Extract from The Arrogance of Power (1966) by William J. Fulbright Essay

Extract from The Arrogance of Power (1966) by William J. Fulbright - Essay Example In William J. Fulbright’s essay, the author lays his ideas in a logical way basing his arguments on both past and present events. The author also looks at the main factors behind the strength and the threat facing America by not only incorporating his opinions, but also using the facts and the personal researches. Thus, it is safe to say that Fulbright’s essay is successful as it gives several valid factors to support the author’s point of argument. First, the essay is successful because of its logical arrangement. The author looks at America in the past and America in the present. For example, in the author’s analysis of American history, he argues that America is deeply rooted in democratic institutions. Though the author is looking at the present situation of America, he looks into her history in order to justify her present situation. The historical analysis of America in comparison to other nations like Russia and Germany that rose and fell because of their desire to dominate the world makes the essay not focus on opinions, but rather documented and historical facts (Brown 252). By applying historical analysis of the world events and America, in particular, the author adds validity to his essay and his arguments appear more valid than if he had just embarked on discussing America’s failure. For this reason, it can be argued that the argument is logically valid because it gives readers a good reason to accept what the writer has put forward. Secondly, the author makes his essay successful through the tactical use of tone. The author’s tone is that of concern, and he sounds honest about the situation in America. He analyses the positive aspects of America and clearly highlights his fears for her. For example, Fulbright argues that America may be taking the steps by embarking on commitments such as peace solving irrespective of her intent. The author also highlights his concerns over America

Describe the main theoretical models of child abuse Essay Example for Free

Describe the main theoretical models of child abuse Essay Medical model, sociological model, psychological model, feminist model and contextual model are all theories relating to abuse. Although there are many different types of child abuse and many different reasons why it may occur, most cases have been wilted down to fit into one of the five main theories named above.  Medical mode is when the reason for abused is classed as a disease or an illness. Kempe and Kempe were the inspiration for this theory when they described it as battered child syndrome which was linked to Bowlbys theory on attachment. Bowlby came to the conclusion that children who failed to form this bond with their mother in the first three years of the childs life would have problems in later life bonding with people and trusting people. He also described a child with a lack of bonding to be an affectionless psychopath, which he described to be someone who shows lack of guilt when done something wrong has difficulties showing emotion to things around them or someone with behaviour problems. Another affect of not having an attachment in this critical period as it was also known in Bowlbys eyes was development retardation which meant the child may grow up with learning difficulties or slower intellectual skills. So if the main caregiver failed to have a strong bond when they were young then they may find it difficult to form a bond with the child. It is a vicious cycle that goes round and round. This type of abuse is shown in the case study in some ways. This is because the mother of the children had failed to form a bond with her mother, and there for she is struggling to form a bond with her children. Will these children grow up failing to form a bond or a strong relationship with their children because of this? Bowlby would have described Kerry, the mother as an affectionless psychopath. Sociological model is all about the environment that the child is being brought up in and around. Areas of social deprivation are often linked with abuse which has been proven in some research that has been carried out. Children need to be safe and grow up in healthy environments for them to get a good start in life and grow up healthy. Some people react to how they were treated when they were growing up. In other words if a child is abused or neglected then there is a higher chance that when they grow up they will forward this behaviour on to the children in their care. This is because this is what they are used to and they may think that it is normal was to treat children if they have seen no different. Another reason may be they feel that they have to suffer through it all and so should their children. It is not always this case however, some abused children grown up with the determination to treat the children with the love and kindness that they never received themselves. The case study states that the children are living in a high rise block of flats with faulty wiring, damp, and a lack of hygiene. The children are constantly around alcohol, drugs and known criminals. This is definitely not an appropriate environment for the children to be around and this is why I feel it fits in to this area of abuse.  Psychological model is based around the family and its relationship status. It involves one particular member of the family being scapegoated by the rest of the family and getting the blame for all the problems that arise in the family. This type of abuse can be linked with the case study because the older child Katie gets blamed for a lot of the things that go wrong in the flat especially linked with her brother. Her brother is only a baby and if he cries then Katie gets in to trouble. She is given the responsibility to take care of the baby even though she is only 3 years old herself.  The theory described as the feminist model is about the different sexes and the power and force in which the male figure has. This theory links mainly with sexual abuse.

Consumer Motives for Charity Donations

Consumer Motives for Charity Donations 1. Introduction Consumer motives and behaviour into donating to charity in general is a topic that is known to have a lack of research, creating an issue of ambiguity for charitable organisations. Most research existing is based on cause related marketing, the cooperative alliances between charities and corporations to gain charity funding, yet little in depth research exists on the area of personal financing from consumers in the form of donations. With figures from 2001 showing that the top 25 UK companies gave  £102 million to charity, with as much as  £31 million per donation, it is evident that it is most probably the case that the percentage of charity financing does come from corporations, at least for the larger corporations with many strategic alliances in the sector (Smith J. , n.d.). Although this should not mean that other areas of financing should be overlooked; particularly in a society in which social responsibility is growing in importance. Furthermore, neglecting this area of fi nancing could eventually change the entire focus and structure of charities, leaving the individual consumers out of the equation altogether. But of upmost importance is the fact that as stated by Patrick Cox, Chief Executive of the Small Charities Coalition, â€Å"cash donations are usually the primary source of fundraising income for small organisations†, suggesting that a failure to correctly understand consumer behaviour could lead to the diminishment of the small charity (Critchly, 2009). However, also considered within this research is the issue of consumer confidence in donating, whether consumer beliefs of misallocating financing, bureaucracy, and red tape is a significant factor in charity size preferences. Therefore this report serves the purpose of researching consumer motives in personal individual charitable contributions, examining whether these motives differ by the size of the organisation; in this research size is defined by the focus of the charity, being local based, national based or international based, therefore focusing on where the funds are placed as opposed to the actual numerical size of the organisation. The hypothesis to be tested is that consumer behaviour indicators change according to the size of the organisation. However, this research will only be based on the donative non-profit unit of the charities, meaning that it will only investigate the significance upon individual consumer contributions, and not any other areas of financing such as corporation or other organisational or governmental funding. Additionally, this research will not take into account the contributions made in the form of legacies. The study itself is based upon a model of charitable giving behaviour, which has been formed in consideration of other models of consumer behaviour, but also taking into account the information available in the field of charitable consumer behaviour. The model considers the areas of organisational inputs, psychological attachment, consumer confidence and experience alongside a selection of extrinsic determinants, namely consumer demographic factors. Quantitative research methods in the form of an online survey are adopted to test this model, in which 196 respondents are questioned. It becomes apparent that this research project has a large scale in terms of aims and objectives and what it is trying to prove. This study can be considered to be a smaller version of the big picture, in the sense that in reality the study would be much larger scale, with many researchers on board to investigate the topic. A UK wide study is generally a large project in terms of the amount of research needed to be conducted, however given the resource limitations of this study, the results found will merely provide an insight into differences and trends, for researchers to base further studies upon. Regardless, this study is considered to be of upmost importance in adding valuable consumer behavioural research to the field, a field in which studies are in general very sparse. 2. Literature Review A non-profit organisation is typically defined as one which has a â€Å"non-distribution constraint† (Hansmann, 1987, p. 28) , allowing firms to make surplus profits, however not to distribute financial resources to controllers of the organisation in the form of dividends and such, but to retain profits for other allocations. This idea is vital to the understanding of economic, financial and consumer dynamics of the sector. As Powell and Steinberg (2006) elucidate, the theories and models surrounding the economics of the non-profit sector create a great deal of confusion, since the basic ideas of profit maximisation do not apply, and it is assumed that any deviation from this ideal is considered market failure. It is difficult to believe that consumers, with their normally selfish economic motives, can have in reality such altruistic motives. However it is the case that these motives can be linked to fulfilling a consumer emotive need. Whilst the non-distribution constraint serves as a definition, it is not necessarily true to reality, since in the non-profit sector operational costs amount and the issue of rising administrative and fundraising costs becomes apparent in todays media. Administrative costs, whilst unavoidable, are certainly thought to be excessive in the industry, perhaps causing mistrust amongst consumers. It is thought that consumers expect the administration to charitable expenditure to be 20:80 (Kahler Sargeant, 2002); however research by Harvey and McCrohan (1998, cited in Kahler Sargeant, 2002) found that consumers are satisfied with a minimum of 60% of revenues reaching the final end cause, begging the question that if this is indeed the case, is consumer confidence in charity financing such an issue?  Ã‚   Either way, it is certainly the case that consumers are kept in the dark on the optimum level of relevant cost and efficiency margins. Escalating matters further, the body for regulatin g the UK charity sector, the Charity Commission, as â€Å"the sanctions for inefficient behaviour are not automatic† (Levaggi, 1995, p. 285).   Administrative costs compared to total expenditure appear to have a negative correlation to the size of the charity, meaning that the administrative costs are higher as a percentage when expenditures are less as can be seen in the figure below. This is perhaps not the common belief of consumers, with smaller charities being seen as less wasteful by consumers, proven by a survey initiated by Third Sector (Wiggins, 2010). Regardless of attempting to isolate consumers actual beliefs, attitudes and assumptions, research by NFP Synergy has confirmed that most individuals within the UK public do not have confidence in charitable organisations, with confidence dropping by 9% to only 41% (Hummerston, 2008). The involvement of ‘for profit companies with ‘non-profit organisations is normally in the form of cause related marketing, which according to Varadarajan and Menon is â€Å"the process of formulating and implementing marketing activities that are characterised by an offer from the firm to contribute a specific amount to a designated cause when customers engage in revenue providing exchanges that satisfy organisational and individual objectives† (Varadarajan Menon, 1988, p. 60). This form of voluntary contribution is more likely to occur with the larger charities as opposed to the smaller ones; furthermore it must be considered that the willingness to contribute and the motivations backing the decision is very much different to that of a general consumer, since although consumers are led to believe that companies engage in Corporate Social Responsibility for good causes, of course the bottom line concern is profit maximisation. According to Hansmann (1980), the non-profit sector can be separated into two different forms of organisations according to their dynamics; donative and commercial non-profits, and it is the non-distribution constraint which creates confidence that the money is being resourcefully and properly allocated. However since the service is not visually seen to be conducted by the consumer who donates, there could be issues with contract failure, or at least perceived contract failure; this is thought to be less of an issue with larger organisations as the sheer governance structure secures confidence (Wiliamson, 1979). Yet in any case there exists a corporation charter and legal framework to provide assurance. Although it must be questioned that due to the non-distribution constraint in larger companies whilst profits are not dispersed among management, there would be a much broader structure of employees, and hence remuneration and bureaucratic structure. Additionally, this ambiguity of th e constitute of financing appears to be a common cause for concern amongst consumers, with research showing that 51% of the UK public would give more if they knew where the money is spent (Wiggins, 2009). Existing research into the consumer behaviour of charity linked products tends to be research based on the field of cause related marketing, rather than the individual end consumers behavioural characteristics into products that are not linked with ‘for profit companies, such as donations and organisation branded purchases. Present research solely into non-profit organisations tends to be based on commercial non-profits such as nursing, hospital care and education institutions, where results and service can clearly be seen and evidently proved. Thus far, in the case of non-profits as a whole, research into the effects of product type and donation magnitude on willingness to contribute by Strahilevitz (1999) found that the effect of product type, hedonistic or utilitarian, is affected mainly by large donations rather than small donations; Illustrating the idea that consumers are more willing to by a hedonistic product if it is linked to a large donation rather than a smaller one . Furthermore research by Bearden and Etzel (1982) shows that charity linked purchases can be considered to meet the need to belong to an ‘aspiration group. Notable also is the peer pressure relating to the group to remain a member by exerting the appropriate philanthropic behaviours. There also appears to be a difference in contributions by age group as found by Kotler and Andreasen (1996), Foster and Meinhard (1997) add to this with results showing a difference in the preferred medium of contribution methods by age group. In addition, charitable donations could be seen as a result of guilt for a lack of ethical actions in ones life (Burnett and Lunsford, 1994, cited in Bonsu, Main, Wilner, 2008). Information of where the money is going is a important decisive factor in repurchasing according to recent research by Proenca and Pereira (2008), showing that perhaps the commercial advertising sector of non-profit organisations is of high importance for maintaining an effective c ommunications mix, as a channel of information for the consumer, increasing transparency of resource allocation and achievements. Understanding and guidance can be found from basic ideologies of consumer behaviour as a starting point. However one must remember that the purchase is for someone elses benefit rather than the consumer of the product. Buying decisions can be considered to relate to Maslows hierarchy of needs, since the consumer decision psychologically involves a need recognition, which would be related to one of the tiers of the hierarchy, namely physiological, safety, belongingness, self esteem, and self actualisation. In Maslows model we can relate charitable contributions as self actualisation, â€Å"the desire to become all that one is capable of†, although according to the theory the need is the highest of the hierarchy and can only be achieved once all others have been fulfilled. (Koontz Weihrich, 2008, p. 291). Scramms model of communication (1955, cited in Smith, 2002) shows how consumer behaviour can be related to the marketing communications, since attitudes and perceptions are ba sed on the message received by the consumer from the brand. Therefore we can question the extent of communication messages occurring in smaller non-profit firms, since it is evident that larger organisations participate in much more marketing activities. Moreover, general motives of consumer behaviour are thought to be linked to the personality of the consumer and how it directs actions. â€Å"Self-monitoring relates to self-presentation and reflects the degree to which one adjusts ones behaviour according to social cues† (Snyder, 1974, cited in Grace Griffin, 2006, p. 4). Consumers rating high in the self monitoring scale tend to be more aware and respondent to what others do within a social circle; as such they are more likely to donate if it is the social norm, creating circles of influence. Consumer behaviour is a field of study that has only been in existence since the 1960s, and as such there are many elements that have not yet been theorised. Most models are in reference to the process of decision making, rather than the behavioural characteristics that resolve the decision process to buy a certain product. However, we must consider the extent that one could ever understand the mind of the buyer; research trends would of course only show a generalisation of the sample, and of course the mindset will change by product, making studying behavioural characteristics increasingly difficult. Well acclaimed theorist Nicosia (1966, cited in Baker et al, 1988), was among the first to present a model in this field, flowcharting the process of decision making, with the steps from a consumer being exposed to a communication message, to purchasing and having a recognised post purchase experience. Andreasens Model (1965, cited in Argyris, 1988) added to this, introducing the realms of attitude factors to the process, revolving around attitude formation and change occurring to changing external stimulus. A common issue of theorists and psychology in general is the issue that one will never know what is inside the consumers ‘black box, their psychological mindset in decision making, one can only allude to it. The Engel, Kollat and Blackwell (1968, cited in Baker et al, 1988) model refers to the ‘black box as a central control unit, which consists of motives and response traits,   including many factors such as perceptions, values, and past experience behavioural characteristics. Present teachings of consumer behaviour tend to refer to a uniform model depicting and grouping the elements that influence behaviour; these are namely cultural, social, personal and psychological factors (Kotler, Wong, Saunders, Armstrong, 2005). Baker (Baker et al, 1988) has produced the most thorough model of buyer behaviour, a composition of all of the above theorists, in which the decision making characteristics can be clearly defined. The equation is as follows: P=f(SPPC, EC, IS, PF, CBBR) In which a purchase (P) can be defined as a function of selective perception (SP) and the behavioural response (BR) of enabling conditions (EB), information search (IS), precipitating circumstances (PC) and cost-benefit analysis (CB) factors combined. So whilst it is relatively unknown what is involved in the consumer decision making process, there are a number of key areas that can be alluded to for investigation, that appear in most models. In reference to charitable giving behaviours, treating the non-profit sector as anything other than one general research topic is uncommon, with researchers rarely distinguishing any sub categorisation of organisations, however some current findings are valid for the basis of understanding the differentials in motives and behaviours. It is known and studied that charities may take on a certain pseudo-human personality and hence certain personality traits can aid marketing efforts (Sargeant, Hudson, West, Conceptualizing brand values in the charity sector:the relationship between sector, cause and organization, 2008), based on the generalised theories of corporate personalities by McEnally de Chernatony (1999) and Palmer (1996); It was found that the traits held trends based upon the cause, sector and corporate cultural distinctions of the charity, which of course may differ by the various charity focuses and size. Sargeant (1999) , based on all existing knowledge in the field, crea ted a model of donating behaviour, shown below, in which an idea to factors influencing the decision process are elucidated. The issues that have particular relevance to examining the difference by charity size are namely the extrinsic determinants and perceptual reaction factors. However it must be noted that whilst the intrinsic determinants could apply to any charitable cause, the inputs in the form of marketing and communications can greatly affect the feelings of the consumer. Yet it must be noted that this model has yet to be tested, and is merely a portrayal of previous literature in the field. So whilst information and research is readily available and vast on the non-profit sector as a whole, research tends to be focused on either the cooperation of non-profit and for-profit firms using cause related marketing. That which differs from that area s mainly rooted in the service industry in the form of commercial non-profits and most other existing research on the consumer behaviour of non-profit companies is very shallow, not delving into the motivations and issues of consumer behaviour. There is as of yet, no existing published research that compares the size of the non-profit organisation with the behavioural constraints and patterns, in particular with regards to solely donative non-profits. 3. Industry Analysis 3.1. Revenue Analysis: The Importance of Individual Contributions in the Non-Profit Industry The structural makeup of the non-profit industry is much like any other, whilst we regularly hear about and are bombarded with advertising communications from the corporate giants in the trade, the reality is that in terms of numbers, these large firms are a tiny percentage of the industry, yet account for the majority of the total revenues, which can be seen in the charts below. According to the Charities Aid Foundation, the total amount donated by individuals in the year between 2009 and 2010 was  £10.6 billion excluding income in the form of legacies, which constitutes around one fifth of revenues in the sector, which was  £52 billion in the same year (Charities Aid Foundation, 2010; Philanthrophy UK, 2010). There forth, the importance of individual giving is high.   Looking towards giving patterns in the United Kingdom, we can see the importance of certain donor groups with the statistics that 54% of the population donated in a typical month in the years 2008 and 2009, with the median amount given being  £10; However the importance of the larger donations can be seen with 7% contributing more than  £100 per month, which equates to just less than 50% of charitable donations from the public (Booth, 2010). Interestingly, looking at the amount of money donated as a percentage of total income, â€Å"the top fifth of households give less than 1% of t heir income, while the poorest give 3%† (National Council for Voluntary Organisations, 2010). Regardless, the United Kingdom in relation to the rest of the world is one of the most generous countries, ranking 8th in the World Giving Index of 2010, which is measured upon the proportion of the public who had given to charity, helped a stranger and given time to those in need (Charities Aid Foundation, 2010). Interesting to discover in terms of the relevance of the research conducted within this report, is the importance of individual giving from the general public to the various size and focus groups of charities. Whilst the statistics show that overall it is of great importance, it may be that other areas of financing are of more importance for different sized charities; it would be thought that corporate donations and corporate social responsibility partnerships would be more important to the large international focused organisation than the small localised one. The above table shows research into the financial revenues of charitable organisations, attempting to decipher if there are differences in where the finance comes from between the three different types of charities, those with an international, national or local focus. This research study is not concerned with the numerical size of the organisation, but size in terms of the geographical spread of the benefits. In order to ensure validity of results, all of the charities included are of the same concern; all work in the child poverty sector and are focused on the enhancement of childrens lives. Since it may be the case that financing trends vary according to the type of charity, for example a medically focused charity would received a great deal more revenues from governmental organisations than most. Noticeable in researching this topic was that most charitable organisations do not release enough information to the public in the annual reports about where the revenue comes from, with only a handful of organisations providing enough information to be included in this study. This is even more apparent in the case of finding data for local charities. The results are fairly inconclusive in finding a strong trend in the revenue breakdown yet we can make some conclusions based on the findings. What can be seen is that the international organisations tend to receive a larger percentage in individual general public donations than the other forms of organisations. Regarding corporate and governmental contributions, what is evident is that international and even national organisations, which tend to be larger and better known, receive a great deal more in corporate donations. Whilst local charities receive a great deal of income from other sources, a particular observation is that they are mostly funded through other charitable organisations and non-governmental grants such as the national lottery funding. It could very well be that the local and even the smaller national charities do not have a strong enough presence in the world of media through advertising to gain sufficient individual contributions from the public. The averages can be seen depicted in the charts below. 3.2. An Outside Glance of Consumer Trust and Confidence The purchase decision to donate to charity, much like any ‘for profit industry, involves a great deal of trust and confidence elements on the consumers part to work through the stages of decision making to finally decide to make a purchase. We can even go as far to say that the element of trust in donating is even more prominent than in other industries, since when consumers make a purchase decision, they are not receiving a ‘physical product that they can feel post purchase satisfaction with, they are simply expected to believe the benefits of their purchase and that their money is being used well. It is often the case with most charities that a donation does not merit the information as to what activity or campaign it is being used for, limiting the knowledge even further, and thus possibly affecting trust. A consumer study survey conducted by Read Data Asset Management Group in 2010 showed that 42% of consumers would trust charities with their personal data â€Å"which is in stark contrast to government who were least trusted by 36%† (Read Data Asset Management Group Plc, 2010, pg 3). This is an interesting find in terms of confidence since the security of personal data is such a hot topic these days, with the public being incredibly cautious. The same study also examined reasons consumers would stop supporting a charity, finding that the highest rated responses were wasting money on marketing efforts, over contacting consumers and overly emotional marketing communications. These results are quite contradictory to reality since these tend to be the actions taken by the well known large charities, which are also the charities that are most popular amongst donors. We can also consider consumer trust and confidence levels not to be standardised across the industry; it may be that d istrust stems from certain charity types or causes. There are a great number of ‘pop up charities, created for crisis appeals, which are not well known or established as an entity and as such may not be as trusted. There is also the concern that such charities are started purely to merit the trustees a high wage. Consumer confidence can be greatly positively influenced by the presence of governmental regulatory bodies, rules and standards within industries. The past decade has seen a dramatic incline in the efforts to regulate and increase transparency, since the likes of the Enron scandal and other highly publicised fraudulent business operations, resulting in the development of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 to secure the business environment for consumers, and many UK equivalent legal regulations to the same context. Charities, akin to all organisations are required by law to abide to certain legal provisions. The United Kingdom adopted the EU Transparency Directive in 2007, which serves to promote appropriate disclosure of information, with the main areas of focus being â€Å"periodic financial reporting and disclosure of major shareholdings† (Ashurst, 2007). Supplementary to the above menti

The Life of William Shakespeare :: Essays Papers

The Life of William Shakespeare England's most talented and well know poet and dramatist was born on April 23, 1564, at Stratford-upon-Avon, located in the cetre of England. His father, John, was a glove-maker and wool dealer involved with money lending. His mother Mary Arden was the daughter of a Farmer. William was the third out of eight children whom all died young. His father became Mayor in 1568, after serving on the town council for many years. William went to a junior school before going to the Grammar School when he was 7. There he learned how to speak and write Latin. No one knows what he did after he left school at the age of 14. In November 1582 he married Anne Hathaway. He was 18 and she was 26. They had 3 children. May 1583 they had Susanna then two years later had twins, Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died at the age of 11. Susanna married a physician in 1607, and Shakespeare's other daughter married to a vintner in 1616. There was a gap in his life where no one had any evidence of him or his wife. Between 1585 and 1592. All people know, is that he left Stratford for London either in 1586 or 87. His reputation was established in London around 1592. His first play he wrote was in 1593, it was called Venus and Adonis. He became a "gentleman" after inheriting his fathers coat-of-arms, even though actors were generally looked at as rogues and vagabonds. He probably wrote his 154 sonnets during this time as well. They were published later on in 1609. His success in London made him very wealthy so he moved into a large home in Stratford. Some of his plays were: Henry VI, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, Titus Andronicus, The Taming of the Shrew, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Love's

Natural Disaster Hazard Assessment

Hazard Assessment for Memphis, Tennessee Environmental Geology Hazard Assessment for Memphis, Tennessee A natural disaster is defined as any event or force of nature that has catastrophic consequences (â€Å"natural disaster†). The only reason that these events are considered to have catastrophic consequences is because people are negatively affected by these natural events. If people were not present during these events, they would not be considered catastrophic. The more people affected means the event would be considered more catastrophic. Tennessee is the 17th most populated state, with approximately 6. million residents (Infoplease. com). Within the state, Shelby county covers the most area, (755 square miles), and is also the most populated county, with approximately 927,644 people residing there (Infoplease. com). Shelby county includes the city of Memphis. Memphis is the most populated city within Tennessee with at least 645,000 residents (Infoplease. com). I have atta ched several maps in order to see different parts of the land. Map I shows where the county lines are located within Tennessee. You can also see where Memphis is located within the county. Map II shows the elevation levels of the state.As you can see in that map, Memphis is located within the lowest elevation levels of the state. Map III shows the rivers that run throughout the state. The main river that runs between the Tennessee, Arkansas, and Missouri borders is the Mississippi River. There are several natural disasters that I would consider to be threats to the Memphis area. One natural disaster that I would consider to be a concern to Memphis would be an earthquake. According to the United States Geological Survey, (USGS), there is an approximately six percent chance that there will be a major earthquake within 50 kilometers ofMemphis in the next 50 years (Homefacts. com). The last earthquakes that had magnitudes of five were in 1976 and 1991 (Homefacts. com). The earthquake re corded in 1976 was approximately 40 miles away from Memphis. Looking at the sources found, I see that Tennessee has had its fair share of earthquakes, so I would say that another earthquake occurring in the area should be a concern of the citizens and government officials. â€Å"There is a broad agreement in the scientific community that a continuing concern exists for a major destructive earthquake in the New Madrid seismic zone. Many structures in Memphis, Tenn. and other communities in the central Mississippi River Valley region are vulnerable and at risk for severe ground shaking. † (USGS. gov). The New Madrid Earthquake of 1812 was one of the most significant events in U. S. history. Topographic changes were noted over an area of 75,000 to 130,000 square kilometers, with the total area shaken being at least five million square kilometers (USGS. gov). Back then, the damage was minimal because of sparse population. Nowadays, an earthquake that severe could result in  "great loss of life and property damage in the billions of dollars† (Cusec. rg). The fact that Memphis is the most populated city in the state, a small earthquake could cause a significant amount of damage. â€Å"By learning about the potential earthquake hazards in your area and by taking certain preparedness measures now, you can increase your chances of surviving an earthquake and minimize its dangerous and damaging impacts† (Cusec. org). There are many organizations that Memphis has in order to help citizens learn how to prepare for these catastrophic events, and what to do in order to survive.One organization is the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (R. A. C. E. S. ), which is a volunteer communications group that assists the Shelby county area. R. A. C. E. S. provides emergency personnel that can help with communications during local, regional, or national emergency/disaster events (Cityofmemphis. org). Another organization that provides help during emergency situations is the Memphis/Shelby County Emergency Management Agency (EMA). The EMA helps local, state, and federal agencies with response to disasters that requires a multi-agency/multi-jurisdictional response.The EMA has satellite links with the National Weather Service that activates sirens in order to warn the residents of multiple cities, including Memphis (Cityofmemphis. org). There are also things that the citizens and homeowners could do in order to minimize the damage during earthquake. Earthquake drills are a great way to help enforce the importance of preparedness, and to prevent panic and injury during an earthquake. Families should have emergency plans that lay out where everyone is going to be and where to reunite with one another. Keep a flashlight and a batterypowered radio in the home.Place large or heavy objects on lower shelves, and fasten the shelves to walls. And lastly, have a seven to ten day supply of food and water (Cusec. org). You can never be too prepared for any natural disaster, so being safe is better than being sorry. Not all natural disasters are threats to Memphis. Volcanoes are an example of a natural disaster that is not a threat to the Memphis area. There are no known volcanoes in the area that would cause any kind of harm to the residents of Memphis. Historically, there have not been any known volcanoes in the area either.Memphis is not located on any fault boundaries, so I would think that there would no volcanoes forming in the area any time in the near future. Hurricanes are a little more of a concern for Memphis. The western area of the state has the possibility of being affected by the end of certain storms. Hurricane Katrina is an example of this situation in which Memphis can be affected by storms not necessarily in the direct area. When Hurricane Katrina hit the U. S. in 2005, multiple counties in Tennessee were evacuated; Shelby County was one of those counties (Fema. gov).I would consider Memphis to be slightly co ncern about hurricanes occurring in the area, especially since the city is located at a low elevation. The lower elevation would be more susceptible to flooding. The government should have adequate warning of the hurricane, since it would most likely be coming from the Gulf of Mexico. I would also expect that the citizens would be prepared for hurricanes, since they are used to flooding situations. Tornadoes, I feel, are more of a concern than hurricanes. There are many more tornadoes in the middle of the state then there are on the outskirts.Tornadoes are more likely to strike open plains rather than in an urban area, like Memphis. â€Å"The reality is, very few tornadoes ever touch down in the city of Memphis†¦.. Nevertheless, tornadoes can and have struck within the city† (About. com). There have been numerous tornadoes that have affected Shelby county, but not nearly as many as the middle of the state. The last one that affected Shelby County, and had a high death co unt was in 1987, with at least 120 deaths (NWS Memphis Forecast Area Tornado Database). There have since been tornadoes that have caused deaths, hich is not surprising considering the amount of people that live in the city. With all the tornadoes that have gone through the county, there has always been a significant amount of damage. That also is understandable since there are a lot of buildings in the city. There have also been plenty of tornado warnings for the state, but not all of them affecting Shelby County. The last tornado warning that included Shelby County was on May 9, 2011. In order to be prepared for a tornado, there are several things we could do. First of all, avoid windows and seek shelter in the center-most room on the lowest floor possible.Use your hands and arms to protect yourself from falling debris. Also, keep some sort of identification on you at all times in case you are hurt or disoriented (About. com). Keeping identification on you is a good idea for every natural disaster. It will help emergency personnel identify who you are and hopefully get you back with your family. Tsunamis are another type of natural disaster that is not a concern for Memphis. There have been no known tsunamis recorded for Memphis. I do not think that there will be any future tsunamis in Memphis because there is no ocean or large body of water located near Memphis.The Mississippi River is near Memphis, but the river does not create waves that would be large enough to create a seismic wave. Even though tsunamis are not a threat to the city, flooding is a huge concern for the city. The Mississippi River is right near the city, so that would be a reason as to why the area floods frequently. The city is also at a low elevation, which is another reason as to why the area floods frequently. There is currently an active flood warning in effective right now (Fema. gov). Last year, there was flood that occurred in the beginning of May.The Mississippi River was supposed to rise to a record level of 48 feet, with 48. 7 being the record crest in 1937. More than 1,300 homes were ordered to evacuate and nearly 400 people were living in shelters. According to an article on abcnews. com, the most extensive damage occurred in Memphis, where â€Å"entire neighborhoods have been swallowed by the water and vehicles completely submerged† (Tanglao, â€Å"Memphis Flooding†). Since this obviously happens frequently, the citizens and government have ideas of what the levees can hold, and what the river’s maximum water level is.To prepare for flooding situations, there are certain things the government should tell their residents in order to make sure they are safe. They must send out warnings letting people know when and if the water level is high enough to go over the lands limits. In Memphis, the government should be able to accurately know when and if the Mississippi River has reached its maximum, and if people should evacuate their homes. As a resident, you should also be aware of what is going on in your community and know about the town’s emergency plans.You should also have sump pumps with back-up power in order to prevent contamination of the flooded water. Turn off all utilities at the main power switch in order to prevent electrocution. Fill bathtubs, sinks, and soda bottles with clean water, so you have water to drink that is not contaminated. You should also have water bottles and a food supply that will last a couple of days (Bt. cdc. gov). On the opposite end of the spectrum, wildfires are another example of a non-threat to Memphis. There are no forests in Memphis because it is a highly urban area with lots of people and buildings.The last wildfire reported in Memphis was in 1952, when there was a serious drought (Tnema. org). Even though there was that wildfire many years ago, I do not think that there is a serious threat to Memphis for another wildfire. Lastly, I also think that there is not a thr eat for extreme winter conditions to occur in Memphis. The last warning for some sort of winter conditions for Shelby County was in February 1992 (Fema. gov). Even though that was not too long ago, I still feel like there is not a huge concern for extreme winter conditions to occur any time soon again.Since Memphis is further south, they do not really get harsh winters like we do here in Pennsylvania. Memphis Tennessee has its fair share of natural disasters. They have to be concerned about earthquakes, floods, and tornadoes the most, while extreme winter conditions, volcanoes, and tsunamis the least concerned about. Every place on the Earth has to be concerned with natural disasters. Humans make the disasters a lot worse than they actually are, but there is nobody else to blame but ourselves. We get in the way of nature, and have to pay the consequences some way or another. Map IMap II Map III Works Cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Natural Disasters & Severe Weathe r. Web. 12 April 2012. Central United States Earthquake Consortium. Earthquake Safety. Web. 12 April 2012. City of Memphis. Emergency Management Agency. 2003-2011. Web. 12 April 2012. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Tennessee Disaster History. 26 March 2012. Web. 12 April 2012. â€Å"Memphis Earthquake Information. † Homefacts. com. 2012. Web. 12 April 2012. â€Å"Natural Disaster. † Dictionary. com. Web. NWS Memphis Forecast Area Tornado Database. Web. 12 April 2012. Tanglao, Leezel. Memphis Flooding: Mississippi River Nears Record Highs. † AbcNews. com. 9 May 2011. Web. 12 April 2012. â€Å"Tennessee. † Information Please Database. Pearson Education, 2011. Web. 12 April 2012. Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. Wildfire. Web. 12 April 2012. â€Å"Tornadoes in Memphis: What to expect and how to stay safe. † About. com. The New York Times Company, 4 April 2011. Web. 12 April 2012. United States Geological Survey. Earthquake Hazard in the New Madrid Seismic Zone Remains a Concern. 3 August 2009. Web. 12 April 2012. United States Geological Survey. Tennessee: Earthquake History. 21 October 2009. Web. 12 April 2012.

Examine how Shakespeare Presents Essay

Romeo and Juliet’ has many different themes and messages, with one of the most popular being love. Shakespeare gives most significance to the romantic love between Romeo and Juliet, but there are lots of other aspects of love in the play and Shakespeare uses the different characters to present this. One form of love that Shakespeare describes in the play is the parental love between parents or carers such as the nurse, and children. Romeo’s family life is presented as more caring than Juliet’s. This is shown when Romeo’s mother dies of grief when Romeo is banished and also when Juliet’s parents don’t understand how she’s feeling and don’t guess that she is prepared to kill herself. The Montague’s are concerned about Romeo’s state of mind at the beginning of the play, as he seems very depressed: ‘Many a morning hath he there been seen, with tears augmenting the fresh morning dew, adding to clouds, more clouds with his deep sighs†¦ ‘ This is contrasted with the way Shakespeare presents Juliet’s family life. Capulet at first appears to love Juliet as a parent loves a child and does not consider her an adult. When Paris asks to marry Juliet, Capulet says he should wait as they do not feel she is ready to be a bride. This could be interpreted in two ways, that he does not feel she is ready to experience sexual love, but also that he does not want her to leave his household. ‘She hath not seen the change of fourteen years. Let two more summers wither in their pride Ere we think her ripe to be a bride. ‘ However, later his attitude changes, it seems to be more important that she obeys him and he threatens to disown her if she doesn’t marry and settle down in a good arranged marriage. This still appears to be a loving thing to do, as he feels he knows what’s best for her as a loving parent and he is sure that Juliet will do what he wants: ‘Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender Of my child’s love. I think she will be ruled In all respects by me: nay more, I doubt it not. ‘ However as soon as Juliet refuses to do what Capulet wants, he completely loses his temper and says: ‘And you be mine, I’ll give you to my friend; And you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets, For by my soul, I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee, Nor what is mine shall never do thee good. Trust to’t, bethink you, I’ll not be forsworn. ‘ As Juliet has mainly been brought up by her nurse, she is not very close to Lady Capulet in a mother/daughter way and theydo not have a very good relationship; Lady Capulet seems to be unsure of being alone with Juliet and asks the nurse to stay when she is going to tell Juliet that she is to marry Paris. Later Lady Capulet refuses to comfort Juliet, when she is distraught at the thought of marrying Paris. Her view of love seems to be that marriage is far more important than love and a woman is not secure until she is married. She feels that as long as Juliet likes the look of Paris when she sees him that evening, then love can come later: ‘Read o’er the volume of young Paris’ face, And find delight writ there with beauty’s pen; Examine every married lineament. ‘ And see how one another lends content;’ The nurse though is far more natural when talking of Juliet, for example she knows Juliet’s birthday to the last minute, while Lady Capulet seems a little unsure of Juliet’s exact age and the nurse reminisces at length about Juliet’s childhood. It is also the nurse who Juliet gets to help her to contact Romeo. The nurse also shows another type of love, which is a crude form of love. The nurse, even though she brings some of the things she talks about down to this level, does it in a somehow more pleasant way than Sampson and Gregory, as she is not boasting but just reflecting her upbringing ‘Go girl seek happy nights to happy days’ This language also contrasts with the language of Juliet and her mother when the three of them have a conversation, it is obvious that Lady Capulet and Juliet are of a higher class. She refers to Juliet’s wedding day and of course the first thing she thinks about is the wedding night; she quotes her husband:†yea,’ quoth he, ‘dost thou fall upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit,’ Another character who uses this kind of language is Mercutio, but because he is a higher class, therefore his language is more superior and witty. The characters Sampson and Gregory, are also used by Shakespeare to highlight the more crude forms of love. They parade around the streets and are always boasting and showing off. ‘Therefore I will push Montague’s men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall’ This is obviously not talking about true love, but simply referring to sex. It is all talk of what they are going to do to the enemy, but none of it is likely to happen. ‘Aye the heads of the maids, or their Maidenheads – take it in what sense thou wilt. ‘ Shakespeare has used Sampson and Gregory and their bravado in the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet to demonstrate the hatred between the two families and also that it has spread right through the households to the servants. The whole idea of Shakespeare using this crude speech, is to then emphasize the beautiful poetry between Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare also presents love in the form of infatuation. Initially Romeo is portrayed as a young man who thinks he is desperately in love with Rosaline. However he is evidently very confused and his language reflects his feelings. ‘Mis-shapen chaos of well- seeming forms Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, Still waking sleep, that is not what it is’ Romeo’s behaviour shows he enjoys his melancholy state as he cuts himself off from the outside, but makes sure everyone knows about his depression. He tries to explain to Benvolio how depressed and confused he feels. ‘love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs,being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes, being vexed, a sea nourished with lovers’ tears, What is it else? A madness most discreet, A choking gall, and a preserving sweet. ‘ Unfortunately for Romeo, Rosaline does not love him back and is unlikely to: ‘From love’s weak childish bow she lives uncharmed. ‘ Benvolio’s view of love seems to be quite cynical. In his opinion, all Romeo needs is to meet someone else to love and that will cure him of loving Rosaline: ‘Tut man, one fire burns out another’s burning, One pain is lessened by another’s anguish. Then later: ‘Take thou some new infection to thy eye, And the rank poison of the old will die. † When Romeo does see Juliet, his feeling for Rosaline is proved to be infatuation, as he forgets all about Rosaline: ‘Did my heart love till now? Forswear it sight, For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night. ‘ Romeo also confides in the Friar who is amazed that Romeo’s feelings for Rosaline can be so quickly changed: ‘Holy St Francis, what a change is here! Is Rosaline, whom thou dids’t love so dear, So soon forsaken? Young men’s love then lies. Not truly in their hearts but in their eyes! ‘ The Friar tells Romeo that what he felt for Rosaline was not true love but what he feels for Juliet might be. ‘For this alliance may so happy prove, To turn your households’ rancour to pure love. ‘ Romeo had taken his infatuation very seriously and it affected him deeply. His love is like a religion and he is angry that his faith leads him to believe something so false: ‘When the devout religion of mine eye Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fire,’ Romeo’s behavior undergoes a big change when he meets Juliet. Shakespeare contrasts Romeo’s feelings of infatuation for Rosaline, with his true love for Juliet, through the language Romeo uses. Instead of the confusion he felt when he was in ‘love’ with Rosaline his speech becomes romantic and gentle. ‘Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven Having some business, do entreat her eyes. To twinkle in their spheres till they return. ‘ Romeo is presented as an extremely romantic character and true love means a lot to him. Shakespeare has shown us what false love or infatuation is like and this then emphasises how he presents true love. Romeo has a complete change in his personality after he meets Juliet. He had been hiding himself away from company, but in Act 2 scene 4 there is a complete change in his manner and he is sociable again. His friends try to tease him but Romeo gets the better of them and they comment on the change in his nature: ‘Why is not this better now than groaning for love? Now art thou sociable, now art thou Romeo. Now art thou what thou art, by art as Well as by nature†¦. ‘ Juliet’s behaviour also changes as soon as she meets Romeo at her father’s party. As she is so young she is an obedient and dutiful daughter, whose only love is for her parents, but as soon as she falls in love with Romeo, she becomes headstrong and determined towards her parents. Before she meets Romeo she is willing to marry Paris because it is what her parents want: ‘Ill look to like, if looking liking move. But no more deep can I endart mine eye Than your consent gives strength to make it fly’ However when she falls in love with Romeo she is prepared to stand up to her parents even if it means being disowned. This shows that Juliet is also affected by love. She realises that it is going to be very difficult loving Romeo because of the fact that he is a Montague, but she is powerless to do anything about it: ‘My only love sprung from my only hate, Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, That I must love a loathed enemy. ‘ In the love scenes between Romeo and Juliet the whole language becomes more eloquent. At one point Romeo is lost for words and Shakespeare puts this across by leaving the last four syllables on the line empty, so as to create the feeling of silence and words unsaid: ‘It is my lady, O it is my love. O that she knew she were. ‘ In conclusion, the main theme of the play is love, but all the characters view it’s importance and meaning differently. It is obvious to anyone that Romeo and Juliet feel that love is the most important thing in their lives, as they are prepared and do die for it. However every character treats love in a different way. Benvolio for example cares more about his friendships than romantic love and shows no desire for a romantic relationship in the play. Mercutio treats love as a game and as he has never experienced true love, he enjoys mocking other people’s experience of love. The parents of the two lovers care a lot about their love for their children, but this parental love is treated differently by each set of parents. Capulet for example, wants the best for Juliet, but is also conscious of the family name while Lady Montague actually dies of grief for her son when he is banished. The nurse loves Juliet as if she was her daughter up to a point, but is not prepared to stick by her when she is in trouble. Through these characters and their presentation of the many meanings of love, Shakespeare illustrates that love has many aspects.