The Fundamental Problem Of Exchange In Long Distance Trade Essay Example for Free

The Fundamental Problem Of Exchange In Long Distance Trade Essay How did medieval merchants solve the fundamental problem of exchange in long distance trade? What light does this shed on the prosperity of the Venetian Republic and Portugal before 1700? Trading has been an elementary part of economies since the advantages of it were discovered. The ability to exchange goods greatly contributes to economic efficiency as it enables us to capture gains from natural comparative advantage and division of labour. There are evident gains from trade when a country has an absolute advantage in the production of a good. A country is said to have absolute advantage in production if it can produce the same amount of output with less inputs relative to other countries. This brings about a stronger economy, as there is greater specialisation and technical innovation, which has positive impact on the economy in the long run. There are also gains in trade when a country has a comparative advantage in the production of a good. This is when the opportunity cost for producing a good is lower than that of another country. This results in a higher aggregate output, which means that gains can be split between both countries. The fundamental problem of exchange has existed since the advantages of trade were discovered. It says that even if there are potential gains from trade, trade may still not occur as the lender will not want to lend without being assured that the borrower will not invest the money in a hopeless venture, or take the money and run. It is very difficult to be sure that the person on the other end of a deal will fulfil their contractual obligation. In short, in the absence of commitment, an exchange will not take place. The arguments against trade, if the other side of the bargain wants the maximum gain for him or herself, can be seen very clearly by using the one-sided prisoners dilemma. Player I has the choice of either conducting an exchange or not. If no exchange is conducted, then both player I and II realise no gain. If player I does decide to exchange, player II has the choice to either cooperate or to renege. Both sides gain if player II cooperates, but if we are assuming that player II wants to maximise their own self interest then player II will decide to renege, in which case player I will be worse off. It is possible however that player I will anticipate this happening and so decide not to exchange in the first place. This leaves us in the initial position of both sides not realising any gains from trade and no one being any better or worse off. For the trade to therefore take place, it is essential that player II can guarantee that they will keep to their side of the bargain and not renege. A way for this to successfully occur arose in Europe, as institutions were developed through the formation of merchant guilds. Economic institutions are defined here as a system of social factors, such as rules, beliefs, norms and organisations, that guide, enable and constrain the actions of individuals; thereby generating regularities of behaviour. Merchant guilds were formed in order to act as a deterrent of opportunistic behaviour, both between merchants themselves and between merchants and the state. Within the merchant community itself, the majority of merchants traded through networks of kinship and the exchange of hostages. Networks worked extremely well in deterring opportunistic behaviour, as those with good reputations would carry out many trades, as they were trusted in the community. The fact that reputations also took a long time to build up and could be quickly erased made them of extreme value to people. It was also possible to use strategic marriages and trade through families if you wanted to be sure both sides of a trade were secure. As a medieval ruler would have a local monopoly of the area he ruled, he would be faced with the temptation of abusing his power and appropriating merchants. Merchants therefore devised a solution to combat this problem, which was by organising a boycott of a state that abused the rights of a merchant. This deters predatory behaviour by the ruler, as it is not desirable to deprive the population, the ruler and the merchants the benefits of trade. It therefore has the potential to work very well, but the problem is that it can be very difficult to sustain as some merchants may see ways of maximising their personal gains by renegotiating with the ruler, causing the boycott to deteriorate. It was therefore vital if planning a state boycott to ensure rules were set out to prevent this from happening. Venice played a major role in re-opening the Mediterranean economy to western European commerce after the post-Roman Empire collapse, and the establishment of effective protection for merchants was crucial in this. Venice was very different to other economies of its time as the state was able to create an institutional framework that was favourable to merchant capitalism. It did many things, including the creation of political and legal institutions that guaranteed property rights and enforced contracts; it created a government bonds market, a fiscal system and a democratic system of governance. The creation of the government bonds market was one of the earliest financial markets created. It formed ways of raising funds for the government through compulsory loans on which interest was regularly paid, which is directly comparable to modern day government bonds. It is possible to see just how prosperous the Venetian Republic was in comparison to other European countries by looking at the GDP per Capita it had. In 1500, it had a GDP of $1100, which was far larger than other countries; the UK had a GDP of $714, Spain $698 and the second highest GDP per capita was Belgium with $875. This shows just how prosperous the Venetian Republic really was. Between 1147 and 1249, Portugal emerged from Arab rule. It did so with a significantly different political regime in comparison with that of Venice, as military aristocracy and the church became major landowners, and the interests of the church and the state became very closely linked. The fact that it was placed very well geographically meant that it was able to develop a strong empire through its unearthing of new trade routes and voyages of discovery. The Portuguese state was willing to give Jewish merchants and scholars refuge after they were driven out of Spain, as they recognised the value they had to society through the skills they were able to bring. They were able to provide scientific development, as well as being providing valuable links in trading with the Islamic world. This allowed important networks to be built up, which increased the volume of trade that Portugal came into contact with and so built up its strength as an empire. Although Portugal was extremely successful in its core business areas of shipping and trade, this success did not lead to successful wider development. This can be seen when looking at figures for per capita income before the nineteenth century, which gives an estimate of the per capita income of Portugal of $632. This is far lower than other relatively similarly dominant economies, such as Italy and Belgium, who had per capita incomes of $1100 and $875 respectively. The reason for this can be given by the fact that in general, agriculture and industry were the determining factors when analysing the per capita incomes, and in Portugal these industries were quite underdeveloped relative to other countries. In comparison to Portugal, Venice was far more prosperous. Not only when looking at the per capita incomes, but also when seeing how much more developed the Venetian institutional framework was. It was formed to be favourable to merchant capitalism, which vastly strengthened its trading platform as a country, and therefore the amount of money it was able to make. Trading was only possible through solving the fundamental problem of exchange. Over time, ways of solving the problem became more sophisticated; from using boycotts and networks of trust, to legal frameworks and courts of law. We have been able to become more affluent as economies due to the advantages that trade brings us, as can be seen looking at examples of economies from hundreds of years ago that first experienced the prosperity that trade brought. We have also been able to see the importance that institutions hold in nurturing and maintaining an environment that is favourable to trade, namely in Venice. References: The Fundamental Problem of Exchange: A research agenda in Historical Institutional Analysis Avner Greif, 2000 Cambridge University Press Maryam Shakiba L100

Analysis of Social and Political Contexts in Plays

Analysis of Social and Political Contexts in Plays With reference to at least two plays of your choice by different authors from different periods of theatre history analyze in what ways they reflect the social and political context in which they were written. â€Å"In the theatre, every form once born is mortal; every form must be reconceived, and its new conception will bear the marks of all the influences that surround it.†(Peter Brook) William Shakespeare takes the story of Julius Caesar and expresses his ideas about Queen Elizabeth, and the political atmosphere of Elizabethan England, using Julius Caesar himself as a metaphor for the growing Elizabethan empire, and the fears concerning the death of an heir-less Queen. Arthur Miller infuses the story of the Salem Witch Trials with sub textual references to the McCarthyism and Red Scare, which were going on in America in the 1950’s. In 2013, Anne Washburn sets her story, Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, against a nuclear post-apocalyptic backdrop, using a popular television show, The Simpsons, as a catalyst, which in itself is a reflection on her ideas of modern American society, and society in general, as throughout the play, one bears witness to an old civilization unrav eling, and a resorting to story-telling in it’s most basic beginnings. This essay is a discussion on in what ways Julius Caesar, The Crucible, and Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play reflects the social and political context in which they were written. Julius Caesar was first performed in 1599, the first show to be performed at the Globe Theater in London. Though the text was not released until 1623, it is Shakespeare’s shortest play. Shakespeare is thought to have been heavily influenced in reference to the historical context by Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, which was written by Plutarch in the first century. In the play, Julius Caesar has just overthrown Pompey, who was threatening the republic. In the opening scenes, the people of Rome are seen celebrating Caesar, and try to crown him multiple times. This troubles many people in the shadows, who begin to whisper about the integrity of Caesar, and whether he will take the throne for his own, or honor the democratic republic, which Rome was in 440 B.C. These whisperings concern his peers, such as Cassius, who convinces Brutus that Caesar must be taken down before he becomes more powerful than the Republic. Ultimately, Caesar is assassinated, which results in mass chaos, as the entire country breaks out in civil war. In the end, almost everyone dies. Queen Elizabeth became Queen in 1558, forty years before Julius Caesar was first performed. â€Å"The Virgin Queen†, as she was commonly known, was the daughter of Henry VIII, and the last in the line of the Tudor monarchy. Queen Elizabeth ruled very strictly, and was extremely paranoid, therefore many people were imprisoned and questioned all the time for treasonous activity. â€Å"This was a meticulously recorded Police State, comparable with Hitlers Germany, Pinochets Chile, the former Soviet Bloc or Saddam Hussains Iraq. Almost all the major players in Shakespeares life including the poet himself would find themselves on the wrong side of the law at some point during their life†¦ And so England was a land of clear divisions: between the old faith and the new, between the cities and the rural communities, between the known and that which was unknown and therefore frightening.†(pbs.org) It was urgently necessary that if Shakespeare had a political view to share , he must share it very subtly. â€Å"Early modern writers frequently compared the English Parliament to the Roman republic’s Senate and popular tribunate. The English were also mindful of Rome’s role in their early history: Julius Caesar successfully invaded Britain in 54 BCE and the Roman Empire, which succeeded the republic, controlled Britain from 77 to 407 CE. At the broader level of political culture, English people strongly identified themselves as â€Å"free† in ways that (they believed) citizens of the Roman republic had been and others in Europe were not.†(newberry.org) In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare remarks on the political unrest of Elizabethan England in his portrayal of the rebellion and assassination of Julius Caesar. Throughout her reign, Elizabeth I thwarted many assassination attempts, as well as attempts at overthrowing her strongly Protestant rule by the Catholics. Shakespeare also comments on the impending future of England, as Elizabeth was very much like Caesar in a ge, and had no heirs to carry on her rule. He uses the Roman civil wars as a vehicle to perhaps predict a post-Elizabethan England, one that did not bode well for the English mass, as the eco-system that was Elizabethan English politics disintegrated into mass chaos. Hundreds of years later, Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible, in 1953. The Crucible is about The Salem Witch Trials, which happened in 1692 in Puritan Salem, Massachusetts. In the actual trials, young girls began accusing people of witchcraft, which led to mass hysteria, the persecution of over 200 people, and the execution of 20 people. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller adds dimension to a historic event, by adding his own ideas as to why and how the whole thing came about. He created answers as to why the girls began the dangerous faà §ade. He also combined historical figures as characters to create a clear and concise storyline. He took many artistic liberties. â€Å"For example, many of the accusations of witchcraft in the play are driven by the affair between farmer, husband, and father John Proctor, and the Ministers teenage niece Abigail Williams: however, in real life Williams was probably about eleven at the time of the accusations and Proctor was over sixty, which makes it most unlikely that there was ever any such relationship. Miller himself said, The play is not reportage of any kind . [n]obody can start to write a tragedy and hope to make it reportage . what I was doing was writing a fictional story about an important theme.â€Å"(ukmc.edu) In the 1950’s, the United States of America was going through a similar mass hysteria as during the Salem Witch Trials. After World War II, there was a huge anti-communist movement, led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, who famously brought in many people in the artistic and intellectual community and interrogated them about being communists. Americans were afraid of communism, or radical leftism, because of the belief that communism was in direct opposition to American values. This was the second time in the 20th century, that America had a Red Scare, the first being in the 1920’s. However, in the 1920’s the suspicions revolved a social movement, and in the 1950’s the fears stemmed from fears because of the conflict in Korea and China, and espionage based upon confessions by government officials of spying for the Soviet Union, the most famous being the trials of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed for passing on secret information to the Soviet Union about the atomic bomb. Senator McCarthy headed the Congresss House Un-American Activities Committee, which â€Å"launched an investigation into purported Communist influence in the movie business. HUAC subpoenaed writers, directors, actors and studio executives and inquired whether they were now or had ever been a member of the Communist Party.†(collin.edu) Although there is much speculation as to the exact mirroring of The Salem Witch Trials in The Crucible to the McCarthyism Red Scare hysteria of the 1950’s, â€Å"Miller writes, â€Å"These plays, in one sense, are my response to what was ‘in the air,’ they are one man’s way of saying to his fellow men, ‘This is what you see every day, or think or feel; now I will show you what you really know but have not had the time, or the disinterestedness, or the insight, or the information to understand consciously.†Ã¢â‚¬ (Steppenwolf.org) Arthur Miller himself had been brought in for questioning about being a communist, and among many others in the Hollywood and theatre scene. He was actually blacklisted at one point. The mass hysteria spread throughout the country, just like in Salem in The Crucible, and people became suspicious of everyone. â€Å"One group collected and published the names of people in the world of the arts and entertainment thought to be un-American in their politics. The most famous were able to successfully fight off such attacks butRed Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television, ruined or harmed many peoples careers.†(Collins.edu) Anne Washburn wrote Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, which was performed at The Playwrights Horizon studio in New York City in Fall 2013. In the play, which is three acts, the show opens with a group of people sitting around a fire, in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, trying to recall an episode from the popular TV series, â€Å"The Simpsons†. Throughout the whole first act, the audience watches what was an actually word for word transcription of the cast during one of the first workshops try and remember word for word the episode, â€Å"Cape Feare†. In the second act, time has moved forward ten years and the audience learns that this new world has evolved into a place where people barter with memories of Simpsons episodes, with different troupes going around performing them, along with commercial breaks. It is as if any fragment of the ‘old’ world is cherished, if not quite misunderstood by this new civilization. People are willing to trade food and shelter for missing pieces of the stories, and there is somewhat of a rivalry between the different troupes, a competition for how many stories each has collected. The second act ends in bloodshed, as people become violent in trying to attain as many recalling of Simpsons episodes. In the third act, it is hundreds of years later, and the audience watches a bizarre performance of what was being rehearsed in the second act, except it is now revered, almost religious in the manner it is being performed. The whole act is culmination of years of retelling and evolution into a masked performance that at the same time is almost an exact retelling and something completely different. Anne Washburn’s use of the post-apocalyptic theme is smart, as the idea of post-apocalyptic society has taken America’s imagination by storm. â€Å"We use fictional narratives not only to emotionally cope with the possibility of impending doom, but even more importantly perhaps to work through the ethical and philosophical frameworks that were in many ways left shattered in the wake of WWII.†(livescience.com) In a post 9/11 society, after two wars and a financial recession, America needs the catharsis that comes with an imagined world after the end of the world. â€Å"The image of New Yorkers fleeing the crashing towers and the toxic clouds of the death was broadcast over and over until the image was emblazoned in indelibly in nation’s collective psychic. America’s exalted sense of invincibility came crashing down with the WTC, our feeling of security forever buried underneath metric tons rubble.†(ipharoah.thoughts) With Mr. Burns, Anne Washb urn has also commented on the influence of pop culture in America, and the trend towards escapism in American society. Television especially is embedded into the American culture, and many Americans use television as a way to block out the impending bills, and declining health, and general disarray of their lives. â€Å"That single â€Å"Simpsons† episode becomes a treasure-laden bridge, both to the past and into the future. And in tracing a story’s hold on the imaginations of different generations, the play is likely to make you think back — way back — to narratives that survive today from millenniums ago. Every age, it seems, has its Homers.†(nytimes.com) Throughout history, playwrights have continued to give us a snapshot of the world from which they are writing. Whether it is about a specific person, a movement, or the society as whole, Julius Caesar, The Crucible, and Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play are three examples. All three plays reflect the social and political context in which they were written with the use of metaphor and symbolism, and sometimes just a straight up comparison. The interesting thing about these three plays, is that not only are they allegories for the time in which they were written, but they can also be related to on contemporary terms. In turn, the three plays not only comment on a social and political context, but on the human condition, which never changes. Bibliography Arnold, Oliver O. â€Å"Chronology† and â€Å"Republicanism, Popular Politics, and the Rhetoric of Liberty in 1599.† InJulius Caesar,by William Shakespeare. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2010. Blumberg, J. (2007).A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. Available: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials-175162489/. Last accessed 14 Jan 2014. Brantley, B. (2013).Stand Up, Survivors; Homer Is With You.Available:http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/16/theater/reviews/mr-burns-a-post-electric-play-at-playwrights-horizons.html?_r=0. Last accessed 19 Jan 2014. Brook, P (1968).The Empty Space. New York, NY: Touchstone. Ipharoah. (2012).Apocalypse: As American as Apple Pie.Available: http://ipharaoh.thoughts.com/posts/apocalypse-as-american-as-apple-pie. Last accessed 14 Jan 2014. Layson, H and Zurcher, A. (2012).Shakespeares Romans: Politics and Ethics in Julius Caesar and Coriolanus.Available: http://dcc.newberry.org/collections/shakespeare-rome. Last accessed 14 Jan 2014. Linder, D. (2013).The Witchcraft Trials in Salem: A Commentary.Available:http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/SAL_ACCT.HTM. Last accessed 15 Jan 2014. Love, M. (2003).Shakespeares England.Available: http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/locations/location153.html. Last accessed 10 Jan 2014. Miller, A (1953).The Crucible. USA: Penguin Books. Pappas, S. (2013).Why Were Obsessed with the Zombie Apocalypse.Available: http://www.livescience.com/27287-zombie-apocalypse-world-war-ii.html. Last accessed 18 Jan 2014. Shakespeare, W (1603).Julius Caesar. London: N/A. Washburn, A (2010).Mr Burns: A Post-Electric Play. New York: Smith Kraus. Wilkison, K. (2013).The Second Red Scare: Fear and Loathing in High Places, 1947-1954.Available: http://iws.collin.edu/kwilkison/Resources for Students/redscare.html. Last accessed 19 Jan 2014.

We Need Hate Crime Legislation Essay -- racism, prejudice

Hate crime is one of the biggest issues many people face today. Whether or not they should be legislated against has been highly debated and continues to be a hot topic. This essay will explain the ideas and opinions of several authors including Charley Reese, Michael Lieberman, Helen Dodge, Gregory S. Parks, Shayne E. Jones and Samuel Francis. It will also elaborate on the topic of why hate crimes should be legislated against, with supporting information. The phrase â€Å"hate crime† is generally referred to as a criminal act against a person, a group, or property because of one’s race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation (Civil Rights- Hate Crimes- Overview). A person who experiences a hate crime may be threatened, harassed, physically harmed, or even killed. In order to ensure protection, laws have been established by society against those who commit hate crimes. There is a lot of debate among the general public about laws that should not punish people more harshly based on the motivation of their crime; instead, a criminal should only be punished for the crime committed. However, the motive behind a crime is often more significant than the crime itself. For example, if a black family moves into an area where the majority of the people are white and a group of white teenagers vandalize the property, they would be charged with vandalism. However, if after vandalizing the property they spray paint the word â⠂¬Å"nigger† on the garage door, they would most likely be found guilty of some sort of racial hate crime involving vandalism. While both of these actions are considered crimes, the motive behind the racial crime should be taken into consideration when the punishment is issued. One might say that the motive was ... ...on | Education Book Publishing | Academic Textbooks. Web. . â€Å"Hate Crime† Laws Change the Law (Francis 141 & 142) Keyes, Jere. "Hate Crime Legislation: An Essay | Blind Prophecy." Blind Prophecy | Jere Keys Online. 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. . "About Hate Crimes." Homepage. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. . "State Hate Crimes Laws." Human Rights Campaign. 1 June 2009. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. "List of Hate Crime Laws." Homepage. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. . "Declaration of Independence." National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. .

Oil and its Economics :: Economy Petrol

Supply of Oil â€Å"Since 1974 oil-exporting nations have substantially increased their imports in order to finance development plans and to pay for highly technical military training, equipment, and sophisticated defense systems such as the airborne warning and control system, AWACS. From 1972 to 1983, OPECs imports increased approximately sevenfold. Furthermore, exports to OPEC from OECD as a percentage of the latter's total exports increased from 4.1 percent in l972-73 to 8.8 percent in 1975-82, then to 8.4 percent in 1983; and it dropped to 7.1 percent in 1984.† (http://www.georgetown.edu/users/johnsonj/oweiss/petrod/increase.htm) â€Å"Dynamic forces of oil supply and demand led to all excess supply in world markets since 1980, which in turn led to a de facto decline in the price of oil even before OPEC's London agreement of March 1983 in which the official price was reduced by approximately 14 percent. This oil glut in world markets was the result of at least three mutually dependent dominant forces: high oil prices, increase in production, and reduction in demand.† (http://www.georgetown.edu/users/johnsonj/oweiss/petrod/since.htm) â€Å"First, following the initial leap of 1973 the price of oil was once again drastically increased in l979. This rise led to a substitution of other sources of fuel and a reduction in real income, which contributed eventually to a decline in the demand for oil after a three-year time lag.† â€Å"A second factor in the oil glut was the increase in world oil production--a predictable economic consequence of rise in its price.† â€Å"A third factor in the oil glut was decreased demand for oil. The 1980 economic recession, which had plagued the world economy and which had markedly reduced the productive capacity of industrial nations by its greatest percentage decline since World War II, was a dominant force in reducing the demand for oil yet further. As their gross national products headed downward because of the recession, industrial nations reduced their imports. This, in turn, led to a reduction in foreign exchange earnings of the less-developed countries. These had, therefore, to curtail their purchases from abroad, including imports of oil. A multiplier effect of all such factors had a marked effect on the demand for oil in world markets.† (http://www.georgetown.edu/users/johnsonj/oweiss/petrod/since.htm) DEMAND Demand for Oil over Time (http://www.georgetown.edu/users/johnsonj/oweiss/petrod/time.htm) â€Å"A conventional downward-sloping demand curve is not, in [Dr. Oweiss’]opinion, sufficient to explain the interaction of oil prices and quantity demanded over time. In studying the dynamics of international oil markets which differentiates between upward and downward trends in prices. A small rise in the price of oil, from its low, pre-1973 level, will not change the quantity demanded, for demand at such a low level may he regarded as perfectly inelastic.

Explication From Hamlet :: essays research papers

Assignment 1: Explication from Hamlet (1.3.111-137) (â€Å"My lord, he hath importuned me with love† †¦ [end of scene]. Ophelia and Polonius have a father-daughter discussion toward the end of Act 1 where Polonius, concerned father that he is, warns his daughter Ophelia of becoming too involved with Hamlet. This warning comes just as Laertes, brother and son, has bid farewell. Laertes has just warned Ophelia himself of getting involved with Hamlet—this is the first time the audience is alerted to the romance. What have we seen of Hamlet so far? He is deeply grieving his father’s death; he resents the rapid marriage of his uncle and mother bitterly; and he has been told of the ghost of his father. The plot is building faster than Claudius could say, â€Å"I do!† in these first few scenes, and I would imagine the first audience of Shakespeare’s play would have been absolutely gripped to see what it all will come to. Hamlet so far has been portrayed as passionate and earnest, but not necessarily mad. When he says to his mother, â€Å"Seems, Madam? I know not seems†¦Ã¢â‚¬  we are given the impression of a man who is who he is, without pretence or acting. We know little of Polonius so far except that he is a well meaning, good-natured, and for all appearances honourable servant of the king. This scene casts the first shadow of doubt upon Hamlet’s character. It is curious that Shakespeare warns Ophelia twice: once through Laertes, and once through Polonius. Reading Laertes’ speech we can see the perspective of an understanding, though cynical young man. He essentially says, â€Å"Be careful of Hamlet because he’s young and his passions are burning. When the passions die down he’ll realise his desire for you can’t be fulfilled by marriage because of political constraints, and you’ll be left behind, scandalised.† Both Laertes and Polonius recognise that Hamlet, being young and foolish, is also not subject to the same consequences of reckless behaviour as Ophelia: â€Å"with a larger tether may he walk.† But there are two main differences in what Polonius says and doesn’t saw: his warning lacks the political slant, and he attacks Hamlet’s integrity. Ophelia’s first protest to Polonius was that Hamlet had made his affections known to her â€Å"with love in honourable fashion,† and it is this statement that evoked Polonius’ response: â€Å"Ay, springes to catch woodcocks!† A springe is a type of trap or snare.

A Comparison Between Two Complementary Poems Essay

The two complementary poems ‘Old Father’ and ‘Island Man’ are based on the subject of two diverse men who are coping with an experience of migrating to another country. In this coursework we will discuss these poems, then compare, and contrast their theme and language. Hugh Boatswain’s ‘Old Father’ appeared in an anthology called ‘Writing’ in 1978. Boatswain’s work speaks to the condition of the racial tensions in the 70’s and engages, in sparse poetic form, in much of the cultural analysis. Boatswain’s poems demonstrate the importance of creativity, cultural transaction, and transition in the historicizing of West Indian migration and settlement in Britain. The poet has used a narrative description in the poem to portray his views and thoughts to the members of the audience. The poem relates to a series of events of old father in a chronological order of his life. The poem depicts the livelihood and culture of a person from a distant atmosphere and surrounding who goes through a lot of hardships in the beginning due to the unknown environment. The poet has then given a brief sketch of his adaptation to the society and how he changes to accept those adaptations. The poem creates a depressing feeling in our hearts as the poet describes how old father forgets his culture and roots by his behaviour. The poet has described his views in rather an ambiguous way; no information obtained by us can be strongly evident. It tells the story of an old or older figure in the black community, how old is not known but can be presumed to the mid thirties or more. The title ‘Old Father’ depicts a personage of high value, a person who would hold up and support the beliefs and values of the society. The title describes a man of experience, ingenuity, and responsibility. In the beginning of his shift to England the Caribbean man craved to return to his homeland. The poet then discusses how old father bought a turning point in his life and started changing his lifestyle to get more accepted in the society. This is indicated by the words ‘Old Father feet begin to shift. His roots have no meaning now’ (Line No. 10 and 11). This is also an example of one of many metaphors in the poems, i.e. his feet are not actually shifting but his attitude is changing and he is accepting his situation in the society and is trying to improve it. In this process he is leaving nothing out, to the extent that he is ready to change his values, beliefs and ethical values to receive acceptance. He then discusses about old fathers personal and love life, he also brings up the point of how he changes his attitude towards his own friends of his race. Boatswain has added a variety of characters to the poem. Even though the vagueness of details of the character we can say that ‘Old Father’ was undignified to an extent. From the following line ‘Bouncing down the road with a blonde’ (Line No. 17) we can presume his indecency, as walking with a blonde is considered inappropriate due to the negative image they have created in the society. The whole image is cojourned by the term ‘blonde’ relieving his change in attitude and lifestyle to be considered indecorous. The poet has chosen his words very particularly and has also considered the arrangement of these words. He has used a varied range of figures of speech like metonymy and personifications but has highly considered the use of metaphors. These figures of speech and choice of worlds create a rhythmatic design; this maintains the reader with an interested attitude. A lot of attention is given to the use of punctuations. Boatswain’s way of describing and explaining imagery is noteworthy. For example ‘Cold bite him hard’ (Line No.2), this shows how painful the weather is to this Caribbean man in the beginning of his arrival. We can see how Boatswain’s use of language is very descriptive but concise and effective. The other poem ‘Island Man’ is a piece of poetry written by Grace Nichols. She was born in Guyana and came to Britain in 1977. She writes this poem in context to a Caribbean man who has settled in London but still wakes up to the sound of the sea and the tranquillity of his native island. ‘Island Man’ consists of a wide range of sounds and images to express the Caribbean man’s feelings and thinking. For example ‘the sound of the blue surf’ and ‘the steady breaking and ‘wombing’ (Line No.3 and 5) are good examples of his use of language and images for the description of his feelings. This poem is also told in a narrative manner but unlike ‘Old Father’ the poem is more spontaneous. The poem is bought out in the form of a dream. A number of images are described to show how he imagined himself in his native island where there was no hindrance or disturbance but peace and tranquillity, whereas the atmosphere in London was completely contradictory to his dream. Therefore when he wakes up and enters the world of reality where he is back in London and hears the roar of the cars and screeches of the wheels instead of the sound of the sea he just says ‘Another London day’ (Line No. 19). He probably says this as he has been living in London since a long time and is now frustrated with his usual rut and wants to get out of it and return to his paradise like island. His attitude towards this new environment is not so enthusiastic. This is indicated by the words ‘groggily groggily’ (Line No. 11). He has already seen the usual busy days of London and has accepted them in his life and has acknowledged this new surrounding. But a sense of frustration has aroused and his crave for his native island just became greater than before. Both the poems hold a lot of similarity of cultures and attitudes towards the new migration. Both of them share unhappiness in this new environment of theirs. Both of them also discuss the bitter weather. But old father moves on in his life whereas in ‘Island Man’ we will notice that there is not much of progression in the story. It is just a dream whereas the whole life of old father is discussed in the other poem. Hence a lot of contradictions are in the poem. Also the language and use of punctuations is very different. In ‘Old Father’ punctuations are given a lot of importance and are very proper whereas in ‘Island Man’ the poem consists of no punctuations at all. It forms more of a spontaneous attitude and also considers the lazy morning attitude of a person. Therefore as this is a dream the poet has very well described this quality and has also set a sense of spontaneous feelings and emotions. ‘He is an example to his people’ (Line 41, Old Father), these were the words used to describe old father and his behaviour. It is the opinion of a white English racist person. This opinion can be adapted in two contradictory perceptions. The white people may say it in the context that every person from another country, another culture should act like him. They should also adopt the behaviour and culture of the country they live in. The contradictory statement to this would be that the white people are saying that he was a person who was ready to change for his benefit of himself and in the end of the day for h is own betterment he would forget his friends. Hence they jump to the conclusion that he is just an example of those people who are of his culture and each would do anything for their own personal benefits forgetting their personal beliefs and culture. In the end I would conclude saying that both the poems state a moral towards us. In ‘Old Father’ we can say that a man should adapt towards his surrounding but that does not mean we should forget who we are, what is our identity. Whereas in ‘Island Man’ we can see that a man has come to another country but still has not let go of the memories of his own countries and hence is not able to move on and adapt the good qualities of the country he is living with. Hence we should learn from this poem that thinking about our past and not moving on would just lead to frustration and everything would go wrong. Hence we should keep up the pace in life and never look back and ponder.

Nano Technology in Civil Engineering Essay

Nanotechnology is one of the most active research areas that encompass a number of disciplines including civil engineering and construction materials. Nano construction; Traditionally, nanotechnology has been concerned with developments in the fields of microelectronics, medicine and materials sciences. However, the potential for application of many of the developments in the nanotechnology field in the area of construction engineering is growing. In this paper a broad overview of the potential application of various nanotechnology developments in the construction engineering field is discussed, and the potential for further basic research that may lead to improved systems is evaluated. Nonotechnology; Nanotechnology is a field that is dominated by developments in basic physics and chemistry research, where phenomena on atomic and molecular level are used to provide materials and structures that perform tasks that are not possible using the materials in their typical macroscopic form. The  evolution of technology and instrumentation as well as its related scientific areas such as physics and chemistry are making the research on nanotechnology aggressive and evolutional. Not surprisingly, it is observed that expenditure on nanotechnology research is significant. However, the research is mainly moving forward motivated by immediate profitable return generated by high value commercial products . It has been established by study, nanotechnology in construction ranked 8 of 10 applications that most likely have impact in the developing world. Nanotechnology covers the design, construction and utilization of functional structures with at least one characteristic dimension measured in nanometers. The field of nanotechnology has developed in major leaps during the past 10 years. These developments were mainly driven by factors such as dedicated initiatives in the field (e.g. the National Nanotechnology Initiative) , APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION: Nanotechnology can be used for design and construction processes in many areas since nanotechnology generated products have many unique characteristics. These include products that are for: Lighter structure; Stronger structural composites e.g. for bridges etc ; Low maintenance coating ; Improving pipe joining materials and techniques ; Better properties of cementitious materials ; Reducing the thermal transfer rate of fire retardant and insulation ; Increasing the sound absorption of acoustic absorber ; Increasing the reflectivity of glass. There are large numbers of applications of nanotechnology in construction engineering/industry. Some of these applications are examined in detail below.   Concrete: Concrete is one of the most common and widely used construction materials. The rapid development of new experimental techniques makes it possible to study the properties of cementitious materials at micro/nano-scale. Research has been conducted to study the hydration process, alkali-silicate reaction (ASR), and fly ash reactivity using nanotechnology. The better understanding  of the structure and behavior of concrete at micro/nano-scale could help to improve concrete properties and prevent the illness, such as ASR. Addition of nanoscale materials into cement could improve its performance. In , Li (2004) found that nano-SiO2 could significantly increase the compressive for concrete, containing large volume fly ash, at early age and improve pore size distribution by filling the pores between large fly ash and cement particles at nanoscale. The dispersion/slurry of amorphous nanosilica is used to improve segregation resistance for self-compacting concrete. It has also been reported that adding small amount of carbon nanotube (1%) by weight could increase both compressive and flexural strength . Cracking is a major concern for many structures. When the microcapsules are broken by a crack, the healing agent is released into the crack and contact with the catalyst. The polymerization happens and bond the crack faces. The selfhealing polymer could be especially applicable to fix the microcracking in bridge piers and columns. But it requires costly epoxy injection. Structural Composites Steel is a major construction material. Its properties, such as strength, corrosion resistance, and weld ability, are very important for the design and construction. FHWA together with American Iron and Steel Institute and the U.S. Navy started to develop new, low carbon, high-performance steel (HPS) for bridges in 1992. Nano with concrete; The new steel was developed with higher corrosion-resistance and weld ability by incorporating copper nanoparticles from at the steel grain boundaries. Sandvik NanoflexTM is new stainless steel with ultra-high strength, good formability, and a good surface finish developed by Sandvik Nanoflex Materials Technology. Due to its high performance, Sandvik NanoflexTM is suitable for application which requires lightweight and rigid designs. Its good corrosion and wear resistance can keep life-cycle costs low. Attractive or wear resistant surfaces can be achieved by various treatments (Sandvik Nanoflex Materials Technology). MMFX2 is nanostructure-modified steel, produced by MMFX Steel Corp. Wireless sensors based on nanotechnology are used to alert engineers; Compared with the conventional steel, it has a fundamentally different microstructure- alaminated lath structure resembling â€Å"plywood†. This unique structure provides MMFX2 steel with amazing strength (three times stronger), ductility, toughness, and corrosion resistance. Due to high cost, the stainless steel reinforcement in concrete structure is limited in high risk environments. The MMFX2 steel could be an alternative because it has the similar corrosion resistance to that of stainless steel, but at a much lower cost (MMFX Steel Corp.). Nano coatings; Coating: The coatings incorporating certain nanoparticles or nanolayers have been developed for certain purpose. It is one of the major applications of nanotechnology in construction. For example, TiO2 is used to coat glazing because of its sterilizing and anti fouling properties. The TiO2 will break down and disintegrate organic dirt through powerful catalytic reaction . Furthermore, it is hydrophilic, which allow the water to spread evenly over the surface and wash away dirt previously broken down. Other special coatings also have been developed, such as anti-fraffiti, thermal control, energy sawing, and anti-reflection coating. Nanosensors: Nano and microelectrical mechanical systems (MEMS) sensors have been developed and used in construction to monitor and/or control the environment condition and the materials/structure performance. One advantage of these sensors is their dimension (10-9m to 10-5m). Nano sensors; These sensors could be embedded into the structure during the construction process. Smart aggregate, a low cost Piezoceramic-based multi-functional device has been applied to monitor early age concrete properties such as moisture, temperature, relative humidity and early age strength development. The sensors can also be used to monitor concrete corrosion and cracking. The smart aggregate can also be used for structure health monitoring. The disclosed system can monitor internal stresses, cracks and other physical  forces in the structures during the structures’ life. It is capable of providing an early indication of the health of the structure before a failure of the structure can occur. FUTURE CHALLENGE AND DIRECTION: As with most developing technologies, a major number of challenges exist during the initiation of the application of the technology into reality. It is important to be realistic and identify and plan for the limitations and challenges inherent in this process. In this section a short summary of selected challenges and limitations affecting application of nanotechnology in construction engineering are provided. The following main challenges and limitations can be defined: Fabrication, Health, Environment and Cost: Fabrication: Current efforts in the field of nanotechnology are focused on the fabrication, characterization and use of these materials on a nanoscale domain. This leads to most of the development work focusing on very small quantities of material that is typically far removed from the type of quantities required for typical construction infrastructure. One of the potential solutions to this is to focus on the nano materials to act as catalyser, thereby reducing the amount of nano material required substantially. Another viewpoint is that for many applications, the material does not necessarily have to be used on a nano scale to obtain a major improvement in benefits. This would be the case with reduction of the dimensions of cement, where a substantial improvement in strength can already be obtained through the large scale milling of the cement to a finer form than the traditional form. Although the cement may not be purely a nano material as yet, the benefits obtained would already be substantial. Nano in roads; Health: Nanotechnology based construction products might be harmful to health. For example, the nanotubes [14] might cause a lung problem to construction workers. In other words, it creates an environmental challenge to the construction industry as well. Environment: The effect of various nonmaterials’ on the natural environment is hotly debated in nanotechnology and environmental research. Various ongoing investigations focus on the uncertainty regarding the potential effects of materials that exist on the nanoscale with properties that are different than when using the material on a micro or macro scale. Some work in this regard shows that the potential effects may be minimal. As constructed infrastructure are provided in the natural environment, all materials used in the construction and maintenance of these facilities need to be compatible to the natural environment and their effects on the natural environment should not be negative. Typical potential problems in this regard include leaching of materials into groundwater, release of materials into airways through the generation of dust and exposure to potentially harmful materials during construction and maintenance operations. The nanotechnology becomes a double-edge sword to the construction industry. More research and practice efforts are needed with smart design and planning, construction projects can be made sustainable and therefore save energy, reduce resource usage, and avoid damages to environment. Cost The costs of most nanotechnology materials and equipment are relatively high. This is due to the novelty of the technology and the complexity of the equipment used for preparation and characterization of the materials Nano Technology in Transportation Engineering However, costs have been shown to decrease over time and the expectations are that, as manufacturing technologies improve, these costs may further decrease. Whether the expected decreases will render the materials as run-of-the-mill construction engineering materials will have to be seen, and depends largely on the benefits rendered through the application of these materials. Current opinion is that in special cases, the materials will enable unique solutions to complicated problems that cause them to be cost effective, which will lead to large-scale application of these specific technologies. In other cases the traditional methods for treating the problem may still remain the most cost effective. It is the challenge to the  construction engineer to solve real world transportation infrastructure problems and provide a facility to the general public at a reasonable cost. CONCLUSIONS †¢Nanotechnology is a rapidly expanding area of research where novel properties of materials manufactured on the nanoscale can be utilized for the benefit of construction infrastructure †¢A number of promising developments exist that can potentially change the service life and life-cycle cost of construction infrastructure. : †¢Focused research into the timeous and directed research into nanotechnology for construction infrastructure should be pursued to ensure that the potential benefits of this technology can be obtained to provide longer life and more economical transport infrastructure REFERENCES: www.asme.org/nanowebcast www.aggregateresearch.com www.nanoforum.org www.gogle.com