Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan Started It All

'Feminine Mystique' by Betty Friedan 'Started It All' The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, published in 1963, is often seen as the beginning of the women’s liberation movement. It is the most famous of Betty Friedan’s works, and it made her a household name. Feminists of the 1960s and 1970s would later say The Feminine Mystique was the book that â€Å"started it all.† What Is the Mystique? In The Feminine Mystique, Friedan explores the unhappiness of mid-20th century women, describing women’s unhappiness as â€Å"the problem that has no name.† Women felt this sense of depression because they were forced to be subservient to men financially, mentally, physically, and intellectually. The feminine â€Å"mystique† was the idealized image to which women tried to conform despite their lack of fulfillment.   The Feminine Mystique explains that in post-World War II United States life, women were encouraged to be wives, mothers, and housewives- and only wives, mothers, and housewives. This, Friedan says, was a failed social experiment. Relegating women to the â€Å"perfect† housewife or happy homemaker prevented much success and happiness, among the women and, consequently, their families. Friedan writes in the first pages of her book that housewives were asking themselves, â€Å"Is that all?† Why Friedan Wrote the Book Friedan was inspired to write The Feminine Mystique when she attended her Smith College 15-year reunion in the late 1950s. She surveyed her classmates and learned that none of them was happy with the idealized housewife role. However, when she tried to publish the results of her study, women’s magazines refused. She continued working on the problem, the result of her extensive research being The Feminine Mystique in 1963.   In addition to case studies of 1950s women, the book observes that women in the 1930s often had education and careers. It wasnt as if it had never occurred to women over the years to seek personal fulfillment. However, the 1950s were a time of regression: the average age at which women married dropped, and fewer women went to college. Post-war consumer culture spread the myth that fulfillment for women was found in the home, as a wife and mother. Friedan argues that women should develop themselves and their intellectual abilities and fulfill their potential rather than making a â€Å"choice† to be just a housewife. Lasting Effects of 'The Feminine Mystique' The Feminine Mystique became an international bestseller as it launched the second-wave feminist movement. It has sold more than a million copies and been translated into multiple languages. It is a key text in Women’s Studies and U.S. history classes. For years, Friedan toured the United States speaking about The Feminine Mystique and introducing audiences to her groundbreaking work and to feminism. Women have repeatedly described how they felt when reading the book: They saw that they were not alone, and that they could aspire to something more than the life they were being encouraged or even forced to lead. The idea Friedan expresses is that if women escaped the confines of â€Å"traditional† notions of femininity, they could then truly enjoy being women. Quotes from 'The Feminine Mystique' Here are some memorable passages from the book: â€Å"Over and over again, stories in womens magazines insist that women can know fulfillment only at the moment of giving birth to a child. They deny the years when she can no longer look forward to giving birth, even if she repeats the act over and over again. In the feminine mystique, there is no other way for a woman to dream of creation or of the future. There is no other way she can even dream about herself, except as her childrens mother, her husbands wife.†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The only way for a woman, as for a man, to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own.†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"When one begins to think about it, America depends rather heavily on womens passive dependence, their femininity. Femininity, if one still wants to call it that, makes American women a target and a victim of the sexual sell.†The cadences of the Seneca Falls Declaration came straight from the Declaration of Independence: When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one portion of the family of man to assume among the people of the earth a position different from that they have hitherto occupied. . . . We hold these truths to be self-evident:that all men and women are created equal.†

U.S. Vs. Japan In WWII Essays - Japan, Free Essays, Term Papers

U.S. Vs. Japan In WWII Essays - Japan, Free Essays, Term Papers U.S. vs. Japan in WWII On August 6, 1945 the atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The Enola Gay, piloted by Colonel Tibbetts, was chosen to make the mission. The mission was recorded as successful by Capt. William S. Parson at 9:20 A.M. This was an extremely controversial military strategy in the United States. Was the United States justified in the dropping of the atomic bomb? Yes, they were justified formany reasons. The primary reason was, that it would stop the war. Why is it that this war needed to be stopped so badly? Even though in some ways it was helping our economy, it was very costly in both money and lives. Also, the United States soldiers were undergoing harsh treatment by the unmerciful Japanese. Another reason the war needed to be stopped was to defend ourselves from another attack on U.S. soil, which in turn would kill many of our U.S. citizens. This is why the war needed to be stopped; thus, justifying the use of the atomic bomb. World War II was the costliest war in history, in terms of lives lost. No exact figures exist, but approximately between 15 and 20 million military personnel were killed. Of these, 292,000 were Americans and 6,000 innocent United States citizens were murdered by our enemies. It has been estimated that if the United States had not dropped the bomb and had invaded Japan instead, the United States would have lost about a million soldiers. The Japanese suicidal fighting strategies greatly effected this number. The Japanese would rather die than surrender. This is demonstrated by the battle of Saipan. At this battle over half of the population of Saipan walked off a cliff instead of surrendering to the United States. This was often very effective. Many times when a Japanese soldier decided to blow himself up instead of surrendering he would kill many Americans with the same blast. Also the kamikaze techniques of the Japanese fighters killed many soldiers. If this war would have continued we could have lost thousands more. Also up to this point we spent 300 billion dollars on war efforts. Many materials and other objects were damaged. Any estimate on how much money was lost in damages would be futile. This number would have continued to rise if it had not been for the use of the atomic bomb. The horrendous atrocities that occurred during World War II were unmerciful as well as unnecessary. During one invasion of China, the rape of Nanking, the Japanese killed 100,000 Chinese civilians. They were burned, butchered, and raped. Sometimes the Japanese would tie a big group of them together and use them for bayonet and sword practice. After the fall of Bataan the soldiers were forced to go on a death march. During this march many unheard of things happened to the soldiers. A soldier was often killed for trying to get a drink of water. If a soldier fell down the Japanese would either bayonet them or knock them unconscious. Once they were knocked unconscious, the Japanese then forced another American soldier to bury the unconscious soldier alive. One soldier once commented, "The worst time was once when a burial victim with about six inches of earth over him suddenly regained consciousness and clawed his way out until he was almost sitting upright. Then I learned to what length a man will go to hang onto his life. The bayonets began to prod me in the side and I was forced to bash the soldier over the head with the shovel and then finish burying him."(Kappler, Pg. 168) This harsh treatment to innocent civilians and our soldiers needed to stop. The atomic bomb was a way to stop it. On December 7, 1941," A day that will live in infamy," Pearl Harbor was deliberately attacked by the Japanese. Reports indicate that 2400 people were killed and 1300 were wounded. The reason Japan bombed Pearl Harbor was because that was where all of our Navy ships were positioned. They were hoping to take out the Navy and were almost successful. The aircraft carriers were expected to be in the harbor, but luckily were not. Although the attack may have been a military success

What is SPSS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What is SPSS - Essay Example SPSS is basically an abbreviation of statistical package for the social sciences. The users of SPSS software can enter data which becomes accessible for analysis. The obtained analyzed data can be then formatted into a report with the usage of modeling and graphs. There are many reasons for which researchers have made use of the SPSS software. Most notably, the software is used in order to manage large amount of data that can be very difficult to handle (Carver & Nash, 2011). SPSS is windows-based and highly user-friendly software that can be used by students without difficulties. Be it regressing analysis or correspondence analysis etc., SPSS is designed to run any form of research method. ANOVA, t-tests and linear regression are the most widely used function of SPSS. The results obtained after using SPSS software allow researchers to represent their data in such a way that general audiences can also read and understand the subject matter (Field,

Investigation of Equality and Diversity Strategy in an Organisation Essay - 2

Investigation of Equality and Diversity Strategy in an Organisation - Essay Example This essay explores four aspects which represent the meaningful description of HRM: a particular collection of assumptions and beliefs, a strategic force informing decisions regarding people management, the central participation of line supervisors, and dependence upon a collection of forces to shape employment relationship. HRM’s core objective is to make sure the accessibility of competent and committed employees in an organization. The other main objectives are as follows: Societal objectives: To be socially and ethically responsible towards the challenges and needs of the society. The company should utilize their resources in favor of the benefit of society. Organizational objectives: To identify the function of human resource management in bringing the organizational efficiency. Functional objectives: There must be a proper agreement between the needs of the organization and the HRM division’s service. The demands of the organization should be served well by the HRM. Personal objective: To help employees in attaining their personal objectives. Employee’s personal objective can be met when employees are maintained, preserved and motivated. Functions of HRM: To accomplish the above objectives, two types of functions are performed by HRM. The first one is managerial function and the other is the operative function. Managerial function comprises of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling. Whereas, the operative function comprises of procurement of workers, development of employees, compensation function, integration, maintenance function, separation function, career development, and performance appraisal. Operative functions are also known as staff functions or service functions. Other functions are performance appraisal and performance management system. The â€Å"soft approach† of HRM is best characterized by the humanist model of Harvard School, laid its emphasis upon value-added feature of HRM. It is nearly connected with a resource-based vision of the organization which considers the unique nature of implied competencies and skills of workers as the main source of economic advantage. It is f ramed by the objectives of a business, but the stress is given on those portions that make workers a distinctive resource, one which is competent in offering the competitive advantage and encourage intrinsic motivation. It treats employees as esteemed contributors towards the organization, thereby, paying attention towards their motivation, building up trust, and providing development prospects.

Macro Systems Paper Essay Example for Free

Macro Systems Paper Essay There are three types of service practices in the Social Work industry: Micro, Mezzo, and Macro. Social Work can be a very rewarding field to be involved in however, at the same time it can by very complex as well. Social workers will deal with many different issues and are around a lot of domestic and societal challenges. Some find out that they have a hard time dealing with the challenges and have to change the focus in their field. Social Work can be very empowering and rewarding when a worker helps a client find empowerment in their own life and the worker helps them get back on their feet. At the mezzo social work level the social worker usually works with families or small groups. Social workers on the micro level work with clients on an individual basis or one on one. This could be a Case Manager in a foster care facility. They will tend to the needs of the client or individual and assist them wherever they can. On the macro Social Work level the worker will be working with larger groups and larger organizations. A macro practice would be working to make new laws or change the current laws that slow the growth of the client population. If you decide to work in social services or are currently working in social services you will find yourself working the macro, micro and mezzo social work level. Social Work is great work. Many people choose this industry because they want to help people. They can see others pain and want to help relieve it. The social worker salary can very and unfortunately starts out lower on the typical American pay scale. The median expected salary for a social worker that has a 4-year degree in the field is around $46,500. If you continue your education and get a Masters in social work then the median becomes closer to $54,700.

Is Death Natural? :: essays research papers

Is Death Natural? Many of the most beautiful and meaningful facets of life are the way they are £Ã‚ ¬ because they are ephemeral. I know that death is natural; Life runs its course before coming around again. Something present in or produced by nature is natural, such as an earthquake or typhoon, or a poisonous mushroom. Death is natural in the sense that to die is to conform to the ordinary course of living things in nature. Death has been modeled as an exponential increase in the rate of illnesses with age. Even with no micro-organisms attacking, the body is not well enough designed to function indefinitely. Something always breaks down eventually. What breakdowns, how many, and when they happen, is randomly distributed among individuals, except for conformance to average delays which may have been sculpted by evolution. Some of those functions our medicine can't re-establish or substitute for and some of those are necessary for life. In general, death is an unremarkable event in nature. To die of "natural causes" is not to expire in old age, as is the case in modern human societies, but to typically die young. Average human life spans between 20 and 30 years for most of our species history. Most people today are thus living highly unnaturally long lives. Because of the high incidence of infectious disease, accidents, starvation, and violent death among our ancestors, very few of them lived much beyond 60 or 70. There was therefore little selection pressure to evolve the cellular repair mechanisms (and pay their metabolic costs). As a result of these circumstances in the distant past, we now suffer the inevitable decline of old age: damage accumulates at a faster pace than it can be repaired; tissues and organs begin to malfunction; and then we die. It may turn out to be impossible to live forever, strictly speaking, even for those who are lucky enough to survive to such a time when technology has been perfected, and even under ideal conditions. The amount of matter and energy that our civilization can lay its hands on before they recede forever beyond our reach is finite in the current most favored cosmological models. As for age and death, one of the biggest factors actually has to do with cell replication. Most of our cells are not meant to live forever  ¡Ã‚ ­. We are meant to die. Your cells divide and divide and divide and their daughter cells do the same, so one and such forth.

Your shoes and flight

Flight and Your shoes both have many similarities. They both deal with growing up as the characters change and build up throughout the stories. In Flight the grandfather is stubborn at the start of the story but as the play goes on, he decides to give up and let the granddaughter free. Your shoes deals with growing up as well, but the characters change slightly; this is shown when the mother finally writes her welfares to her daughter despite showing so much love for her which makes it hard for her to say her welfares. Flight starts with grandfather holding onto his favourite pigeon. Grandfather lets the pigeon fly but as soon as the pigeon spreads his wings he captures it again and puts the pigeon into a small box where it can't escape â€Å"He deliberately held out his wrist for the bird to take flight and caught it again at the moment it spread its wings. He would like to lock his granddaughter up the same way he locks up the pigeons to make his granddaughter stay away from Steve. He wants to control his granddaughter like he controls the pigeons. This pigeon is a symbol reflected towards the granddaughter. The granddaughter has an attractive description; this shows that the pigeon is compared to the granddaughter. They both are attractive and he controls them. Your Shoes starts with the mother writing a letter to her unnamed daughter. The mother starts of saying â€Å"I thought I knew you as well as I know this house† this shows that the daughter was hiding something or her daughter has grown up to a point where she has started to keep secrets. Whereas in Flight, the granddaughter doesn't keep secrets, she could've kept secrets and ran away like ‘the daughter in Your shoes' but she was so mature and intelligent, so se decided to tell her parents about he relationship with the postman's son. She did that because she knew she's old enough to make her decisions and her parents won't go against it The main similarities between Flight and Your shoes are comparing non living things or animals with human being. In Flight the grandfather compares his granddaughter to pigeons, while in Your Shoes the mother is comparing her daughter to her daughter's shoes. Flight deals mainly with the relationship between Alice and her grandfather and Your Shoes deals with the relationship between the mother and daughter, but also between the mother and the father; the daughter and her father. Your shoes and Flight use metaphors to describe their relationships, Flight uses the metaphor of pigeons and Your Shoes uses the metaphor of shoes to describe the relationship. Both stories talk about love and loneliness. In Flight the granddad does not want to let his granddaughter leave, because he is scared to be alone. ‘Can't we keep her a bit longer' this quote indicates the strong love which the grandfather feels for his granddaughter. In Your Shoes the daughter has left home and the mother is desperate to have her daughter back, because she loves her and feels lonely with out her ‘I knew you'd come back' this quote indicates the hunger of the mother for her daughter. Both stories also have the experience of past life. In Your Shoes the mother describes her experience with her mother showing how difficult it was for her to live with, but she still did. This actually shows how the generation has changed. Similarly in Flight the mother uses her experience to try to convince the grandfather that how happy she was when she got married to her husband said in the following quote. The theme about freedom is being asked in both stories. In Your Shoes the daughter runs away because the lack of freedom was given to her, although the freedom was too much compared to the freedom her mother was given, but in the eyes of her daughter and the generation she was living in made her feel the freedom was too less. The mother tries to show how little freedom she had and she still cope with it, shown in the following quote. This shows that the mother is trying to use reverse psychology to win her daughter back. On the other hand Flight has the same sort of theory. The granddaughter is asking for freedom although she has given the freedom by her mother, but the grandfather doesn't want her to get married that's because he doesn't want to lose her and doesn't want to lose the moments he once had with his granddaughter. â€Å"Think your old enough to get married hey† this shows he his having a go at the granddaughter and trying to convince her that your not old enough to get married. Both stories deal with maturity and immaturity. Flight deals with immaturity in the way that the grandfather is jealous of granddaughter's boyfriend because he feels the boyfriend is going to replace â€Å"She did not turn. She had forgotten him. Along the road came the young man Steven†¦the old man stiffened as he watched the gate swing back and the couple embrace†. This quote shows that the grandfather feels upset that the granddaughter seems to have replaced him with an intruder. The grandfather is also scared of him being left alone when she leaves, which makes him think that without her he won't be happy. Flight also deals with maturity in the way that the granddaughter is being questioned very angrily but she replies back in a polite manner, ‘and she said in a pert voice': â€Å"hullo, granddad.† ‘Politely she moved towards him, after a lingering backward glance at the road.' The calm and polite manner shows how mature she is. Compared to flight Your shoes only shows immaturity of the daughter who left because of her father having an argument with her, because she went to a night club and came back home very late and was drunk, which made the father very angry, and he called her a dirty slut and other rude comments. By her father calling her a dirty slut made her fell insecure and trapped so she decided to leave. Although the main theme of â€Å"Flight† and â€Å"Your Shoes† are similar, however structurally they are different, because in â€Å"Flight† the grandfather didn't want the accept the choice of the granddaughter but in the end they both came to a solution and the grandfather ends up accepting her choice. While in â€Å"Your Shoes† the mother doesn't want to move on. She constantly refuses to put the welfare of her daughter first, because she knows that she won't get this letter and won't come back. Therefore the relationship between the mother and the daughter is not re-established and doesn't have the happy ending as Flight

Planning for Hypertexts in the Writing Center…Or No Essay

Michael Pemberton asserts in his article â€Å"Planning for Hypertexts in the Writing Center†¦Or Not†, that this new age of technology brings with it a dilemma facing writing centers that stems from the perceived need for writing centers to assimilate hypertexts into their topics mentored, the willingness of the writing centers to accommodate hypertexts and if there is a need, how would writing centers meet such needs. There is no dilemma here because writing centers need not treat hypertexts any differently than any other text (Pemberton). They already have tutors working in specific areas of expertise. Tutors with expertise in hypertext can be found. Pemberton also brings up the rationale that a relatively small number of clients will be writing hypertexts anyway so centers don’t need to worry about it. Pemberton doesn’t discount the challenges faced by writing centers in assimilating into the technological age. As writing centers had always been primarily interpersonal interaction, many feel that the advancing technology is a threat to this interaction (Pemberton). The advent of chat rooms and email tutoring has lessened this perceived threat. He notes that finding articulate tutors may be very difficult, especially for small schools without many resources (Pemberton). Another challenge lies in providing training for tutors. But the challenges do not appear to outweigh the advantages. Times change; language changes; writing changes. That is a constant we can rely on. Writing centers have adapted and will continue to adapt to the changes coming their way. Critique/Comments Michael Pemberton in his article â€Å"Planning for Hypertexts in the Writing Center†¦Or Not† provides a comprehensive history of the goals and functions of writing centers from the 1930s-1990s. He presents a possible problem facing writing centers and possible solutions to the problem, without bias or emphasis on one or the other. His straightforward writing allows the reader to come to a conclusion about the future of writing centers and the necessity of assimilating hypertext into tutoring topics. Pemberton provides much commentary from experts in the field of writing centers and tutoring so his own take does not sway the reader. As change occurred throughout the history involving writing centers, the writing centers and their tutors adapted to the needs of their clients. Pemberton assures that no matter what those needs become, writing centers will naturally meet those needs. While some worry that the computer age will depersonalize the interaction between tutor and tutee, it is clear that the communication tools available via the Internet have not hindered interpersonal relationships in or out of writing centers. Pemberton, a director of the Georgia Southern University Writing Center does not appear to have any motive in his article save to inform readers that â€Å"writing centers will hold† ( ) as the title of one of his books says. Perhaps he merely wants to put to rest any fear felt by the technologically hesitant. Technological advancement is here to stay but rest assured by Michael Pemberton that the writing centers will advance right along with it. Pemberton, Michael A. â€Å"Planning for Hypertexts in the Writing Center†¦ Or Not† In The St. Martin’s Sourcebook for Writing Tutors. 3rd Ed. Christina Murphy and Steve Sherwood. Boston. New York: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2008:294-308.

45 Idioms with Roll

45 Idioms with Roll 45 Idioms with Roll 45 Idioms with Roll By Mark Nichol Roll, ultimately derived from the Latin noun rota, meaning â€Å"wheel,† is the basis of numerous idioms about movement, many of which are listed and defined below. 1. a rolling stone gathers no moss: a proverb meaning that one who remains active will not become complacent or hidebound 2–4. get rolling or get/start the ball rolling: get started 5. heads will roll: said in reference to a reckoning, such as a mass firing at a business, alluding to decapitations such as those that occurred during executions by guillotine after the French Revolution 6. let it roll: an exhortation to make something move or allow it to move 7. let the good times roll: an expression perhaps originating with (and directly translated from) the Cajun French saying â€Å"Laissez les bons temps rouler,† associated with Mardi Gras 8–9. let’s rock and roll/roll: slang exhorting others to join in starting an endeavor 10. on a roll: a reference to being on a lucky streak 11. ready to roll: prepared 12. roll along: a reference to smooth operation 13. roll around: slang for â€Å"arrive or occur again,† as in the case of an anniversary 14–15. roll back/rollback: return to a previous state; an act of returning to a previous state 16–17. roll back the clock/years: a reference to going back in time 18. roll by: move past, as in a reference to the passage of years 19. roll call: reading of a roster of names to determine who is present in a group 20. roll (one’s) eyes: a reference to the expression one makes to signal annoyance, derision, or disbelief 21. roll in: appear or arrive, especially in large amounts or numbers 22. roll in the hay: a euphemism for sex, from the notion of a pile of hay in a barn being used in lieu of a bed 23. roll off the tongue: a reference to how easily or awkwardly a word, phrase, or expression can be spoken depending on the juxtaposition of consonants and vowels 24–25. roll out/rollout: introduce something, such as a product; an act of introducing something 26. roll out the red carpet: a reference to providing an elegant experience, from the association with red carpets set out at the entrance to an exclusive event 27. roll out the welcome mat: show friendliness and hospitality 28–29. roll over/rollover: reinvest; a reinvestment 30. roll over and play dead: idiom related to surrendering or to feigning death 31. roll over in (one’s) grave: a reference to how a revered deceased person would be agitated if he or she were to become reanimated and be aware of how something associated with that person has supposedly become degraded (spin is sometimes used as an intensifier of â€Å"roll over†) 32. roll the bones/dice: a reference specifically to casting dice in the gambling game of craps or in general to taking one’s chances 33. roll up (one’s) sleeves: a reference to preparing to work hard, from the notion of protecting shirtsleeves from materials that may damage or soil them or of ensuring that they do not get caught in machinery 34. roll up in: slang referring to someone approaching in a distinctive vehicle (one that is described subsequent to the phrase) and coming to a stop 35. roll up the sidewalks: a jocular reference to the lack of nightlife in small towns, with the notion that sidewalks are put away at a certain time each night because there is no longer any foot traffic 36. roll with it: said as advice to someone to accept, and perhaps take advantage of, a situation 37. roll with the punches: adjust to difficulties, from boxing slang for moving as a punch is delivered toward one to minimize the impact 38. rolled into one: a reference to something having multiple purposes or uses 39–41. rolling in dough/it/money: said of someone wealthy 42. rolling in the aisles: said in reference to something extremely amusing, from the notion that audience members at a performance are laughing to the extent that they fall out of their seats and tumble into the aisles 43–44. rolling on the floor/rolling on the floor laughing my ass off: a reference, usually abbreviated ROTFL/ROTFLMAO, to one being so amused that one falls to the floor and rolls around, laughing helplessly; the latter phrase is an intensifier 45. rolling stone: a restless or itinerant person Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†75 Idioms and Expressions That Include â€Å"Break†Adverbs and Hyphens

Might, May, and Can

Might, May, and Can Might, May, and Can Might, May, and Can By Jacquelyn Landis Most writers use may and might interchangeably: I may go to the library to work on my term paper. I might go to the library to work on my term paper. Is there a difference? There is, but it’s slight. May suggests a possibility that an action will occur, while might suggests a slightly smaller possibility. So if I say that I may go to the library, there’s a reasonably good chance that it’s on my agenda. But if I say that I might go, the odds that I will aren’t quite as good. The distinction between the two is sufficiently fine that it’s not something writers need to obsess about. However, when referring to something in the past, the rules get tighter. The past tense of may is might. She might have left a message on my voice mail. (Not she may have) From time to time, writers also struggle with the difference between may and can. The difference here is more pronounced. May expresses permission, while can expresses ability. Moms everywhere are notorious for emphasizing this particular grammatical difference. Question: Mom, can I paint my bedroom walls black? Answer: I’m sure you can, but you may not. In informal speech (including dialogue in fiction), we have slipped into using can when may would be more appropriate. In truth, strict adherence to the difference between the two can seem a little prissy at times. Still, it’s a valid distinction that writers should strive to apply when it makes sense. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Types and Forms of Humor16 Misquoted Quotations5 Examples of Insufficient Hyphenation

LandScape of Kuwait Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

LandScape of Kuwait - Essay Example With these features in mind, it is helpful to consider the various components of the physical and cultural landscape of Kuwait that has made the country into the powerful regional force that it is today. Origin of the Landscape On its surface, Kuwait would appear to possess a landscape with quite a few possibilities. This is far from reality, however, as the small area of land, coupled with its lack of fresh water and inability to grow crops have made it is a harsh environment to thrive under for centuries. While it is in the Arabian Gulf, the climate is extremely dry. The landscape of the region has not developed much at all over the years. It is still the flat and barren desert that it was long ago. In fact, it appears that there are only slight elevations of landscape present throughout the relatively small country. The summer is particularly harsh on the landscape, as temperatures can get above 120 degrees F, or 49 degrees C, with relatively little rain to speak of. In addition, because of the barren desert landscape, there are frequent and severe sandstorms that add to the uniqueness of the country and contribute to the difficulty that the land affords daily Kuwaiti life. Ethnic Makeup of the Kuwaiti People It appears that Kuwait has been settled for several thousand years. The early inhabitants of the region actually traded with other Mesopotamian cities. Today, most of the population surrounds itself around Kuwait City. Nearly all Kuwaiti people are Arabs. There is a unique distinction among ethnic Kuwaiti’s, however, in that they are one of the few countries in the world where there own citizens actually form the minority. Only about 45% of the population today is actually Kuwaiti, with the rest being comprised of expatriate workers from around the globe. This certainly creates a unique cultural landscape. It is also important to note that Kuwait is home to numerous Bedoun and Bedoiun tribes. As opposed to the Bedoiun in other countries, however, even the ethnic tribe in Kuwait tend to live in city centers, while still maintaining there conservative and traditional ways of life (Osborn, 1977). They do tend to live in harmony with the ethnic Kuwaitis, yet they maintain their own way of life and cultural traditions. Role of Religion in Forming the Landscape Like many other countries in the Middle East, religion has played an integral part in the development of Kuwait. More than 85% of the population if Muslim. Of this number, nearly all Kuwaiti’s themselves identify with the Islamic faith. One of the primary tenants of this faith is that it impacts nearly aspect of the development of the country, and Kuwait is certainly no exception. The heritage and traditions of the Kuwaiti people, owed to their Islamic roots, remain relatively in tact today. It is interesting to note that Kuwait does guarantee the freedom of religion to all inhabitants, and this is largely honored without question. Remember, however, that most Kuwai ti’s are Muslim, so it definitely forms the foundation for government and social institutions. While this freedom of religion is guaranteed, the constitution of the country also designates Islam as the official religion of the state, and Islamic does largely form the basis for civil law in existence today. These are traditions that

S5Ws7&8DQs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

S5Ws7DQs - Assignment Example Among Fukuyama’s strongest arguments is the contention that weak nations are the causes of many of the problems experienced in the world. This is true owing to the fact that many of the issues affecting global order, security and stability stem from weak nations (Fukuyama, 1991). For instance, in the last one decade the United States and the world at large have had to face the plague of terrorism that has originated from weak nations like Afghanistan. Additionally, security issues along with global unrest have been witnessed in Iraq, and most recently the Arab spring in Tunisia, Libya, Bahrain, Egypt and Syria. All these examples are pointers to the strength and relevance of Fukuyama’s arguments that weak nations create problems for the world. Another equally strong argument is the fact that developed or rich nations ought to help weak countries develop for the sake of stability and peace in the world. A perfect example is the US assignment in Iraq and Afghanistan that have been aimed at stabilizing the region. The author has several arguments that are considered weak in the sense that they do not reflect the truth on the ground or are simply out of touch with the real situation. A typical example is the aspect of transferring functioning public institutions to developing countries. This approach has proved to be ineffective in the sense that institutions operating in developed countries may not work properly in weak nations owing to the different nature of the environment. International organizations along with non-governmental organizations play an instrumental role in the development particularly regarding state building projects. There is no doubt that the role played by these institutions is essential to nation building and their successes have been documented in several countries (Ottaway, 2002). As a result, every nation involves international organizations and