Out of Africa and Shadows in the Grass

Table of Contents Thesis Response Conclusion References Thesis As a foreigner living in Africa, the author of Out of Africa and Shadows on the Grass supports the colonial system that was imposed by the British colonial in British East Africa now know as Kenya. The author, Isak Dinesen and other European settlers moved to Africa to look for a new and better life away from home (Enloe, 2000).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Out of Africa and Shadows in the Grass specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The colonial governments promised these settlers huge tracts of land and availability of cheap labor for the any production process that they would engage in while at the farm. Most of these settlers were attracted to this offer, including Isak Dinesen (Karin Blixen) and moved to the colonial protectorates. The book mainly describes the author`s life in Africa where she lived and called home for close to 20 ye ars. She arrived from Denmark to marry her spouse and settled in a farm located 10 miles from the colony`s capital, Nairobi. She lived in a huge coffee plantation that was about 6,000 acres in size. Labor in the farm was provided by the local squatters from the Kikuyu community. They worked for 180 days and in return they were given wages and the right to live and farm in their master’s land. Although the book talks about the beautiful life and the landscape of the countryside which the author describes she and other settlers in the colony supported the colonial administration. It is this administration that supported them while in the colony in terms of provision of land and capital during the early days. The colonial government also offered them protection and security. The settlers were also protected by the law since it favored them more than the native Africans. As a result, the author and the African natives had no option but to support the colonial government. Response The book Out of Africa and the Shadows in the Grass mainly talk about the life and experience of Isak Dinesen in British East Africa (Dinesen, 1989). In the book, she has developed several characterless; both Europeans and Africans. Even though she talks about the love and respect that she had with the natives, it is clearly evident that she viewed them to be less superior as compared to the Europeans. The author had a lot of respect to the government. She respected its administration and ensured that she followed its rules and regulations. In the book she speaks of the great respect she owed to government officials (Densen, 1989, p. 11).Advertising Looking for critical writing on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More She hoped for the colonial rule to continue its operations in the country as this will lead to a lot of development especially in the town of Nairobi (Densen, 1989, p. 20). Due to this respect, she accompanied the British forces on one expedition during the war although it had to be cut short (Densen, 1989, p. 261). The book describes the might and power that the white man had over his subjects. The author for example had several squatters who worked in her farm. She paid them a small amount of salary which can be compared to minimum wage for the services that they provided to her farm. â€Å"I used to know my squatters children well for they both worked for me on the farm,† (Densen, 1989, p. 21). This act can be considered as exploitation of individuals and violation of human rights. After the First World War, the prices of coffee went up in the world market. To ensure that they earn maximum profits, the author and other settlers increased the production of the precious commodity to meet the high demand of the world. This meant that more land was put under cultivation of coffee and more labor was required to meet this expedition. As a result, more Africans were put in the farms and the intensity of work was increased. The settlers had a target to achieve and despite the hard work that was provided by the natives, their wages or terms of living in the farms remained relatively the same. This was a typical behavior of the colonial government and the settlers to undermine the rights of the natives (Lenman and Anderson, 2000). In the book, the author has developed several characters. These are the people whom she made friends with while living at her farm in the British colony. Denys Finch Hatton was one of them. The author described him as a charming handsome person. He was liked by everyone including the native Africans. He came to Africa as a farmer and a trader but with time he changed his career and became a white hunter a character that charmed the author. The author had a lot of love and respect for the man and it is believed that they were lovers. Another character was Farah Aden. When the author first met him, she thought that he was an Indian. However, Aden was a member of the Somali community who inhabited the northern part of the colony.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Out of Africa and Shadows in the Grass specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They were made up of good looking people; slim in body but of fierce character. Most of the settlers loved them and made them the managers of their farms. This is because they were effective, efficient and accountable. Blixen describes them as being a superior community of the Africans in terms of their culture and intelligence (Densen, 1989, p. 12). Kamante and Kinanjui were the African characters in her book. Kamante was crippled when the author knew him (Densen, 1989, p. 21). Through their relationship, he was treated by the Scottish doctors at a mission hospital near the farm. Kinanjui on the other hand was an African chief. â€Å"He was a crafty old man, with fine manner, and much greatnes s to him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the author said (Densen, 1989, p.136). He was a man of good character and greatness as compared to other African leaders of the time. Because of this fact therefore, the colonialist had a good relationship with him unlike his predecessor. From the characters which have been presented in the book, clearly there is some element of discrimination. The author views her fellow Europeans to be more powerful, well behaved and respected (Steeves, 1998). On the other extreme end are the Africans. They have the lowest status in the society, with minimal rights. Only a few of them are seen as having a desired character. Most of them are ignorant. As stated by the author, â€Å"Until you knew a native well, it was impossible to get a straight answer from him,† (Densen, 1989, p. 17). The colonial government and settlers relied on those individuals who had the desired character and use them to exploit the rest. That is why they preferred the Somalis to be the manager s of their farms. The author has clearly stated that they were individuals of great character and intelligence as compared to other Africans (Densen, 1989, p. 12). They therefore gave them great positions to have influence and support from them. Also in the book, the author talks about the character called Kinanjui, an African chief. The main reason she liked him was because of his character and greatness.Advertising Looking for critical writing on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He collaborated with the colonial government and ensured that the interests of the author and other settlers in the region were safe from any attacks from the natives. His predecessor did not have this character in him (Densen, 1989, p.136). He was against European collaboration and fought for the rights and independence of African. Due to this fact, he was demoted by the colonial government and Kinanjui took his place. The settlers therefore followed the footsteps and guidance from the colonial government on how to deal with the natives. They used the divide and rule technique to gain influence over their subjects. They identified individuals from the native communities who had desirable characters and influence over the rest of the community and used them to control the others. Therefore, the settlers were in support of the colonial administration and used several tactics to ensure that their subjects were under their authority and command (Van Zwanenberg, 1975). As time went by, the tension between the Africans and the European increased. The Africans started to demand for their independence. They wanted their rights to be restored and have the chance to rule themselves. These grievances were not considered at all by the colonial government. The Africans started to organize themselves into militia groups in retaliation and fight for their independence. Their main target at that time was to kill the European landholders and go against the rules set by the government. By the time the author left the country, the situation was relatively cool but to be on the safe side, she had protection from the colonial government. She supported the move to minimize the movements of Africans even while at her farm. It was no longer safe for settlers to live freely like they used to. They had to be armed always and have security personnel to ensure their safety and take care of them. That is why it was crucial for Blixen to have a good relationship with the local chief, Kina njui. She said, â€Å"Kinanjui was a friend of mine and he had been helpful to me on many occasions,† (Densen, 1989, p. 136). He ensured that her safety and the safety of her properties. She also has a good relationship with the natives. She had firearms in her house which she had used for hunting on several occasions (Densen, 1989, p. 171). They were also means of protection in dangerous times although they were never used for this purpose. Conclusion The book Out of Africa and the Shadows on the Grass mainly talks about the time that Isak Dinesen (Karin Blixen) time in Kenya. During this time, she developed a lot of love for the people, their culture and the landscape of the region which she was living in. In the process she made a lot of friends and had a lot of experiences that made her life to be like an adventure. However, it is evident from her writings that as a foreigner living in Africa she supported the colonial system. This is because they gave her the land and su pport she needed to survive and become successful in the colony. They also provided her with security and ensured her well being. She also shared the same ideologies and characters with the colonial masters. Despite all this, she loved the natives and had a good relationship in them which made her stay in the colony to be great. References Dinesen, I. (1989). Out of Africa and Shadows on the Grass. New York: Vintage Books Enloe, C.H. (2000). Bananas, Beaches and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of  International Politics. California: University of California Press Lenman, B. and Anderson, T. (2000). Chambers dictionary of world history. Boston: Chambers Steeves, M. (1998). Karen Blixen – Isak Dinesen Information Site.  Retrieved from http://karenblixen.com/ Van Zwanenberg, R. (1975). Colonial capitalism and labour in Kenya, 1919-1939.  Nairobi: East African Literature Bureau This critical writing on Out of Africa and Shadows in the Grass was written and submitted by user NickFury to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

U.S. Economic Regulation and Control

U.S. Economic Regulation and Control The U.S. federal government regulates private enterprise in numerous ways. Regulation falls into two general categories. Economic regulation seeks, either directly or indirectly, to control prices. Traditionally, the government has sought to prevent monopolies such as electric utilities from raising prices beyond the level that would ensure them reasonable profits. At times, the government has extended economic control to other kinds of industries as well. In the years following the Great Depression, it devised a complex system to stabilize prices for agricultural goods, which tend to fluctuate wildly in response to rapidly changing supply and demand. A number of other industries trucking and, later, airlines successfully sought regulation themselves to limit what they considered harmful price-cutting. Antitrust Law Another form of economic regulation, antitrust law, seeks to strengthen market forces so that direct regulation is unnecessary. The government and, sometimes, private parties have used antitrust law to prohibit practices or mergers that would unduly limit competition. Government Control Over Private Companies The government also exercises control over private companies to achieve social goals, such as protecting the publics health and safety or maintaining a clean and healthy environment. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration bans harmful drugs, for example; the Occupational Safety and Health Administration protects workers from hazards they may encounter in their jobs; the Environmental Protection Agency seeks to control water and air pollution. American Attitudes about Regulation Over Time American attitudes about regulation changed substantially during the final three decades of the 20th century. Beginning in the 1970s, policy-makers grew increasingly concerned that economic regulation protected inefficient companies at the expense of consumers in industries such as airlines and trucking. At the same time, technological changes spawned new competitors in some industries, such as telecommunications, that once were considered natural monopolies. Both developments led to a succession of laws easing regulation. While leaders of both political parties generally favored economic deregulation during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, there was less agreement concerning regulations designed to achieve social goals. Social regulation had assumed growing importance in the years following the Depression and World War II, and again in the 1960s and 1970s. But during the presidency of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, the government relaxed rules to protect workers, consumers, and the environment, arguing that regulation interfered with free enterprise, increased the costs of doing business, and thus contributed to inflation. Still, many Americans continued to voice concerns about specific events or trends, prompting the government to issue new regulations in some areas, including environmental protection. Some citizens, meanwhile, have turned to the courts when they feel their elected officials are not addressing certain issues quickly or strongly enough. For instance, in the 1990s, individuals, and eventually government itself, sued tobacco companies over the health risks of cigarette smoking. A large financial settlement provided states with long-term payments to cover medical costs to treat smoking-related illnesses. This article is adapted from the book Outline of the U.S. Economy by Conte and Carr and has been adapted with permission from the U.S. Department of State.

My Investment Choices Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Investment Choices - Assignment Example Initial dollar estimates are encouraged; typically at this stage, however, they are not yet completely validated. On the basis of the strategic goals, it is necessary to consider three broad categories of potential integration (in the three central columns), and eventually, they place each major issue into one of these three categories, to reflect the level of integration required for obtaining optimized results (Camp, 2002). 2. It is possible to minimize "full integration" but accepts minimal integration. Selected corporate and staff functions will be merged and consolidated, primarily to achieve staffing synergies and cost-efficiencies. All strategic and day-to-day operating decisions will remain autonomous and decentralized, with agreed-upon requirements for reporting to the parent company (Reed-Lajoux and Elson 2000). Also, it is possible to minimize the integration of culture and organizational structure. Few initiatives or responses change the configurations or the environment of a company more visibly and dramatically than an acquisition does. 3. The main emotional and personal reasons to start a business is to obtain a high social position in society and respect. Many people start a venture in order to communicate with new people and self-actualize.

Letter to editor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Letter to editor - Essay Example I had talked with fellow students who graduated months ago but still jobless as of now as there are no decent job offers. I am afraid the same situation will prevail in Denver by the time I will also graduate. I am sure many natives of Denver will agree with my assessment that our economy is not doing as well as it should. Statistics from May 2009 showed 225,000 people in Denver (Harden 1) who were out of a job and slim prospects of ever finding one. The number of jobless people had gone down a little bit to 195,700 this month and the man’s face sitting in the chair at an employment office exemplified feelings of hopelessness and disbelief felt by people who are in despair at not finding any decent jobs. The man in the suit from the Bureau of Economic Statistics standing nearby is also grossly out of touch with the reality on the ground. Employment numbers and economic data showing a modest recovery are useless and meaningless to a lot of people who are still looking for work until now. My intended audience is the people of Denver who are unemployed and probably desperately looking for a job. The target readership could include people who still have jobs today but are worried about how the economy will turn out as the recovery seems very weak and in danger of falling back into a recession (a double-dip recession feared by economists). Readers from surrounding areas of Denver and perhaps the entire state of Colorado also comprise the corollary readership audience. The Denver Post is one of the leading regional papers and will be read by people from many neighboring states like Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming or even as far away as Idaho and Texas. People in these states know the real economic situation in terms of employment rates and will certainly agree with my sentiments about how our leaders are managing our nation’s finances. My response to the cartoon will resonate with this audience and they will

Critiquing nursing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Critiquing nursing research - Essay Example In order to answer the above question the background questions were created, for example what is stress incontinence? Stress incontinence can be defined as involuntary urine loss due to sudden extra pressure, produced by activities such as sneezing, laughing, jumping or coughing. Therefore pelvic floor muscles and urethra cannot withstand the extra pressure BMJ (2009). What is the prevalence of stress incontinence? Its estimated around one in three women get SUI at some point in their lives. It can happen at any age, although its more common in women between the ages of 35 and 60 says Foldspang et al ( 1992 ) . What causes USI? Most cases of stress incontinence are due to weakened pelvic floor muscles. The common reason for the pelvic floor muscles to become weakened is childbirth, pregnancy, being overweight, hysterectomy, smoking, and menopause. Some medication can affect the pelvic floor. Examples are alpha-blockers used to treat high blood pressure, some antidepressants and sedat ives, and some muscle-relaxant drugs as quoted by BBC (2009) Another background question to conceder would be What are the current treatment available? According to BBC ( 2009) the wide range of treatments available include pelvic floor exercises, which helps to strengthened muscles by doing exercises, which prevents involuntary leakage and vaginal cones . These are small plastic cones that are put inside vagina. The cones come in a set of different weights. At first, the lightest cone has to be used. Patient has to use pelvic floor muscles to hold the cone in place. In that way patients exercise the pelvic floor muscles. Electrical stimulations include a special electrical device, which is used to stimulate the pelvic floor muscles with the aim of making them contract and become stronger. In surgery various surgical operations are used to treat stress incontinence. The operations aim to tighten or support

Sports Psychology Techniques, Research Design and Methods

Sports Psychology Techniques, Research Design and Methods Show a Critical Awareness of the Theoretical Basis to Applied Sport Psychology Techniques; Research Design, Methods and Procedures Used in This Domain, and Practical and Ethical Issues in the Delivery of Sport Psychology. In the research article relating to sports psychology, in particular the achieving of excellence, we can see that an attempt has been made by the researchers to asses the role of certain psychological phenomena related to positive performance to see if they could determine whether or not these factors played a significant part in the success of highly acclaimed professional sportspersons, in particular tour golfers. The research involved key concepts such as imagery, goal setting, focus, distraction control and evaluation techniques that all pertained to fundamental concepts outlined in findings from sports psychology theory and research. The study itself used a questionnaire from which an interview was conducted in the hope of extracting some of the mental processes and preparations of top golfers that were believed to have become evident in their responses. These interviews were tape recorded and transcribed according to qualitative research method processes and conventions. The in terviews were conducted at the convenience of the sportsperson as it was believed that this would make the process more free flowing as the interviewee would be more focused and inclined to cooperate with the questions. The findings of the research suggested in conjunction with former findings related to the field of sporting excellence that their was clear evidence of the usage of imagery, goal setting, focus distraction control and evaluation techniques in the interview answers put forward by the sportspersons. It was concluded that an integral part to the psychological phenomena detailed was the role of commitment and suggestion was made for subsequent research to be conducted into this area. Some of the areas that were drawn out and critiqued within the interview pertained to goal setting. Goal setting techniques can be understood as being set by psychologists to put in place the achieving of high levels of endurance in sport (Orlick Partington, 1988). Goals are generally set to focus the individual on desirable target behaviours or performance actions. The focusing on goals or targets is believed to take away extraneous and undesirable distractions from the sportspersons conscious perception and produce a well defined path towards achievement. This can be seen being evident in some of the interview responses as being a ‘clearly defined’ target. In Bandura’s model he suggests that there are three major factors at work in the acquisition of a behaviour or performance. Three key factors are believed to inform the intention towards a desired target in this model. It was suggested that manipulation of these factors could change the intention of a person and consequently change, or shape, their behaviour to a more desirable one (Bandura, 1997). In accordance with other factors a positive attitude towards a desired behaviour would essentially increase the intention towards any goal. To function successfully, the intended goals would have to be clearly defined. This notion of clearly defined goals is included and incorporated throughout the methodology of the research article and forms an essential part of the findings according to the model of excellence proposed by Orlick Partington (1988). Another factor indicated in research on goal setting is that of unrealistic goal setting and the effects of negative mental attitudes when the goals do not relate to the desired outcome. For instance, unrealistically high goal settings from pressures such as media and peer pressure may lead to a high percentage of failure. This can have a very negative effect on the individual’s mental state. For example, in the model proposed by Baumeister (1990) the destructive effects of unrealistic goal setting can be understood in three steps. The first step is a mismatch between circumstance and expectation, leading to unrealistic goal setting. The second stage highlights the negative outcomes of this phenomenon. The third and final step indicates the importance and fragility of the mind if it is not focused. Essentially, to avoid disturbing ideas of failure, the individual negates responsibility for the outcomes of their actions altering their logic in a very negative and destructive ma nner (Baumeister, 1990). That is to say, that if the perception of realistic goals is not adjusted then the mind of the individual will begin to apply severely disturbing logic patterns to the process of goal achieving. This is not regarded in the condition of club professionals. Rather than them being simply uncommitted as is concluded, it could be that the negative effects of unrealistic goal setting has disturbed their focus or commitment. For instance, the individuals may begin to apply the successful achievement of goals to external factors such as luck, and take responsibility for only failed goals (Abramson et al, 1978). Another key concept in achievement is learning. Essentially, objectives are considered to manage goals and goal setting. Fontana (1993) suggests that these objectives can be split into five mental processes. He defines these categories as ’identifying clearly what needs to be done, plan how we are going to do it, monitor our progress while we are doing it, assess the extent of our success when we have done it, learn more effectively from the experiences it has offered us’ (Fontana, 1993). This learning model shows of how goal setting and achieving goals can be utilised through the introspection of the experience gained. We can see from the research article that this idea of learning rather than focusing upon error is incorporated in the findings. The effects of learning can be seen in the formulation and use of educational objectives (Pearson and Tweddle, 1984). This research indicates the benefits of evaluation, reflection and consideration within the domain of sportin g achievement. The notion of learning can also be seen in the role of imagery and the imagination, highlighted within the findings of the interviews. This notion is concerned not only with the role of understanding and the learning of psychological processes after the event, but also the role of psychological processes before the event. Imagery is considered as being directly associated with the pathways of the imagination. This field of research has highlighted the importance of pre-conceived and pre-empted eventualities within the thought processes of the individual. Essentially, it focuses upon the actualisation of possibilities and outcomes within the mind. This would indicate the need for the individual to think in a certain way to achieve the best results. The imagination of sporting techniques is considered a cognitive pathway that can be honed and lead to more confidence and a more successful outcome. For instance, if the individual can visualise success then it is presumed that he/she can gain confidence in the achieving of a successful goal without the actual physical experience usually required in confidence acquisition (Kohler, 1925). We can see that this core idea has been implemented into the methodology of the research. For instance, there is an indication of imagining the ideal put before practising it. Imagery is also believed to help in the preparation for events that can not be prepared for with physical training alone. For instance, improvisation and the applying of insight into extreme circumstances can be utilised in ways that cannot be accounted for in normal physical training. In this sense the imagination and imagery is a key component in the conceptualising of an ideal action involved in a sporting technique. We can see from the methodology of our study that this notion has been incorporated. For instance, the ideal technique of a swing can be seen in the account that indicates that once the ideal stroke has been accomplished there is no longer a need to practise physically. This imagery can be seen as being indicated by the pro in the success of his action that is then carried out against the imagined goal in the learning manner put forward by Fontana. Imagery and the imagination seem to be manipulated by the golfers to hone their focus techniques as the methodology of the research article suggests. Focus is understood as being not something that is physically learned, but that is important to success. As we have seen, extraneous variables from the environment can have negative effects on the performance of actions. However, it would seem from the accounts of the tour pro’s that these extraneous factors have been removed from as they have attained focus. It would seem that this research has backed up the findings of former research. Although, some problems may arise from its use of a confined and pre-determined model of closed questions, it can be said to be valuable. Although this may arouse critical questions of validity, it can be said this research has brought to our attention some of the psychological dynamics associated with achievement, excellence and success within the sporting domain. Bibliography Abramson, L, Y., Seligman, M, E, P., Teasdale, J., (1978) Learned Helplessness in Humans: Critique and Reformulation. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 87, 49-74. Bandura, A. (1997) Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Self Control. New York: WH Freeman. Baumeister, R, F., (1990) Suicide as Escape From Self. Psychology Review, 97. 90-113 Fontana, D., (1993) Managing Time: Personal and Professional Development. Leicester: BPS Books (British Psychology Society). Kohler, W., (1925) The mentality of Apes. New York: Harcourt Brace (Reprint ed., 1976. New York: Liveright.) Orlick, T., Partington, J. (1988). Mental Links to Excellence. The Sport Psychologist, 2, 105-130. Pearson , L. and Tweddle, D., (1984) The Formulation and Use of Educational Objectives. In Fontana, D. (ed.) Behaviourism and Learning Theory in Education. Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press.

Around The Way Love :: essays research papers

Around the Way Lover This is story all about how my life got flipped turned upside down I like to take a minute just sit right there, Ill tell you how I became in love with the girl around the way. In the summer of 1995, I met this beautiful Mexican girl that just moved on my block. I was only in 5th grade and she was in 6th and 1year  ½ older than I was. I met her threw my friends that I played with everyday on my block. When I walked outside one day I saw this unfamiliar girl coloring with my friends on the sidewalk. I asked my best friend Brian who she was and he told me she was the new girl on the block. When Brian and I walked over, to go talk to our friends, I sat down right next to the new girl and asked her what her name was. She said Bianca but In a really shy voice. Through out the whole summer I talked to her and got to really know her. Then when the school year started I remember always getting home and trying to get all my homework done just so I could go outside and talk with her. Then about 4 months after meeting unfamiliar face, I told my friend’s, that I liked Bianca and I wanted to go out with her. But all my friend told me was to go and ask her out myself. So about a month later I finally got the guts to ask her while I was walking her home from our friend’s house. I remember I was so scared while I was asking her and she could tell I was because I was pretty much stuttering while talking to her. Then finally she spoke out saying, â€Å"are you trying to ask me out?† Then I said, â€Å"yes.† She said she doesn’t know because her mom doesn’t want her to have a boyfriend and she would tell me the next day. Then I went back and told all 5 of our friends that she said she would tell me the next day. The rest of that night we were outside all I could think about is what her answer would be. Then the next day about 12:30p.m. my friend called me up and said that she talked to Bianca and she was going to say †no,† because I was younger than she was.