South Korea Essays (1378 words) - , Term Papers

South Korea South Korea is officially known as Taehan Min'guk (Republic of Korea). This country is in northeastern Asia and occupies the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. South Korea is bounded on the north by North Korea; on the east by the East Sea (Sea of Japan); on the south bye the Korea Strait, which also separates it from Japan; and on the west by the Yellow Sea. It has a total area of 38,328 square miles, including many offshore islands in the south and west, and the largest is Cheju. The state of South Korea was established in 1948 succeeding the post-World War II distribution of the penisula between the occupying forces of the United States in the south and the Union of Soviet Republics (USSR) in the north. The capital of South Korea is Seoul which is also the largest city. The current version of the South Korean flag was adopted in 1984, but the basic design has been used since the country's founding is 1948. The Buddhist yin-yang symbol represents the unity of opposites, and the white background represents purity. The black markings symbolize three cycles, with opposites in each cycle opposing one another(reading clockwise from the upper left): summer, autumn, winter, spring, south, west, north, east, sky, moon, earth, and sun. South Korea is mainly a rugged, mountainous terrain. The principal range is the T'aebaek-sanmaek, which extends in a north-south direction parallel to the eastern coast. The country's highest peak, located on the island of Cheju, is Halla-san. Plains constitute less than one-fifth the total area and are mostly in the west along the coast the coastal plains in the east and south are very narrow. South Korea has a highly indented coastline characterized by high tidal ranges, the country's tow longest rivers, the Naktong and Han, rise in the T'aebaek-sanmaek, one flowing south to the Korea Strait and the other northwest to the Yellow sea. Other major rivers include the Kom, Yengsan, and Tongjin. South Korea has a continental climate, with cold, dry winters and hot, rainy summers. In Seoul the average January temperature range is 16 to 30 degrees F, and the average July temperature range is 70 to 84 degrees F. Winter temperatures are higher along the southern coast and considerably lower in the mountainous interior. The average precipitation in Seoul is 49in and in Pusan 54in. Rainfall is mostly in the summer months (June to September). The southern coast is subject to late summer typhoons that bring strong winds and heavy rains. Mixed deciduous and coniferous forests cover about three-quarters of the land, but have been lessened of use as fuel. Predominate species include pine, maple, elm, poplar, fir and aspen. Bamboo, laurel, and evergreen oak are found in the southern coastal areas. Large mammals, such as tigers, leopards, bears, and lynx, used to be common throughout the Korean Peninsula, but these animals have virtually disappeared form South Korea due to deforestation and poaching. The population of South Korea (1997 estimate) is 45,948,811. The country's population density of 1199 people per sq. mi. is one of the highest in the world. The majority of the population lives in the southern and western coastal areas. South Korea like North Korea is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world. Aside from a resident foreign population of about 55,000 , mostly Chinese, the country has no racial or linguistic minorities. Because of the mixed racial character of the present-day Korean population, it is believed that the ancestors of the Koreans included immigrants from the northern part of the Asian mainland. The national language, Korean, is believed by some scholars to be a member of the Altaic language family. It is similar to Japanese in grammar, but it contains many borrowed Chinese words. Korean is written in a phonetic script known as Han'gol from the colonial period and most educated Koreans can read English, which is taught in all secondary schools. In 1995 nearly one-half of the people in South Korea did not claim a religion. Buddhism claimed more adherents than any other religion in South Korea. Confucianism, which is more a moral philosophy than a religion, is a more prominent element in Korean life than its somewhat small number of adherents would recommend. Christian missionaries were first permitted in Korea in 1882 and by 1995 the Christian population skyrocketed to 11.8 million, three quarters of them were Protestants. Other important influences include Ch'endogyo, a religion founded in the mid-19th century that fuses elements of Confucianism and Daoism. Primary education is free for all

The Roaring Twenties Essays

The Roaring Twenties Essays The Roaring Twenties Essay The Roaring Twenties Essay The Lost Generation in the Roaring Twenties The process of change can often be difficult and tumultuous. This is particularly true of monumental changes in generational trends. In looking at the young people of the sasss, for example, we see a lost generation, which, despite breaking free from the strict moral codes of previous generations, had yet to find their own course to fulfillment and happiness. Responding to the hypocrisy of their parents, and greatly assisted by the invention of the automobile, the young people of the asss sought good times through the pursuit of physical beauty, sex, and material wealth. Although these pursuits provided an element of freedom that had not existed previously, they ultimately led to disillusionment and, in some cases, destruction. This aspect of the asss experience is expressed very well in the film The Great Gatsby, based on the book of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In this film presentation, a strong critique of American society is offered in the sense that the pursuit of wealth and success is not glorified as it usually is in popular culture. Rather, it is depicted as something dangerous and destructive. As Allen (2000) points out, the asss dinettes a revolution in morals and manners. In particular, young women began to realize a level of freedom that had not existed previously. In terms of dress, skirts were raised and outfits became more revealing. Also, young women began to smoke and drink at a rate not seen previously. In terms of morals, sexual contact became more frequent at younger ages. Petting parties were extremely popular. This entire process was signified in the popularity of the automobile. On more than one level, the automobile typified the prevailing trends of the asss. First of all, the automobile anger ten social Ana sexual landscape Day provoking a location winner young people could spend time together away from home. Secondly, the worship of the automobile represented a new focus on material and wealth and possessions as a post-war ideal. These fundamental developments are represented in The Great Gatsby. The main character and narrator of the story is Nick Caraway. Immediately upon his arrival in New York from Chicago, Nick falls in with a group of people that typify the new outlook of the sasss. In the couple of Tom and Daisy Buchanan, for example, we e the classic upscale young couple of the decade. Daisy exemplifies the moral and aesthetic status of women in the asss. She projects the classic asss look: slight of frame, even boyish, with short hair and a light, airy quality. Like many women of her generation, Daisy likes to drink with her husband and is not afraid to be upfront and frank in conversation. Tom, meanwhile, typifies the young wealthy asss male: self- centered, rude, and boisterous. Together, Tom and Daisy personify many of the themes, which Allen (2000) associates with the sasss. Indeed, as Allen (2000)1 as written, the woman of the Post-war generation said to man, You are tired and disillusioned, you do not want the cares of a family or the companionship of mature wisdom, you want exciting play, you want the thrills of sex without their fruition, and I will give them to you. And to herself she added, But I will be free. This is the type of agreement that seems to lie beneath the marriage of Tom and Daisy. They live a fast, exciting , life, more concerned with thrills than with stability or lasting love. And when Daisy feels compelled to indulge in an affair with Gatsby, she does so freely and with title concern. Tom, for his part, has a mistress of his own. The emphasis of their union is on speed, excitement, and mutual freedom. The consequences, as we soon find out, are disillusionment and destruction. Above all else, the film addresses the issue of materialism that was so powerful in America in the sasss. As Collect (1953) has written, the sasss were a period of mass consumption in America. Whereas previous eras had been dedicated to the process of production, with people saving their money and reinvesting it in new business enterprises, America in the sasss was dedicated to buying things and pending freely. Thus, a shift was made from production to consumption and it had a great impact on various levels of society. This key trend of the asss is a driving force behind the story told in the film. By pursuing and achieving great wealth, Jay Gatsby gains many possessions and throws expensive parties. In this sense, he is reflective of the consumer culture of the asss. Eventually, like the other characters in the novel, however, Gatsby finds that the consumer culture only leaves him feeling empty. For all of his wealth, he is unable to buy the only thing that can really bring him peppiness: the love of Daisy Buchanan. In the character of Gatsby, we see the personification of idealism and pursuit of the American Dream. Gatsby compilation of material wealth, he hoped, would help to find happiness in life. Through it all, however, Gatsby lacked the one thing he needed most: the love of Daisy Buchanan. In this element of his character, we see the disillusionment and emptiness, which comes from the pursuit of material wealth at all costs. 2 The point here seems to be that the pursuit of possessions in life will always leave you wanting more, one way or another, and therefore it does not provide road to happiness. Gatsby death at the end of the novel only adds the element of escutcheon as a consequence AT Nils worldly pursuits. In ten Declining, never, Gatsby character seems to represent the great promise of the American Dream. In the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it was written that Gatsby came out onto his lawn and looked up at the sky to determine what share was his of the local heavens. This demonstrates Gatsby capacity to dream, his glorious expectations, and his optimistic belief that he can achieve his dreams. This basically represents the reface appearance of the American Dream, the part that drove many Americans in the sasss and has continued to do so ever since. In the course of his courtship of Daisy Buchanan, however, Gatsby gradually comes to see the other side of the American Dream. At one point, Fitzgerald writes of how Gatsby was so in love with Daisy that his possessions only seemed to have any meaning based on her response to them. At times, his focus on Daisy actually gives Nick the impression that the possessions no longer felt real to Gatsby. This shows how the theme of consumerism shapes and defines the life of Gatsby both in the kook and the movie. For all the possessions he has gained, these possessions have no meaning if they do not enable him to win the approval and love of Daisy. Alike many in the sasss, Gatsby has been misled by consumerism. He has pursued material things as if these things will provide happiness. In the presence of Daisy, however, all the things he owns no longer seem real at all. This demonstrates the false promise of consumerism. As events unfold in the film, we see an ongoing criticism of the materialism of this time period. Towards the end the story, Toms sisters is run over by Daisy as she drives Gatsby yellow roadster. As Allen(2000) indicates, the automobile was a key factor of the asss, a major symbol of the prosperity and emerging modernism of the era. Thus, it comes as no surprise that Gatsby car should play a role in the plotting of the story. When the womans husband comes looking for revenge, he originally encounters Tom. Fearing for his life, Tom tells the man that Gatsby is the guilty party. Thus, the man kills Gatsby. The symbolic role of the yellow roadster in this ending is significant. The car symbolizes tribalism and the woman who is run over, Myrtle, is a superficial woman who was only attracted to Tom in the first place for his wealthy status. In having her get run over by the car, the film advances the theme that the pursuit of materialism destroys. The same theme applies in the case of Gatsby. Tom and Daisy, meanwhile, continue with their empty and superficial marriage. All together, the film shows a group of characters who are lonely, empty, and mutually destructive largely because of their dedication to the false ideals of consumerism and the American Dream. As Callahan (1996) has written, F. Scott Fitzgerald was no stranger to the dissipation of values and the pursuit of sensation in the Jazz Age of the sasss (374). At the start of the sasss, Fitzgerald himself stated that, America was going on the greatest, gaudiest spree in history and there was going to be plenty to tell about it. Indeed, virtually every character in the film, with the exception of Nick Caraway, is touched in some negative way by the American ideals of commercialism and greed. Thus, the story offers an implicit criticism of American life. The main characters are people who have been blinded by the American Dream. In some cases, such as Tom and Daisy, this blindness leads to loneliness and emptiness. In other cases, such as Myrtle and Gatsby, materialist pursuits lead not only to disillusionment and suffering out to sell-escutcheon as well. From tens perspective, ten Tall version AT Autographs great novel seems to make the statement that the modern consumerism that emerged in the sasss should not be viewed as a road to happiness. Indeed, building from F. Scott Fitzgerald great book, the film version of The Great Gatsby presents a moral about the effects of materialism in the sasss. As Allen (2000) put it, the people of the sasss could not endure a life without values, and the only values they had been trained to understand were being undermined. Everything seemed meaningless and unimportant. This is exactly the fate of characters like Tom, Daisy, Myrtle, and Gatsby. With the values of past generations no longer relevant, and a new set of values not yet in place, the young people of the asss found themselves sleepwalking through a decade of sex and materialism which ultimately left them empty and disillusioned. This is the overriding theme expressed in the film erosion of The Great Gatsby.

Europium Facts - Element Atomic Number 63

Europium Facts - Element Atomic Number 63 Europium is a hard, silver-colored metal that readily oxidizes in air. It is element atomic number 63, with the symbol Eu. EuropiumBasic Facts Atomic Number: 63 Symbol: Eu Atomic Weight: 151.9655 Discovery: Boisbaudran 1890; Eugene-Antole Demarcay 1901 (France) Electron Configuration: [Xe] 4f7 6s2 Element Classification: Rare Earth (Lanthanide) Word Origin: Named for the continent of Europe. Europium Physical Data Density (g/cc): 5.243 Melting Point (K): 1095 Boiling Point (K): 1870 Appearance: soft, silvery-white metal Atomic Radius (pm): 199 Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 28.9 Covalent Radius (pm): 185 Ionic Radius: 95 (3e) 109 (2e) Specific Heat (20Â °C J/g mol): 0.176 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 176 Pauling Negativity Number: 0.0 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 546.9 Oxidation States: 3, 2 Lattice Structure: Body-Centered Cubic Lattice Constant (Ã…): 4.610 References: Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952), CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (18th Ed.) Chemistry Facts Return to the Periodic Table

Poverty and students achievement Research Proposal

Poverty and students achievement - Research Proposal Example Problem to be investigated A. Purpose of the study (including assumptions) The purpose for this study is to study the poverty achievement gap, which affects children from poor backgrounds. Through a variety of researches that have been conducted in this area, it has been established that children who are brought up in poverty are likely to perform poorer in their academic work than their peers from privileged households. Besides, this study will investigate different strategies and policies that can be implemented to alleviate this problem. B. Justification of the study The educational achievement by students is highly dependent on the state’s and districts’ educational policies as well as the available resources, which facilitate classroom instructions, among many other tasks (Shields, 1991). The educational stakeholders should support the efforts for offering essential facilities and assistance in order to ensure that all students, including those from poor family bac kgrounds, achieve their educational goals. Allington (1991) maintains that federal, state, and district policies ought to be cautiously premeditated with the purpose of outlining the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of a variety of policies in finishing the poverty achievement gap. C. Research question, hypotheses, and propositions Research questions 1. ... 2. If proper mechanisms are put up and all the education stakeholders come on board, the impact of poverty on education can be addressed, to a great extent. 3. There are exists alternative strategies and opportunities for alleviating the damaging impacts of poverty on education. D. Definition of terms Poverty – this is the lack of adequate financial resources to cater for basic needs and services such as education, food, water, shelter, and lighting among other amenities. Education – this is numeracy, literacy, and basic understanding of science and an individual’s environment as attained in pre primary, primary, secondary and tertiary levels of learning. Impacts – this is the consequences of a particular state of affairs and in this case poverty. E. Brief overview of study Poverty has varying impacts on various sectors of development, one such sector is the educating sector. Relative or absolute poverty leads to low enrollment, low retention, high dropout and illiteracy rates since the poor cannot afford the high costs associated with education. Stakeholders in this sector are partly to blame because of inaccessibility, poor quality and high costs associated with education at all levels. A successful education program must be accessible, affordable and of standard quality to all citizens especially the poor. This study will investigate the manner in which this societal problem can be resolved. II. Background and review of related literature A: Theoretical framework The link between poverty and education can be explained through Developmental Systems Theories (DST) (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). These theories are associated with ecological theory and expounds on the linkages between different levels ranging from

Raymond Carver, Cathedral Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Raymond Carver, Cathedral - Essay Example Indeed â€Å"blindness and sight† is embedded within both the structure and the content of the story. The author essentially propounds that, though blessed with eyesight; the crust of individualism does not let modern man see what lies beneath the surface or appearance. Indeed Carver’s narrator is one of those commoners who never want to go through the stress to interpret mindfully what they are attached to. Ingenue Simplicity in the story’s Plot Indeed the plot of Carver’s story is ironically simple. It is endowed with a great fluidity of expression that enables the readers to read the story palatably. Apparently it details a homely dialogue between a narrator and his guest Richard, a blind man who is paying visit to Richard’s house. Like any other homely conversation the story’s plot also continues having no apparent predestined goal. But elements like the blind guest’s success in bonding a relationship, in opposition the narratorâ⠂¬â„¢s failure, etc make this apparent simplicity ironical and provoke Carver’s readers to delve deep in what lies beneath the surface level of the story. Regarding the ironical simplicity of the story, Carol Simpson Stern says that like other stories of Carver, the Cathedral’s plot is â€Å"about people who work mindlessly, drink, have broken marriages, and take in life, not directly, but through an immersion in mediated images† (1). Indeed the ‘blindness’ of the narrator has been used as an irony in the structure of the whole story. The narrator relates the story in his own way that provides the readers with the opportunities to look into the communicational incapability in his character. Analysis of Major characters All the two major characters of the â€Å"Cathedral† are those who do not stand alone in the society; rather they are submerged in the society and fraught with all the characteristics of a modern man. In the story, the unnamed narrator, the only developing character, is self-doubting, introvert, and self-absorbed. At the beginning of the story, he lacks communication skills. But as the story progresses, he, breaking his comfort zone of â€Å"nonchalant detachment†, gradually learns to decode the unfathomable meaning of the blind man’s long-lasting relationship with his wife and eventually forges a true connection with him. One of the stories’ themes is to unearth and uphold the root cause of modern man’s failure to forge a successful relationship and to perceive what lies beneath the materialistic existence, coming out the crust of individualism induced by materialism. This theme has prudently been applied in the literary relationship that exists among the three characters of the blind man, Robert and Robert’s wife who are the characters in focus. These three characters uphold the three themes of religion, public relations and composition. The author cautiously and sensi bly engages these characters to explicate and, at the same time, explain the theme. Internal and External Conflicts in the Story In the story the narrator is in conflict with his blind guest Richard. He is quite annoyed at the blind man’s visit and a bit jealous of his relation (Richard’

Importance of Swot Analysis Essay Example for Free

Importance of Swot Analysis Essay Why is the process of conducting an internal and external analysis on a regular basis important for any size company? The process of an internal and external analysis on a regular basis is important for any size company because it allows the company to know where it stands at the moment and determines the development and forecasts of those factors that will influence the organizational success. This is also known as environmental scanning where the external and the internal environments are scanned for information like ongoing trends patterns, occasions and changes going around and the effect it has to both these environments. External analysis: These analyses are performed outside the firm and depend on the following factors: a, MACRO: technological, demographic/economic, political/legal and social/cultural, national and global environment b. MICRO: competitors, suppliers, customers, publics, channels etc. Internal Analysis: This analysis is performed within the firm that includes the employees, management and the shareholders, resources, organisational structure etc. SWOT Analysis  The most common way of analyzing this external and internal environment is by performing the SWOT analysis. SWOT is an acronym used that describes Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats that are strategic elements for a firm. A SWOT analysis should not only result in the identification of a corporation’s core competencies, but also in the identification of opportunities that the firm is not currently able to take advantage of due to a lack of appropriate resources. (Wheelen, Hunger pg 107) The External analysis comprises of the Opportunities and Threats that the company needs to identify or focus on for its profitability and development of defensive actions. * Opportunities: This analyzes the area where the firm can identify its opportunities so as to have a competitive advantage over its competitors. Once identified, the firm has to work on them to make it one of its strengths. Its main aim is to find an area where they need to develop to be profitable. * Threats: These are the threats that the firm faces from outside the firm and can be from any of the external sources. The firm has to be prepared to tackle these threats by developing strategic decisions when required so that it does not affect their profitability or sales. The Internal analysis focuses on the internal environment of the organisation and analyzes the Strengths and Weaknesses of the company. * Strengths: These are the core competencies of the firm that provides them the advantage of achieving their goals. These should be aligned in meeting the customer requirements because at the end of the day, it is the customer whom they serve. Therefore, it should be customer focussed and market oriented. * Weaknesses: These refer to the firm’s limitations in fulfilling their strategic decisions or failure to implement them. It has to be analyzed from the customer’s point of view so as to get a clear idea. These steps need to analyze the firm’s resources and the capabilities to meet their goals and identify events and trends that might impact the strategic plans and decisions of the company.

Buddhism: The 4 noble truths Essay -- Buddhist Buddha essays research

Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths Siddharta Gautama was twenty-nine years old when he abandoned his family to search for a means to bring to an end his and other’s suffering after studying meditation for many years. At age thirty-five, Siddharta Gautama sat down under the shade of a fig tree to meditate and he determined to meditate until he reached enlightenment. After seven weeks he received the Great Enlightenment which he referred to as the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path. Henceforth he became known as the Buddha. In The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, Thich Nhat Hanh provides a citation from the Buddha, which gives insight into the cure of our distress. â€Å"I teach only suffering and the transformation of suffering† (Thich Nhat Hanh 3). When we recognize and acknowledge our own suffering, the Buddha, which is present in everyone, will look at it, discover what has brought it about, and prescribe a course of action that can transform it into peace, joy, and liberation. Suffering is the means the Buddha used to liberate himself, and it is also the means by which we can become free. The teachings of the Buddha revolve around this central tenant known as the "Four Noble Truths". The Four Noble Truths represent the basis of the Buddha's teaching and form the central foundation of Buddhism. Historically, Lord Buddha preached on these topics during his first public commentary following his enlightenment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The First Noble Truth states that "Life is Dukkha." Dukkha, in English â€Å"suffering", exists, even that this is the natural and universal state of beings. To live, one must suffer because it is an inevitable part of life, which one cannot avoid. All beings must endure physical suffering as well as enduring psychological suffering the form of many human emotions. Human beings are subject to impermanence and uncertainty which very often, causes us to associate with things that are unpleasant and disassociate with things that are pleasant. This may seem a bit cynical and may suggest to many individuals that Buddhism is a dismal, fatalistic religion yet it just implies we must accept the good with the bad. Buddha’s first noble truth is a statement that can obviously not be denied. In The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, the author provides insight into the truth of suffering. â€Å"To succeed in the practice, we must stop trying to prove that everything i... ...aintain ourselves clearly on all planes of existence. 8. Right Concentration, samyak samahdi, by establishing and maintaining our focus of appearance, manifestation and being through appropriate concentration, usually named as meditation, dhyana, we are grounded in our unfolding actuality. This is the threshold of Nirvana, to develop the eye of wisdom. Anyone and everyone can achieve the highest goal in Buddhism. All one need to do is to make an honest effort to follow the Noble Eightfold Path. It is said that those who have reached enlightenment, like Buddha Shakyamuni and his disciples took much work to attain that state of mind; it was not accidental. The Buddha and his disciples were once ordinary people, afflicted by the impurities of the mind, desire, ill-will and ignorance. It was through contacting the Dharma and purifying their words, thoughts and deeds. These individuals developed their minds and acquired wisdom so they became exalted beings able to teach and help others to realize the truth. If one applies themselves to the teachings of the Buddha, attainment of the ultimate goal of Buddhism, the goal of liberation, the everlasting bliss of Nirvana can be achieved.