Free Essays on Fashion Islam

Firstly the matter of dress. A Muslim woman may wear whatever she pleases in the presence of her husband and family or among women friends. But when she goes out or when men other than her husband or close family are present she is expected to wear a dress which will cover all parts of her body, and which should not reveal the figure. This is in total contrast with Western fashions which every now and then concentrate quite intentionally on exposing yet another erogenous zone to the public gaze! In the past few years we have seen the rise and fall of the minidress, the micro-skirt, the wet look, hot pants, the see-thru', the topless and other garments designed to display or emphasize the intimate parts of a woman's body. One may observe a similar tendency of late in men's dress which has become almost skin-tight, although here the men's fashion designers appear to have come to a temporary standstill until men are liberated enough to accept topless or see-thru' trousers, which is fortunately not yet the case.... Free Essays on Fashion Islam Free Essays on Fashion Islam Firstly the matter of dress. A Muslim woman may wear whatever she pleases in the presence of her husband and family or among women friends. But when she goes out or when men other than her husband or close family are present she is expected to wear a dress which will cover all parts of her body, and which should not reveal the figure. This is in total contrast with Western fashions which every now and then concentrate quite intentionally on exposing yet another erogenous zone to the public gaze! In the past few years we have seen the rise and fall of the minidress, the micro-skirt, the wet look, hot pants, the see-thru', the topless and other garments designed to display or emphasize the intimate parts of a woman's body. One may observe a similar tendency of late in men's dress which has become almost skin-tight, although here the men's fashion designers appear to have come to a temporary standstill until men are liberated enough to accept topless or see-thru' trousers, which is fortunately not yet the case....

The Imjin War, Japanese Invasions of Korea

The Imjin War, Japanese Invasions of Korea Dates: May 23, 1592 - December 24, 1598 Adversaries:  Japan versus Joseon Korea and Ming China Troop strength:   Korea - 172,000 national army and navy, 20,000 insurgent fighters Ming China - 43,000 imperial troops (1592 deployment); 75,000 to 90,000 (1597 deployment) Japan - 158,000 samurai and sailors (1592 invasion); 141,000 samurai and sailors (1597 invasion) Outcome:  Victory for Korea and China, led by Korean naval successes. Defeat for Japan. In 1592, the Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched his samurai armies against the Korean Peninsula. It was the opening move in the Imjin War (1592-98). Hideyoshi envisioned this as the first step in a campaign to conquer Ming China; he expected to roll over Korea quickly, and even dreamed of going on to India once China had fallen. However, the invasion did not go as Hideyoshi planned. Build-up to the First Invasion    As early as 1577, Toyotomi Hideyoshi wrote in a letter that he had dreams of conquering China. At the time, he was just one of Oda Nobunagas generals. Japan itself was still in the throes of the Sengoku or Warring States period, a century-long era of chaos and civil war among the different domains. By 1591, Nobunaga was dead and Hideyoshi was in charge of a much more unified Japan, with northern Honshu the last major region to fall to his armies.   Having accomplished so much, Hideyoshi began to give serious thought once more to his old dream of taking on China, the major power of East Asia.   A victory would prove the might of reunified Japan, and bring her immense glory. Hideyoshi first sent emissaries to the court of Joseon Koreas King Seonjo in 1591, requesting permission to send a Japanese army through Korea on its way to attack China. The Korean king refused.   Korea had long been a tributary state of Ming China, while relations with Sengoku Japan had seriously deteriorated thanks to incessant Japanese pirate attacks all along Koreas coast.   There was simply no way that the Koreans would allow Japanese troops to use their country as a staging ground for an assault on China. King Seonjo sent his own embassies to Japan in turn, to try and learn what Hideyoshis intentions were. The different ambassadors returned with different reports, and Seonjo chose to believe those who said that Japan would not attack. He made no military preparations. Hideyoshi, however, was busy gathering an army of 225,000 men. Its officers and most of the troops were samurai, both mounted and foot soldiers, under the leadership of some major daimyo from Japans most powerful domains.   Some of the troops were also from the common classes, farmers or craftsmen, who were conscripted to fight. In addition, Japanese workers built a huge naval base on western Kyushu, just across the Tsushima Strait from Korea. The naval force that would ferry this enormous army across the strait consisted of both men-of-war and requisitioned pirate boats, manned by a total of 9,000 sailors. Japan Attacks The first wave of Japanese troops arrived at Busan, on Koreas southeast corner, on April 13, 1592. Some 700 boats offloaded three divisions of samurai soldiers, who rushed Busans unprepared defenses and captured this major port in a matter of hours. The few Korean soldiers who survived the onslaught sent messengers running to King Seonjos court in Seoul, while the rest retreated inland to try to regroup. Armed with muskets, against Koreans with bows and swords, the Japanese troops quickly swept toward Seoul. About 100 kilometers from their target, they met the first real resistance on April 28 - a Korean army of about 100,000 men at Chungju. Not trusting his green recruits to stay on the field, Korean general Shin Rip staged his forces in a swampy y-shaped area between the Han and Talcheon Rivers.   The Koreans had to stand and fight or die.   Unfortunately for them, the 8,000 Korean cavalry riders bogged down in flooded rice paddies and Korean arrows had a much shorter range than the Japanese muskets. The Battle of Chungju soon turned into a massacre. General Shin led two charges against the Japanese, but couldnt break through their lines. Panicking, the Korean troops fled and jumped into the rivers where they drowned, or got hacked down and decapitated by samurai swords.   General Shin and the other officers committed suicide by drowning themselves in the Han River. When King Seonjo heard that his army was destroyed, and the hero of the Jurchen Wars, General Shin Rip, was dead, he packed up his court and fled north. Angry that their king was deserting them, people along his flight path stole all of the horses from the royal party. Seonjo didnt stop until he reached Uiju, on the Yalu River, which is now the border between North Korea and China. Just three weeks after they landed at Busan, the Japanese captured the Korean capital of Seoul (then called Hanseong). It was a grim moment for Korea. Admiral Yi and the Turtle Ship Unlike King Seonjo and the army commanders, the admiral who was in charge of defending Koreas southwest coast had taken the threat of a Japanese invasion seriously, and had begun to prepare for it.   Admiral Yi Sun-shin, the Left Navy Commander of Cholla Province, had spent the previous couple of years building up Koreas naval strength.   He even invented a new kind of ship unlike anything known before. This new ship was called the kobuk-son, or turtle ship, and it was the worlds first iron-clad warship. The kobuk-sons deck was covered with hexagonal iron plates, as was the hull, to prevent enemy cannon shot from damaging the planking and to ward off fire from flaming arrows. It had 20 oars, for maneuverability and speed in battle. On the deck, iron spikes jutted up to discourage boarding attempts by enemy fighters. A dragons head figurehead on the bow concealed four cannon that fired iron shrapnel at the enemy. Historians believe that Yi Sun-shin himself was responsible for this innovative design. With a much smaller fleet than Japans, Admiral Yi racked up 10 crushing naval victories in a row through use of his turtle ships, and his brilliant battle tactics. In the first six battles, the Japanese lost 114 ships and many hundreds of their sailors. Korea, in contrast, lost zero ships and 11 sailors. In part, this amazing record was also due to the fact that most of Japans sailors were poorly-trained former pirates, while Admiral Yi had been carefully training a professional naval force for years. The Korean Navys tenth victory brought Admiral Yi an appointment as the Commander of the Three Southern Provinces. On July 8, 1592, Japan suffered its worst defeat yet at the hands of Admiral Yi and the Korean navy. In the Battle of Hansan-do, Admiral Yis fleet of 56 met a Japanese fleet of 73 ships. The Koreans managed to encircle the larger fleet, destroying 47 of them and capturing 12 more. Approximately 9,000 Japanese soldiers and sailors were killed.   Korean lost none of its ships, and just 19 Korean sailors died. Admiral Yis victories at sea were not simply an embarrassment for Japan. The Korean naval actions cut off the Japanese army from the home islands, leaving it stranded in the middle of Korea without supplies, reinforcements, or a communication route. Although the Japanese were able to capture the old northern capital at Pyongyang on July 20, 1592, their northward movement soon bogged down.   Rebels and Ming With the tattered remnants of the Korean army hard-pressed, but filled with hope thanks to Koreas naval victories, the ordinary people of Korea rose up and began a guerrilla war against the Japanese invaders. Tens of thousands of farmers and slaves picked off small groups of Japanese soldiers, set fire to Japanese camps, and generally harried the invading force in every possible way. By the end of the invasion, they were organizing themselves into formidable fighting forces, and winning set battles against the samurai. In February, 1593, the Ming government finally realized that the Japanese invasion of Korea posed a serious threat to China as well. By this time, some Japanese divisions were battling with the Jurchens in what is now Manchuria, northern China. The Ming sent an army of 50,000 which quickly routed the Japanese from Pyongyang, pushing them south to Seoul.   Japan Retreats China threatened to send a much larger force, some 400,000 strong, if the Japanese didnt withdraw from Korea. The Japanese generals on the ground agreed to withdraw to the area around Busan while peace talks were held. By May of 1593, most of the Korean Peninsula had been liberated, and the Japanese were all concentrated in a narrow coastal strip on the southwestern corner of the country. Japan and China chose to hold peace talks without inviting any Koreans to the table. In the end, these would drag on for four years, and emissaries for both sides brought false reports back to their rulers. Hideyoshis generals, who feared his increasingly erratic behavior and his habit of having people boiled alive, gave him the impression that they had won the Imjin War. As a result, Hideyoshi issued a series of demands: China would allow Japan to annex the four southern provinces of Korea; one of the Chinese emperors daughters would be married to the Japanese emperors son; and Japan would receive a Korean prince and other nobles as hostages to guarantee Koreas compliance with Japanese demands. The Chinese delegation feared for their own lives if they presented such an outrageous treaty to the Wanli Emperor, so they forged a much more humble letter in which Hideyoshi begged China to accept Japan as a tributary state. Predictably,  Hideyoshi was incensed  when the Chinese emperor replied to this forgery late in 1596 by granting Hideyoshi the bogus title King of Japan, and giving Japan status as a vassal state of China. The Japanese leader ordered preparations for a second invasion of Korea. Second Invasion On August 27, 1597, Hideyoshi sent an armada of 1000 ships carrying 100,000 troops to reinforce the 50,000 who remained at Busan. This invasion had a more modest goal - simply to occupy Korea, rather than to conquer China. However, the Korean army was much better prepared this time, and the Japanese invaders had a tough slog ahead of them. The second round of the Imjin War also began with a novelty - the Japanese navy defeated the Korean navy at the Battle of Chilcheollyang, in which all but 13 Korean ships were destroyed. In large part, this defeat was due to the fact that Admiral Yi Sun-shin had been the victim of a whispered smear campaign at court, and had been removed from his command and imprisoned by King Seonjo.  After the disaster of Chilcheollyang, the king quickly pardoned and reinstated Admiral Yi.   Ã‚   Japan planned to seize the entire southern coast of Korea, then march for Seoul once more. This time, however, they met a joint Joseon and Ming army at Jiksan (now Cheonan), which held them off from the capital and even began to push them back toward Busan. Meanwhile, the reinstated Admiral Yi Sun-shin led the Korean navy in its most astonishing victory yet at the Battle of Myongnyang in October of 1597. The Koreans were still trying to rebuild after the Chilcheollyang fiasco; Admiral Yi had just 12 ships under his command.   He managed to lure 133 Japanese vessels in to a narrow channel, where the Korean ships, strong currents, and rocky coastline destroyed them all. Unbeknownst to the Japanese troops and sailors, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had died back in Japan on September 18, 1598. With him died all will to continue this grinding, pointless war. Three months after the warlords death, the Japanese leadership ordered a general retreat from Korea. As the Japanese began to withdraw, the two navies fought one last great battle at the Noryang Sea. Tragically, in the midst of another stunning victory, Admiral Yi was hit by a stray Japanese bullet and died on the deck of his flagship.   In the end, Korea lost an estimated 1 million soldiers and civilians in the two invasions, while Japan lost more than 100,000 troops. It was a senseless war, but it did give Korea a great national hero and a new naval technology - the famous turtle ship.

Social Welfare Dependence of Single Mothers Research Paper

Social Welfare Dependence of Single Mothers - Research Paper Example The support is provided with the proviso that it may well be reduced and/or withdrawn any time when the condition of the recipient improves. Subsequent to the relief support provided to people in distress, 'make work', a New Deal concept created during the 1930s or later on redefined as 'workfare' were initiated so that the temporarily affected would feel that they earned their relief support rather than receiving it as a hand out (Prabhakar 1). Workfare is also a concept used in relation to welfare reform. It is a mechanism of imposing work requirements on recipients of public assistance. Despite several problems workfare encountered in the past, a number of states use it now as a means of shifting welfare dependent persons into the formal wage work with the proviso that sometime in the future those who, it is claimed, did not have work experiences, would be acquainted with the world of work, and would somehow hook themselves to jobs and eventually become self-sufficient. Single mot her parents, the recipients of public and other institutional assistance, are people, who for various reasons, including the death of or abandonment, separation or unmarried status, become household heads and take care of their children and other members of the family in place of the traditional breadwinner - the husband. The number of poor people in single mother household heads rose from some two million in the 1950s and 1960s to 11.4 million in 2010 (Seccombe 23; Open City Foundations, 1). Although single mothers were provided with welfare checks and other basic need supplies from the state on a relief basis, many were not able to achieve self-sufficiency. Alternative approaches that would capacitate single mothers need to be explored. Policy Issues and Poverty Urban poverty as it relates to single mothers has been a serious problem that had defied meaningful solution in the U.S.

How the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline would affect the Term Paper

How the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline would affect the United States - Term Paper Example The current US energy policy allows Canada to ship oil to main refineries in the US; the congress should reject any attempts to authorize the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline (Alperrovitz and Speth 164). Geothermal power, coal and hydroelectric energy are friendlier to the ecosystem. Coal has some negative impacts like air pollution but it can be exploited cheaply. Hydroelectric energy is more reliable and sustainable to produce since the US has many rivers and dams. The US energy policy should aim at enhancing biodiesels energy since it does not damage the environment and encourages recycling of waste. The government should invest heavily in geothermal power exploitation in order to meet the current energy needs and ensure sustainability of the energy supply (Fickling and Schott 67). Statement of the purpose Keystone XL pipeline will cover about 1661 miles from Alberta through Oklahoma and finally terminate in Texas. The pipeline is intended to ship Canada oil sands to US refineries in the Gulf coast. TransCanada, which is the company behind the pipeline proposal, has made plans of constructing the pipeline using thinner steel in order to avoid instances of oil spillage. If plans of the pipeline proceed, the pipeline will increase the level of toxic tar to the US ecosystem and jeopardize national goals of achieving renewable and clean energy sources. The pipeline will transport approximately 1 million barrels of crude oil daily to the US refineries. Keystone XL pipeline construction has both positive and negative consequences to the US economy (Rapier 237). The debate of the pipeline project has become a major political weapon especially in the current election year, where several politicians have taken opposing views on whether the US congress should permit Keystone XL pipeline constru ction. The pipeline will boast the staggering economy through additional jobs in construction sites and refineries. The pipeline will adversely affect the climate policy since heavy and poisonous gas emissions are expected from the refineries (Alperrovitz and Speth 173). The pipeline will destroy water resources since it will cut through several rivers that supply safe drinking and agricultural water to the communities living near the pipeline (Fickling and Schott 69). There have been numerous public concerns and heated debate on dirty oil emissions and oil spillage that may damage the US ecosystem. Introduction On November 4th 2011, TransCanada announced its support for the Keystone XL pipeline. The State of Nebraska supports the development of the pipeline. If the proposed pipeline is approved, the pipeline will avoid sand hills since Nebraskans will give their decisions on the pipeline root (Rapier 270). The proposed pipeline will expand the current TransCanada Keystone pipeline network. It will have the capacity to deliver the Canadian oil sands up to 100,000 barrels per day from the production in North Dakota and Bakken formation (Rapier 237). The production of oil from North Dakota has shot up in the past few years from the initial 100,000 barrels per day to the current 450,000 barrels per day (Rapier 277). According to the US law, cross border pipeline projects should receive Presidential permit and the authority is delegated to the State Department. Under the current North American Free Trade Agreement

Idle Tears Paraphrase Essay Example for Free

Idle Tears Paraphrase Essay Paraphrase: As the speaker looks upon cheerful autumn fields, he longs for bygone days. His feelings rise from the seat of emotion, the heart, and gather to the eyes (line 3) as tears. He cannot link the tears to a specific memory, for they are idle tears—tears that he cannot explain. Apparently, it is the past in general that moves him, the days that are (lines 5, 10, 15, and 20). .The past can hearten, like mornings first light on the sail of a ship returning our friends from the land of the dead. And it can sadden, like evenings last light on the sail of a ship carrying those friends beyond the horizon. So sad, so fresh (line 10) are those days of long ago. .How strange and sad it is for a dying man to hear the first chirp of the birds at the dawn of a summer day and watch the sun turn the window into a glimmering square. .The bygone days are as sweet to us as the memories of kisses from loved ones who have died—as as sweet at those we imagined we bestowed on the lips of a person pledged to another. Memories of those days are as deep as first love and full of regret for what we did or did not do. They are death in life, those days that are long gone. Figures of speech: Alliteration know not (line 1) depth of some divine despair (line 2) Fresh as the first beam (line 6) friends up from (line 7) which reddens over one (line 8) with all we love below the verge (line 9) So sad, so fresh (line 10) sad and strange as in dark summer dawns (line 11)Apostrophe/Paradox Death in Life Apostrophe: The speaker addresses Death. Paradox: Death in Life Metaphor Death in Life, the days that are no more (line 20) Comparison of the days that are no more to Death in Life Simile The second stanza compares the freshness of the days that are no more (line 10) to the freshness of the first beam (line 6). It also compares the sadness of the days that are no more to the sadness of the last [beam] which reddens (line 8). The simile reads this way: The days that are no more are fresh as the first beam glittering on a sail . . . [and] sad as the last one which reddens. . . . The third stanza compares the sadness and strangeness of the days that are no more (line 15) to the earliest pipe of half-awakend birds / To dying ears (lines 11 and 12). The simile reads this way: The days that are no more are sad and strange . . . as the earliest pipe of half-awakend birds to dying ears. The fourth stanza compares the days that are no more (line 20) to the dearness of remembered kisses (line 16), the sweetness of kisses by hopeless fancy feigned (line 17), and the deepness of love (lines 18 and 19). The simile reads this way: The days that are no more are dear as remembered kisses after death . . . and sweet as those by hopeless fancy feignd . . . deep as love, deep as first love. . . .

Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

Gatsby Essay Reserving Judgements is a Matter of Infinite Hope† pg. 6 F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This quote is the fundamental axiom that the book revolves around. Nick’s father told this to him and he hasn’t forgotten the quote or the intrinsic moral significance that goes along with it. So much is spoken and gossiped about Jay Gatsby before he is even introduced in the novel that no one knows his true character, except for the fact he’s a rich man who throws wild parties in West Egg. In the novel, both social image and the perception of wealth play important parts in illustrating the internal class structure of West and East Egg. The fact the Gatsby is such an enigmatic character makes the audience wonder about the internal make-up of his personality, since most of his life Gatsby has been trying to escape his true image. In the case with Nick, the narrator, and Gatsby, as long as judgments are not made, Nick can be optimistic about Gatsby and their relationship and hope for the best, even if the best situation is not always reached. Mo re generally, however, it advocates tolerance and understanding regardless of social status, or preconceived information.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Within the first chapter of the novel, there is already a contradiction and a questioning of Nick’s moral integrity as he regresses from his comment slightly. While he nobly and humbly mentions that he is tolerant and nonjudgmental, he also regards himself as morally privileged, having a greater sense of ‘decencies’ than other people. It makes sense that New York’s social dichotomy and the vast difference between the rich and the poor, the arrogant and the humble has given Nick a complete moral spectrum.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This quote not only symbolizes a creed that Nick lives by, but it also represents the ideal morality that unfortunately many of the frantic, materialistic, capitalistic easterners lack. Judgments and stereotypes and the declination of American values play a huge role in explaining the relationship with the two distinct sides of the neighborhood. The main distinction is between East Egg and the old rich people, who claimed their wealth through inheritance from ancestors who were among the richest people in the country, and the new rich people, like Gatsby, who obtained their wealth through entrepreneurial business that sometimes lacked integrity and morality. In addition to the difference in the assumption of wealth, the older rich people from East Egg tend to be more humble, graceful, and elegant with their riches, while the new rice West Eggers are ostentatious, and vulgar, as is characterized by Gatsby’s tasteless, wild drinking parties.

Mortgage

The American consumer has now gotten himself into trouble by simply living beyond his means. This is nothing new in America as only 2% of those who are set to retire at age 65, have enough in their savings and investments to have the same standard of living that they once knew when they were younger. (Saft 2007 pg. C3) Credit card debt is skyrocketing and people can see no light at the end of the tunnel except for filing bankruptcy. What has been in the news recently and has shown how careless the American consumer can be is the number of foreclosures from supreme mortgages have gone through the roof and is to the degree that the fall out will likely result, and has already resulted in, effecting other sectors in the United States economy. There has been reported some relief as the Federal Reserve, on September 18th, announced that interest rates would be cut. This is only a short term resolution and the  ¼ % that it will likely be cut, will not bring enough relief to the millions of Americans who bought a more expensive home than they could afford. (Stempel, 2007) The predatory practices of lenders across the country have added to this as well. Sub prime mortgages deal with mortgages that were given to people with less than perfect credit scores who do not have to show to the same extent, financial proof that they can afford to pay the loan that they are applying for in order to buy their dream house. The fall out has occurred and will continue to occur as millions of people are in danger of losing their homes. The existence of the sub prime mortgage is important to note as well. Even at a conservative interest rate, a 30 year fixed mortgage, a lender will make on average, close to $200,000 on a $100,000 loan. (Rudd, 2007) Those that have the money to lend, will make a great deal of money in their return. The demand is high for homes as it is an important aspect of the American dream to own a home. However, many Americans suffer from poor credit scores as a result of past bills which had not been paid or past loans which had not been honored. As a result, this hurts the individual’s credit score; the most important piece of information that will help a lender to decide if giving a loan to the individual will constitute a risk to the lender. The lender is in the business of lending money and does not want to be in the necessary position to repossess one’s home. An individual with a low credit score and who was not able to prove that they had the necessary income to support their monthly mortgage payment, was denied the loan. This was for the protection of the lender as well as the borrorrer. These were the self imposed rules with the lending industry followed. Now, things have changed. There is so much money to be made in the lending market when good loans are made, that lenders are now playing on the lust that Americans have to own a home. This is not a lust to just own a home, but rather to own the largest and grandest home possible. The individual will not correctly study his budget to see the amount of a mortgage which he would afford and thinks with his heart and not his wallet. Also, the existence adjustable rate mortgages of ARMS; mortgages which are advantageous to the individual when the interest rate is low but which will rise, sometimes exponentially when the Federal Reserve raises the interest rate in order to stabilize the economy. In recent months, the interest rate has increased and therefore, mortgages which commanded an $800 a month payment, can now easily exceed $1100, depending on the initial interest rate which the individual was able to secure. (Seiders 2007 pg. 3) As a result, those individuals who have figured too closely, their budget and never really were in the position to buy a $200,000 home, default on their loan. Two missed payments and the foreclosure process begins. Full payment of the missed months, along with interest and penalty rates is what is needed for the individual to become up to date on his loan. For millions of people this decade, that has never come to fruition and not only are their homes lost, their credit is ruined for the next 7-10 years to such an extent that even the most predatory lender would shy away from giving that individual a loan in the immediate future. Needless to say, this effects those individuals who have no lost their homes, to a dizzying degree. However, there are other effects to the different sectors of the economy and the employees of these branches of the American work force who themselves, are not having a problem paying their mortgage and who though that they would never personally be effected from the sub prime mortgage if they were only smart enough to stay away from such predatory lenders. Such is not the case as so much of our economy is interchangeable and depends upon the success of the other. The fallout from the sub prime mortgage details such interdependence. One way in which the fallout from the sub prime market has affected the economy is in the stock market. There have been a number of very large companies which had either been forced to lay off thousands of workers, or have simply filed for bankruptcy. On June 20, 2007, Merrill Lynch seized more than $800 million in assets from two famous hedge funds that were previously involved in sub prime loans. (Saft, 2007 pg 4)   Now, these funds are worthless on paper and their assets have now been depleted. American Home Mortgage Investment Corporation announced that it had suffered a billion dollar loss and that a proposed $4.9 billion deal with Radian Group, would no longer come to fruition. (* Myers, 2007) Also, just last month, Countrywide, the largest American lender, accounted that it was being forced to cut 12,000 jobs from its payroll as a result of the sub prime mortgage fall out. It was reported that a staggering 19% of the total number of loans fell under the sub prime category. (Myers, 2007) It should therefore be no surprise to Countrywide, as well as those who follow the mortgage industry, when they hear of such steep job cuts. This was one of the hardest blows to the American economy and effects the economy in three main areas. The first effect is the fact that 12,000 people lost their jobs. Some individuals, for example, John Bryne, had been employed at Countrywide for over twenty years and now has lost a job and many companies will see him as too old to be hired. â€Å"I do not know what I am going to do. I was planning to retire with Countrywide. I will try to start over and on my own. However, I do not know if I will be able to find people who I can trust to repay their loan. It is a tough situation.† (Saft, 2007 pg.4) 12,000 people, along with the others who worked for lenders who are now out of business, have suffered the same fate. This is the result of individuals who have taken out a loan that they never should have had in the first place. When a mortgage is foreclosed upon, it is not only the individual who losses. The lender looses tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars, on the life of the loan. Also, lenders who have what the Federal Reserve regards as too many defaulted loans, and that lender can be shut down and find themselves out of business. Another negative aspect to the loss of 12,000 jobs from Countrywide, as well as the other lost jobs in the lending institution is the effect that it has on the stock market. The stock market and the study of it is a very complex thing. Many times, a business can meet its quarter estimates and enjoy a steady profit; its P/E ratio is superior to others in that field and yet their stock price continues to struggle and millions of dollars in investor’s money, is lost. All of the above mentioned factors are important factors in deciding if this is a stock which one should invest in. However, the Dow, NASDAQ and S &P are indexes which, to some degree, is based upon speculation and perception. On July 19, 2007 the Dow hit a record high of 14,000. By August 15th, the Dow had fallen below 13,000 and as a result, billions of dollars was lost. (wwwcbsmarketwatch.com) Such a decrease has happened before but such is rare. â€Å"The current losses in the stock market cannot be considered a self imposed correction. It is a direct result from the mortgage crisis.† (Rudd, 2007) The news of the sub prime mortgage meltdown has resulted in the average investor taking out millions of dollars of his own money. When there is an extended period of high levels of selling, this will lead to a bear market in which an extended bear market will often times lead to a recession. The current American economy is not there yet and the news that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates will stem the tide of such things coming to reality. However, such negative news only hurts the economy as a whole and the major indexes can expect to take a major hit in the short as well as long term. This results in a depletion of billions of dollars of individuals’ hard earned money. A third way in which the sub prime mortgage fall out effects people who themselves are not in danger of defaulting on their loan, is the ways in which foreclosures affect the property values of the homes within a neighborhood. For many individuals, their home will be the most expensive investment that they will ever make in their lifetime. When home owners feel that their property values are decreasing, often times, this will increase the rapidity in which they will seek to move. A decrease of 10% or even 5%   in the individual’s property value is often times, enough of a stimuli to incite the individual to move. Those who cannot move or who cannot find a buyer for their homes, are stuck with the loss. How does this happen? There are many factors which appraisers take into effect when deciding a home’s value. One of the important factors is the % of vacant ( foreclosed)   homes in the neighborhood. Prospective new home buyers will be steered away from such neighborhoods as it is a sign of an economically depressed neighborhood and the possibility of their own home’s value increasing, is minimal. An average American will move at least 3 times in their life. That means, that there is a 66% chance that their home will be seen and used as an investment as well as a home in which to live. A home bought at $100,000 with even the remotest possibility of one day being valued at less than the purchase price, is often times enough of a reason not to buy that home and to generally steer clear of that neighborhood entirely or to rent for a longer period of time. This last aspect is detrimental to the city as the loss of property taxes hits the budget hard and impedes the services which the city is able to provide. The effect that the sub prime mortgage fall out has is mental as well as monetary. Many potential home buyers, those with superior credit, are simply postponing any purchases and is prompted to simply wait out the storm. â€Å"Showings are down, contracts written are down and sellers are just as backed away as buyers are. This from Lou Barnes, a partner in mortgage banking   with Boulder West Financial in Bouler, Colorado. Barnes continues to comment: â€Å"I think the psychological damage is worse than the financial damage which is already bad enough. Even for buyers who have plenty of cash can easily afford higher mortgage rates, the sudden change in the financing environment reduces the desire to buy a house unless you really have to.† (Donn 2007 pg. 3) This idea goes back to the concept that a home purchase is seen as an investment as much as a domicile. The self imposed prevention of potential buyers who have superior credit scores to buy homes, hurts the local economy and the businesses in the area. The negative effects of the housing fall out are intertwined, one depending upon the other. Another way the sub prime mortgage affects the economy is in the fallout. Sub prime mortgages, in a utopian world, would give individuals a second change at improving their credit scores and disallowing their credit mistakes of the past, from preventing them from one day buying a house. Many times, credit problems occur when an individual is in college. Generally, the maturity needed to fully appreciate the concepts of long term results to their immediate actions are void in their mindset. Money is tight and credit cards are readily available. As a result, many credit cards are charged to their limit until eventually the bill goes to collections and is reported to the credit bureau. Hopefully, that individual, upon graduating from college and being removed from the situation for a couple of years, matures to the degree that such occurrences would never again happen. However, without the existence of a sub prime mortgage, that individual would not be allowed to buy a home for years; until his or her credit score was improved to the new guidelines of a 660 FICO score from a previous 620 guideline. (Saft, 2007 pg. 2) Those who bought their home at the beginning of the year and who had less than perfect credit with incomes on the brink of the cut off point for their mortgage, could not have bought a home any later. The same young couple who goes to buy a house six months from now when the new guidelines are put in place in order to help avoid another fall out, will be forced to rent for another year or two before they can receive clearance for a loan. One of the most lasting as well as immediate effects upon the mortgage industry and those who depend upon it, are the lending practices. Economist Mark Doms states: â€Å"The sharp rise in delinquency rates on sub prime residential mortgages has raised concerns about credit underwriting practices and economic distress among borrowers and has drawn the attention of policy makers at the Fed and elsewhere.† (Doms 2007 pg. 3) This observation can equate to an effect upon possibly millions of Americans who were planning to buy a home in the next calendar year. This, as Mark Doms states, will have lasting effects. â€Å"Two of the potential channels through which house price appreciation may affect the sub prime delinquency rate that we suggest, are the incentive to protect home equity associated with recent appreciation in house prices on the demand for housing.† (Donn, 2007 pg. 3) Such observations will most likely come to fruition in the immediate future as it will be observed that the complete fall out from the sub prime mortgage crisis is yet to be fully realized. John Moutlon, former CEO of American   Mortgage Group stated the situation the best when he said: â€Å"It feels like this is just the tip of the iceberg and no one knows how it will shake out. We are trying to anticipate guideline changes.† (Myers, 2007) These are the real effects of the sub prime mortgage fallout; in the ways that it affects the average American man and woman. As an example, the story of two families highlights the real results of the mortgage meltdown. The real story of the sub prime mortgage is the effect that it has on the economy when these loans, on a wide scale, default and millions of individuals are affected. The Laird Family in Central Illinois was a new couple just starting out. Both parents worked but had modest jobs as the job market was not very strong in their area. The father, John was 25 and the mother Marie, was 23. They had a two year old child and were renting for the past 3 years together. Both had credit scores near 600 and their mortgage from a home that they were wanting to buy, would constitute 30% of their total monthly income. The price of the home was $140,000 with a $673 monthly mortgage payment. (Berry, 2007 pg C4) Their credit scores was not high and as a result, they were forced to pay a higher interest rate. However, they were sure that such a payment could be reached. They bought their home in May of 2007, just weeks before the mortgage meltdown. â€Å"I cant believe the timing. I am so fortunate. We both have poor credit scores and I doubt that we’d be able to secure a mortgage that was not sub prime† (Berry 2007 pg. C4) states John Laird. Their story was an American success story. However, those who came after John and who found themselves in similar situations, were not so lucky. In Oakland, California where the median home price is more than $400,000, homes are hard come by for those who are not very rich and who either have great credit or can put down a sizable down payment. This was not the case for Hector Esperanza. He earned a nice living at the age of 30 but the time when he first came to America as a legal citizen, were not so smooth. He ran up one unpaid bill after another and routinely had bill collectors calling him. In the last 3 years, he cleaned up his act and remained current on all of his bills. He then wants to buy a house for what is in comparison, a low purchase price of $228,000. His credit score was 615; right on the cusp of the old requirements but now, as a result of the mortgage meltdown in which lenders are now very nervous to approve such high risk loans, Hector was denied. His monthly payments would only constitute 25% of his monthly income. However, with the advent of stricter lending policies, Hector was seen as too much of a high risk. The sad state of affairs is that Hector is no longer the exception. The housing market is revolved around timing. No where has this become truer than in today’s current housing market. However, â€Å"prospective buyers are not interested in the appreciation in value that their homes could bring. Now, they are only wanting the chance to buy a home at all.† (Stempel, 2007) As a result, there have come from this current situation, some real and sobering numbers which affect millions of people. When viewing these statistics, it would behoove the lending industry to realize that this equates into many individuals who are severely affected. The forecast for the 2007 Housing market is bearish at best. It is expected that: there will be a decrease of 23% in single family home purchases. 22% decrease in the number of new homes being built and 44% of building companies reporting that their business has been affected in an adverse way and that 78% of the largest building companies have bee affected by the sub prime mortgage meltdown.   13% decline in the real Residential Fixed investment as well as a modest slippage in the real value of residential remodeling. (Christie, 2007) However, the full brunt of the sub prime mortgage meltdown, sadly, is yet to be realized. The worst may be on its way The current sub prime mortgage crisis is an example of how the few can ruin it for the many. Not everyone who has less than perfect credit would become a risk when buying a home. Everyone makes mistakes and those who have credit scores that are on the brink of the cut off, should be given the opportunity to own their own home. However, when lenders give $200,000 mortgage loans to individuals who have credit scores less than 550 and who clearly cannot afford the monthly payments, it ruins the entire housing market and hurts the potential and legitimate home buyers from owning a small piece of the American dream. Those people are now forced to rent. Less money is going to the city through taxes and a higher level of frustration is prevalent among millions of potential, first time home buyers who simply came to the table a few months too late. The sub prime market is relatively new and barely even existed just ten short years ago. The existence of the sub prime mortgage is a testament to the financial beliefs of the average American. Immediate gratification is what is popular and in buying the largest house, not because such extravagance is really needed but as a show of status is the motivation behind such purchases. The median home price in San Francisco is a staggering $1.1 million. (Donn 2007)   The buyers of these home can be divided up into two distinct groups;   those who can easily afford such prices and those who will go bankrupt in the attempt to do so. For the latter group, up until recently, have had no problem finding lenders who are hungry for their business. The fall out has come and personal responsibility, both for the individual as well as the lender has finally come full circle and forced the members of Congress, the construction industry, real estate agents and prospective buyers have been forced to take notice. As it was stated earlier, many feel as though this is the tip of the iceberg and future problems are only around the corner. The fact that the Federal reserve on September 19th, 2007, announced that they were going to cut interest rates provides some solace to the current mortgage crisis. Only time will tell if it will be too little and too late and what permanent changes will come out of this crisis in responsible lending practices. WORKS CITED Berry, J Predatory Loan Practice Lead to Mortgage Fallout. Chicago Tribune Business September 1, 2007 Christie, Les Subprime Blame Game www.cnnmoney.com Aired April 20, 2007 Doan, Mark. Home Prices and Subprime Mortgage Delinquencies. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco www.frbsf.org Downloaded September 18, 2007 Myers, J Subprime and Shockwaves Bloomberg TV Aired July 19, 2007 Robb, G. Fraud in Subprime Loans www.cbsmarketwatch.com Retrieved September 17, 2007 Saft, J. Subprime Mortgage rap tars Good Consumers, Economy.   www.reuters.com Downloaded September 17, 2007 Seiders, D. Fed   Surveys Subprime Mortgage Effects. www.nbnnews.com/eyeonecon/issues/2007 Downloaded September 15, 2007 Stempel, J. Countrywide Plunges on Downgrade. Bankrupcy feared. Reuters August 15, 2007    Fed Cuts Interest Rate http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/962665.php?contentType=4&contentId=931793 Downloaded Septe Mortgage Though experts recognize that the mortgage relief bill is not thorough, recognize that it remains the best latest attempt to address the current housing crisis facing the nation. A crisis that has continued to dominate the United States presidential debates as well as make it increasingly difficult for the homeowners to repay their loans. To understand the depth of the crisis and the latest efforts to correct the situation, it is important to look at what mortgagee is and how it operates. Mortgage is simply the use of ones property to be security to a house loan. A mortgage transfers the legal rights of ownership to the pledged property to the lender in case the payments are not made as per the agreed terms. Such a loan is made in the understanding that the security shall revert back to the owner once the terms of have been fulfilled. To most people, mortgage is associated with real estates. It is a contract that involves a number of legal participants among them landowners who is referred to as the mortgagee and the borrower who is the mortgagor. Another term that comes into play in the mention of mortgage is foreclosure. Foreclosure simply refers to a situation where a lender terminates the contract after the failure of the mortgagor to stand by the agreement terms. This is usually in the direction of a court order. In foreclosure, a bank or any other financial institution that extends credit facilities repossesses a property if the homeowner is unable to comply with mortgage requirements (Carmen & Rogoff 12). Currently there exists a subprime mortgage crisis in the United States. This is a crisis that can be evidenced by a liquidity problem existing in banks after a high default rate in mortgages leading to foreclosures. The current mortgage crisis is seen to have largely been caused by subprime lending which simply is the act of advancing loans to individuals whose creditworthiness is uncertain or wanting due to a low income. It is this subprime lending that contributed to the bulk of the total foreclosures in 2007, over 43%,despite the fact subprime lending were only 6.8% of all lending in that year (Stokes & Mechem). The current economic recession in the united state has tarnished Bush’s presidency with most tracing a link to the hefty spending in the war. Bush insists that the slump is a s result of the mortgage crisis. That aside, he has received immense criticism for how he has handled the crisis and for not coming up with any concrete plans to ease the situation. He is also accused of standing by the big corporations instead of helping the low income group deeply embroiled in the crisis. This is a result of his stand in opposing the mortgage relief bill, a bill that has recorded considerable gains in the house. Though the bill has its flaws, it is seen as a reprieve to millions of homeowners who continually face the risk of foreclosure. The mortgage relief bill is aimed at providing tax reprieve to homebuilders. The local governments will be funded to rehabilitate deserted homes. Those that oppose the bill claim it is wrong spirited and will set a bad precedence of forcing â€Å"one neighbor to pay for the mistakes of another† (Anderson) Bush is opposed to the bill referring to it as a â€Å"bail out†. Some Republicans see it as forcing the 95% of homeowners that did it right to pay for the 5% that got it wrong. It is important to note though that the bill will pave way for a possible road to recovery and will go along way in preventing a further economic slump. Economists warn that if the situation is not arrested in time, it would degenerate to the worst debacle for the housing and the banking industries. It is apparent that the nation is reeling from the effect of a mortgage crisis that has been caused by increase in foreclosures as a result of subprime lending. Though the government is yet to come up with a comprehensive plan to arrest the situation, the mortgage relief act is seen as a step towards the right direction and might go a long way in easing the pressure off the homeowners and builders through a tax break. Works Cited Aleis Stokes &  John Mechem. Delinquencies and Foreclosures Increase in Latest MBA National Delinquency Survey. Mortgage Bankers Association, 12/6/2007. Retrieved on 13th May 2008 from http://www.mbaa.org/NewsandMedia/PressCenter/58758.htm Scott Anderson. Bush administration opposes Democrats' mortgage relief bill. CNN.com Edition. Sat April 26, 2008. Retrieved on 13th May 2008 from http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/26/house.mortgage/ Carmen M. Reinhart and Kenneth S. Rogoff . Is the 2007 U.S. Sub-Prime Financial Crisis So Different? An International Historical Comparison.. Analysis of Harvard economists. February 5, 2008, 12 ; ;

Artifical Insemination

OUTLINE WORKSHEET MOTIVATED SEQUENCE DESIGN| | | SPEECH TITLE | Topic: Artificial Insemination| Specific Purpose: To persuade people to use artificial insemination instead of adoption. | Thesis Statement: Artificial insemination is a topic not may people openly discus unless they have complications, but I want to tell you about somethings that might want to pick insemination, the sperm banks, as well as the donors one may have. | | | I. Introduction| A. Attention Material (focus attention on problem): As a high school student, you may ask yourself, â€Å"Why should I be concerned about having children? But once you are married and are ready to have kids, there is always a possibility that something could go wrong. And if adoption is not the path you choose to take then artificial insemination is going to be helpful. | | B. Tie to Audience: Right now many of you are 17, and 18 years old, so you are not planning to have children, hopefully, not for a while. But the information I will be giving, can be used in the future. Not everyone is able to have children naturally, it is sometimes necessary to professionally get impregnated. | | C. Credibility Material: WebMD. 2005. 8 12 2011 | | D. Thesis & Preview: | In my opinion insemination would be the path I pick over adoption, adoption there is always a possibility that the parent will come back and want to see their child, there is also the fact that you would need to tell that child â€Å"oh yeah, your adopted† and then have them be upset, or any other slight disappointment that might go wrong. One can use sperm banks, and known donors, to keep things simple. The easiest option is insemination! | (Transition into Body of Speech)| II. Body| A. Main Point #1 – Aritficial Insemenation | 1. (Statement of Need for Action) if one cannot get pregnant| a. (Description of Problem) Some people need to get | b. (Signs, Symptoms, Effects of Problem)| c. (Example, Narrative, or Testimony)| | 2. (Importance of Problem) some couples want to have children. | | b. (Facts/Statistics) More than three million married American women say they want to have babies but are physically unable to conceive. 45 percent of the nation's nearly 27. million couples have been unable to have children or have had difficulty in conceiving: 19 percent have been sterilized for contraceptive reasons; 10 percent have been sterilized for other purposes, such as medical problems, and 16 percent, or 4. 3 million, were unable to have children for other reasons. | c. (Expert Testimony) | 3. (Who is Affected) mainly same sex couples, or couples that are not able to have children on their own. | a. (Facts/Statistics) The study by the National Center for Health Statistics also documents a marked increase of younger couples who are medically unable to have children. It speculates the rise may result from the increasing cases of sterility-causing diseases| b. (Example/Narrative) | (Transition into Main Point 2)| B. Main Point #2 (Present Solution that Satisfies Need) sperm banks are located all over the world| 1. (Description of Solution) Insemination is when sperm is inserted into a woman's uterus to attempt to create a pregnancy. Artificial insemination is a popular way for lesbians to get pregnant. A woman can use sperm from a known donor or from a sperm bank. This can be a close friend or sometimes a relative of their partner| a. (How Solution Satisfies Need) it gives you the option to at least have a child whether you are a gay couple or don’t want to use your significant others sperm. | b. (How Solution can be Implemented)†¦. sperm bank? | (1) (Plan of Action) ? Sperm banks require donors to waive any parental rights. There is no danger the donor can seek custody or visitation of your child. ? Some sperm banks permit the child to access the donor once the child becomes an adult. Sperm banks test semen for diseases and collect health and genetic information from donors. | ? You know who he is: his health, family history, physical and mental health, characteristics and personality. ? He might be open to being involved in the child's life. ? You don't have to pay for the sperm, although you may have to pay a doctor to inseminateyou. | | | (Transition into Main Point 3)| C. Main Point #3 (Visualize Results) one would soon have a child to love and care for. | 1. (Describe Expected Results of Action) after 9 monthes one would have a BABY :D| 2. Describe Consequences of Inaction) it would cost sometimes up to $1,000 if not more, and plus having children is a very expensive thing so I would not recommend having a child unless you are financially stable. If using a random sperm you always have a risk of HIV, AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases. | (Transition into Conclusion)| III. Conclusion| A. Brakelight: | B. Summary: Artificial insemination is a topic not may people openly discus unless they have complications, but I want to tell you about somethings that might want to pick insemination, the sperm banks, as well as the donors one may have. | C. Tie Back to Audience:when you are older, deciding which road you may want to take, I hope the information I have given you helps with your planning process. | D. Concluding Remarks: (Call for Action! ) | CHECKLIST FOR MOTIVATED SEQUENCE DESIGN    * I have analyzed my audience on this topic & have determined they are ready for action. * I have narrowed my topic to focus upon a problem that needs to be solved with action * I have clearly stated the purpose of my speech. * My thesis statement is written as a complete declarative sentence. * My introduction focuses attention, establishes my credibility, & previews my message. The first main point in my speech establishes the need for action. * The second main point in my speech details a plan of action that satisfies the need. * The third main point in my speech visualizes the results of action and the consequences of inaction. * I have appropriate (adapted) supporting material for each main point in my speech. * The conclusion contain s a summary statement & ends with a call for action. * I have provided transitions where they are needed to make my speech flow smoothly. * I have compiled a list of works consulted in the preparation of my speech. |

A Brief History of Fuedal Japan essays

A Brief History of Fuedal Japan essays Japans influence on the west has been nothing short of miraculous, in less than a century and a half they have risen from a small isolated culture to one of the preeminent superpowers of the world. Although most people know a little about modern Japan most people do not know anything about the early history of the Japanese islands. For this essay I have chosen to focus on three major points of Japanese history, Origins to 710, Early Medieval History from 710-1600, and the Tokugawa Period from 1600-1868. Origins of the People and State to 710 The early history of the Japanese people is, in many ways, similar to the history of the Native Americans and the British, French, and Spanish immigrations. To understand where the people of Japan come from you first need to understand that there are two races of people living in Japan now, the Japanese people and the Ainu, who live chiefly in the northern part of the country areas like Hokkaido and northern Honshu. The Ainu are similar to Native Americans of the United States in so far as they are the indigenous people of the land. (Henshall, 7) About thirty to fifteen thousand years ago, during the last glacial age, groups of immigrants crossed over several land bridges connecting ancient Japan to the Asian mainland, they were called the Jomon. These people were the original inhabitants of Japan, they were hunter/gatherers and lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle, however they did not look like traditional Japanese people, they were short, muscular, and had wide, square faces. During the Jomon Period (13,000BC - 300BC) these people dominated the island, by 300 BC though most of them had settled in the northeastern most part of Japan, what would later become know as Hokkaido. By 300BC a new wave of immigration was bringing a new racial stock of people from the Asian mainland over to the island, these peoples were slightly taller than the nat...

The 1990s and Beyond

The 1990s and Beyond The 1990s brought a new president, Bill Clinton (1993-2000). A cautious, moderate Democrat, Clinton sounded some of the same themes as his predecessors. After unsuccessfully urging Congress to enact an ambitious proposal to expand health-insurance coverage, Clinton declared that the era of big government was over in America. He pushed to strengthen market forces in some sectors, working with Congress to open local telephone service to competition. He also joined Republicans to reduce welfare benefits. Still, although Clinton reduced the size of the federal workforce, the government continued to play a crucial role in the nations economy. Most of the major innovations of the New Deal and a good many of the Great Society remained in place. And the Federal Reserve system continued to regulate the overall pace of economic activity, with a watchful eye for any signs of renewed inflation. The economy, meanwhile, turned in an increasingly healthy performance as the 1990s progressed. With the fall of the Soviet Union and Eastern European communism in the late 1980s, trade opportunities expanded greatly. Technological developments brought a wide range of sophisticated new electronic products. Innovations in telecommunications and computer networking spawned a vast computer hardware and software industry and revolutionized the way many industries operate. The economy grew rapidly, and corporate earnings rose rapidly. Combined with low inflation and low unemployment, strong profits sent the stock market surging; the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which had stood at just 1,000 in the late 1970s, hit the 11,000 mark in 1999, adding substantially to the wealth of many though not all Americans. Japans economy, often considered a model by Americans in the 1980s, fell into a prolonged recession a development that led many economists to conclude that the more flexible, less planned, and more competitive American approach was, in fact, a better strategy for economic growth in the new, globally-integrated environment. Americas labor force changed markedly during the 1990s. Continuing a long-term trend, the number of farmers declined. A small portion of workers had jobs in industry, while a much greater share worked in the service sector, in jobs ranging from store clerks to financial planners. If steel and shoes were no longer American manufacturing mainstays, computers and the software that make them run were. After peaking at $290,000 million in 1992, the federal budget steadily shrank as economic growth increased tax revenues. In 1998, the government posted its first surplus in 30 years, although a huge debt mainly in the form of promised future Social Security payments to the baby boomers remained. Economists, surprised at the combination of rapid growth and continued low inflation, debated whether the United States had a new economy capable of sustaining a faster growth rate than seemed possible based on the experiences of the previous 40 years. - Next Article: Global Economic Integration This article is adapted from the book Outline of the U.S. Economy by Conte and Carr and has been adapted with permission from the U.S. Department of State.

4. Explain the theoretical and historical construction of sexual Essay

4. Explain the theoretical and historical construction of sexual identity. Illustrate your answer with reference to the role of race in the construction of sexual identity and sexual roles - Essay Example The essentialist view looks into the biological differences inherent within each individual (Schwartz & Rutter, p.23). The construction of sexual identity is dependent on the genetic program of each individual, whether one is male or female. And consequently, the sexual roles of each are dependent on these biological differences. On the other hand, the social constructionist perspective sees sexual identity as the result of the social processes that are dependent on social interactions and social institutions (Schwartz & Rutter, p.23). Sexual roles, then, are dependent on the sanctioned norms that define the differences between male and female behavior. Sexual identity can, therefore, be seen as a result of social expectations because that is who an individual is supposed to be, whether male or female. With this perspective, the biology and inherent sexual being is being matched to the sexual role. We are expected to behave as a male or as a female according to the biological roles that each one plays. The roles are learned through culture, however, it is expected to match the inherent biological sexual orientation that each one has. Sexual identity can also be a result of learned behavior. In this perspective, culture is a significant process in acquiring one’s sexual identity and role. An individual learns to behave in such a way that their social experiences dictate. One can behave like a male or a female, depending on how one is socially influenced. From these primary perspectives, other theories and perspectives come into play. With the movement and changes of the social world, the theories also move from defining primarily how one is expected to behave, to differences in power, social roles and expectations according to gender sensitivity and similar social constructs that affects the society’s course of thinking regarding sexual identity. The major sociological perspectives interpret sexual identity differently. Functionalist perspective