Cousins and Strangers: A Harmonious Meeting

Moya’s Cousins and Strangers is a monograph which encapsulates disparate aspects of a particular cultural phenomenon—the position of Spanish immigrants in Argentina. The author uses writings from primary sources such as letters to form the basis of his understanding of this phenomenon, taking an approach to history that seems to present ‘certified’ knowledge in terms of authenticity and verified details.The book covers the historical period from 1850 to 1930, when, in an unprecedented exodus, millions of people migrated from the vastly-overpopulated Europe to Latin America. This paper focuses on a comparative review of Moya’s macro-structural and microsocial approaches, found in chapter one and three respectively.The first chapter is an apt illustration of Moya’s style. He examines emigration from Spain in a macro-structural light, examining the reasons for the movement of millions from one continent to another. In terms of the methodology he has utilized, Moya observes that he does not validate the qualitative method, since he has found that the quantitative one is more likely to present accurate results, and is less vulnerable to the risk of manipulation:[T]his gross discrepancy between my findings and the qualitative evidence once again confirms the potential for deception inherent in qualitative sources and the peril of relying solely on this type of material. It validates the need for quantitative methods in social history. (p. 233)Although Moya’s own book is based on qualitative research through the examination of census records, newspapers, magazines, and personal narratives, therefore, he still recommends that qualitative research cannot be the sole measure of a phenomenon or its attributes. As Moya observes, no study which aims at â€Å"the uncovering of past social realities† (p. 233) can afford to engage merely in the gathering of data through qualitative means.According to him, if the researcher does not discover and implement quantitative means of gathering data, he or she is merely participating in a kind of â€Å"literary criticism—the analysis of texts† (p. 233). This is not to deride literary criticism, but to illustrate a primary difference between literary and historical writing—the demands of the latter imply that the writer or researcher engage in methods of exploration that are focused on ‘real,’ empirical contexts, and not just on opinions on existing documentation, which would be akin to a literary analysis rather than an exposition of freshly discovered facts.Moya begins the first chapter by addressing his central research question directly to the readers: â€Å"Why did [the] Mataronese and 2 million other Spaniards migrate to Argentina between the midnineteenth century and the first decades of the twentieth?† (p. 13) He goes on to outline the primary reasons, and quotes data from sources which have previously been negl ected as being of much value, such as an incidental remark made by Argentinean Vice-Consul Carrau, who described the â€Å"push-pull scheme† as the primary reason for the migration (p. 13).According to this method, which Moya describes as â€Å"a useful heuristic device† (p. 13), migration takes place because â€Å"push† factors drive people out of a particular location, while â€Å"pull† factors entice them into venturing into a geographical area which may fulfill the migrating people’s requirements. As Carrau observed, â€Å"the strikes and labor unrest that have driven 5,000 workers into public charity push hundreds across the ocean, attracted by the flourishing economy of the River Plate† (p. 13).However, Moya is a discerning researcher and does not accept easy answers. He points out that there is â€Å"one basic flaw† in the identification of such a reason for emigration:We could find a myriad of places in which labor unrest, fam ine, wars, starvation, and a whole array of â€Å"push† factors never led to emigration and in which fertile, empty lands, flourishing economies, high wages, and other â€Å"pull† factors never enticed immigration. In other words, push and pull conditions have concurred in countless areas and countries of the world from time immemorial to the present, yet mass transoceanic migration occurred only during a particular historical epoch: from the midnineteenth century to the Great Depression of 1930. (p. 13)It is clear from the outset, therefore, that Moya does not wish to apply generalizations to his area of research; nor does he want to give more credibility than is due to the â€Å"push and pull† argument, even if it is true in this case. As the author observes, the same conditions have existed over several cultures in disparate locations and periods in history, but none have led to migration on such a large scale. Consequently, it is clear that Moya’s int ention here is to identify particular rather than universal reasons for the Spanish migration to Argentina. As he declares, â€Å"one could easily compile similar lists for periods and places where no migration took place† (p. 14). Although the question of why migration took place is itself â€Å"simple,† therefore, â€Å"the answer is not† (p. 14).This, however, is not to suggest that Moya debunks the push-and-pull theory in the context of this exodus. He acknowledges that â€Å"As the trend matured, a more balanced approach began to emphasize the complex interplay between the premigration heritage and the host environment, between continuity and change† (p. 4). As he observes, the concept of adaptation of peoples to new cultures, and their subsequent assimilation into the host culture, form â€Å"the a priori position of this study† (p. 4).Although most works on cultural migration focus on the movement itself and on its possible causes, Moya choo ses to go back to an earlier time, covering the three decades prior to the migration, to analyze â€Å"the pre-arrival traits† (p. 4) of the migrant community, thus prioritizing the dynamics of interaction with their new environment that the migrants faced, and the ways in which environmental changes impacted their adaptation to their new host culture.A particularly useful feature of Moya’s text is that he also provides occasional commentary on his methods, and uses such instances to himself outline the possible drawbacks of his approaches. For example, in his chapter on migration, he discusses the validity of the macro-structural approach: â€Å"During the decades when macro- structural conditions obstructed emigration, the microsocial networks became inactive but not inert, the chain became dormant but did not die† (p. 68). In the light of this recognition, Moya bases his next section on the microsocial approach, utilizing it to complement and sometimes counte r the evidence and recommendations suggested by the macro-structural approach.The primary factor which encourages Moya to implement the microsocial approach in his quest to discover why the immigration took place is the fact that there was a socio-historical precedent for such migration: â€Å"Emigration from Matarà ³ to Buenos Aires dated back at least to the middle of the eighteenth century and was originally related to transatlantic trade† (p. 61). At this point, Moya’s microsocial approach takes the text into a hitherto-unexplored area of interpretation, as he takes the argument back full circle to Vice-Consul Carrau, and the manner in which his appointment as an official impacts our quest to discover the reasons behind the migration:Yet the real clue to understanding Mataronese immigration to Argentina lay not in the protocol and formality of that appointment but in the less formal reality it concealed†¦ [I]f one scrutinizes the consulates, odd and unconvent ional consuls appear. Indeed, the Argentine vice-consul at Matarà ³ was neither a diplomat nor an Argentine. Sr. Carrau was a Matarà ³ druggist with personal and commercial overseas relations, married to the daughter of Josep Riera Canals, an americano, or successful returnee who maintained business and family relations with Buenos Aires. (p. 63)Moya goes on to outline other such business and personal connections between Carrau’s succeeding consuls and Buenos Aires as well. He comes to the discovery that â€Å"in provinces that lacked social linkages with Buenos Aires, like Valladolid and Cà ³rdoba, the results in terms of attracting immigrants proved disappointing† (p. 64). Thus, Moya considerably expands the scope of his analysis by including such non-formal reasons for immigration as social precedents and interconnectedness between the act of immigration and intra-city links, which must have provided the incentive for their Spanish â€Å"cousins† to enter areas in Argentina which had established links with immigrant cultures.In his microsocial analysis, Moya also looks into such empirical factors conducive to immigration as the availability of roads and other transport routes that may have facilitated travel. He points out that such factors as the transportation (sometimes illegal) of such refuges in cargo and passenger ships are an important consideration in identifying why the Spanish migrants decided to go to Argentina, rather than any other neighboring location. For example, he observes that from 1840 to 1860, there were only four ship routes from Europe to the River Plate, and only five ports in Spain, out of which only one, Genoa, was the primary point of departure for emigrants (p. 64).Other ports remained inaccessible to immigrants; Moya’s research of passenger lists from the time revealed that Barcelona, for example, had no record, of any vessel carrying more than eight such passengers, barring one exception, which wa s also limited to only sixteen passengers. Also, Barcelona was not a stop on many of the routes. It was only in the 1880s, when â€Å"the use of larger and faster carriers and more frequent ocean crossings enabled steamships from the Genoa route to make stops in Barcelona† (p. 64) that Large-scale migration to Argentina began. Thus, Moya resources empirical causes for the mass migration, which gives us a realistic picture of what actually happened, rather than relying on sociological or ethnological theory to outline the reasons for why the migration took place.Among Moya’s strengths is the fact that despite his target area being a large demographic population and also covering a long historical period, he does not focus excessively on the broader, more generalized aspects of such research, but instead provides detailed information, often in the form of charts and tables (e.g., pp. 16-17) which provide the reader with a quick at-a-glance format in which to assess infor mation. Also, he does not restrict his work to national boundaries by prioritizing either Spain or Argentina as the point of focus, but rather focuses on the migrating population itself. This gives his work an objectivity that transcends issues of cultural and ethic domination.ReferencesMoya, J. C. (1998). Cousins and strangers: Spanish immigrants in Buenos Aires, 1850-1930. Berkeley: The University of California Press.

Business management Essay

Introduction Organizational cultures refer to the shared norms, values and expectations that govern the way people interact with one another and approach their work. Organizational cultures can be managed by the senior staff by changing the employee’s view towards their work performance. Diverse companies or organizations use different approaches to manage organizational culture. For organizational culture to be managed in successful manner, careful assessment of the changes to make is important. This will ensure support from the workers and other leaders for they will be able to get the purpose for it (Pareek, 2006). Organizational culture is an important aspect in any administration. It has great impacts in the change programmes of the organization. Strong cultures have been known to obstruct performance and most of the organization managers are struggling hard to manage it. Through assessment of models and application of the current public and private sector operations, organizational culture is easy to administer. In addition, organisational cultures can be handled by establishment of an exterior rather than an internal orientation which is associated with less control focus. Organizational managers should strive to administer the cultures with awareness so that success can be achieved and reduce the shortcomings brought about by lack of culture management issues (Pareek, 2006). How important are organisational subcultures? In order to successfully run an organisation, the management need to create subcultures for they have proved to work best resulting to good performances. Subcultures consist of groups of people within a given culture who differentiate themselves from the well-built culture to which they belong. Organisational subcultures give responsiveness and freedom that a certain culture in the administration may be in a position of limiting. The subcultures allows the organisation be able to generate diverse responses to the surrounding without necessarily intruding its internal consistency. It is clear that subcultures have some properties which are in a position of reinforcing the organisation’s culture. For instance, the subcultures differ from the extent they dispute the overarching traditions (Mullins, 2013). Subcultures often appear in response to varying demands and can provide as an outlet for members to articulate arguments and disputes arising during chaotic times. Subcultures also present methods for changing fewer central principles which are important factors in any organisation. With organisational subcultures, free interaction is enhanced particularly to the workers. This motivates the employees for they are able to present their problems or views to their leaders in a confident manner which makes them feel satisfied (Mullins, 2013). What is management? Management is the organisational process that involves calculated planning, locating managing resources, objectives and installing financial and human possessions which are a necessity in achieving the organisation’s goals and measuring the outcomes. Management includes storing particulars and recording facts for later use and those which are important within the organisation.   Management functions are not only limited to the managers but everyone in the organisation is involved in the administrative functions. For instance, the workers in the organisation are involved in the reporting task as their work. Management reaches out the organisational goals by working through and with people and having control of the resources in the administration (Mullins, 2013). Management also involves a function that coordinates people’s efforts to accomplish the organisation’s set goals by use of the resources available in an efficient and effective manner. Management also involves functions of which when applied, administration becomes successful. Some of the most essential functions required during management include organizing, influencing, planning and controlling. This mostly applies to the supervisors and the managers in an administration. Planning involves making of tasks which are required to be accomplished within the given period of time. Influencing involves motivation of the workers. It also involves directing of the organisation members to the direction that makes them be able to fulfil their goals. Controlling involves gathering if information that compares the present performance established to the previous ones (Mullins, 2013). Is bureaucracy a bad thing? Bureaucracy is defined as a form of leadership in which a group of people is given the responsibility of setting rules and regulations especially in an organisation. It may have negative effects particularly when decisions are made when the workers in the organisation are not given a chance to express their views for instance. This form of leadership consists of many departments of which are arranged in a descending order. The decisions made by the most senior department have to be discussed further in the other divisions and therefore leading to time wastage (Pareek, 2006). Bureaucracy also discourages innovations and creativity in the organisation since the selected decision making body is always permanent. Application of this form of leadership makes the employees lose morale during work particularly when they are not comfortable with the rules that govern them. On the other hand bureaucracy is also associated with a few advantages, for example, tactical decision making is easy because a few number of individuals is involved. Standardisation in the place of work is also efficient for the group in leadership is able to effectively ensure that work is perfectly performed (Beetham, 1997). References Beetham, D. (1997). Bureaucracy. Minneapolis, Mn: University of Minnesota Press. Pareek, U. (2006). Organisational culture and climate. Hyderabad, India: ICFAI University   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Press. Mullins, L. J. (2013). Management and organisational behaviour.

Fahrenheit 451: By Ray Bradbury Essay

Fahrenheit 451 Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The book â€Å"Fahrenheit 451† can be considered as a futuristic novel that tells about the future and how various aspects such as technological developments have had an impact on the society (Otten, 1990). The author observes that people in the futuristic society are lazy and do not read books, spend quality time alone or even think as independent minds and do not have conversations which can be considered as meaningful. It is a society of people that watch too much of television and listen to a lot of radio which takes up most of their time. Based on the views of the author, can it be concluded that technological developments have had adverse effects on human race?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the novel, the author depicts several themes one of them is that of censorship. The censorship that is depicted in this book is that on read of books whereby books are banned in the future (Bloom, 2007). This is contributed by categories of factors such as lack of interest and hostility of the people towards books. The symbol presented in this novel is that of a mirror which is used to portray a sense of having self-realization and understanding. The fire Captain is portrayed as a literary expert because of the way the captain flues the fire instead of being the one to put it out. The Captain goes contrary to expectations of a fireman. The choice of those final words is as a result of Beatty standing her ground and daring Montag to take his life through the use of literature (Hiner, 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The problem with the leisure concept as presented by Montag is that it is not in existence in the real world. The people, as depicted in the novel are engrossed in television viewing as well as listening to the radio without any quality information, which is only in the books. By the end of the novel, Bradbury succeeds in establishing his idea (Bradbury, & Bloom, 2008). This is due to the reason that the concepts and views that he puts forward in the novel are still applicable in the modern society despite having written the book many years ago. The modern society is overflown with technological developments which have changed the thinking of people about leisure and what needs to be done during leisure, therefore, showing that Bradbury succeeded in putting forward his idea of leisure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clarisse is seen as a young and beautiful seventeen-year old girl who influences Montag and introduces him to a new potential of the world in terms of beauty. Clarisse appears as an innocent and curious girl who impacts on the life of Montag. She helps in the set-up of the whole framework of the novel because of her odd characters which makes her to be viewed as an outcast in the society. Clarisse loves hiking, asking a lot of questions as well as playing, something that the society views as quite odd habits for a teenager. The happiness depicted through Clarisse and her family which is also seen as an odd family influences the views that Montag has on leisure (Reid, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the above analysis of this novel, it is to be noted that the whole idea is that on reading of books and the changes that technological developments have caused in the society. One question that one would want to ask is that, â€Å"Is it possible to have a society where there are no books and all that people can depend on is technology?† The answer to this question can only be obtained if a research is conducted again to establish if this can occur in real life. References Bloom, H. (2007). Fahrenheit 451. New York: Infobase Publishing. Bradbury, R., & Bloom, H. (2008). Fahrenheit 451: New Edition. New York: Infobase Pub. Hiner, K. (2001). CliffsNotes Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide. Otten, N. (1990). Fahrenheit 451: By Ray Bradbury. Saint Louis, Mo: Milliken. Reid, R. A. (2000). Ray Bradbury: A critical companion. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. Source document

U.S History 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

U.S History 1 - Essay Example After Columbus’ discovery of the New World, the entry of the wide variety of globally acclaimed luxury commodities in the European markets through the sea route stopped the earlier market of the luxury goods that was prevailing. The pre-existing German and Italian trading powers were ousted by the Atlantic trade. There had been social changes in the European luxury markets as the new luxury items like chinaware, silk, spices and sugar made their entry. During the Age of Discovery, Western Europe has been had become the Economic Center for the European Union shifting from the Mediterranean. At that time the city of Antwerp, which was a part of Duchy of Barabant, was considered to be Europe’s richest city and also center of the international economy. During the Age of Discovery, the religious sentiments, gave rise to the discoveries at this age. It was seen that while the Islamic community was expanding its horizon, the Western Christendom was getting destroyed. European Union became vulnerable and they feared to be attacked by infidel East. It was also agreed and known by the Europeans that the Far East was highly rich and luxurious. If we take a deeper look into these discoveries, we find the similarities with the Crusaders prevailed during the 12th and 13th centuries. The main effort in spreading the belief of Christianity among the New World residents was mainly started by the Catholic Church during the Age of Discovery. The Catholic Church also took the initiative of converting the indigenous people as well as the Native Americans. Portugal, France and Spain were the three countries that put the colonial efforts in forming the European powers, majority of which was the missionary effort and gave a partial justification for the same. Catholic nations’ colonial efforts and indigenous people’s Christian Mission ran in parallel. Moreover, Dominicans, Jesuits, Franciscans

Cultural Organization in Vienna Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cultural Organization in Vienna - Essay Example They need to consider the physical resources such as tools, bricks and the human resources who are the workers. A mission statement is a short sentence that describes the main purpose of setting up a particular organization. It is a statement that gives the general public and the employees themselves reasons why an organization exits in the first place. It is highly confused with vision that simply means the future plans and objectives that an organization wants to achieve. In setting up a museum, the general public and the employees must have reasons for the existence of the museum. Thus the mission statement for the museum must be guided by the objective of the museum. Having a mission enables an organization to know its external and internal situations. This will help it in analyzing its weaknesses and strengths that enable it to come up with ways to counter the weaknesses. This will definitely make the organization gain competitiveness. It is also gives the organization the opportunity to know the threats and opportunities it has (Lorenzen, pp. 22-29). The fundamental goal of the museum i s to be an interactive and educational centre. Its main target is to educate people about their history and other peoples' history and more so, current affairs. The mission statement is, "to enhance education to every individual on important history and current affairs, increase the socialization process within the society, at the same time providing incentives for the general public by ensuring that they are employed to put their acquired knowledge and skills in practice". This mission statement will tells the strengths of the museum which are a social and educative place. It is a place where anybody can go to because it is both a social and educational place. The fact that young people have the interest of knowing where they came from is a great opportunity for the museum to gain popularity. It will only be threatened by the coming up of other museums and any economical or political instability which have been maintained for quite sometime now. Structure of the museum Structure of the museum can be divided in two forms; the physical plant and the organizational structure. The physical plant entails the general building of the museum. First of all it will be located in the first district because it is a place where many tourists visit and it has very many hotels. This will attract very many individuals to the museum. How will it look like It will definitely have the modern designs. This will give it a unique look unlike all other museums that have ancient designs. It will be built of bricks but at the same time have wooden bridges that connect the different parts of the museum. The building will have numerous parts like the library, ancient tools that were used, different artistic works like paintings, sculptors and drawings, very huge halls for video showings and lectures and theatre halls. The museum will also have a caf for the sake of enhancing socialization. It will also have a parking allowance with very high security. There will be video cam eras for surveillance purposes; this is mainly to reduce insecurity. An organizational structure is an informal or formal framework that entails all rules and policies in which an organization can arrange ways of communication, leadership and authority and distribute duties and responsibilities. It shows how much power one holds within the organization, roles that one is supposed to play. It is a

Sustainable Development of Iraqi Oil and Gas in International Law Dissertation

Sustainable Development of Iraqi Oil and Gas in International Law - Dissertation Example Conclusion 47 Bibliography 50 1. Introduction During several last decades the idea of sustainability has become a major environmental policy supported by many national governments and international organisations.1 One of the most comprehensive descriptions of the notion of sustainability was made by The International Institute for Sustainable Development, who claimed that sustainability is based on â€Å"the persistence of certain necessary and desired characteristics of people, their communities and organisations, and the surrounding ecosystem over a very long period of time (indefinitely)†.2 In order to achieve progress toward sustainability, it is necessary to improve and maintain both human and ecological systems providing their welfare, but not one at the expense of the other. Thus, the idea clearly expresses interdependent relationships between people and the world around them. Institute of Advanced Studies of the United Nations University asserts that: Few global issues have been attracting more attention in recent years than those associated with sustainable development, on which impinge such considerations as the growing world population, mushrooming urbanisation, expanding rates of consumption, climate change, biodiversity, and the adverse social and economic effects these factors are having on the populations of the developing and developed world as they impact the health of mankind and the environment. 3 Relationship between mankind and the environment has started in the distant past, when human beings lived in a complete symbiosis with nature. Over the centuries people worked for their needs without any concern about environmental protection and conservation. In the course of time mastery of humans over nature has been increasing, until it has culminated in the industrial revolution in 19-20th centuries. Such prominent characteristic features of that time as material-intensive way of production, the vast expansion of intercontinental trade a nd fast growth of population caused a considerable environmental damage.4 The impact of industrialization on nature can be well illustrated as follows: ...A vast acceleration of forest cutting, mining, land development, and fishing began. Industrialised societies saw forests disappearing to fuel the factories, mass migrations of people moving to cities to work in factories, and clouds of pollution hanging over the cities. ...The environment was turned into a site of economic competition between the various industrialised nations... 5 The first reaction of the society to environmental problems was a reactive approach that is characterised by clean-up activities mainly.6 But since the early 1960s, environmental problems have been eventually recognised as a political issue, which demands proactive measures. Nowadays it is widely recognised that healthy environment is essential to sustainable development. More and more economists, state officials and researchers understand that economic policy, based on using of forests, water, soils and other critical natural resources, without taking appropriate account of its current state and future development, is not wise and successful. Thus, the more proactive approach in resource usage is being taken, ensuring â€Å"

Move for Opportunity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Move for Opportunity - Essay Example The author also talks about the issues that the move for opportunity tends to create and how the moves can create not only physical stress but also a strong element of emotional distress as well. The author has not only focused on the affects of the relocation on the person but has moved a step ahead to also consider the effects of the relocation on the families. The needs of the families and how the attractive relocation packages can seem to be very beneficial yet not be as useful as to be able to provide the families with the best and the life that they need to give up for the package. There has also been noted by experts that these opportunities have proven to be very beneficial for the country as well. At the John Holland Group, HR [Human Resources] manager Darren Nelson agrees. ‘It’s these opportunities that have built both this country and people’s careers.’ He points to Karratha, WA, as the well-publicised focal point for opportunities created by skills shortages and a resources boom. ‘I know people moving here from the east who will have a 110 per cent salary increase.’ The article presented by Fran Cusworth is a very effective article to help people think about the options of relocating their job for the purpose of newer opportunities. This section will deal with an analysis of the article. The article will be analyzed under six main heading. This is as in the sub section below: i) Overall Effectiveness: The author has discussed the article in a advisory fashion to bring up a strong light on the issues as well as benefits of relocation packages that are provided by the recruiters and the relocation specialists. The intended audiences are the individuals due to have relocation and also families of these people. The overall article is straight forward with a very strong tone that has been used. The author has brought about a number of details like the affects of a failed move and how much it could affect the individuals

The Impact of Outdoor Air Pollution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Impact of Outdoor Air Pollution - Assignment Example Chen and Goldberg conducted a study whose results reveal a 6% rise in non-accidental deaths for every 10 ÃŽ ¼g/m3 rise in fine particles, independent of gender, age, and geographic region. The results were derived from a linear exposure-response pattern whereby mortality rose exponentially with rising concentrations of fine particles. Air pollution, therefore, recognizes no national boundaries and may be transported over long distances. Even at current levels, air pollution is a threat to entire populations. It is an increasing global problem yet no serious efforts have been made towards addressing the issue. Evidence from present and past epidemiological studies strongly supports stringent standards against air pollution, especially from particles, in Canada and other countries. More than three million people die from outdoor air pollution across the world every year. An equal number of people also suffer from a wide range of heart diseases. Societies bear huge costs in terms of ill health and lives lost. Extensive new epidemiological evidence from the OECD estimations of the Value of Statistical Life and the 2010 Global Burden of Disease study inform this report as to the health impacts arising from air pollution and associated economic costs. This chapter explores certain policy implications of the costly burden of the health effects of outdoor air pollution. The argument in the chapter revolves around the need to establish and maintain strong regulatory regimes – particularly strict vehicle standards regimes – and the need to rethink the tax and regulatory settings for diesel vehicles. In addition, the chapter shows that the advantages of lowering the economic cost burden arising from air pollution could easily topple the monetary costs of investing in programs of mitigation and that it is crucial to rethink approaches to investment appraisals. The findings of the report

Knowing Imagination, Fantasy and Faith in Essay

Knowing Imagination, Fantasy and Faith in - Essay Example When tight spots emerge, they have nothing to say. Chances are high, that young ladies and young men, will need to know how imagination, fantasy, and faith are being explored and exploited, or put into action as apparently realistic, at times grotesque in some symbolic works of fiction which may serve them well when opportunities surface. In story books, tales often compel the readers to picture things that came to pass and may come about using representations, similar to what authors' do. For example, "Bontshe Shvayg" (146-151), is purely a product of the author's imagination in addition to borrowed ideas from the authors of the scriptures. In 'The Story of a Young Man', "What is the soul' (93), the author projected his mind's thoughts in terms of a boy at the tender age when it comes to the question of what happened to the soul after death. Most readers also who would examine the story are set and framed to view things the way a child would also be able to picture death, soul, and ascension having been given the symbols of water, cloth, 'The Story of a Young Man' (94), "Souls are flying, souls are flying!", flight, and akin to some small birds ways where they can be seen in still pictures portrayed to be seeping some water, wipe its bill on some dry grasses, and then fly and soar high until when it is beyond one's sight. The symbolism may be low key to some, but, it shows how allegories are by themselves effective whether one is young or old to communicate the message that authors want to deliver whether they are appreciated or not. One high-quality approach to discover how imagination, fantasy, and faith are being explored and exploited in a written piece is primarily to learn to characterize the underlying principle behind the script. For example, some readers may not really understand and appreciate White Challah (1-8). When the satirical narrative was written, the author might have been too affected by the idea of not only what is one gist in "White Challah" (1), bigotry, and also "White Challah" (2), hostilities because of differences in faith. Yet, within the congregating community of believers, "White Challah" (2), there also was hierarchies of prominence depicting a group of people, subservient to mere human yearnings. The satire to some extent, "White Challah" (3-8) exposes men's folly when the intellectual abilities are not fully honed to adhere to reason and logic. But, how will the reader know that the narrative used differences in faith and symbolism to expose human weakness For the Jews, "White Ch allah" (8), challah or braided bread is very important table offering during Sabbath as an entwined food, symbolizing mirror images that were once upon a time created by God on earth. Conversely, the Christians believe in God, but, consider, "White Challah" (1), Christ as the manna from heaven. After reading the full text of the story, "White Challah" (1-8), the reader may find that the purpose of the author was to showcase the disparity between the Christian faith and the Jewish faith dwelling in the same nation, and apparently to motivate readers to make decisions on which group would one like to be identified and join given the opportunity. In other words, the author expressed his feelings about the Christians and the Jews while providing information of their activities, persuading the readers

The Empowerment of People from a Vulnerable Segment of Society Essay

The Empowerment of People from a Vulnerable Segment of Society - Essay Example I would like to reach the highest level of professional excellence, both in terms of gaining knowledge and experience and at the same time, gaining appropriate status. My short term objectives are to gain experience in the field and strive to establish a good reputation as a person with an innovative and progressive approach towards the welfare of society. My focus would be on the empowerment of people from a vulnerable segment of society. Hence, efforts would include the creation of facilitating a platform for the acquisition of skills and necessary knowledge for their professional growth. University education has made me well equipped to meet the challenges of the current time. I am a highly creative person and my degree has further facilitated and widened my area of knowledge that would greatly help me to apply the informed choices in the manner that befits the needs of the people. Hence, five years hence, I see myself as a CSR consultant who would be devising ways and means for t he global businesses to fulfil their corporate social responsibilities. Last but not the least important would be the adoption of reflective practices in my personal and professional arenas. Looking back at our actions and critically assessing them provides an opportunity to improve and improvise the working techniques. In the professional arena, the feedback from the peer population and colleagues give important insight into the flaws of the methodologies adopted and give us a valuable chance to develop professionally. Thus, reflective practice in my personal and professional life would continuously help me to grow in the fast evolving environment of competitive business dynamics.

Course reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Course reflection - Essay Example Important lesson learned here is that if one lives in the West, he should understand the Western culture very well especially the real civilization. In order to understand the entire cultural practices well, one should make an effort of attending musical classes, make a good relationship with the western scientists, and learn the philosophy well. For those who live in the United States, they have a clear knowledge about the society, and the kind of work people do there. High Points of the Course Defining Western Civilization Western Civilization is a combination various cultural practices, government systems, religions, values, heritages, and customs. It defines elements like, philosophy, spiritual believes, and cultural practices of western people. According to Metropolitan Museum of Arts, Western Civilization is all practices of western and central Europeans, which include North, and South America, and Australia. All this contributed to growth of overall globalization. Western Civi lization evolved over the centuries. Although development of Western Civilization did not occur during the time of Mesopotamians and Egyptians, their way of writing and different roles concerning gender was what Western Civilization became. ... When writing about past events or history of something, one should quote the exact dates when that event occurred. For Example, the European World War II started on September 1, 1939 and lasted until May 7, 1945. The use of dates is to put occurrence of events in the right order to know the development of events over a certain period. This dating of events also varies with historians. This is because some of the Western people use the Western calendar while others use the Hebrews calendar, which is extremely different from the western calendar. The first year of the Hebrews calendar is equivalent to year 3760 of the Western calendar. The most enjoyable part of the course The most enjoyable part of the course was the history of marriage in Western Civilization. The Romans, Hebrews, and Germanic people practiced they own marriage cultures. Marriage was an economical arrangement meaning that those getting married had no room to engage themselves in romantic love. In many of Western Hist ory, marriage was a matter involving only the husband and wife, but it was a concern of the two families, which brought them together. Parents were the ones to make choices of the men to marry their daughters. The married women usually had limited rights in the family than the husbands who were the head of the family. The women were to be the sub servants of their husbands. Surprisingly, granting someone divorce was easy because men had an advantage of marrying as many wives as they want. Marriage in Medieval Europe Introduction of Christianity in Europe brought a fabulous change in Europeans culture of marriage, although this change took long to take its roots. Although Roman law affected Christianity, it

Disable Women in Bangladesh Essay Example for Free

Disable Women in Bangladesh Essay Disability is something that we take negatively, most commonly in Bangladesh we like to address them â€Å"Protibondhi†, a vague and unrealistic terminology. Let’s see what disability is from the World Health Organization’s definition: Disabilities is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations. Thus disability is a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives. Nowadays we do not call these even disabilities, we term them as impaired. A person may also qualify as impaired if he/she has had impairment in the past or is seen as disabled based on a personal or group standard or norm. Such impairments may include physical, sensory, and cognitive or developmental disabilities. Mental disorders (also known as psychiatric or psychosocial disability) and various types of chronic disease may also qualify as disabilities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 7. 5 million women with disabilities in Bangladesh, which is certainly a matter of consideration to the government. Human rights which has been a â€Å"talk of the world† is the most important thing that government needs to ensure for them Human rights is something that is â€Å"inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being. Researches have been done and significant as well as worrying issues have been identified on the human rights condition and survival pattern of girls with disabilities. Types and degrees of disability: The breakup or distribution of disability among the adolescent girls and women with disabilities broadly appeared the same to the national average. The major group has physical disability, 37. 33% among adolescence girls, and 40% among women. Speech and hearing, visual and intellectual disabilities come to the next categories. Multiple disabilities were seen the least at a compiled figure of 10%. As to the degree of disability, the moderates rest on the top at 36. 13%. The lowest is the ‘profound’ category at 9. 5%. The interesting point to note is that in ‘severe’ category, the percentage of affected girls with disability is higher in comparison to woman with disability. It is really eye-catching. Human rights issues: The very right to security of human life has been violated on many occasions when it relates to the girls and women with disabilities. They had been sexually abused, physically tortured, verbally abused. Even i n some cases they became disabled due to violence etc. inflicted upon them. They did not even get opportunity to demand justice. Moreover, they were blamed as guilty because of handicapping environment. The girls and women with disabilities are usually deprived of getting access to treatment and health care facilities. Social beliefs and superstitions in many cases caused such deprivation. They have been deprived of the rights of basic education. The school authorities in many cases refused to enroll the girls with disabilities although they had potentialities. This is a violation of the right to education defined in the Declaration of Education for All and the National Disability Policy. Communication is a basic human right but there is no such recognized communication mechanism (Bangla Sign language) for the speech and hearing impaired persons in the country. Treatment: Data revealed that 93. 33% of girls and 97. 50% of women with disabilities had at some stages of their lives received some kind of treatment for their impairment and disability. At times, as the data indicate that when it appears that no cure is possible, most families become hopeless and refrain from seeking further services (though essential) for girls and women with disabilities. This disillusionment or apathy pays a heavy toll on the girls and women with disabilities. The respondent families of the girls and women with disabilities had sought treatment from a varied range of sources even at high costs. The family members paid about 89% of the treatment costs. This indicates the state of poor health service delivery to the persons with disabilities at state level, which has mandatory obligation to deliver such minimum medi-care cost free. That is the poorest of the poor even do not get the bare basics of health services. Education:  Disability is a barrier to education. Only 3. 75% proceeded to university education in the woman with disability group. The highest enrollment can be seen at the primary school level at 21. 25% for women with disabilities and 30. 67% for girls with disabilities respectively. Most of the girls and women with disabilities who are pursuing education have to attend in formal schools due to the existing provision of free primary education. The second highest numbers of learners attend in non-formal educational institution. Enrolment in special education is much lower. A massive 64% (average figures of girls and women with disabilities combined) dropout rate occurs from primary to secondary level. 36. 06% of the women with disabilities and 36. 58% of the girls with disabilities were either teased or their venture to study were not supported (not in favour) by other members of their surrounding environment. Accessibility to the educational institution is one of the major problems for girls and women with physical disabilities. Girls with disabilities residing in hostels face problems due to absence of female house parent which limits sharing of feminine and other essential needs. The most humiliating thing is that the teachers are also involved in teasing their disabled learners. In spite of all of these inconveniences and handicapping environment, the girls and women with disabilities have potentials to be in mainstream education. Some are in education process where their disability is not visibly identified. Employment: It was discouraging to note that very insignificant number of respondents (3. 21%) from the two groups were involved in full time income generating activities. 64. 2% were sitting idle with no work. However some of them, particularly the women with disabilities (21. 88%) were somehow earning some income through different activities mostly in the informal sector. Although the number is not mentionable, some women with disabilities are engaged in multi-sectorial jobs like office job, teaching, small business, day-laborer, housemaid, handicrafts worker, dairy poultry raising, sewing, and house-hold works etc. In most cases they managed to arra nge the job themselves with out any external support. The income of the women or girls with disabilities is mostly spent in meeting the family needs but their family and the society do not always encourage the engagement in jobs/works of the girls or women with disabilities. Marriage, conjugal relationship and dowry: The involvement in romantic relationship ranks very high in lifes priorities for most women. The study focused on such personal factors like attitudes toward marriage, behavioral aspect, the effect of disability on the partners behaviour; environmental factors, social attitudes and family expectations of the respondents. Situation is reversed in case of women or adolescent girls with disabilities. Arranged marriage is still customary in the society of Bangladesh. The percentage of adolescent marriage is 48%. This is discouraging, yet the family can find spouse. The rate of marriage of adolescent girls with disabilities is only 2%. One of the major causes of the frustration of women with disabilities and their families is people are hesitant to marry a disabled girl. Most of the marriages of women with disabilities took place against consideration or offering of big amount of cash or kind, even land as dowry. Community and family attitudes: The overall development of a girl or woman with disability depends on the attitudes of the people or community surrounding them. In cases of positive attitudes from family, and other concerned in the society, the girls or women with disability seems to be more confident and have success in life while the negative attitudes made the girl or woman with disability depressed, dependant and a person with low self-esteem. It revealed that only 7. 10% participated in games and sports. A larger, yet still negligible, number of the respondents, 26. 3%, participated in social activities. However, figures state that actual participation is low by women and girls with disabilities, but in terms of their intention to participate, the response is satisfactorily high. 53. 5% reported that they were interested to participate, while only 7. 5% commented that they would never like to participate. In the adolescence group, the families with members in between 6 to 10 numbered highest with figures of 80 (53. 33%). Families with members in between 1 to 5, numbering 65 (43. 33%) come next. For a larger family it is possible to share the care-time required for the disabled family member. Abuse: Women with disabilities appear to be at high risk for emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. The prevalence of abuse of the girls and women with disabilities was 92% for both groups. Al most the equal percentage of women and girls with disabilities reported emotional abuse (78% and 75%), incidents of physical abuse (82% for both) are also same. And cases of sexual abuses (32% and 37%) have however, little difference. In many cases parents also abuse the girls and women with disabilities. Most of the incidences of sexual abuses occur among the girls and women with intellectual disabilities. In the second frequency of sexual abuse towards girls and women with disabilities goes to hearing impairment. This is surprising to note that the traditional healers abuse the girls and women with disabilities sexually in the name of offering therapy or treatment. Not only the abused girls and women even their family members do not feel comfortable to disclose such cases of abuses because of social threat or embarrassment. Reproductive health:  Most of the girls and women are not much aware of the issues related to the phases of reproductive health. People identified disability, particularly of the women, as a risk factor for reproductive health. The society is still conservative to discuss reproductive health issues. The parents (even mothers) do not share any sexual and reproductive health issues or information with their daughters. Most of the adolescent girls get idea about the phases of physical development and transition period (internal transformation or menstrual) from peers, elder sisters, sister-in-laws, grandmothers etc. Majority of the girls with disabilities had experienced serious problem of shock, phobia, depression, and embarrassment while facing period. Especially the girls with speech and hearing impairment face difficulty in passing this period due to limited communication capability. Physical growth: Natural physical growth is a normal development process in the human body due to hormonal changes. The physical change also effects changes in behaviour and attitudes of a person, but in case of intellectual disabled, family could not measure or notice such physical changes that are usually expected and hence they became worried. Psychological phenomenon: The psychology of the girls and women with disabilities is dependent on many emotional, environmental and social factors such as self-assessment, personal acceptance, family and social attitude, isolation and etc. Many girls and women even with minor disabilities are facing problems of acceptance in their families. Segregation from the society and family was common feature for girls and women with disabilities in many cases. In many cases, the girls and women with disabilities were segregated even at their work places. It is evident that the girls and women with disabilities are deprived of their Basic Human Rights like food, clothes, education and treatment etc. That creates negative influence on overall psychological development or mindset of the disabled women and girls. Sexual abuses in many cases have caused stressful situation on the psyche of the girls and women with disabilities, which ultimately made them isolated and frustrated. Ability, dignity and self-esteem: Majorities of the girls and women with disabilities including severe level of disabilities have the confidence to be educated and subsequent engagement in contributing activities. Many of them have skills in trades like sewing, cooking, painting, handicrafts, tailoring, dairy and poultry raising and etc. There are evidences of extra-ordinary achievement by severely disabled women. Some of the girls and women with disabilities who had luckily access to employment, developed romantic relationship with the desired one and are now living a happy married life. The self-esteem of the girls and women with disabilities is more strongly influenced by social and environmental factors.

What humans need to survive

What humans need to survive While doing research for this paper I learned a lot about myself that you will not necessarily know about. For this assignment I had to dig deeper to fine answers and be able to give feedback on my findings. I discovered what the world depends on and how the hierarchy of needs are evident in our everyday lives. This project clearly explains my opinions on the human needs and wellbeing of the world and myself. Many questions are asked and answered from many perspectives, including my own. In this project, it explains mostly about the needs of people and how designers have influenced these needs to meet the needs of humans. I researched the shopping trolley and interesting facts about the shopping trolley and how it is a metaphor for my life and myself. I mention the world and myself on how we as humans have a status that we have to maintain, and a style and taste that comes with it. INTRODUCTION: In this research paper I will discuss what humans in this world need in order to survive. As a designer I will look at how the designers hierarchy of needs satisfies problems we as humans face on a daily basis. We as designers need to be able tackle a problem and find a rational solution. I will also discuss how we as designers meet the needs of humans across the globe, as well as the history of the trolley. In our everyday life, humans all have a very different personal perception about certain things, for example taste and style and status. All humans have different opinions on these topics and throughout my research paper I will explore all these opinions as well as my own. I will also discuss my perception of this project and how it has opened my mind to different things as well as learn certain things about myself I did not know. Aim: To consider other people, their needs and wellbeing, understanding the role of designers in relation to needs and the world, understanding the effects of psychology branding and media manipulation in design and to explore the phenomena of taste and status in the world. Scope: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What do we need to survive? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Are designers meeting these needs? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What is the effect of design on human needs? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How did the shopping trolley come into existence? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Who designed it? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Why does the trolley look the way it does? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What else is the trolley used for, other human needs? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Is taste a personal perception? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What constitute style? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Why do people crave status? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What is your perception/view about the above questions/ discovery? What do we need to survive? From looking at Maslows ideas as well as many of my own I have come to a conclusion of what I need in my everyday li8fe in order to survive. These are the things that I need for my survival on every level of the Maslow pyramid in both the needs of a person and a designers needs. Breathing, food, water, sleep, homeostasis, excretion, internet, coffee, cigarettes, money, petrol, shelter, electricity, car, TV, inspiration, phone, friends, family, safety of employment, resources, morality, health, property, no crime, insurance, love, knowing myself, caring for other people, being a good person, self-esteem, self-confidence, a sense of achievement, self-respect, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts and happiness and individuality. Are designers meeting these needs? Designers have a role in society to make things usable, colourful, attractive to the naked eye, to create value, beauty, new possibilities, empower people to do more and be better. I believe that designers do meet these needs. That is one of the many reasons that marketing and advertising is so influential and why people give into advertisements so easily. Designers make things look enticing and very appealing. Using neuromarketing and propaganda designers get hold of the viewers senses making the product irresistible and a must have in the viewers eyes. Designers do indeed meet these needs as we are always satisfied with our needs and the presentation of these needs. What is the effect of design on human needs? The effect of design on human needs, makes life for human a lot easier by creating different product that can help those certain needs; this can help people with achieving and bettering their needs. This allows people to understand and help others meet their own needs and design effect human needs drastically because it creates opportunities for people and helps them understand that they needs can be meet but they need to be willing to achieve they needs in many ways. For example designers play with our senses, our insecurities and our minds. An alarm system is only pleasing because it plays on our insecurities as South Africans that there is crime and this might stop it from affecting us. Many products are generally picked by the most exciting packaging and the most popular branding, like clothing and many other products we buy on a regular basis without really giving it any thought at all. Even food is judged for its quality by its name brand and its packaging. How did the shopping trolley come into existence? The shopping trolley is a cart supplied by a shop, usually a super market such as Pick n Pay or Checkers, for customers to put the items they wish to purchase in. this helps them to not have to juggle all their items in their hands. The first shopping trolley was introduced in June 1937 by Sylvan Goldman who was an owner of the Piggly Wiggly supermarket chain in Oklahoma City. Goldman saw the need for a way for his customers to move around more groceries which lead to him developing the idea of the trolley. Since Goldmans first idea of the shopping cart others have progressed it to better suit society. Goldmans first idea of how the shopping trolley should look was a wooden folding chair, a basket on the seat and wheels on the legs. Goldman and one of his employees, Fred Young, began to better the invention which lead to a metal frame that held two wire baskets. Others have tried to better Goldmans invention however have not succeeded. Goldman became a multimillionaire with this idea and continued to modify it such as making it bigger and better. (Unknown Author, 24 April 2007) Who designed it? In 1936 a man by the name of Sylvan Goldman designed the trolley with help from a friend of his, named Fred Young, he was a mechanic, there was another shopping trolley invention at that time and it was invented by. (Unknown Author, 24 April 2007) Why does it look the way it does? Most trollies in society today are made of metal or a combination of metals and plastic.(Unknown Author, 24 April 2007) They also come in many shapes and sizes. Designers have made modifications over the years to suit a variety of different customers. For example some shopping carts have been designed to carry a child. You also now get electric mobility scooters with baskets designed for the elderly or disabled. Due to the fact that children have been injured while in a shopping trolley some have been made with seats that resemble those of a car seat that a child can be strapped into. This enlarges the usage as it can carry your child and your groceries, leaving your arms free to shop. A trolley usually has for wheels and typically the two in front are swivel wheels in order to make pushing the trolley around easier. This helps to turn the trolley in the direction of your choice. What else is the trolley used for, other human needs? The trolley is used in the physiological need and people need food and the collection of food is done in a trolley, people use them to carry items for example a hobo, uses it to carry all of his personal belongings for his that trolley fulfils a basic need. Trollies are used for recreational uses, as a racing car, a trolley is changed into a car that can be pushed down hills, for some people that fulfils a basic need of exercise and entertainment Is taste a personal perception? Taste can be seen in two completely different ways. Taste is when you taste food but taste is also your personal taste in anything physical. Fashion is a good example of someones taste. I believe taste is a personal perception because everyone sees things differently and thinks different looks and styles are attractive and exciting. What constitutes style? Style is someones own personal funk and style mixed with their personality. It is the look and feel of a person and how they act and react to different situations. Why do people crave status? All people in the world wish or believe to be better than the person next to them, so we as human beings all crave status in some way or form. There are many types of status which are: luxury good we all think we need better cars, or the most expensive brand or the most expensive watch or anything that is top class luxury, we are falling into the trap of the status seeker. When you feel better than everyone else- depends on where you come from, people that believe they are tough and give off that whole style that is a status. There are many was that can be defined as a status these are the most that people feel, the way they feel and the way they act determined they status. What are my perceptions on the above questions? While answering these questions, I realised that many people have many different perceptions, I also realized that people disregard individuality, but it is individuality that drives design and creation of new ideas. Although we all have some needs in common which can be regarded as basic needs for humans. We also have other needs which may be very important to one person and not very important to another. My discoveries: I discovered many things on my journey through this assignment. Every person has their own views and personality which creates individuality. This makes them the person they are and we must respect each others differences because although we have the same basic needs these are still interchangeable from person to person. Each person is completely different to the next as a result of many factors including nature and nurture. Furthermore, designers are very influential in the world we live in today and help to make our needs more appealing and they help to create some new needs for us as well. Designers do their job outstandingly. I also learned to think outside the box which is very necessary as a designer to open up creativity. Indeed, it can be seen that I am much like a trolley in the way that trolleys have changed their look and even their shape over time much like I have grown and changed as years of my life have passed since my birth. I will continue to change and expand my knowledge and possibilities much like the trolley has and will continue to do. I am who I am because of many factors including nature and nurture and these factors will continue to mould me for the rest of my life. I will move around and help people carry their burdens and I will continue to try and help people in the best way that I can. Conclusion In conclusion to this project I have found out that many people have excluded Maslows hierarchy of needs and have rather switched from the basic needs to the more material objects. Designers have made it possible for us to use our needs to the best of our advantage and use them to help us, for example they have design a transport system, this allows us to get financial stability and they have created stable houses which allowed us to live in good houses and have shelter.

Monolog For Bassoon By Isang Yun Music Essay

Monolog For Bassoon By Isang Yun Music Essay Isang Yun was a composer with Korean ethnicity who is well known in the music world especially in Europe as he spent a major portion of his life in Germany and died there too. In his initial years of composing, his compositions were not well known in Korea due to the political issues surrounding the East Berlin Event. Inferring from his biography, it seemed that he wished to see Korea as a unified nation. Between the period of 1956 to 1995, Isang Yun composed music in Germany and other European countries. He also composed vast amount of pieces and his works were written in almost every genre, such as instrumental sonatas, operas, symphonies, and cantatas. While his works have been largely performed and studied in Europe, Japan, and even North Korea, South Korean officials have thoroughly prohibited his music and consider the composer dangerous politically. Isang Yun often visited North Korea without permission from the South as North Korea supported scholarships and living expenses for him. However, after a change of regime in 1982, the national symphony orchestra of South Korea first introduced his works in South Korea. From this time, Yuns music began to be studied by musicians in the South. This paper will discuss in musical theoretical detail one of his works, Monolog for bassoon His well composed work, Monolog for Bassoon was composed in 1983, this was the mid period of Yuns well accomplished compositional career. During this stage of his life, he had already achieved mastery over the formal techniques of the European avant-garde and had moved more into composing within a more free atonal style. The Monolog for bassoon is quintessential of Yuns typical mature style wherein he fusions the use of free atonality with elements from his ethnic Korean lineage. The Monolog for bassoon, which has so far been recorded by at least five prominent bassoonists, is a concrete testament to Yuns growing prominence as a 20th century composer. It shows Yuns unique compositional angle which uniquely combines ethnic Korean inspirations in a work for bassoon, which is a distinctly Western instrument. The Monolog for bassoon also warrants a close study, as it is his only solo work for bassoon, and is an emerging standard of 20th century avant-garde bassoon repertoire. During his initial years into composing, Yun was fond of and got acquainted with European music and constantly found different sought out ways to learn more about European music history, style, and compositional methods. Because of his inclination towards western music more so European music, he also developed inspiration in the musical traditions of his home country, Korea. It was only after his journey to Europe that Yun began to foster and incorporate traditional Korean elements into his music. Yun himself admitted this truth through the following quote: When I was in Korea, I enjoyed and listened to our rich Korean musical traditions for entertainment. But I realized the hidden treasures of Korean traditional music for the first time only after I came to Europe. Keith Howard notes that prior to Yuns journey to Europe, his works show no attempt to incorporate elements from Korean traditional music. Yun later removed all works from circulation that he had written prior to his study in Europe as he felt they were not representative of his mature compositional voice. Whilst presenting into radio broadcasts in Freiburg in 1960 on the subject of traditional East Asian music, he began to develop his distinct and unique composing style. Yun also spent a major part of his time to study traditional East Asian music so he could play them in his broadcasts. Due to this research Yun was inspired to compose Loyang, a beautifully composed work that incorporated the mood of ancient court music, the sounds of traditional Korean instruments, as well as the principles of Taoism. But Yuns method of incorporating these elements was not literal in the least. Jeongmee Kim explains: He was not interested in quoting folk tunes, nor borrowing traditional Asian instruments, nor composing nostalgic song lyrics. Yuns Korean musical heritage is expressed through more abstract, philosophical, and internalized use of ethnic materials, in particular Hauptton/Hauptklang technique. He relied on the use of Korean classical musical forms and Asian philosophy to compete with the equivalent in Europe. These shape and propel the sounds and structure of his works, while the Western musical heritage and its instruments provide the physical means to articulate Yuns complex sound world. Quite centric to Yuns music can be found a Korean view of sound. While Western ears are accustomed to hearing a melodic figure accompanied by harmonic progression, Eastern music relies heavily on the role of an individual or central tone. The tone itself is celebrated; adorned with a huge variety of ornaments. These ornaments are not intended to encompass the central tone within a melody, rather they are an essential part of how the tone is able to express itself. The concept of the central tone is prevalent in many Asian countries and spans various genres of Asian music. Yun describes this phenomenon in a speech he gave at a conference in Berlin: While in European music the concept of form plays a decisive part, and notes become significant only when a whole group of them are related horizontally as melody or vertically as harmony, the thousand-year-old tradition of Eastern Asiatic music places the single note, the constructive element, in the foreground. In European music only a series of notes comes to life, so that the individual tone can be relatively abstract, but with us the single tone is alive in its own right. Our notes can be compared to brush strokes as opposed to pencil lines. From beginning to end each note is subject to transformations; it is decked out with embellishments, grace notes, fluctuations, glissandi, and dynamic changes; above all, the natural vibration of each note is consciously employed by a means of expression. A notes changes in pitch are regarded less as intervals forming a melody than as an ornamental function and part of the range of expression of one and the same note. This method of treating individual notes sets my music apart from other contemporary works. It gives it an unmistakably Asiatic color, which is evident even to the untrained listener. Keith Howard discusses some meaningful reasons which explain the reason for Korean music being structured in that way. The initial part is the ironic yet well complementing relationship between yin and yang. After which is the concept of never-ending movement. Nature is held in high regard in the east asian culture more so with the continuous flow of elements like water, air etc. Now from an abstract or musical view, the flow of sound is thought to be continuous as well. Music exists before sound begins, and continues after sound ends. This is one of the reasons why Yun compares the single tone to brush strokes as opposed to pencil lines. A pencil line has a definite beginning and ending, as well as a uniform shape and consistency throughout. But in a brush stroke it is hard to determine where the actual beginning and ending occur. Although to the naked eyes it may show as a single line, it can show different views in a myriad of ways and also have contrasting qualities within each u nique stroke, which more precisely mimics the flow of nature. He goes on more to explain his view of continuous flow in an interview with Bruce Duffie where he quotes: My music doesnt have a beginning or an end. You could combine elements from one piece into another piece very wellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Music flows in the cosmos and I have an antenna which is able to cut out a piece of the stream. The part which Ive cut out is organized and formed through my own thought and body processes, and I commit it to paper. Thats why my music is always continuous like the clouds that are always the same but are never alike one to another. Howard also suggests that the physical structure and musical capabilities of traditional Korean instruments have had a profound impact on the Korean concept of tone. While each instrument is unique in tone and structure, they all are extremely flexible in terms of pitch. Many instruments are so flexible that it can be difficult to produce a steady tone. This is directly linked to the Korean musical ideal of sound being embellished and ever changing. As Yun mainly did composing in the sphere of Western art music, wherein a comprehensive understanding of Korean ornamentation is not mandatory, he does not leave the art of ornamentation up to the performer. He makes it a point to word minute details of the ornamentation, few of which exist within the framework of Western notation, others of which he must create new symbols and explanations for, as they are not part of the conventional vocabulary for Western musicians. This was a challenging process for Yun because in his thoughts he held a meticulously detailed vision of what the ornamentation should sound like. On this part he was quoted as, I wrote down the playing techniques for instrumentalists as they are used in Korea on the old instruments, thus as a very accurate vibrato and many sorts of glissando. In Korea there are of course about thirty kinds of glissando. To truly emulate the sounds of traditional Korean instruments, Yun had to create new, and often very difficult, tech niques for the performers. Isang Yuns Monolog for bassoon was mainly composed between the years 1983 to 1984, however the actual roots of this work had begun some years prior along with his other work Clarinet Concerto. The Clarinet Concerto was composed by Yun in the year 1981 especially for Swiss clarinetist Eduard Brunner, who was the principal clarinetist of Munichs Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra for about 30 years. He premiered the work in Munich on January 29, 1982. Certain points which were notable about the Clarinet Concerto is the usage of bass clarinet instead of clarinet because of the solo voice during the middle movement. In the following year, Yun removed the solo line from the second movement and then used it as the structural basis for a solo bass clarinet work. The resulting composition of this which was written for Dutch bass clarinet virtuoso Harry Sparnaay, became Yuns Monolog for bass clarinet and was then premiered on April 9, 1983. Expecting some changes and more likely to accommodate range, Yun also published a version of the same work for bassoon. Yun was quoted in an interview with Bruce Duffie in 1987 that he composed strictly by commission, and his scores typically included a dedication to the commissioner. However, the Monolog for bassoon contains no such dedication and it is unknown whether it was created for a particular individual. It was premiered on February 3, 1985 by French bassoonist Alexandre Ouzounoff. Precedent for Yuns solo works being performed on other instruments had been set several years prior with Piri, a composition for solo oboe. Piri was composed in 1971 for oboist Georg Meerwin, which immediately gained quick popularity. Before long, musicians of other instruments took notice of Piri and began to perform it. Clarinetists specifically performed and recorded Piri, which also including Eduard Brunner. Wolfgang Sparrer was quoted on his observation about about Piri as: Although it was originally written for oboe, the composer has allowed interpretations for other instruments. Due to its high demands regarding playing technique and successful balance between construction and expression, Piri achieved so much popularity within only a few years that it was often chosen as a compulsory piece in music competitions. Due to this well spread acceptance and versatility of Piri, Yun may have anticipated the idea of creating an alternate edition of Monolog for bass clarinet for bassoon. Since there are distinct differences in range, key, and clef notation between the two instruments, publishing a new version of the work for bassoon was necessary to encourage performances. As this analysis specifically addresses the Monolog for bassoon, an in-depth discussion of Yuns Monolog for bass clarinet will not be included with the exception of highlighting the differences between the bassoon and bass clarinet versions as explained below. In a discussion of his compositional process, Yun was quoted by Luise Rinser: I do not exhaust my possibilities in any one piece. There always remains something unsolved in form. I make that the starting point of another work. I must always take something new as a challenge. If someday no more new ideas come up, I would stop composing. This statement not just shows the well synergized and critical parts in Yuns works, but also provides an answer for his use of the middle movement of the Clarinet Concerto as the basis for an expanded work that would eventually become the Monolog for bassoon. The Monolog for bassoon well showcases Yuns unique compositional fusion of Eastern and Western elements. Although this work at an initial look seems like a general late twentieth century avant-garde work for bassoon utilizing extended techniques within a non-tonal compositional context, Yuns compositional approach looks to specifically convey traditional Korean philosophies, sound ideals, and instrumental techniques. Understanding his compositional method is a key to the performers comprehension of the work. If only viewed with a Western outlook analysis of this work, there is a possibility to overlook critical elements in the work like main tone versus ornament, or treatment of the ornaments themselves, while making other analytical associations which he did not intend, such as relying on motivic development and harmonic motion to propel the music rather than melodic growth. Just with all musical genres, it is more feasible to have a comprehensive understanding of the main composers musical perspective. This understanding also holds true for music of the twentieth-century than it is for earlier periods, particularly as modern musical influences become more and more diverse and reach beyond the bounds of traditional Western classical music. Bibliography / Discography Hur, Dae-Sik. A Combination of Asian Language with Foundations of Western Music: An Analysis of Isang Yuns Salomo for Flute Solo or Alto Flute Solo. PhD diss., University of North Texas, 2005. Kim, Jeongmee. Musical Syncretism in Isang Yuns Gasa. In Locating East Asia in Western Art Music, edited by Yayoi Uno Everett and Frederick Lau, 168-192. Middletown, Conn: Wesleyan University Press, 2004. Choi, Yulee. The Problem of Musical Style: Analysis of Selected Instrumental Music of the Korean-Born Composer Isang Yun. Ph.D. diss., New York University, 1992. Helicon, David Currnings, ed. Yun, Isang. Random House Encyclopedia Dictionary of Classical Music. Publishing Ltd., Oxford, 1997. 749. . . Yun, Isang. In Contemporary Composers. Edited by Brian Morton and Pamela Collins. New York: St James Press, 1992. Kim, Chul-Hwa. The Musical Ideology and Style of Isang Yun, As Reflected in His Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra (1975/76). Ph.D. diss., University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, 1997. Kim, Doosook. A Recording and an Analytical Overview of Two Violin Works by Isang Yun. Ph.D. diss., Arizona State University, 1996. Kim, Jeongmee. The Diaporic Composer: The Fusion of Korean and German Musical Cultures in the work of Isang Yun. Ph.D. diss., University of California, 1999. Kim, Yongwan. Yun Isang Yun Ku. Seoul: Hankuk Yesul Jonghap Hakgou Press, 2001. Kunz, H. Yun, Isang. In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians Vol. 27. Edited by Stanley Sadie. London: Macmillan, Publishers, 2001. 696-697. Musique pour Basson et Piano Vol.2 Performer: Dag Jensen, Midori Kitagawa Composer: Paul Hindemith, Olav Berg, Othmar Schoeck, Otmar Nussio, Isang Yun, et al. Audio CD (March 23, 1999) Label: MDG Records

Bridge Design Concept :: essays research papers

Bridge Design Concept Our bridge consists of three levels supported by 1" high cylinders to support each level. On each level we will have rows of both three and four cylinders extending across the middle. Each cylinder will be stacked on another, evenly offset and centered to gain support. Our bridge will be 28" X 2 -7/8". The length of our bridge is probably the biggest and most significant contributor to our outcome. The desk table gap is 14" long, while our bridge length is 28" long. This shows that we would only be testing a small portion of our long bridge. It is significant because we have the advantage of having twice the amount of supporters, while we will be only testing a small portion of our bridge. With all of our cylinders we know that this bridge will evenly distribute weight. Our bridge will span 28" long. Our main supporting system is in the shape of a cylinder. We chose the cylinder because it is capable of supporting a large amount of weight. Each cylinder will brushed with an outer coat of Elmer's Glue to increase the cylinder's strength. The bridge will consist of three levels. Each level will be supported by evenly spaced 1" X Â ½" cylinders. The cylinders on the second level will be offset from the cylinders above and below it. This design will ensure the weight on the bridge will be evenly distributed. The bridge will be incased on all sides with an outer sheet of paper to increase weight distribution. In our design, we feel that the geometric shapes and the dimensions we chose will greatly affect the outcome of our bridge. We expect this bridge to hold a great amount of weight because our cylinders will be reinforced and backed up by one another. Since our bridge has stacks and multiple levels, we expect it to be strong. When we stack the weights onto our bridge, the offset cylinders will act like triangles, evenly distributing weight in a fine pattern.

Montgomery Bus Boycott Essay -- Civil Rights

The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social protest campaign started in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. The law said that black people had to sit in the back of the bus while the the white people sat in the front. Bus drivers often referred to black people on the bus as nigger, black cow, or black ape. Blacks had to pay in the front of the bus and they had to get off to go threw the side door to sit in the back. Dr. Martin Luther King jr., was born on January 15,1929 but died April 4, 1968. Martin king attended segregated public schools in Georgia. Dr. king was so smart that he graduated from high school at the age of 15 and got a B.A degree in 1948 from an all time best black college back then named Morehouse. When Dr. King went to Boston he met and married Coretta Scott. Rosa Parks was born Rosa McCauley in Tuskegee, Alabama. No one really knew about her childhood, they only knew about the how she refused to give up her seat to a white man on the bus. The boycott first started when Rosa Parks didn?t give up her seat after asked about two or three times. Rosa Parks is known for touching off the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 that led to the extreme popularity of Dr. King. The Montgomery improvement association, which is best known as the M.I.A, organized a car pool of nearly three hundred cars to drive people that need transportation. The sprit and the unity of the Negro community was stronger than it had ever been. Many African-Americans prayed for this day to come for years until Rosa Parks made that happen. The Montgomery boycott officially started on December 1, 1955 and that same month but in the year of 1949 movement to desegregate the buss started. The movement started on the day in 1949 when a black profes... ...osa parks also had an unpublished speech about the boycott and setting her people ( blacks) free. Jo Ann Robinson was the one who tried to help Rosa parks but she didn?t succeed. She was an educated woman, a professor at the all-black Alabama state college and a member of the women?s political council in Montgomery. On November 13, 1956 the Supreme Court ruled that the law was unconstitutional. The boycott had several important results and one of the best results was and still is, is that blacks and whites and other race?s can sit anywhere and together on the bus. They can even go to the same school together. The Montgomery bus boycott segregation on Montgomery buses led to the founding of the SCLC and today there are so many people still talking about it. A few churches in Alabama thanked everyone that was part of the march and that ended the boycott for good.

Mercedes-Benz Case Study Essay

Introduction Mercedes-Benz is a multinational division of the manufacturer Daimler AG from German and the brand is used for luxury automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz’s headquarter is in Stuttgart, Baden-Wà ¼rttemberg, Germany. The brand first appeared in 1926 under Daimler Benz which originally from Daimler’s 1901 Mercedes and from Karl Benz’s 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen, widely remarked as the first automobile. The following report is to engage the readers how a Mercedes-Benz automobile is being produced and the process strategy that the company had developed in order to become top selling car in the world. It also reveals the critical dimensions of the product quality for the Mercedes-Benz automobile products. Product Design and Development Process The process of making a Mercedes-Benz vehicle usually takes around three years from the initial drawing to final approval of the model. During these three years, the new Mercedes-Benz passes through development stages in which the designer team works together to produce the final vehicle. The team converts the initial drawings (modular design) into the next generation of Mercedes-Benz vehicle. The following process is the steps to produce a finished automobile: 1. Drawing/Rendering: the designer team initially draws a hand-sketched on a piece of paper, or on a screen. 2. Digital/Package: a virtual image of the automobile is created on a computer (CAD system). Source: www.carbodydesign.com Source: www.carbodydesign.com 3. 1:4 clay models: the next step is to create a clay model of every variant of a new automobile. The designers will then decide whether their drafts create the desired effect in three dimensions, too. At the same time virtual models are created on the computer. 4. Model selection: With the help of scanning and milling machines the first full-size model are made. The final form of the new automobile is chosen in order to be formally examined in a 1:1 scale. Source: www.carbodydesign.com Source: www.carbodydesign.com 5. 1:1 model: all the individual details of the new model are handmade. In this step, a real-looking model is created and it reveals all the characteristic features of the new automobile. 6. Interior sketches: in this step, the designers sketch for the design of the interior. This is where the driver seat designs are created. Source: www.carbodydesign.com Source: www.carbodydesign.com 7. Interior clay model: all the details are created until a desired top-quality feeling is created. Three alternative choices of interiors are built for a decision to be made. 8. Colour & trim / operating and display concept (control and display system): the material and colour for the automobile interior are chosen from hundreds of fabric and leather samples as well as a virtually endless colour spectrum. All the control and display elements are designed and developed too. 9. Interior data control model: all the materials and colours are tested and checked for effect on producing 1:1 interior models under â€Å"real-life conditions†. Every material and every colour is allocated a code and specified. 10. Final model: the exterior and the interior with all their details are combined together to create a model and the future Mercedes-Benz model becomes tangible. 11. Model approval: finally, the design process has to obtain approval by the Board of Management. If this is successful, the production of the new Mercedes-Benz is released. Manufacturing Process and Process Strategy Mercedes-Benz automobiles are mainly manufactured in Sindelfingen, Germany assembly plant. This is where all the important functions like sales record, design and development; pre-production and production-planning worldwide have been integrated at one site. In early 1994, the foundations for the plant and the production system for Mercedes-Benz US International Inc. (MBUSI) were set up and it was not far away from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The site mainly manufactured the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, GL-Class and R-Class SUVs. In 2011 the plant produced more than 148,000 vehicles and employed approximately 2,800 people by year’s end. This report is focusing on the production of Mercedes-Benz automobiles factory in the Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Source: www.automotivetraveler.com Source: www.automotivetraveler.com The production facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, it involves six production cornerstones of the vehicle’s assembly process. The employees are encouraged to work toward developing improvements and emphasized on the cleanliness and safety. First of all, the factory has a large office area where all the materials and parts that are ordered from suppliers which are mainly come from North American suppliers and others. The production teams will then set a production date and create a barcode including the VIN and other specifications. Mercedes-Benz does not stock up a lot of parts. In fact, they adopt â€Å"just-in-time† method and maintain only two to three hours of inventory on the line. Moreover, Mercedes-Benz does not stamp out its own metal body parts. Source: www.automotivetraveler.com Source: www.automotivetraveler.com The body shop has hundreds of German-made (KUKA) welding machines that assembly materials and parts together. The plant itself has approximately 800 machines and 600 of them are in the body shop. To ensure safety in this area, a flexible screen is used to cover the flying sparks. The employees inspect critical welds to identify dimensional accuracy and after the welding is complete, another inspection is conducted to ensure the exterior body is ready for paint. After the body shop production, the second-floor paint shop at the Tuscaloosa plant is a super clean environment where a proper suit and headgear are required to prevent unwanted dirt or particles. In this area, the vehicles go through the six steps process such as, a pre-cleaning, a phosphate dip, and the application of an electrically charged e-coat, primer, colour coat, and finally the top coat. Every vehicle goes through for more than three miles on conveyor belts as it travels through the painting process and curing ovens. After inspections, the vehicles return back to the assembly shop for the installation of the interior parts and engine. This section of plant includes: 1. six â€Å"trim lines† 2. four â€Å"final lines† 3. â€Å"door line† 4. â€Å"engine/chassis line† 5. â€Å"off-line quality test† 6. Source: www.automotivetraveler.com Source: www.automotivetraveler.com repair area The employees and the machines are working together side by side, applying their advanced and various skills to the vehicles as they move slowly along the assembly lines. If any deviation is detected, one of the employees will pull a rope that creates a short melodic tune. Each line has its own melody and every employee is able to recognize â€Å"their song†. Repair area usually takes a short period of time and quickly most vehicles continued one. In the engine/chassis assembly line, the major parts of the engine are united and numerous machines work together in this section. Usually all the engines come from either Berlin or Stuttgart. Source: www.automotivetraveler.com Source: www.automotivetraveler.com Then the vehicles will go through the off-line quality checks. This involves some rattles test such as, driving over rollers that imitate the bumpy road situations while an employee inspects for any rattling sounds. There is also another quality check station that inspects the vehicles to ensure proper sealing by using high-pressure hoses to replicate the pounding rainstorms and flooded roads. After all the vehicles have passes through the final inspections, the vehicles will be prepared to transport to the dealers or be shipped for the international orders. As we can see from the manufacturing process of the Mercedes-Benz automobiles, the company adopts the process strategy of repetitive focus. They have standardized modules that assembly materials and parts together and the facilities are organized as assembly lines. Hence, the production of Mercedes-Benz automobiles are efficient and usually having medium volumes of outputs. The company adopts repetitive focus strategy as it also has machines that help in the assembly lines of the production as well as skilled and trained employees that work in the factory. Five Critical Dimensions of Product Quality Taking example of Mercedes-Benz GL-Class SUV, there are some critical dimensions of its product quality. In this report, each dimension delivers two examples of its product quality. * Performance Source: www.mbusa.com Source: www.mbusa.com The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class SUV is equipped with the special engine called â€Å"handcrafted AMG 5.5L biturbo V-8.† It is a high-tech powerhouse with a thunderous 550hp at 5,250-5750 rpm and 560 lb-ft of torque at 2,000-5,000 rpm. This engine improves the efficiency and emissions. Source: www.mbusa.com Source: www.mbusa.com The vehicle is also equipped with another engine which is called â€Å"7-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT transmission.† It features three driving modes that can be selected via a console-mounted button called â€Å"Controlled Efficiency†, it functions as a fuel-saving ECO Start/Stop function. * Features Source: www.mbusa.com Source: www.mbusa.com One of the features that GL-Class SUV has is the â€Å"PARKTRONIC with Active Parking Assist.† This feature helps the driver to size up parallel-parking spaces as most drivers have difficulty in parallel-parking. Source: www.mbusa.com Source: www.mbusa.com Another feature will be the â€Å"ATTENTION ASSIST driver-drowsiness monitor.† This system will monitor the different parameters of driving behaviour and automatically alert the driver with both visual and warnings if the system detects any signs of drowsiness. * Conformance In the U.S. and Europe, large of quantity of vehicles have use no gasoline and produce zero tailpipe emissions are already in use. Mercedes-Benz vehicles are also adopting the zero-emission driving concept. For generations, Mercedes-Benz has been ground-breaking fuel-cell car to help preserve the earth for future generations. Hence, Mercedes-Benz is collaborating with Clean Diesel, a leading non-profit to help sustaining the environment. Therefore, Mercedes-Benz produces a BlueTEC Clean Diesel, a small engine yet delivers powerful mpg and low emissions. It is also known as the world’s cleanest and most advanced diesel. * Aesthetics Source: www.mbusa.com Source: www.mbusa.com The design of the vehicle is one of the aspects to consider when customers choose and purchase the vehicle. Hence, the â€Å"Refined cabin styling† of the GL-Class is delivering a first-class design of the driver seat and seating rows. Source: www.mbusa.com Source: www.mbusa.com Another unique design that GL-Class has is the â€Å"21-inch AMG twin 5-spoke wheels†. It features the five twin spokes and a brilliant silver touch. The feature itself has the confident on the wet-road performance and a composed ride quality. * Serviceability Source: www.mercedes-benz.com.sg Source: www.mercedes-benz.com.sg There is a Mercedes-Benz centre in Singapore where the vehicles will enjoy five-star treatment. The centre provides new servicing and repair facilities as well as the Diagnostic Assistance System which is linked directly to Germany for up-to-the-second technical data. It also can quickly assess any vehicle. With trained and skilled technicians, customers could enjoy professional service from the Mercedes-Benz service centre whereby it is located at 301 Alexandra Road Singapore 159968. References: Mercedes-Benz: design philosophy. (2012). Retrieved January 14, 2013 from http://www.carbodydesign.com/2012/05/mercedes-benz-design-philosophy/ 125 years of visionary design: Automobile Design – Made by Mercedes-Benz. (2010). Retrieved January 14, 2013 from http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/0-921-1262677-1-1347994-1-0-0-0-0-0-11701-854934-0-1-0-0-0-0-0.html Dorofte, A. L. (2012). The new Mercedes-Benz GL-Class: Development and production – Digital worlds in real vehicles. Retrieved January 14, 2013 from http://mercedes-benz-blog.blogspot.sg/2012/08/the-new-mercedes-benz-gl-class_ 28.html Lander, B. (2010). Touring the Mercedes-Benz Factory in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Retrieved January 15, 2013 from http://www.automotivetraveler.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=994:touring-the-mercedes-benz-factory-in-tuscaloosa-alabama&catid=122:bimmer-dreamer&Itemid=315 Mercedes-Benz & The Environment. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2013 from http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/benz/green GL63 AMG SUV features. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2013 from http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/vehicles/model/class-GL/model-GL63#design Mercedes-Benz Centre – Level 1, Service Center & Vehicle Delivery. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2013 from http://www.mercedes-benz.com.sg/content/singapore/mpc/mpc_singapore_website/enng/home_mpc/passengercars/home/world/mercedes-benz_center/level_1.0002.html