kyoto protocol is an agreement amongst some countries which are members of the UN to take measures to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. The major goal of this framework is to stabilize greenhouse gases and reduce their effects on the environment. There are over 190 states which have ratified and signed the protocol including Middle East countries such as Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and others (Daya Carr, 2010). Various countries have undertaken to reduce these emissions by more than 5% as at the levels present in 1990. Middle East countries such as UEA, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are some of these countries. Several initiatives are taken to achieve the objectives of climate change by member countries and these include clean development mechanism and emissions trading. Each of the Middle East countries which ratified the Kyoto Protocol has some assigned units of carbon emissions which are entered in individual country registries (Daya Carr, 2010). In line with the protocol, these countries including Qatar and the UAE have assigned the allowed emissions to businesses and organizations and put quotas on the emissions which each business should release into the atmosphere. This is undertaken through the sale of carbon credits where businesses in these Middle East countries are allowed one tonne of carbon emission. Businesses which have not exhausted their quotas near the end of their financial year may sell their remaining quotas to those which are about to exhaust their limits in order to ensure that all businesses observe the allowable limit in emissions. Businesses which have exhausted their quotas are also allowed purchase extra quotas in open markets or private enterprises. Although there is an increased demand for energy from consumers, business organizations and countries such as Qatar and UAE which have ratified the Kyoto Protocol, have to ensure that the carbon emissions do not exceed the allowable limits. Business owners are therefore forced to invest in alternative energy sources in order to meet the demand for limiting emissions. Others prefer purchasing modern machinery which has lower emission rates. This will ensure that adverse effects of climate change are mitigated not only in the Middle East but across the world. Flexible mechanisms The challenges of maintaining the agreed carbon emissions by countries which have ratified the Kyoto Protocol have been recognized by member countries. There are certain countries or businesses which may be unable to retain the allowable limits and achieve their growth and development objectives and goals. There are also countries and businesses which use resources which have high level of carbon emissions and which make it difficult to remain within the allowable levels. For instance, Saudi Arabia is an oil producing country which releases high levels of carbon emissions when processing oil. Due to these challenges, the Kyoto Protocol members have introduced certain flexible mechanisms which may help these countries deal with the challenges. These are tradable credits which may be traded within countries or regions. There are three ways in which such countries may trade their carbon credits regionally (Daya Carr, 2010). The first is the joint implementation strategy where countries which are about to undertake projects which would lead to high level of carbon emissions are allowed to undertake these projects in other countries. Such an agreement allows countries with higher emission to transfer these emissions to countries with lower emission for a consideration. Both countries would mutually benefit and the global environmental conservation efforts are achieved. Few countries in the Middle East have taken advantage of this approach. The second strategy is the clean development mechanism. Under this strategy, developed countries are allowed to fund carbon emission reduction efforts in developing countries at lower costs. Countries such as Saudi Arabia may use this strategy to fund developing countries such as African countries in carbon reduction efforts. This would cost lower amounts compared to the cost of such a strategy in developed countries. However, the benefits of environmental conservation in such cases would not only be enjoyed by the developing countries but by the world at large. The developed countries would benefit from increased credits due to achievement of its emission reduction initiatives while developed countries would benefit from clean technology and capital investment. The UAE currently is developing plans to implement this strategy in developing countries. Finally, the third strategy aimed at meeting the challenges of carbon emission strategies is emission trading between countries. Just as how businesses can trade emission credits, countries are also able to trade these credits. Countries which are about to exhaust their allowable limits may trade credits with those with sufficient allocations and vice verse. In most of these cases, operators are licensed by individual countries to sell such carbon credits as opposed to direct government to government transactions Carbon footprints and credits in Middle East Due to the effects of environmental destruction including carbon emissions, climate change and global warming, consumers in the Middle East have began associating themselves with firms which manufacture products in environmentally friendly ways. There has been an increase in reusable products and energy saving products including hybrid vehicles (Daya Carr, 2010). This move has forced many manufacturers to adapt to the needs of the market in order to maximize sales revenues. Retailers who have not embraced environmentally friendly ways of producing goods have begun experiencing shrinking sales volumes and a decrease in consumer goodwill. Qatar There are many businesses in the Middle East and especially in Qatar and the UAE which have embraced the use of carbon credits to reduce their carbon footprints. One of these businesses is a renewable energy company called Masdar which is based in the UAE. Masdar has plans to acquire carbon credits for waste heat and solar projects from the UN in order to conform to the goals of the Kyoto Protocol of which the UAE is a member. Another firm which is keen on acquiring carbon credits is the Qatar Petroleum which is the national oil firm run by the Qatar government. The UAE and Qatar are the largest carbon emitters in the world per capita and their strive to join the Kyoto Protocol and apply for carbon credits makes them the first countries in the Middle East to take such initiatives. Qatar also has a project at Al-Shaheen, a natural gas manufacturing plant, and it is intending at applying for carbon credits for this plant. Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi has already been granted access to carbon credits by UN in the form of offsets which are initiatives which encourage developed countries to support carbon reduction initiatives in developing countries. This is similar to the clean development mechanism earlier discussed as one of the Kyoto Protocolà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s attempts to deal with challenges facing implementation of the carbon reduction efforts. Already, two projects commissioned in Abu Dhabi will receive 2.5 million credits between the current year and 2018. Currently, the credits which have been advanced to the UAE are valued at over 29 million euro. In addition, Abu Dhabi is in the process of constructing nuclear and solar plants which will meet power demands and by 2015, the Abu Dhabi is targeting its renewable energy sources to form over 7% of its overall energy source. Challenges of acquiring carbon credits in the Middle East Business people in the Middle East are acknowledging that a serious challenge facing many oil firms is justifying the need for carbon credits. Although most firms which manufacture oil and its products in the Middle East have high carbon footprint emissions, it is challenging to prove that oil projects require carbon credits and additional income earned from it. The UAE is among the countries making the greatest efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the Middle East and the development of carbon capture technology is a milestone towards attaining the goals of reducing emissions. Carbon capture technology is technology which captures carbon emissions and directs them underground before they are released into the atmosphere. Another challenge faced by firms in Middle East relating to acquiring carbon credit relates to cost. There is a high cost which is incurred upfront before a firm can register for carbon credits (Hansen, 2000). For small firms in the Middle East, this cost may be prohibited towards registering for carbon credits and reducing the carbon footprints. A solution to this problem lies with the bundling of many small projects to form a larger one. When many small firms bring together their projects and form a larger one, they may jointly incur the cost of carbon credits thereby reducing their overall costs. They will also be able to reduce their carbon emissions. Relevance to business planning for sustainability and environment in Middle East Carbon footprints and credits are very useful to the modern business environment not only in the Middle East but across the world. There is a move towards environmental conservation efforts and businesses which support this cause have been seen to attract goodwill form consumers. Those which do not have recorded lower sales revenues due to their inability to be in touch with causes which the market relates to. In the Middle East, it has been discussed that consumers are moving towards environmental conservation efforts by purchasing energy saving products, reusable products and supporting firms which produce goods in environmentally friendly means. It is therefore clear that for any business to meet its objectives, it has to operate within environmentally friendly ways. It also has to support causes which are similar to those supported by consumers including corporate social responsibility and ethical practices. The relevance which carbon footprints and carbon credit has on the Middl e East business environment regarding sustainability will be briefly discussed below; Consumer behavior It has been discussed that due to the adverse effects of environmental destruction, consumers are aware of the need to carry out environmental conservation. The effects of destruction of the environment including global warming, climate change, shrinking of ice caps and others have become a reality which threatens the survival of mankind (Changnon Bell, 2000). Most consumers have therefore embraced environmental conservation concerns and demand products which are produced through environmentally friendly ways. In the Middle East, there are many environmental groups which lobby for firms to embrace environmental conservation strategies which manufacturing goods. These groups which include the Global Footprint Network encourage consumers to shun products which are developed by firms which pollute the environment. As a result, firms are forced to adopt the use of clean technology and carbon emission reduction strategies such as carbon credits. Manufacturers in the Middle East and other parts of the world have therefore been forced by the changes in consumer behavior and market trends to embrace carbon credits strategy. Consumers have access to a wide variety of products due to technological change and innovation and they therefore have a bargaining power. Middle East firms which do not produce goods in environmentally friendly ways such as through use of carbon credits risk being shunned by consumers who will opt to purchase substitutes from manufacturers who support their cause for environmental conservation. Carbon credit strategies are therefore very relevant to the business environment in the Middle East for firms keen on increasing sales revenues and developing customer goodwill and loyalty. Businesses which are keen on developing long term sustainable practices should therefore develop an environmental conservation plan which may include the carbon credit strategy in order to meet their objectives. Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol is another initiative which makes carbon credit strategy relevant to the business environment in the Middle East. It has been discussed that several Middle East countries have ratified the Kyoto Protocol and these include Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and others. These countries are bound by resolutions made to reduce their carbon emissions by more than 5% of their 1990 emission levels. Since the countries voluntarily ratified the protocol, many are keen to follow it. The most effective way of reducing these emissions is reducing emissions by firms, particularly those in the manufacturing industry. Countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are some of the largest global emitters and the only way they can achieve the goals of the Kyoto Protocol is to ensure that firms and particularly those in the oil industry reduce their emissions. Businesses which operate in the Middle East are therefore forced by the government to reduce their emissions in order to ac hieve the goals of the Kyoto Protocol. The Middle East governments are bound by the ratification of the Protocol and they have begun introducing carbon credits to businesses as strategies aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Countries including Qatar and the UAE have assigned the allowed emissions to businesses and organizations and put quotas on the emissions which each business should release into the atmosphere. Many other countries in the Middle East are likely to follow the trends taken by Qatar and the UAE. Businesses therefore have no choice if they are to operate in the Middle East business environment. They are bound by any international agreements which their countries enter into. Failure to observe carbon reduction strategies such as purchase of carbon credits may be deemed as unethical practices which may be punished by the governments, environmental protection agencies or financial regulators. The Kyoto protocol has therefore made carbon credits an essential part of business operation since firms have been forced to purchase them and be in line with the desired objective of Middle East and global governments of reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Corporate social responsibility Businesses have corporate social responsibility towards communities and the society at large. Any business has a social responsibility of empowering local communities through corporate responsibility programs which use different strategies to achieve this objective. Consumers are also aware of the social responsibility which firms have towards them and their local communities and they have begun associating themselves with firms which play important social roles in the community. In line with this, the business organizations which operate in the Middle East and other countries have a responsibility of socially empowering communities and operating in environmentally friendly ways (Ruddiman, 2005). This duty is not vested in the Kyoto Protocol, it is a duty expected from corporate bodies across the world. Firms are expected to operate in ways which do not pollute the environment and which socially uplift the standards of living of local communities. Due to the importance of corporate social responsibility and operating in environmentally friendly ways, many firms have strived to achieve these objectives. One of the common strategies include funding community projects, research and increasing awareness on social concerns. Other strategies include funding education, training, offering employment, sponsorships and donations. In addition, the goals of environmental conservation are achieved through use of clean technology, reducing energy use and reducing carbon and other harmful emissions to the environment. Carbon credits have gained demand for achieving the environmental conservation goals. The demand for social responsibility by consumers has therefore made carbon credits relevant to the business environment in the Middle East. Firms which do not observe this social responsibility role risk losing customers to competitors who embrace these causes. Reduction in production costs Recent research has shown that the use of clean technology can help reduce the production costs by as much as 20% in firms in the manufacturing industry. Research in developed countries such as China has shown that if used effectively, clean technology reduces the production cost by 20% for capital intensive activities (Lerner Wilmoth, 2006). Reduction of the production cost is a major goal for any business. This is because reduction in production leads to reduction in the overall product price and this attracts consumers to these relatively cheaper products. The benefits of clean technology apply to firms in the manufacturing industry. In the Middle East, there are many firms which operate in this industry and especially due to the presence of oil manufacturing firms. The use of clean technology would offer massive benefits to this industry. Although not many firms in the Middle East have realized the potential benefits of cost reduction due to embracing clean technology, there has been increased demand for this technology over recent months. Firms which have benefited from the clean technology have acted as case studies and more and more Middle East firms have begun embracing clean technology in order to reduce production costs. Such firmsd have embraced carbon credits as some forms of implementing the clean technology strategy. For instance, a renewable energy company called Masdar which is based in the UAE has plans to acquire carbon credits for waste heat and solar projects in order to reduce production costs and gain other benefits. Two projects commissioned in Abu Dhabi will receive 2.5 million credits between the current year and 2018. the potential benefits of production cost reduction will therefore make carbon credits popular clean technology strategies in the Middle East in the near future according to the cur rent trends by Middle East firms. Summary and conclusion The role of carbon credits and carbon footprints in the Middle East business environment has been discussed in detail. Carbon footprints have been defined as emissions of greenhouse gases which are attributed to a product or an organization while carbon credit on the other hand represents permits or certificates by business organizations allowing them to emit carbon dioxide or carbon equivalent to one tonne. Carbon footprints determine the levels of carbon emitted by businesses in a region. Once this information is known, it is possible to develop a strategy aimed at mitigating carbon footprint levels. Such strategies include use of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar or implementation of strategies to conserve the environment such as planting trees. Carbon credits aim at reducing carbon emissions. Carbon trading is form of trading in emissions. In order to implement carbon credits, carbon levels in the atmosphere are measured and capped to determine the most sustainabl e levels which will lead to minimal damage to the environment. After this is performed, the capped levels are allocated to regulated sources in the various markets. The carbon credit strategies are implemented under the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto protocol is an agreement amongst some countries which are members of the UN to take measures to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. The major goal of this framework is to stabilize greenhouse gases and reduce their effects on the environment. There are over 190 states which have ratified and signed the protocol including Middle East countries such as Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and others. Each of the Middle East countries which ratified the Kyoto Protocol has some assigned units of carbon emissions which are entered in individual country registries. The challenges of maintaining the agreed carbon emissions by countries which have ratified the Kyoto Protocol have been recognized by member countries. The joint implementation strategy allows countries which are about to undertake projects which would lead to high level of carbon emissions are allowed to undertake these projects in other countries. The clean development mechanism allows developed countries to fund carbon emission reduction efforts in developing countries at lower costs while emission trading allows countries which are about to exhaust their allowable limits to trade credits with those with sufficient allocations and vice verse. Due to the effects of environmental destruction including carbon emissions, climate change and global warming, consumers in the Middle East have began associating themselves with firms which manufacture products in environmentally friendly ways. Other factors which have contributed to the increase of use of carbon credit strategies by UAE firms include the Kyoto Protocol which forces businesses to undertake carbon reduction strategies, corporate social responsibility roles which dictate for operation of firms in environmentally friendly ways and reduction in production costs attributed to use of clean technology. Although not many firms in the Middle East have realized the potential benefits of cost reduction due to embracing clean technology, there has been increased demand for this technology over recent months. It is important for UAE firms to embrace reduction of carbon emission through carbon credit strategies among other environmentally conservation strategies in order to devel op customer loyalty and reduce the global emission of carbon into the atmosphere. This will be beneficial to the businesses as well as to humanity whose survival is threatened by environmental destruction.

Analysis Of Amerindian Perspectivism Philosophy Essay

Analysis Of Amerindian Perspectivism Philosophy Essay Brazilian anthropologist Viveiros de Castro has been an essential force in new strands of anthropology within the last decade, and his foremost contribution has been the development of Amerindian perspectivism. Viveiros de Castros objectives were to produce a more generalised framework of Amazonian cosmologies and shamanistic practices, with an aim to dispose of the nature versus culture dichotomy that had always prevailed within the discipline of anthropology. By rediscovering the notion of animism, Viveiros de Castro was able to formulate new modes of relation between humans and non-humans, and perspectivism may be seen as simply a potent rendering of animism. This essay will explore the comparisons that have been made in recent ethnography between Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism and the application of perspectivism to other parts of the world. This will ultimately result in the questioning of whether perspectivism can, in reality, be labelled a theory. Initially an ex amination of Viveiros de Castros analysis of Amerindian perspectivism is crucial in an attempt to draw comparisons with the deployment of perspectivism in ethnography within northern Asia, in particular Mongolia and Siberia. Viveiros de Castro purports that his development of the notion of perspectivism forms a vital component of most Amerindian cosmologies, and is founded upon spiritual unity and corporeal identity. In opposition with the distinction between nature and culture, Viveiros de Castro illuminates a contrastive feature between Western and Amerindian cosmologies. Anthropology itself centres on the multiculturalist notion to the nature vs. culture dichotomy; the idea that there is one universal nature and many cultures, as building blocks structured upon that which is pure and unifying; nature. This approach implies the universality of the body, and the subjective distinctiveness of spirit and meaning. The concept of multiculturalism has consistently been applied to the demographic constitutions of a particular place with multiple ethnicities and religious groups, and to notions of identity (Visweswaran, 1998). Viveiros de Castro proposes that for Amerindian cosmologies however, an inversion of the multiculturalist notion, that is multinaturalism. Multinaturalism is the conception of spiritual unity and corporeal diversity, the unifying and objective being culture and the subjective distinctiveness of nature; bodies (Viveiros de Castro, 1998). Amerindian cosmologies share mythology and the notion of a creation myth that there was once an original state of undifferentiation between humans and animals, and this serves to unfold Amerindian perspectivism. This is the shared mythological belief that animals are ex humans, and that the original common condition that both humans and animals shared was humanity rather than animality (Viveiros de Castro, 1998). This origin myth can be employed to explain the general meaning of perspectivism. Viveiros de Castro states that animals and spirits see themselves as humans: they perceive themselves as anthropomorphic beings. their social system as organized in the same way as human institutions are (1998:470). This is the principal idea of perspectivism; that nonhumans see the world as humans do, but what they see differs from what humans see because of the distinct medium through which they see things differs from the medium through which humans see things (Pedersen, 2001). Every being t hat has a soul is capable of having a point of view, and it is the point of view that creates the subject. The point of view is located within the body, and differences between viewpoints concern the differentiation between bodies (Viveiros de Castro, 1998). What Viveiros de Castro refers to as the body is an assemblage of affects or ways of being that constitutes a habitus (1998:478). The concept of habitus has most recently been elaborated by Bourdieu (1972) as a system of dispositions in response to determinate structures and other fields that are neither wholly voluntary nor involuntary. Acquired dispositions or ways of being include taste, communication and habitation. To tie this in with multinaturalism, every subject creates their own conception of nature. Viveiros de Castro refers to the form of a being as like a piece of clothing which masks an internal human form that is only visible to those within the same species or trans-specific beings such as shamans. It is not so much that the body is a clothing but rather that clothing is a body (1998:482). An animals clothing (their body) is not simply manipulated as a disguise, but rather their equipment that differentiates them from one another, and provides them with their habitus. The internal human form is the beings soul or spirit (1998). By undergoing metamorphosis, the being sheds its clothing and, through a process of transformation, adopts the point of view of another being. The shaman is the only being that is capable of assuming the point of view of the Other; the extra-human animal, and returning back to its original state of being unharmed (Viveiros de Castro, 1998). Amerindian perspectivist cosmologies bear striking similarities with the notion of animism, initially proposed by Tylor in the nineteenth century. Tylor attributed animism to the almost universally held beliefs of primitive people that certain objects and persons were animated by something incorporeal called spirit' (Kraus, 1971:487). Descola (1992) developed this idea of animism that all spiritual entities are similar in that they share spiritual features, with the difference being the body that they are endowed with (Latour, 2009). Thus, animism would appear in accordance with Castros proposition of multinaturalism within Amerindian cosmologies. In contrast with the multiculturalist notion of the nature vs. culture dichotomy, animism holds society as the unmarked pole, as the unifying dimension, rather than nature. Totemism, on the other hand, is the conception that individuals and clans share kinship with other forms of non-human being. Levi-Strauss (1962) discusses totemic classifications as a form of organisation which emphasises discontinuities between species to confer a conceptual order on society. The totem is a non-human being which is normally accompanied by a totemic myth, and they are manipulated to make the social world a more coherent classificatory system. Therefore, there is a very striking difference between animism and perspectivism, and totemism; in totemic societies the non-human being is regarded as a sign, and in animic and perspectivist societies, the non-human being is regarded in terms of the relationship it makes available (Pedersen, 2001). It will be brought up later on with an analysis of northern Asian cosmologies, that some ontologies in northern Asia are predominantly animistic, and some predominantly totemistic. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that Viveiros de Castros notion of perspectivism is wholly an animistic concept. His analysis of Amerindian perspectivism has been supported by Pelusos research undertaken in Peru. Peluso critically discusses her ethnography on dream narratives amongst the Ese Eja, an Amazonian community, and acknowledges that multinatural perspectivism is present within the ontology of dream narratives (2004). Naming dreams are common for the Ese Eja, and reflect multiple overlapping realities of time and space, acting as a reminder for its subjects that transformations are possible between multiple worlds. Eshawa, for the Ese Eja is the concept of personhood that connects the self with all species and the spirit world (Peluso, 2004:2). The dreams always involve an interaction between the animal and the dreamer, and involve the animal transforming itself into a child and addressing the dreamer by the appropriate kin term. This action eludes the mother/father/grandparen t dreamer to the childs dream name, and they must use this name for everyday life (Peluso, 2004). Viveiros de Castros notion of perspectivism in Amazonia is quite clearly at work here. People validate the links between dream names and their namesake animals through perceived shared physical and character traits, relating to Viveiros de Castros corporeal affects that form the distinctive viewpoints of subjects. Similarly, multinatural perspectivism such as the dream world, implies that all subjects (human or not) share personhood and interact socially as enacted in dream narratives. (Peluso, 2004:9). The dream world allows the capacity for carrying over the same viewpoint into different cross-realities, and dreams are sources of knowledge and channels of communication between multiple worlds, unhindered by physical or ontological distance (Peluso, 2004). Pelusos ethnography based on the Ese Eja community in Peru is a fine example of Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivist cosmology in practice, but the question still remains as to whether perspectivism can be applied to another part of the world other than Amazonia. The vast majority of the rest of this essay will attempt to apply perspectivism and its deployments through ethnography, to two very different regions of northern Asia; Mongolia and Siberia. Pedersen (2007) has written extensive ethnography concerning the Darhads of Mongolia, and their relationship with perspectivism. It is clear that Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism is prevalent within Darhad animist cosmology, but at the same time there are several distinctions that must not be overlooked. A stark contrast between Darhad and Amerindian cosmology is that the Darhads do not share the conception of a creation myth; an original state of undifferentiation (Pedersen, 2007). Viveiros de Castro suggests that mythology is a precondition for perspectivism, in that the period from whence everything was undifferentiated and humanity, is crucial for spiritual unity and the universality of beings (1998). Nevertheless, Darhad cosmology is amythological yet animist and comprises multiple points of view; different perspectives unchanging over time. The majority of the Darhad animist cosmos is perceived as an unmarked territory, and that it is along specific paths where the social lives of beings occurs. Therefore Darhad cosmology itself is not one unified whole, but rather many parallel worlds, with each parallel world containing the totality of relations enacted through a given point of view (Pedersen, 2007). Similarities can be drawn here with Amerindian perspectivism in that exchanges of perspectives between different kinds of beings are being experienced by the Darhad people, however there appear profound differences. The Darhads nomadic landscape is organised according to the constellation of centres within it, with the nomadic households as physically moving entities, and sacred stone cairns such as those on the top of mountains as fixed components. All nomadic movements centre around these gravitation points, for the rest of the nomadic landscape is void (Pedersen, 2007). The Darhad conception of the landscape appears mo re of a totemic reality than an animist one in this sense. Rather, as a discontinuous grid that places beings in relationships of homologous differentiation (Holbraad Willerslev, 2007:331). Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivist cosmology amounts to a boundless whole, a continuous universe where all beings relate to one another, whereas Darhad perspectivist cosmology lacks this perception. The narrative of the Badagshin that Pedersen (2007) recollects however, can be seen as the representation of a distinct form of Mongolian perspectivism that draws parallels with Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism. The Badagshin are half-people non-human beings that appear most frequently to Darhad hunters. Similarly with Amerindian perspectivism, the shaman is the only being capable of undergoing complete metamorphosis and returning back to their original state of being unharmed. Therefore for Darhad hunters, adopting the point of view of a nonhuman being is something that should be avoided at all costs. Pedersen recalls an account of a Darhad hunter and his friend encountering a Badagshin whilst traversing the nomadic landscape. For the hunter, the Badagshin appears before him as half a deer, yet for his friend it appears before him as half an old woman. Within a few weeks the friend is dead. This phenomenon may be explained in terms of the Darhad perspectivist cosmology i tself, for the friend has undergone transformation from human being to non-human being through the complete adoption of the Badagshins point of view and crossed through to the other side, resulting in death. It is not the hunter himself comprising two perspectives, but rather the cosmology itself, and by being seen only in the form of halves, they reveal in the form of their virtual, invisible halves an occult vicinity between the human and the non-human (Pedersen, 2007:323). Exchanges of perspectives for the Darhad appear essentially abrupt, as one leaps from one form of being to another, with the nomadic void playing the role of a trampoline, as one jumps between finite worlds (Pedersen, 2007). A key difference between Darhad perspectivism and Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism is that the Darhads encounters with spiritual beings are always incomplete, as the Badagshin example illustrates. Humphrey (1996) also reveals that encounters with spiritual beings amongst the Daur of Mongolia tend to always be incomplete and intermitted. Amerindian perspectivism appears more symmetrical and horizontal, whereas Darhad perspectivism appears asymmetrical and transcendent (Holbraad Willerslev, 2007). The Mongolian shamans ability to undergo various metamorphoses and gain the perspectives of another being can be directly linked to the evasion of the hierarchy within a society that is highly rigid (Pedersen, 2001). As a consequence of this spiritual hierarchy, exchanges of perspectives are vertical rather than horizontal, a direct contrast to Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism. Holbraad and Pedersen (2007) suggest that in Inner Asia, beings can become other not because they are themselves already other (as in Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism), but rather because the perspectives that they can occupy remain other to them (p.331). These are transcendental perspectives and reflect more of a totemic reality than an animistic reality apparent in Amerindian perspectivism. It would appear that Mongolian perspectivist cosmology is very different to that of Amerindian perspectivism. Much ethnography in Siberia has revealed a more animistic cosmological perspectivism, and yields more similarities to Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism. Stepanoff (2009) studied cannibal shamans in Siberia and adopts a perspectivist approach to elucidate that the shamans become cannibals because they see humans as prey animals. Similarly, Bogorazs (1904-1910) ancient ethnography on the Chuckchee can be seen to draw parallels with Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism in that others, in this case the kely spirits, see themselves as humans and humans see themselves as others. Kely spirits live like humans in villages and hunt humans which they call little seals. Social relations in Siberia appear horizontal rather than vertical, which, as a condition for animism appears to align them with Amerindian perspectivism rather more than their Mongolian neighbours. Likewise, the space constituted by human beings and non-human beings amounts to a boundless whole rather than a discontinuous grid (Pedersen, 2001). Pedersen (2001) puts forward the notion of animist analogous identification in Siberian cosmology, which holds the viewpoint that one has the ability to imagine oneself in someone elses position, and the ability to imagine someone else in ones own position. This correlates with Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism. Thus, I would argue that Siberian perspectivist cosmologies are much more similar to Amerindian perspectivist cosmologies than their Mongolian neighbours. However, it is challenging in itself to stretch Viveiros de Castros concepts that fit Amerindian cosmology to other parts of the world due to the fact that there is so much differentiation. The question ultimately comes down to whether Viveiros de Castros perspectivism can be seen as a theory or not, and whether it should be applied to other parts of the world. Holbraad and Willserlev (2007) suggest that Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism may be regarded as a theory due to the fact that it is an essentially intellectual artefact: theory is born of the anthropologists mental effort (p.330). However, this particular theory appears somewhat constrained by its ethnographic material of which the theory was conceived of, and the context from which it derived from cannot necessarily be applied to other ethnographic contexts. This does not detract from the fact that Viveiros de Castro has put forward an Amerindian perspectivist theory, which does exactly what it says on the tin.

J.P. Morgan Essay -- essays research papers

J.P. Morgan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When people talk about J.P. Morgan, they often refer to one man. The J.P. Morgan dynasty was in fact a combined effort of three generations of Morgans. In 1838, American businessman George Peabody opened the London merchant banking firm that would establish the roots of the House of Morgan. In 1854, Junius S. Morgan became the partner of George Peabody and eventually took over the firm in 1864, renaming it J.S. Morgan & Co. At the age of twenty four, J. Pierpont Morgan inherited his father’s business, renamed the business to J.P. Morgan & Co., and made a point to consolidate the firm’s American and European interests. Under Pierpont’s authority, J.P. Morgan & Co. had a great impact on enterprises such as railroads, steel, mining, and other utilities that helped establish the United States as an industrial power. The personality of J. Peirpont Morgan is best described in a statement he made to the U.S. Congressional banking committee in 1912. à ¢â‚¬Å"The first thing is character†¦before money or anything else. Money cannot buy it†¦because a man I do not trust could not get money from me on all the bonds in Christendom.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It should also be noted that in 1868, the Paris banking firm Drexel, Harjes & Co. was formed. Pierpont became a partner in 1871 and the firm was later renamed Morgan, Harjes & Co.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Five years after his father’s death, ...

Ecstasy: Greater Affects on Women? :: science

Ecstasy: Greater Affects on Women? Ecstasy: Are Women More Susceptible To Brain Damage? The rave scene. It’s becoming a popular way to ‘kick-back’ for high school and college kids. â€Å"Everyone† is doing it at parties. Unfortunately, this party isn’t all fun and games. Drugs are prevalent at raves. Ecstasy, one of the most popular drugs abused there is like the tiny insects that aren‘t widely feared, but can be deadly. It looks small and innocent, but its more harmful than you may think. Ecstasy is actually C11H15NO2, which means. New studies show women may be at an even greater risk to prolonged effects of the drug ecstasy- 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. It is commonly known that ecstasy produces great levels of serotonin. These chemicals are released in the brain, generating a false sense of happiness, self-esteem, and increase sexual drive. Prolonged exposure to the drug can result in a lack of serotonin altogether, leading to depression and many other mental illnesses. Ecstasy is commonly classified as a stimulant. Ecstasy is most often found in pill form, although it is also sold as a powder. Imprints on the pill classify them into ‘brand names’. Frequent users are known to buy from the same ‘brand’ just like most all consumers prefer one brand of milk or orange juice. The drug is easy to find and can range in prices from $20 - $50 per tablet. Since demand at the club scene is so high, buyers are sometimes sold imitation ‘X’, a drug that could contain any number of substances. Any other variant of Ecstasy could also be found with a mixture of drugs. Ecstasy is called: MAMA, X, XTC, Adam, The love drug, and many other names still being created. (www.ecstasy.org) Dutch studies grouped participants into three categories of users: moderate, heavy, and ex-users. Moderate use is classified as less than 50 tablets; heavy is more than 50 tablets; and ex-users were reportedly off ecstasy for at least one-year before the study. Users had to abstain from all drug use for 3 weeks before the study was conducted. The three groups were also categorized by gender and age. The study revealed that MAMA use might result in lowered levels in the density of serotonin transporters in the brain. It also suggests that the degree of those levels was partially dependent on sex. Moderate users of both male and female participants did not seem to lead to a large reduction in the production of serotonin.

Economics Commentary Essay

The article I have chosen to base my commentary on is â€Å"SpiceJet buys 30 Q400† aircraft from the times of India (website) and the article was published on 30th of august, 2011. As the title suggests the article discusses about the recent acquisition made by SpiceJet of 30 Q400 aircrafts from Bombardier in order to reach out to more of the tier 2 and tier 3 cities in India, where there is a potential demand which has not been yet met entirely. These cities include Aurangabad, Bhopal, Indore, Mangalore, Rajahmundry, Tirupati and Vijayawada also SpiceJet will start operating direct flights to cities that is not easily available such as; from Hyderabad to Goa and Madurai, Nagpur to Pune and Bangalore to Vizag. This plan to improve air connectivity by SpiceJet has given a lot of satisfaction to many people as their travel has been made much more easier for many citizens of India. Also this the first time that any airline in India has bought these new changes and it allows the company to have monopoly, when concerning these particular routes. Through these changes SpiceJet will be able to increase their customer base and reach out to a more niche market that had been previously neglected by them. This improvement in their route and by providing more aircrafts SpiceJet will enable them to increase their supply thus resulting in their prices to decrease (as can be seen on diagram 1). Moreover the Q400 aircrafts are comparatively much more fuel efficient which not only decreases their cost and hence allows them to offer â€Å"affordable journey to the common people† but also improves their public image because it promotes them as being environmental friendly and hence increase their demand thus bringing about an increase in the equilibrium quantity and price as well (as can be seen on diagram 2). Additionally it makes sure that SpiceJet would be less prone to criticism from NGOs or other pressure groups. Q400 is considered to be the â€Å"best short-haul plane† and comparatively is more comfortable than other planes like it. This will increase the demand of this series of aircraft and most probably more of airlines companies would like to buy flights from bombardier these and hence the price would be increased (as can be seen by figure 3). In addition to this The Q400 aircraft due to its comfort would also benefit SpiceJet as more passengers would like to travel through it compared to other airlines thus causing the demand curve to shift upwards and thus allowing the prices to increase even further (as can be seen by figure 4). The Q400 aircraft are not only going to benefit SpiceJet but also millions of people and India as a whole since this would cause a drastic improvement in communications. Also it will set a trend for other airlines to also offer more routes and hence force the prices to go even lower as the competition will increase and the demand would become comparatively elastic (as can be seen by diagram 5).

Personal Reflection †My life compare to the Amish Essay

The Amish had first been discovered in 1693, they are known for simple living and plain dressing. Even though they have been around for a very long time their ways of living are still very similar to what it was since the beginning. Unlike my ways of living, I have been on this earth for 16 years (still counting) and my ways of life have changed dramatically year after year. The Amish and I have some similarities and many differences. From the way the use of technology, our gender, our roles and status and even our religion. my life revolves around technology, from the moment I wake up to the moment I step into bed at the end of the day I am surrounded by technology. we might think technology is what makes the world go round. But the Amish thinks differ, they live their life with no use of technology what so ever. this means no phones, no television, no laptop, no electricity (only allowed in certain areas) and definitely no cars. they believe if too much technology is used, the community will slowly be separated from each other. which I believe is very correct. instead of using cars for transport, they would use horse – drawn buggies. my daily routine, everything I do most likely consist of the use of technology. throughout the day I use my phone, use my computer, I use car as a transport, and I am surround by electricity. I feel ashamed of myself because I think the use of technology is the only way someone can get through a day. As for gender, the Amish always had the male(father) as the head of the family. But in my house hold my mum(female) is the head of the house, which is completely opposite to the Amish. The Amish said that unmarried could work and married women had to work within the home . But in my life, women have a choice whether they want to work or stay home whether they’re married or not. when working I have the choice whether to give my pay to my mother or not. but according to the Amish, working children have to give all their pay to their father to support the family. The Amish are very close to one other and families are usually always nearby even after marriage. but where I am living, at the age of 18, family member are able to leave as they please and as far away as they want. since birth my mum never forced me into a certain religion, I was given the choice to choose which religion would suite me best. unlike me the Amish aren’t as lucky as I am, from birth have Christianity forced onto them, and every since that day their lives are now devoted to god. this means devoting  yourself to god before being accepted as an adult member. they are believe that they must obey god at all times. They strongly believe in peace and cooperation. unlike us people who think technology and money makes the world go round and that power is the key to happiness. And lastly our roles and statue, from a young age the Amish were taught their roles, kids would go to school till year 8. The males are always the leader of the family and the person who makes decisions for the entire family and sometimes community. they are also expected to have to work on farm to provide for the family. the females are expected to take care of the family and maintain the house. females usually don’t have jobs outside the house, but young women are usually school teachers. in our society the roles and status can be similar and very different compare to the Amish, in our society males can be the leader but so can the females, the roles in our society are more equal. both males and females can find jobs, do house chores and both can look after the family. And kids finish school at a much older age. in conclusion, the Amish ways of living compare to mine are very different. there is no right way or wrong in living life, both cultures have different views to thin gs so their beliefs to think will be different. At the end of the day we are all human, and we should all respect each other instead of stereotyping one another.