Evaluation of America’s Cultural Influence on the World

Evaluation of America’s Cultural Influence on the World. Jacqueline Gargiulo LIM College Abstract Culturally and politically, America has a strong impact on the world. The works of Matthew Parris and Raja Shehadeh portray offensive behavior by the United States which has impacted younger generations of Palestine and European Countries. Where Shehadeh’s work, What We Think of America (2), indicates both an admiration and anger towards the United states, Parris’s work, It’s Time We All Signed Up for the Rest of the World Team, outlines a definitive negative towards the America and what it stands for.Both articles suggest that the United States had forced its ideals on to the rest of the world. International perception about the United States seems to be generated both by America’s power and influence as well as from within the nations themselves. Parris refers to the United States as a hegemonic power that needs reigning in where Shehadeh takes a more intimate approach and discusses a personal exchange concerning a family member’s loss of original ethnicity. There are many international voices represented in these works; both positive and negative aspects are explored.Evaluation The world has a mixed view of America. The United States is often seen as a hegemonic empire that looks to control the rest of the world. American fashion, politics, media, and ideals are captivating to younger generations of foreign countries. The works of Matthew Parris, a South African born British political journalist, and Raja Shehadeh, a Palestinian attorney and author on international and human rights and the Middle East, illustrate differing yet complementary views of America’s influence on the rest of the world.While some believe that America has a positive impact on society, others feel that America strips them of their ethnicity and value system. One negative cultural influence that America has had on Palestinians is referenced i n the paragraph by Shehadeh which reminisces about country men who leave for America and return striped of their cultural dress and their ethnic accent. Shehadeh (2002) writes, â€Å" The few who come back for brief summer visits parade up and down Main Street in their Bermudas and baseball hats, stopping at the ice cream parlour to reminisce with its proprietor in an old accent that you hardly ever hear in Ramallah today† (pg. 1). Shehadeh portrays admiration for the United States in respect to their advances in transportation and efficient roadways in Ramallah, Palestine, while at the same time discusses the destruction to the states natural beauty and heritage. This is evidenced when Raja (2002) states â€Å"Next came the need for new roads to connect them to Israel; not the old British-style meandering roads but American-style straight four-lane highways that cut through the hills that stood in the way† (pg. 92).Shehadeh (2002) continues to explain that â€Å" in the context of the Middle East conflict, roads may seem a small thing, but they have done a kind of spiritual damage. Gone is that attractive stretch of serpentine road that meandered downhill†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 92). Here, as America pushed its cultural influence upon the Middle East, geographic beauty has been lost and in its place convenience of travel has been placed. Hence, Raja Shehadeh’s overall view of America is mixed. Matthew Paris’s work can be viewed as extremist. His overall view of America and its cultural influence is negative.Parris (2003) explains, â€Å"Today there is only one hegemon, the United States of America; but there is no less a need than existed during the Cold War for a wary defensiveness towards the appetite, the pretensions, and the dreams of a great and unchallenged power. If the U. S. eagle is to be contained, collective action is needed by the smaller mammals† (pg. 94). Here, Parris is proclaiming that America is a dominating inf luence over other nations and if they are to come out from under the influence of this overarching power, they must unite or be consumed.Matthew Parris (2003) furthers his argument by writing that â€Å"As America grows more confident and its muscle and command, it will be clashing again and again, not just with old enemies but with former friends-over trade, the environment, â€Å"pre-emptive† deference, regime change, international law, extradition†¦ the list is speculative, but let us speculate. † (pg. 96) . Parris uses the example of Britain’s own Prime Minister Tony Blair, who sided with the United States instead of standing on his own two feet. Tony Blair thought the bridge could be repaired and that he might be the bridgemaker. Now, he marooned on the other side and will have to take his chances there† (Parris, 2003, pg. 97). Here, America seems to turn its back on Britain by alleviating the bridge that bound them, leaving Tony Blair and his co untry helpless. America is overconfident that they can repair the bridge when necessary, but for the mean time, make no attempts to do so. Parris also exposes America’s ambiguity over the war with Iraq. â€Å" It is, however; just possible that failure will be faced.The peace in Iraq may prove dirtier than the war, and the American people ( as distinguished from their Defense Secretary) are ambivalent about empire and squeamish about becoming other nations’ policeman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Parris, 2003, pg. 95) Parris is trying to tell us here that the United States has stepped beyond it bounds and is now responsible to take care of Iraq citizens. He further explains that the U. S. will have more accountability for the well being of Iraq’s people because of the actions we have taken to stop the Iraq war.In conclusion, Matthew Parris is suggesting that the United States needs to be reigned in and that if this does not occur the â€Å"hegemonic power†, that is the United States will take over and become insoluble. With this, Matthew Parris’s view on America’s cultural influence on the world is overpoweringly negative. The international perception of the United States as an imposing, and influential power can be seen as either a negative or a positive. Because of its global connotation, it has become a source of analysis and scrutiny.Negatively, the United States is seen as a â€Å"hegemony† that needs taming and â€Å"caging†. Contrastingly, and on a positive note, the United States is influencing trade, transportation, economy, and education. America is influencing these factors towards other countries to try to enhance there knowledge and to further expose them to the possibilities that can be achieved by taking on the American way. One cannot view America’s positives as having no merit. There may be some form of jealousy that is masked by capitalizing on the negative power that is exerted by the United S tates. In onclusion, America’s cultural influence is primarily mixed as seen in the works of Matthew Parris’s It’s Time We All Signed Up for the Rest of the World Team, along with Raja Shehadeh’s What We Think of America (2). References: Gumery, K. , (2007) International Views: America and the Rest of the World. Glenview, Ill: Pearson Education, Inc. Parris, Matthew, (2003) â€Å"It’s time we all signed up for the rest of the world team† In Keith Gumery (Ed. ), International Views (pg. 94-97). New York: Pearson Longman Shehadeh, Raja, (2002) â€Å"What we think of America (2)† In Keith Gumery (Ed. ), International Views (pg. 90-93). New York: Pearson Longman

Masai Mara is Kenya Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Masai Mara is Kenya - Essay Example The climate here is gentle, rarely too hot and well spread rainfall year round. Rain, when it falls almost always chooses the late afternoon or night. Between July and October, when the great wildebeest migration is in the Mara, the sensation is unparalleled. This spectacular expanse of open grassland covers around 1520 sq km in the south-west corner of Kenya. The Masai Mara lies about 270 km from Nairobi and takes about 5 hours by road. There are scheduled flights, twice daily from Wilson Airport Nairobi, which take about 40 - 45 minutes. The first sight of this natural wonderland is breathtaking. Here the great herds of shuffling elephants browse among the rich tree-studded grasslands with an occasional sighting of a solitary and ill-tempered rhino. Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, topi-an antelope not found in other major parks and eland and many more species of plains' game offer a rich choice of food for the dominant predators; lion, leopard and cheetah which hunt in this pristine wilderness. In the Mara river, hippo submerge at the approach of a vehicle only to surface seconds later to snort and grumble their displeasure. Seemingly drowsy crocodile sunbathe on the river banks, mouth agape, waiting with subtle cunning for prey at which to strike with lightning swiftness. But this richness of fauna, this profusion of winged beauty and the untouched fragility of the landscape, are all subordinate to the Mara's foremost attraction, the march of the wildebeest. Each year, far south in the great vastness of the Serengeti, the wildebeest raise their dignified but quaint heads, sniff the air and, as if by one accord, start the long trek to the Kenya border and the Masai Mara. After exhausting the grazing in Tanzania's northern Serengeti a large number of wildebeest and zebra enter the Masai Mara. Around the end of June drawn by the sweet grass raised by the long rains of April and May. It is estimated that more than half a million wildebeest enter the Mara and are joined by another 100,000 from the Loita Hills east of the Mara Driving in the midst of these great herds is an unimaginable experience. Whilst the eyes feast on the spectacle, the air carries the smells, the dust and the sounds of hundreds of thousands of animals. This migration of the wild beas ts has been considered as the seventh New Wonder of the World. Wildebeests may have been making the trek for millions of years, coping with disease, drought and predators. "It's one of the great wonders in terms of animal migrations," says oceanographer Sylvia Earle. "It's just over the top." The wildebeests do bring balance to this fragile ecosystem, made up of the Serengeti and the Masai Mara. They are the heart and soul of the Great Migration - the key to survival on the vast plains. "Without the migration, it's harder to conceive Serengeti-Mara being what it is today," Hirji said. "Everything else survives within that migration - the predators and so on the vegetation." The journey is quite literally the circle of life. It happens year-round, a 700-mile trek, finely tuned to the region's rainy seasons. The herds follow the rain. "Serengeti-Mara ecosystems [are] considered to be perhaps the last of the

ARM, Intel and the microprocessor industry in 2014 Literature review

ARM, Intel and the microprocessor industry in 2014 - Literature review Example They had a feeling that sales favored ARM as their sales did not reflect the center of the ecosystem. Some observers felt that this would result to Intel making decisive actions. Intel was famous because it had good cash flow and upgraded technology. 40% of semiconductors are classified as microprocessors that have the circuit needed for computers. The remaining 60% are used for simple processors that have specific use such as the greeting cards. Even if they are less flexible they cannot be programmed once they have been installed (Grant & Jordan, 2012, P 15). Their shares of microprocessors have been increasing and it passed 50% in the year 2010. Microprocessors are manufactured through a complex process. The leading player is the US giant Intel that produced processors through its own architecture of x86. Their processors were used in the growing segments such as manufacturing of smart phones and tablets. This increased their sales from 12% in 2010 to 22% in 2012. They also became dominants by manufacturing gadgets at low cost and chrome book that was introduced by Google. The key selling strategy of ARM was through designing gadgets that consumed little energy. This was an important aspect of gadgets that needed to utilize energy that have limited battery capacity. This strategy seemed to be a good factor for some years to come. However the emission of low battery car was being improved. Commenters had begun to take an interest in the rivalry between Intel and ARM. These were different companies with different business models. And because of this neither of the two companies was justified to continue with the spoils with the way they have been doing. The final challenge is expected in network servers where ARM chips were being displayed. There are many processors in servers that are tightly fixed together, thus become a major challenge to keep them cool for long. Low energy chips consume low energy while operating thus cutting down costs. In the

Human activity increases pollution of the atmosphere Essay

Human activity increases pollution of the atmosphere - Essay Example (Schneider, 103) The protocol is familiar with the fact that most of the scientists are working upon that global warming is a serious threat to the world, against which serious actions must be taken in order to maintain it when we can. Although some critics might be against the statement that there is a contribution from human activity which increases the greenhouse gases which pollute the atmosphere. Some scientists have also researched that if there is an increase of even two degrees Fahrenheit in the greengases and global warming, we are likely to experience more of severly damagable storms, earthquakes, floods, in consequence to which more diseases would arrise. Such consequences would not only damage people, the community or the society, instead it would be harmful to the entire business era and the economic system. The Kyoto Protocol warned the business leaders that the new laws that will formulate are going to not only reduce the greenhouse gases which are produced but infact, may also disturb the flow of many business around the world due to which many producers might have to change the way the produce and manufacture products. In addition, business may have to suffer from a shift in the demand curve due to energy-efficient products whose main aim would be to reduce extra pollution while at the same time providing services to the society. We could say that these are few of the reaons why many business leaders are facing issues with the Kyoto Protocol for reducing the greenhouse gases. When these sort of problems arise, many manufacturers are now thinking of where to begin in order for them to not make any losses in the future due to shifts in the demand and supply curvs. Bad Weather Ahead It is noticed that even though most of the weird weather conditions are often caught by the public eye, severe changes are yet to be introduced which may cause choas within the society.Therefore, companis who are directly affected by the climate change or companies whose demand and supply vary according to the climate, for example clothing companies, should think of the severe consequences which they may face in the near future as the climate change has started to emerge. Public Relations Campaign Environmental initiatives threatened core components of right-wing ideology such as the primacy of individual liberty, the absolute rights of private property, free enterprise and laissez-faire government. (Schneider, 103) Right-wing think-tanks and media outlets thus began a relentless public relations campaign that attacked environmentalism as alarmist or worse. In conjunction with right-wing politics, the fossil fuel industry, wishing to avoid regulation, taxation and negative publicity, used proindustry research and catchy advertisements to persuade the public that climate change was simply not a concern. Though President Bush kept his campaign promise of hosting a conference on global warming, he reversed the strong rhetoric and activist stance that characterized his presidential campaign.Instead the President claimed that scientific uncertainty clouded the issue. He favored more research, the unchanging mantra-along with denial-of most right-wing politicians in the United States. (Schneider, 103) Both public awareness and climate policy in the

The Crusades and their effect on Europe specifically England Research Paper

The Crusades and their effect on Europe specifically England - Research Paper Example In this crusade, Christian warriors were urged to move into Palestine and free Jerusalem from Muslims Turks (Hallam 17-19; Crawford 1). The attack against the Muslim caliphates of the Near East was successful, and marked the onset of other subsequent crusades. However, for the subsequent crusades were not all victorious. Some ended up in defeats while others ended in compromises (The Christian Broadcasting Network 1) The Crusaders, who settled first in Palestine, underwent numerous challenges. They were in hostile territory i.e. surrounded by unified Islamic forces that were constantly seeking means of eliminating them. They lacked proper means of nominating or electing a widely accepted leader, and had no clear guidance on how to coexist after the victory. Thus, they lived in small factions rather than a unified entity (Butler 1). Most of the Christian crusades were as consequence of joint operation under the popes’ instruction. Even though in Europe most of the crusaders were mainly from England France and Germany, other European Christian localities also availed crusaders whenever the pope gave a directive for a crusade (World History Center 1). As consequence, the crusades’ effects were nearly uniform across ‘Christian Europe’. Crusades and visits to Palestine, Egypt and the Arab world was not just a mere expedition in which people went and fought but where people learnt various aspects of the Islamic World and incorporated them in their culture The crusaders in Palestine had adopted the locals’ way of dressing and housing architecture(Crawford 1). The dressing style and housing structures were the same as those of the Muslims. It was common to find â€Å"harems with veiled women wearing makeup† and Muslims neighbors praying in Christian chapels (Dutch 1). As consequence, there was a huge cultural gap between the crusaders in the holy land and those who lived

Desktop Publishing for Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Desktop Publishing for Business - Assignment Example The sub-headings to be included, the topics that require to be covered extensively and the ones to be glossed over, have all got to be taken into consideration. DTP offers a lot more flexibility for a person while creating printed materials but the new age student still needs to grasp the importance of learning how to utilise and understand basics of design principle elements like space , texture, value, balance so that he/she can create an effective design layout. Design Principles: What is a design? A design can be said to be â€Å"a plan for arranging elements in such a way as to best accomplish a particular purpose† (Faimon & Weigand 2004: 13). A design is a creation of elements such as line, shape, colour, value and texture and is integrated with principles such as unity, variety, emphasis, balance and scale making it a design principle as a whole. Only when there is a proper integration of both design and principle, we can call it a successful design principle. The desig n principle can be said to be a form of communication through visual means. To communicate effectively, we have to use precise and correct language and likewise in visual communication, the designs we use will determine the efficacy of our communication. An examination of the individual components that make up the design principle in the given brochure, which include balance, white space, contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity reveals balance, in terms of design implies a distribution in visual weight of objects, colours, texture, and space. If we could arrange the designs on a linear scale, then both sides would have to be balance to make the design look and feel stable and if we arrange the design radially, then also the elements are arranged around a central point and may be similar. The rule of thirds is another interesting mode of presentation but looks to be more confusing to a layman when compared to the symmetrical and the asymmetrical mode of presentation. The white space is the empty space left between words or in margins. It is the absence of text and graphics. It can help to follow a layout easily, highlight a certain element or help rest the eyes. All the elements of white space have been very effectively portrayed in the BMW brochure and the best way to utilize it has also been communicated. Avoiding rivers of white space and claustrophobic presentation makes the point clear that a design element has to remain uncluttered to be effective and eye-catching. Contrast forms the crux to a dynamic design, which creates visual interest and enhances the organization and hierarchy of your content. Contrast involves making two or more elements very different (e.g. heading and text). The contrasts shown in the brochure proves weak and the effectiveness could have been better if bright colours were used instead of just black and white images. Black and white does create contrast but all the images look repetitive and uninteresting. â€Å"Repetition w orks with pattern to make the artwork seem active† (Principles of Design 2011: 1). Whenever the elements of a design are repeated, the elements of design create symmetry and unity within the artwork. Repeating certain visual elements of the design throughout, improves visual impact, consistency, and strengthens

Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research Designs Essay Example for Free

Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research Designs Essay The experimental research design is one of the most reliable quantitative designs available. Basically, it requires that the researcher conduct an actual experiment in order to prove the research hypothesis. Similar yet fundamentally different from the experimental design is the quasi-experimental design. his paper discusses the procedure in conducting an experimental design research and differentiates it from a quasi-experimental research design. Examples of each are given to facilitate further comparison and contrast. The first step in conducting an experimental research design is to identify the independent and dependent variables. According to Random House’s dictionary of statistical terminologies, â€Å"the dependent variable is the event studied and expected to change when the independent variable is changed. † (Random House, 2001, p. 534). In Butler and Lijinsky (2005) which is an example of experimental research, the independent variable was the type of rat while the dependent variable was the toxicity level. This meant that the research seeks to verify whether different types of rats would have different acute toxicity levels. After the identification of the independent and dependent variables, the next step is to randomly select a sample for the experiment. To randomly select a sample means to make sure that all of the members of the population have an equal chance of being selected (Corder Foreman, 2009). For example, when seeking to study a school population as is the case in of Stevens Slavin (1995), random sampling is conducted by placing all of the possible respondents in a list and selecting from that list randomly. In this way, each student has an equal opportunity to be selected for the study. Lastly, once the experiment is conducted, a secure atmosphere is generated wherein the effect of other factors are minimized (Mertens, 1998). Going back to Butler and Lijinsky (1995), the experiment was conducted in a secure atmosphere where the only variables were the type of rat and the toxins induced to them. All other factors such as the food they were given, the space of their cages and so on were kept the same for the different types of rat. In a quasi-experimental approach, an experiment is also conducted and dependent and independent variables are also selected. Measures to keep all other variables constant are also taken. However, the defining difference between the tow is that quasi-experimental designs do not conduct random sampling (Mertens, 1998). For example, the quasi-experimental research conducted by Dutton (1986) simply a sample from those that were available. This is not random sampling and therefore the design cannot be considered as experimental but it does fit the quasi-experimental description. In conclusion, it is clear that while experimental and quasi-experimental research designs are similar, they do have an essential difference. References Butler, A, and Lijinsky, W. (2005). â€Å"Acute toxicity of aflatoxin G1 to the rat† Journal of Pathology, 102 (4), 209-212. Corder, G. , Foreman, G. (2009). Nonparametric Statistics for Non-Statisticians: A Step-by-Step Approach. Wiley. Dutton, D. (1986). â€Å"The Outcome of Court-Mandated Treatment for Wife Assault: A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation. † Violence and Victims, 1(3) 163-175 Mertens, D. (1998). Research methods in education and psychology: Integrating diversity with quantitative qualitative. Sage. Random House. (2001). Random House Websters Unabridged Dictionary. Random House, Inc. Stevens, R. , and Slavin, R. (1995). Effects of a Cooperative Learning Approach in Reading and Writing on Academically Handicapped and Nonhandicapped Students. The University of Chicago Press.