Do Violent Video Games Cause Aggressive Behavior

Do Violent Video Games Cause Aggressive Behavior? Samantha Remesz Saginaw Valley State University Abstract This paper explores violent video games and their affects on people’s behavior and emotions. An experimental study was done by Smith, Lachlan, and Tamborini and is investigated further. The researchers wanted to examine people’s behavior after playing violent video games as well as nonviolent video games and compare the differences of the two. The study observes boys and girls as well as a range of ages and ethnicity for a nonbiased experiment. We also study the results and possible solutions of this experiment. Beliefs of violent video games negatively affecting young children and teens are explored. This paper mostly focuses on the relation between violent video games and aggressive behavior and what positive and negative affects it holds. The articles that I reviewed all suggest that violent video games can be good if played at the right time and for the right amount of time. This statement raises awareness for parents and what they should be doing specifically for t heir children. Do Violent Video Games Cause Aggressive Behavior? As young children, most of us grew up playing some sort of video game. For many families, video games were a way of distracting your children for your own selfish needs such as taking a quick nap or watching a show that you had recorded the week before, but no matter what the reason, the majority of childrenShow MoreRelatedDo Violent Video Games Cause Aggressive Behavior?1128 Words   |  5 PagesAmanda Cummings Essay Lesson II Do Violent Video Games Cause Aggressive Behavior? How and why does mass media influence aggressive behavior? More specifically, does playing video games cause aggressive behavior? Because children and teenagers spend an increased amount of time each day viewing/playing video games, they are shaping their values, attitudes, and behaviors. For people who do act out aggressively, the results can be deadly. Monthly, the news is filled with blood-chillingRead MoreSynthesis Essay Do Violent Video Games Cause Aggressive Behavior?1697 Words   |  7 PagesViolent Video Games Made Me Do It School shootings years ago in Paducah, Kentucky; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Littleton Colorado, have raised the question time and time again. Do violent video games have an influence on children and their aggressive behavior? In all three of these brutal shootings, all the shooters were students who habitually played violent video games. The Columbine High School students who murdered thirteen and wounded twenty-three in Littleton before committing suicide after theRead MoreVideo Game : Video Games1584 Words   |  7 Pagesthe violent video games that are commonly played by boys and girls, young and old alike in today’s society. Many experts fear that this violence in video games increases violence in people in real life, causing people to act out as if they were in the video game, increasing aggressive behavior so much that it could actually escalate to shooting, stabbing, and killing people. There have already been many cases of these extreme examples of violence in the news that share a connection with video gamesRead MoreDo Video Games Inspire Violent Behavior?1713 Words   |  7 Pageseffects of violent video games and the development of today’s youth. Many people believe that the violence in video games promotes aggression. According to Doctor Brad Bushman’s article, Do Violent Video Games Increase Aggression? he claims that violent video games leads to aggression because it is interactive process that teaches and rewards violent behavior. Yet others believe that this not the case. Gregg Toppo of the Scientific American, writes in his article, â€Å"Do Video Games Inspire Violent BehaviorRead More Video Games Violence Essay1580 Words   |  7 Pageschild has played video games once in their lives. There are various genres and types of video games such as action, first person shooters, adventure, education, role-playing, strategy, and many more. 89% of video games contain some violent content (Slife, 2008). The most addictive, common , and popular video games among children are the violent video games (Slife, 2008). A lot of video games these days depict â€Å"real-life violence† meaning that the settings and plots of these video games are taken fromRead MoreThe Effects of Video Games on Violence1642 Words   |  7 PagesVideo game violence has remained a controversy for numerous years. With the advancement of technology, video games have progressed in its practicality and genres. Technology has allowed video games to become very sophisticated and lifelike. This development has brought video games to a multi-billion dollar industry. Nevertheless, with the level of practicality, there are also negative affects to humanity. Since the manufacture of violent video games, there has been a constant quarrel whether or notRead MoreVideo Game Violence : The Cause Of Violent Video Games1000 Words   |  4 Pagesmentioned that the cause of violent video games became an issue for public debate after teenagers and t he main cause of this is the parallel effect. Based on the Studies done for violent video games correspond with individuals having violent acts. Also, young adolescents reveal that those who play a lot of violent video games become more aggressive and see the world as more hostile. The article also revealed that this acts would be a coincidence or a cause from playing violent videos. Additionally, researchersRead MoreVideo Games : Video Game Violence Essay1693 Words   |  7 PagesVideo Game Violence Blood and gore, intense violence, strong sexual content, use of drugs. These are just a few of the phrases that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) uses to describe the content of several games. The future of entertainment revolves around technology. Along with the evolvement of technology, video games are also changing. More ways of playing violent video games are created each year, but most of us have this question in mind; do violent video games influence peopleRead MoreThe Truth about Video Games and Violent Children 1222 Words   |  5 Pages Violent video games are not training kids to be murderers. The video game industries have been called against and blamed for making kids more aggressive and violent for years. Although recent studies show that violent video games have been useful for kids to get their anger out. Only some kids were found to be aggressive after violent video game play, but they had three specific traits that lead to this aggressive behavior (â₠¬Å"Violent...). Not all kids are affected by violent video games, but peopleRead MoreAdolescent Aggression Based on Violent Videogames1645 Words   |  7 PagesAggression Based on Violent Videogames Violent video games played by millions of people every day results in animated characters having hearts ripped out, heads decapitated, and blood squirting across the screen as their mutilated bodies are erased from the screen. Most players play these games to pass the time, increase hand eye coordination, and create harmless competitions amongst those playing. However, some who play these games are entranced by the violent aggressive behaviors demonstrated

Globalization Essay - 1663 Words

Globalization essay Globalization is the trend towards a single, integrated, and interdependent world. Some humans may not even realize globalization plays a part in our modern lives, but examples that may be classified as evidence of this trend include: the ability to buy products from dining cuisines belonging to myriad of different ethnical cultures, a joint project in which a multinational group of astronauts are sent to the moon, the visit of a Canadian circus troupe to China, the establishment of international and intercontinental trade agreements, and the ability to watch a live television broadcast from a foreign television station. These examples are made from looking at globalization as a whole, but from an economic†¦show more content†¦While trade is one of the major benefits of globalization, there is another that is deeply intertwined with humans’ lives: standard of living. â€Å"Examples of locations around the world that have dramatically improved their respective living standards since the 1950s would be the Four Tigers of East Asia – Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea.† (Sarel). These four areas of interest have managed to improve their living standards by deregulating and changing government policies that would impede globalization and open up world trade. â€Å"The Globalization Index was compared to the life expectancy for various countries. A strong correlation appears between the degree to which a country has globalized and that country’s life expectancy.† (Arnold 46). With better living standards, human life can be prolonged, seeing as more resources are given to that organism to ensure longer survival. In developing countries that have opened up their economies recently, we can detect exponential increases in income per person, meaning the citizens of that nation will be able to better provide for themselves and purchase goods and services with money that will be circulated, thereby exciting the econom y further. Increasing standard of living is not limited to those in developing countries. Globalization increases the income of countries that have opened up, and whenShow MoreRelatedEssay on Globalization1614 Words   |  6 Pagesand contested topic in today’s context. Globalization includes aspects like: economics, politics, ideas, knowledge, culture, society, environment, health, social etcetera. Though globalization can be traced back into time immemorial, but the extent and magnitude of present globalization is unprecedented. The integration and interdependence of globalization implies that today local event can have global impact and vice-versa. With the ongoing globalization process, it raises concerns about internationalRead MoreAn Introduction to Globalization Essay2500 Words   |  10 Pages Globalization is a historical phenomenon that has been happening for decades now, and whether it generates growth or not is a matter of whose point of view it is. The western countries, especially America and some European nations, are the ones taking full advantage of the benefits of globalization. On the other hand, some experts say that globalization is not doing much for the developing countries, or that it may be even worsening their scenarios of poverty and social inequality. But, I willRead MoreGlobalization Source Analysis Essay730 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Globalization is the process by which different societies and cultures integrate through a worldwide network of political ideas through transportation, communication, and trade. Generally, globalization has affected many nations in various ways; economically, politically, and socially. It is a term that refers to the fast integration and interdependence of various nations, which shapes the world affairs on a global level .  Simply put; globalization is the world coming together. In this essay I willRead MoreGlobalization and Cultural Homogenization Essay1497 Words   |  6 PagesThe rapid development of economic globalization and cultural globalization enhances cultural transaction between different countries. Even though in this process culture between different countries still has its own characteristic on the whole, the cultural homogenization has been presented in social life, especially in the media industry. This essay will discuss the definition of globalization and cultural homogenization, and the popularity of Hollywood movies in China, the phenomenon of convergenceRead MoreGlobalization: Local Cultures Essay1013 Words   |  5 PagesGlobalization has been expanding all over the world, yet the debate whether it is good or bad for the world is still being discussed today. Some says that globalization makes the world healthier, but some others insist that the world is worse because of glo balization, and it could destroy the tradition values and cultures of other countries. This essay, however, argues that even though globalization has been expanding more and more, traditions, local values and cultures will not be eroded. FirstRead MoreEssay on The Benefits and Drawbacks of Globalization1396 Words   |  6 PagesGlobalization can be defined as the ability to produce and good or service anywhere in the world using capital, technology and components from anywhere and to sell the output anywhere and place the profits anywhere - - Peter Jay, BBC Economics Corrospondent, 1996 Rather than lead to economic benefits for all people, economic globalization has brought the planet to the brink of environmental catastrophe, social unrest that is unprecedented, economies of most countries in shambles, an increaseRead MoreGlobalization Strategies and Power Essay611 Words   |  3 PagesIPE Final Essay 1. It has been argued that globalization disposes states to converge on common economic policies and strategies. Using the literature covered in this course, critically evaluate the validity of the globalization-leads-to-convergence argument. It is a long observed fact that wealth and power are moving from the North and the West to the East and the South. This trend and the power transfer from western developed states to eastern developing states have given some anxiousRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of Globalization Essays1386 Words   |  6 Pagesspread of cultures, trade, information and creating options, Globalization can be highly beneficial to everyone by bestowing great fortunes on us. This essay will highlight the positive and negative effects of globalisation, but also discuss solutions and evaluate them. Economists have used the term globalization since the 1980’s, although it was used in social sciences in the 1960’s. However, the principles and ideas of globalization have not spread to the twentieth century. Globalisation isRead MoreGlobalization Perspective Essay771 Words   |  4 PagesGlobalization has an impact both on a relatively small food industry as Hansens Natural and a relatively big food industry as Kraft Foods. Hansen’s Natural Corporation develops, markets and distributes wide assortment of beverage products. It operates in the US. Kraft Foods manufactures, markets and packages food and beverages. It’s the largest packaged foods company in North America and second largest in the world, behind Nestle. The internet and IT has created a great opportunity for bothRead MoreDebate of Globalization Essay825 Words   |  4 Pages1. Globalization affects national sovereignty of both developing countries as well as developed countries. By sovereignty, we mean the independence of countries to make decisions and conduct policy in different areas like the economy, corporate and industry related legislation, environmental regulations, politics, etc. From the video, please provide one example each of how globalization infringes on the national sovereignty of, a) a developing country, and, b) a developed country? How, and through

Comparing Rich Points Free Essays

string(101) " of sentences that they cite to illustrate this point: ARGUMENT IS WAR Your claims are indefensible\." Comparing Rich Points: Understanding Japanese Languaculture Research Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for graduation with Research Distinction in Japanese in the Department of East Asian Languages Literature at The Ohio State University by Andrew Gaddis The Ohio State University March 2012 Project Advisor: Professor James M. Unger, Department of East Asian Language and Literature 1 1. Introduction In this thesis, I attempt to show the linguistic and non-linguistic behaviors that are found prominently throughout Japanese society. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparing Rich Points or any similar topic only for you Order Now This paper is divided into two major parts. The first is devoted to describing the prominence of the metaphorical concept LEARNING IS A JOURNEY in the linguistic behavior of Japan. The second describes how the same metaphorical concept is also found throughout the non-linguistic behavior of the Japanese culture. Based on Lakoff and Johnson’s (1979) general theory of meaning, this paper examines a particular instance of the relationship between Japanese culture and language in detail, namely the Sino-Japanese noun doo ‘road, way’ ? and native noun miti. Lakoff and Johnson argue convincingly that metaphors are not just literary or poetic uses of words separate from ordinary language use. Metaphorical relations, in their view, are essential to how speakers of a language deal with meanings. One of their key examples is the journey metaphor seen in such English sentences as â€Å"We arrived at a conclusion† and â€Å"I don’t think our relationship is going anywhere. † For Lakoff and Johnson, such sentences illustrate the metaphors ARGUMENTS ARE JOURNEYS and LOVE IS A JOURNEY. Sino-Japanese doo is frequently used as a suffix in nouns with meanings that connote a spiritual path or way, or at least some method of self-cultivation. Since the character ? s customarily glossed miti, this native noun too has that metaphorical connotation. This character was adopted from China by way of the Korean peninsula in 2 the 1st millennium CE (Frellesvig 2010), where it long had a strong metaphorical connotation (spiritual path or way) already in the classics of the 1st millennium BCE, most notably the Daodejing of Laozi . Today, we see its widespread use in non-Da oist contexts. I argue that these expressions show that the underlying metaphor LEARNING IS A JOURNEY is particularly robust in Japan language life (gengo seikatu . By comparing Japanese doo and miti ‘road, path’ with English journey, we find similarities and differences that can be understood in terms of the concepts languaculture and rich points introduced by Michael Agar in his book Language Shock. As I will discuss in detail in Section 4, Agar argues (1) that language use cannot be understood outside the cultural context in which it is used, and (2) that conspicuous differences in the way two languacultures talk about the same or similar real-world facts and events reveal how they are structured. Human beings have much in common all over the world, so similarities in languacultures are numerous and expected, at least for people living in similar ecological circumstances. Rich points stand out precisely because they occur unexpectedly when one compares two languacultures. By comparing Japanese doo and miti with English journey in Lakoff and Johnson’s sense, I propose to show that the journey metaphor is a locus of an important rich point found within the two languacultures. I turn to the topic of pilgrimages in the second part of the paper (Section 5). Pilgrimages has long had played a significant role in Japanese religious practice. By the time of the Edo period, a gentleman was expected to cultivate skills in â€Å"medicine, poetry, the tea ceremony, music, the hand drum, the noh dance, etiquette, the 3 appreciation of craft work, arithmetic, calculation, literary composition, reading and writing† (Totman 1993,186). Once one has acquired considerable skill in the art of pursuit, they would often go on a pilgrimage to learn more about the art and study the methods used in distant places. For this reason, pilgrimages were an important learning experience for the Japanese people. Here, I argue that the concept of LEARNING IS A JOURNEY exists even in the non-linguistic behavioral context. In the end of the section, I argue that LEARNING IS A JOURNEY is a common concept to both the linguistic domain and the non-linguistic domain of Japanese languaculture. I attempt to prove that the commonality found in the two domains is not due to a cause-and-effect relationship, where one domain causes the other. Instead, I suggest that both of these behaviors have their origins from a common set of historical circumstances, namely the impact of Chinese culture, Buddhism and Daoism. I argue that the impact of Buddhism and Daoism on Japanese intellectual thought have played a bigger role in shaping this conceptual metaphor that are prominently seen in both the linguistic and non-linguist domains of Japanese culture. 2. Theory of metaphor For most people, metaphorical expressions are assumed to be extensions of ordinary language, that is, instances of language outside of conventional usage intended to represent or suggest non-literal meaning. For this reason, metaphor is seen as extraordinary—a device of the literary or poetic imagination. Opposing this view, 4 Lakoff and Johnson argue that metaphor is pervasive in everyday language, thought, and action. To understand metaphor, one must first identify its source. Lakoff and Johnson claim that metaphor originates in prelinguistic thought, not in language per se. Our concepts structure what we perceive, how we get around in the world, and how we relate to other people. Thus, our conceptual system plays a central role in defining our notions of reality. Since we are not consciously aware of most of the actions we do everyday, distinguishing the different components of our conceptual system is by no means straightforward. However, because communication is based on the same conceptual system that we use in thinking and acting, we can figure out just what that system is like through linguistic analyses. To give a concrete example, Lakoff and Johnson start off with the concept ARGUMENT and the conceptual metaphor ARGUMENT IS WAR. The following is a list of sentences that they cite to illustrate this point: ARGUMENT IS WAR Your claims are indefensible. You read "Comparing Rich Points" in category "Papers" He attacked every weak point in my argument. His criticisms were right on target. I’ve never won an argument with him. You disagree? Okay, shoot! (Lakoff Johnson 1979, 4) 5 Notice that these sentences are not just explicitly about war but the actions mentioned in the sentences only make sense in relation to the concept of war. Since argument is an attempt to persuade someone of something or to accept a particular conclusion, we can conceive of arguments as something to win or lose. We defend our position and strategize a way to attack our opponent’s claims. Though a physical battle does not take place, a verbal one does, and many of the actions we perform in an argument reflect this. This instance well illustrates how metaphor pervades not just language but thought and action as well. The full significance of this theory does not come into sight when looking at a single language and its ambient culture. Try to imagine a culture where arguments are not viewed in terms or war, where no one wins or loses, or where there is no sense of attacking or defending. Imagine a culture where direct confrontation is shunned, where people are extremely cautious not to disprove the opinions of others, where the participants’ social statuses determine the amount of force that will be considered as appropriate in the conversation, and go-betweens are used to solve most conflicts. In such a culture, people would, according to Lakoff and Johnson, view, experience, perform, and talk about the arguments differently. But the people of our culture might not see them as â€Å"arguing† at all, because what they are doing does not fit our metaphorical understanding of what constitutes arguing. This is how a metaphorical concept structures what we do and how we experience it. It is not that arguments are a subspecies of war in any metaphysical sense. It is rather there is a type of conversation that, in English-speaking culture, is 6 viewed, experienced, performed, and talked about in terms of war. The concept is metaphorically structured, the activity is metaphorically structured, and, consequently, the language is metaphorically structured. Although metaphor plays a central role in structuring language, there is nevertheless an extensive range of concepts that are not comprehended with the use of metaphor, which often is referred to literal language. For example, the sentence â€Å"The apple fell on Newton’s head† can be deployed in a completely literal way. It could be an example sentence in an academic paper on generative syntax, or a sentence in a child’s book explaining a picture. But in our language, one is more likely to encounter this sentence in a context in which it is freighted with metaphorical meaning. It is typically deployed in contexts where the speaker wants to let the listener know that s/he sees a relevant comparison between something they have either observed or known about and beliefs they share about the invention and discovery. The sentence may be used in a humorous or ironic way (making fun of someone suddenly realizing something), or a dramatic, serious way (praising someone with a proverbial reference). By comparing our abstractions (ideas, emotions, etc. ) to what can be physically experienced, we can get a grasp on them in clearer terms. The JOURNEY metaphor is commonly used in many languages. In English, we have many expressions where the concept of love is often described as that of a journey, which will be referred to as LOVE IS A JOURNEY metaphor. For example, take a look at the following common expressions: 7 Look how far we’ve come. We’re at a crossroads. We’ll just have to go our separate ways. We can’t turn back now. I don’t think this relationship is going anywhere. Where are we? We’re stuck. It’s been a long, bumpy road. This relationship is a dead-end street. We’re just spinning our wheels. We’ve gotten off the track. (Lakoff Johnson 1979, 44) In every case, love is understood in terms of a journey. It is clear that the lovers are the travelers, and the relationship is the vehicle. The purpose of the journey is for the travelers to reach a destination, more precisely, for the lovers to accomplish their goals of common interest. What the dead-end street and spinning wheels are alluding to are the difficulties in reaching that destination. The purpose of these expressions is to encourage the listener to draw an inference. Take the expression â€Å"Where are we? † for example. Outside of the love metaphor context, it is a simple question. The metaphorical context invites the listener to reflect on how things came to be the way they are, how they might have turned out differently, and what could be done now to 8 change them. By accepting the scenario of making a journey toward the consummation of love, we can comprehend the analogy used to reason the human relationship of love. To end the section on a similar note, it is sometimes said that English secondlanguage learners have trouble with expressions like â€Å"We’re at a crossroads† or â€Å"it’s been a long, bumpy road. † The likely reason for this is because the difficult part of acquiring language proficiency does not so much lie in the process of mastering the vocabulary or grammar of a language, but mastering the metaphors typically used in the language. This is especially the case since dictionaries take only limited account of the metaphorical meaning of words and phrases. The problem is that ways of talking about the experience of love in English language are metaphorically absent in the learner’s language and culture. 1 Therefore, learning to recognize the metaphorical relations in language is key not only to understanding the way the speakers of the language conceptualize the world but also to acquiring language proficiency. The concept is metaphorically structured, the activity is metaphorically structured, and, consequently, the language is metaphorically structured. 3. doo and miti? Much like in the English language, the JOURNEY metaphor is a frequently used concept in the Japanese language. Take a look at the following examples of the LOVE 1 An idiom is a word or phrase that is morphologically or syntactically irregular with respect to the language in which it occurs. Native speakers often know an expression is idiomatic when asked. Metaphors, on the other hand, often occur below the level of consciousness. 9 IS A JOURNEY metaphor in Japanese: (1) a. koi no katamiti kippu love GEN one-way ticket ‘One-way ticket to love’ b. koizi no yami love’s pathway GEN darkness ‘Love is blind’ c. miti naranu koi path will not love Illicit love affair’ d. huuhu no miti husband and wife GEN path ‘marital values’ Again, in every case love is understood in terms of a journey. It is clear that the lovers are the travelers, and the relationship is the vehicle. It is noteworthy to mention, that the relationship can take various forms of a vehicle in the journey. Notice that there 10 is no single consistent vehicle that the journey met aphors all use. In example (1a) the vehicle of the relationship is some mode of public transport. Consider a situation when this expression is used. Given that this expression about a relationship is understood in terms of travel, the kind of reasoning evoked should generally reflect a situation where the lovers (travelers) are in a quickly progressing relationship (vehicle) to their goal of common interest (destination). The one-way ticket most likely implies that returning back to the start of the journey is not considered for the travellers, and that they are fast approaching their destination as if they were traveling by some mode of public transport. The rest of the examples, unlike (1a), do not specify the means of transportation for the travelers. For examples (1b) and (1c), this is because the purpose of the expression is to describe the impediments the travelers encounter in pursuing the destination. The literal translation of the two would be ‘darkness of love’s pathway,’ and ‘path that will not lead to the destination of love. ’ What the darkness and misguided path are alluding to is the difficulties in reaching the destination, both of which implies that a change of action needs to be taken to successfully reach the destination. (1d) literally translates ‘the path of the married couple. This expression represents the ideal path a married couple should take. Take a look at the following for examples of the LIFE IS A JOURNEY metaphor, which is also commonly found in both languages. (2) 11 a. zinsei yama ari tani ari life mountain exists valley exists ‘Life has its ups and down’ b. ikiru miti live (vb) road ‘The road of life’ c. senri no miti mo ippo kara th ousand-mile GEN road FOC one-step ABL ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’ Notice that the literal translation of these expressions in Japanese and English are highly idiomatic. This is why a word for word rendering of the expressions would seem unnatural. In example (2a), the lexical items yama ‘mountain’ and tani ‘valley’ are translated â€Å"ups† and â€Å"downs. † Knowing that this expression represents life as a sort of journey with obstacles to overcome, we can conjecture the logic behind this expression without much effort. A traveler would occasionally encounter times of relative ease and difficulty throughout the journey. While walking up a mountain is a laborious task, walking down the mountain into the valley requires considerably less effort. What the metaphor suggests is that the experience of life is much like that. There are times of ups and downs, good and bad, easy and hard etc. Nevertheless, if the expression were to remain in its literal translation, â€Å"life has its 12 mountains and valleys,† it would not be too difficult for the English speaker to comprehend the message being communicated. Since LIFE IS A JOURNEY is a commonly used metaphor in the English language as well, the enormous amount of information that is not explicitly provided will be understood from the knowledge of how life is understood in relation to a journey. It is not that the languages do not have expressions that are equivalent in meaning, but it is more that the lexical items used to construct a metaphorical expression in one language do not match the lexical items in the other. Therefore, even if the expression is uncommon to the hearer, given that it is a commonly used metaphor in the languages, an intelligent guess can be made to make sense of it all. The following is an example of the LEARNING IS A JOURNEY metaphor: (3) gakumon ni oodoo nasi scholarship DAT royal-road non-existent ‘There is no Royal Road to learning’ Based on the meaning of this expression described in the Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, the phrase is a translation of the proverbial expression ‘There is no Royal Road to learning’. This phrase is legendarily attributed to Euclid, who is said to have used it in reply to a king’s request for an easier way to learn geometry. A Persian Royal Road actually existed; it was a 1677-mile long highway stretching, in modern terms, from the center of Iran to northern Turkey. To get from the starting point to the end of the highway 13 is believed to have taken over 90 days on foot, but only a week by horse (Herodotus 1889, 213). By metaphorizing the process of learning geometry as a lengthy journey, the claim that a Royal Road did not exist not only signified that there was no shortcut but also that even a king could not make one, as the Persian kings had made the Royal Road. It is interesting to note that despite long survival and overuse, the metaphor retains an appeal for speakers of many languages and is still used. Even Sigmund Freud famously described dreams as â€Å"Royal Road to the unconscious† in The Interpretation of Dreams, 1889 [1998]. In the context of Japanese culture, however, there are many expressions where learning is understood in terms of a journey. The reason for this is because the metaphor LEARNING IS A JOURNEY is a more salient feature in the Japanese language. The following are commonly used expressions of the LEARNING IS A JOURNEY metaphor in Japanese: (4) a. manabi no miti o aruku learning GEN road ACC walk (vb) ‘Walk the way of learning’ b. manabi no miti-annai learning GEN guidepost ‘A guidepost of learning’ 14 c. manabi no sen-ri no miti learning GEN thousand-ri GEN road ‘The thousand-ri way of learning d. manabi no miti ni wa owari wa nai learning GEN the way LOC TOP end TOP non-existent There is no end in the way of learning’ The examples in (4) shows that a metaphorical noun phrase ? ’ â€Å"path† modified by â€Å"learning† can be used in the various expressions. In every case, learning is understood in terms of a journey, and it is clear that the learner is a traveler in pursuit of knowledge. The purpose of the journey is for the traveler to reach a desired destination, more specifically, acquiring knowledge. In these examples, learning relates to journey in the sense that the traveler will leave his or her known environment and venture into an unknown place where new discoveries will be made. In example (4a) the traveler is selfpropelled. That is to say, the traveler’s volition is the vehicle. The expression is probably used in situations where the person using the phrase is still in the progress of acquiring knowledge. Example (4b) illustrates a situation where the learner (traveler) makes use of available resources to alleviate the impediments of reaching the destination (acquiring knowledge). For instance, a traveler will often make use of guideposts as a guide for reaching the desired destination. Similarly, the learner will often rely on teachers, books, 15 r the like to guide them to acquiring knowledge. (4c) illustrates a situation where acquiring knowledge is an arduous task, and it compares this difficulty of attaining knowledge to long distance travel. (4d) is a common expression saying that there is no end to learning. Again, we know that all of these expressions are metaphorical because none of them would make sense literally. More examples are provided in (5): (5) a. zyoodoo become road (the way) ‘completing the path of becoming a Buddha’ b. zyuudoo gentleness road (the way) ‘judo’ c, aiki syuutoku e no miti aiki acquisition -to GEN road (the way) The way to aikido acquisition’ According to the Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, zyoodoo is Buddhist terminology that refers to either the moment a Bodhisattva becomes a Buddha after completing certain 16 practices and attains enlightenment, or the time Shakyamuni became enlightened sitting under the Bo tree. This Sino-Japanese term in its literal sense originally meant to attain the way. Zyoodoo is metaphorical inasmuch as it referred in the first instance to the historical Buddha but could then refer to someone else becoming a Buddha; this was no doubt borrowed from a preexisting metaphor use in Chinese. In the case of judo, as shown in (5b), we know that this is in fact a native Japanese noun coined in the Meiji period by the scholar Kano Jigoro (Watson 2008, xv). Before this coinage, this style of fighting was referred to as zyuzyutsu. Which makes sense since martial arts terminology prior to the Meiji period generally used the suffix ? zyutu ‘art, means, technique’ instead of the suffix ? doo. Zyuzyutsu was a brutal method of open handed combat that Kano felt was too violent for the modern age. Thus, in the interest of safety and practicality, he turned it into a sport under the name judo. The new institution Kodokan that he opened in Tokyo was, in his eyes, a place where â€Å"one is guided along a road to follow in life† (Watson 2008, xvi). It must be the case that he applied the suffix doo due to the fact that the metaphorical connotations it carried was appropriate for his philosophy2. The example in (5c) is a title of a book written by Kimura Tatsuo, a mathematics professor at the University of Tsukuba and an aikido enthusiast, about the art of aikido. Syuutoku e no miti generally means ‘the road to acquiring. ’ This phrase is often used to modify the nominal it follows. Thus, aiki syuutoku e no miti in its metaphorical sense means ‘the road to gaining knowledge about aikido. ’ 2 Many other traditional arts and martial arts employed the suffix doo (e. g. kendoo ‘kendo,’ kyuudoo ‘archery,’ sadoo ‘tea ceremony, way of tea’). 17 The reason for the many LEARNING IS A JOURNEY expressions arising in the Japanese language is attributed to an earlier influence from the Chinese classic Daodejing of Laozi. The Chinese word dao (‘road, way’ ? ) has long had strong metaphorical connotation of spiritual path or way. When the oanword and character were adopted in Japanese in the 1st millennium CE, along with them came the connotation. As stated earlier, learning is understood in part by the journey metaphor. Since this thought is crucial to the formation of the meaning, we see an abundance of words whose meanings are shaped by this metaphor. Take the native Japanese verb mitibiku ‘to guide; to lead; to show the way,’ for example. It is a compound word of ? miti and hiku ‘to lead, pull’. This word has departed from the literal meaning based on the meaning of components miti and hiku. We can see this from the following excerpt written by the Japanese poet, Yamanoue no Okura in the Man’yoshu: (6) moromoro no oomikami-tati hunanohe ni mitibiki moosi various NOM god PLUR prow LOC guide request ‘Various gods, I request you to guide this ship by its prow’ The literal meaning based on the components of the word cannot be applied here; however, the metaphorical extension of the meaning can be applied. According to the Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, the word has come to mean â€Å"guide† at least since the 8th 18 century, as we can tell from its use in the excerpt. The definition provided here is not the literal meaning, but the metaphorical. The fact that a metaphorical extension has been added to the literal meaning of the word, illustrates how a new metaphorical connotation may be incorporated into the original literal meaning of a word. In the case of , what probably happened was that the literal meaning it was originally associated with was bleached out over time, and took on the metaphorical meaning as its dominant meaning. Through these examples, we have seen that the journey metaphor has a significant role in the Japanese language. Since the expressions provided n this section are highly idiomatic, in most cases, a word for word rendering of the expressions may not intuitively make sense for the non-native speakers of Japanese. However, that does not take away the fact that the expressions in question surfaces from the same underlying metaphor. There are cases where both languages have an expression that serves the same purpose but the lexical matching is not quite the same, and there are cases where lexical matchings will be nearly exact. On the other hand, we have also seen how it is possible for a metaphor to be more salient in one language than in the other. These examples illustrate just how a metaphor common to both languages can manifest itself differently. 4. Languacultures and Rich Points To better understand the similarities and differences of the journey metaphor used in the English and Japanese language, I would like to present the concepts 19 languaculture and rich points introduced by Michael Agar in his book Language Shock. Languaculture refers to the notion that a system of conventionalized symbols, sounds, gestures, or the like used by a particular community for communication cannot be understood without also knowing the conventional behaviors and beliefs of that community. Therefore, he argues, it is necessary to tie the concept of language and culture together whenever talking about language (Agar 1994, 60). Rich point refers to a moment when a person is at a languacultural interface and encounters a difference in the ways of communicating from his or her cultural assumptions3. Let us look at the study of junkies by Agar to illustrate this example of rich points. Junkie is a term often used to refer to heroine addicts. During his two-year service in the U. S. Public Health Service, Agar worked to help treat heroin addicts. As a linguist, he started on a collection of terms used by the addicts. What he found peculiar about the collection of terms was that even though they spoke the same language as he did, they made use of certain words that was unique to the junkies. For example, the process of injecting heroin would be described in different terms by junkies, as opposed to people with background in the medical field. The premedical student will most likely begin describing the process like the following, â€Å"Well, you first take this hypodermic syringe, and then †¦ while the junkie will say, â€Å"First, you take the works, and then †¦ † According to Agar, the heroin users he met during his service used what is referred to as the works to inject heroin; an assembly of the top of a baby pacifier fastened onto an eyedropper with a needle slipped over its narrow end and a gasket of thread or paper to hold it tight. For this reason, the term works is 3 The term languaculture refers to the notion that the use of language differs with respect to its culture. Therefore, differences in language use also occur within a language by various other subcultures. 0 generally used in their culture to refer to the instrument used for injecting heroin. Now, suppose a context where two junkies are walking up the stairs in a building. Here is what they say: (7) â€Å"Say man, you got your works with you? † â€Å"Yeah, they’re right here in my pocket. Don’t worry about it. † (Agar 1994, 90) After learning what the term works refers to, an ordinary person may infer that this is a situation where a junkie inquires another to make sure he has the necessary equipment for getting intoxicated. However, that was not the reason for their exchange. Instead, they were concerned about the possibility of an authority being in the proximity. Since the possession of this instrument justifies arrest, the junkies were concerned because they were confined in an enclosed space; an enclosed space does not have much room to run or get rid of the evidence. The reason for the exchange quoted above is that one junkie is worried about the possibility of an authority being in the proximity, and the other reassured that he could get rid of the instrument quickly if an authoritative figure were to appear, since they are right in his pocket. This sort of encounter that arises from one’s languacultural assumptions is what Agar refers to rich points. Human beings have much in common all over the world, so similarities in languacultures are numerous and expected, at least for people living in similar ecological circumstances. However, occasionally an unexpected use of language will arise which reflects a difference between the underlying conceptual systems between the two languacultures. These conspicuous differences found in the 21 way two languacultures talk about the same or similar real-world facts and events reveal how they are structured. Having established these points, we can now see the similarities and differences that can be understood in terms of languaculture and rich point. As we have seen, the journey metaphor in Japanese languaculture is similar in many respects to that of the English languaculture. A person of the English languaculture can apply many similar uses of the journey metaphor used in his language to convey messages in Japanese. However, once we took a look at the LEARNING IS A JOURNEY metaphor, we noticed that there is some underlying difference between the two systems of languacultures. This rich point shows that the journey metaphor used in the Japanese languaculture is not always congruent to its uses in the English languaculture, more precisely that the conceptual metaphor LEARNING IS A JOURNEY is a much more salient feature of the Japanese languaculture. The reason why this rich point stands out to the English speaking community is precisely because we place a higher emphasis on knowledge as an entity that can be acquired. Take for example common English expressions like â€Å"I was hunting for the facts,† â€Å"I had to track that down,† â€Å"he won his degree at Oxford. The emphasis for these examples is that knowledge is something to be collected, whereas in Japanese, they place a stronger emphasis on knowledge as something that is to be transmitted to the learner through the process of engaging in the act, as we have seen in the LEARNING IS A JOURNEY examples. 22 5. Pilgrimages in Japan Now that we have made this point that the LEARNING IS A JOURNEY metaphor is a more prominent feature of Japanese languaculture than English languaculture, let us see how it relates to observations we make about English and Japanese behavioral culture. For one, pilgrimages are loaded with rich points. As we can tell from such classical literary works like Heike monogatari and Sarashina nikki, pilgrimages have been an important religious practice for the Japanese people from at least the Heian period. Although it was originally an aristocratic practice, all classes of people were allowed to go on pilgrimages by the time of the Edo period (Vaporis 2008, 165). Due to the development of a national infrastructure provided with lodging, towns, and horses, this period of peace allowed for the masses to travel comfortably in search of spiritual fulfillment. The commoners were permitted to travel by the authorities as long as they were going on a pilgrimage or had familial purposes. Among the many temples and shrines in Japan, the amount of people making pilgrimages to the Ise shrine increased rapidly. The Ise shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the goddess Amaterasu in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture. Since ancient times, the festivals and offerings of the Ise shrine has been scheduled based on the cycle of agriculture. People would go to Ise to give thanks to the kami and pray for a plentiful harvest. () The desire to make a pilgrimage to Ise Shrine, at least once in one’s life was universal among Japanese people of the day. The people who have had the opportunity to undertake the pilgrimage would share the things that they had seen and heard on the 23 journey. These travelers’ tales inspired others to undertake the journey, in a cycle that perpetuated the legendary status of the Ise pilgrimage as something that everyone should do at least once in their lives. The Edo period is often referred to as a time of peace and stability in Japan, and as such the people had the means and leisure time to pursue their aesthetic enjoyment. To explain, Tokugawa ideology grouped higher cultural attainments into two categories, bu and bun, military and literary arts. A gentleman of the time were expected to show interest in bun, more so than bu. Bun embraced reading and writing, Chinese thought, poetry, history and literature, noh dance and drama, tea ceremony, and other customary arts (Totman 1993, 186). Once one has acquired considerable skill in the art of pursuit, they would often go on a pilgrimage to learn more about the art and methods used in distant places. Thus, pilgrimages were an important learning experience for the Japanese people. Take the renowned haiku poet Matsuo Basho for example. In his travel diary Oku no hoso miti (Keene 1996), Basho journeys on foot to see the sites that had inspired famous poets before him. He knew the location of the places the poems described, and it was important for him to get a direct experience with the inspiration the poets must have felt when composing their poem. Basho’s descriptions of the places he visited, many of which were at shrines and temples, were significant not just because the sites were awe-inspiring, but because of the legends and poems associated with the locations. Like the poems that inspired Basho to take on the journey, his own work have in turn inspired others to travel and learn about the places he talk about from a first hand experience. 24 Sangaku pilgrimages are another example. Sangaku are geometrical puzzles written on wooden tablets, which were placed as offerings at Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. In Japan, it is fairly natural to hang wooden tablets at shrines and temples; for centuries before sangaku came into existence, worshippers would bring gifts like the sort to local shrines. The kami, it was said, loved horses, but horses were expensive. So a worshipper who could not afford to offer a living one, offered a horse drawn on a piece wood instead. In fact, many tablets from the fifteenth century and earlier depict horses (Fukagawa Rothman 2008, 8). However, there was also a practical purpose in hanging the tablets. Ordinary people at the time could not afford to publish books with their novel mathematical problems. Therefore, as an alternative solution to gain recognition, they took up the ancient custom of bringing votive tablets to temples and began to hang sangaku to advertise their work (Fukagawa Rothman 2008, 21). Just like the poets who would travel for the sake of knowledge and experience, a number of geometers including Hodoji Zen, and Sakuma Yoken took â€Å"sangaku pilgrimages† to teach mathematics, encourage amateurs and lovers of geometry, and to hang and see previously hung sangaku in temples around the country. Among these itinerants was Yamaguchi Kanzan, a mathematician from the school of Hasegawa Hiroshi. In his journeys, he recorded a substantial travel diary that describes the sights, meetings with friends and other mathematicians, and the sangaku, problems he came across. With many distant mathematicians, he has discussed new technical methods of solving mathematical problems. â€Å"If you buy this book,† he claimed, â€Å"then you will be able to know and obtain without traveling the new technical 25 methods of solving problems of far-away mathematicians† (Fukagawa Rothman 2008, 244). () Pilgrimages were an important method of self-cultivation for people from all walks for life, with interests ranging from martial arts to moral philosophy. There are many reasons for the rise in popularity of pilgrimages, but it is probably the case that the roots of this trend come from Zen Buddhism. The history of Zen begins in Japan with the samurai class of Kamakura. Zen Buddhism had little chance of becoming popular in Heian period Kyoto due to the strong opposition of the older schools of Buddhism. Where as in Kamakura, there were no such difficulties. Due to its philosophical and moral nature, Zen appealed greatly to the military classes (Suzuki 1959, 60). As the samurai’s became a new force in politics, they brought with them the newly embraced religion to the court. This in turn had significant influence in not only the court, but through general cultural life of the Japanese people all the way to the Edo period. Buddhist models inspired many of these pilgrimages that we see throughout history. The prototypical pilgrimages example in Japan is when Zen priests go on angya ‘pilgrimage’ , which literally means, â€Å"to go on foot. † Historically, angya referred to the common practice of Zen monks and nuns travelling from master to master, or monastery to monastery, in search of someone to practice Zen with (Baroni 2002, 8). So pilgrimages in Japan took the introduction of Buddhism, which later became associated with prominent Chinese cultures like Daoism, as we can tell from the various pilgrims mentioned earlier. The interesting thing about it is that this religious practice of undertaking a pilgrimage as a method of self-cultivation is emulated by 26 various other disciplines like the ones mentioned in example (5). It is also interesting to note the varying degree of prominence the intellectual journey has in the context of Japanese culture as opposed to the anglophone culture. Although the concept of an intellectual journey exists in the English-speaking world (e. g. visiting national parks, field trips etc. ), it is not quite as common or close to everyday consciousness as it is in Japan. The lack of explicit metaphors that reflect the notion of LEARNING IS A JOURNEY in English languaculture suggests a correlation of this difference with cultural behavior. The question then arises, what is the nature of the correlation between the observations we make in the linguistic and non-linguistic behavior we see about the Japanese? Is it the fact pilgrimages have had played a big role in the history of Japanese culture that because of the metaphorical bias of LEARNING IS A JOURNEY? Or is the causal relation the other way around? Or is there some third explanation? The main reason for the correlation we find between these two types of behavior is probably not a direct causal relationship between the two. Instead, the impact of Daoism and Buddhism on Japanese thought have probably played a role in making both the metaphor and the pilgrimage behavior prominent in Japan. This is indicated by the fact that many pilgrimages were inspired by Buddhist models, which also had a great impact on vocabulary and the content of literature; the relationship therefore seems the result of a common set of historical circumstances affecting both linguistic and non-linguistic behaviors. Both are an expression of this influence. 6. Concluding remarks 27 In this paper, I have given a contrastive analysis of the role the journey metaphor plays in the English and Japanese languages. I have argued that although there are many similarities in the use of the journey metaphor in the two languages, there also are remarkable differences in that the LEARNING IS A JOURNEY metaphor is a much more salient feature of the Japanese language. Based on the concepts languaculture and rich points, I have attempted to show that the LEARNING IS A JOURNEY metaphor is a locus of an important rich point in Japanese culture, in the sense that it is an underlying conceptual metaphor, which manifests itself in both the linguistic and nonlinguistic behavior of the Japanese culture. To illustrate how this finding might be applied to non-linguistic behavior, I have also examined the issue of pilgrimages. It seems that the correlation between the salience of the metaphor and pilgrimages are due to a common set of historical causes; it does not seem to be the case that the salience of the metaphor was caused by the practice of pilgrimages or vice versa. A contrastive analysis of metaphorical conceptualization proves to be a useful method when examining behavioral differences between two cultures. Further research of this kind should help understand similarities and differences in cultural cognition, linguistics, sociology, and ideology. 28 Work Cited: Agar, Michael. 1994. Language Shock: Understanding the Culture of Conversation. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc. Baroni, Helen. 2002. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. Deutscher, Guy. 2010. Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different In Other Languages. New York: Metropolitan Books Frellesvig, Bjarke. 2010. A History of the Japanese Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Freud, Sigmund. 1889 [1998]. The Interpretation of Dreams. Trans. James Strachey. New York: Avon. Fukagawa, Hidetoshi Rothman, Tony. 2008. Sacred Mathematics: Japanese Temple Geometry. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Keene, Donald. 1996. The Narrow Road to Oku. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd. Lakoff, George Johnson, Mark. 1979. Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: University of Chicago Press 29 Herodotus. 1889. The History of Herodotus: A New English Version. Trans. Rawlinson, George, Rawlinson, Henry, Wilkinson, John. New York: D. Appleton and Company Suzuki, Daisetz. 1959. Zen and Japanese Culture. Princeton: Princeton University Press Totman, Conrad. 1993. Early Modern Japan. Berkley and Los Angeles: University of California Press Vaporis, Constantine. 2008. Tour of Duty: Samurai, Military Service In Edo, and The Culture of Early Modern Japan. Hawai’i: University of Hawai’i Press Watson, Brian N. 2008. Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano. Victoria: Trafford Publishing 30 How to cite Comparing Rich Points, Papers

Race in America Critique free essay sample

In her piece for the Catholic weekly publication America, â€Å"Race in America: ‘We Would Like to Believe We Are Over the Problem’,† Maryann Cusimano Love responds to a comment made by Delegate Frank D. Hargrove Sr. and discusses the still prevalent issue of racism in the United States of America. Love provides many facts and figures in obstruction to Delegate Hargrove’s belief that the blacks in America need to move past the grudge of slavery because it is not an issue today. Love obviously disagrees with his statement and spends the majority of the article arguing why he is wrong, as well as providing her solution to the problem. I do not believe that Love was successful in her argument against Delegate Hargrove’s comment. While she gave multiple statistics in defense, they tended to be weak in reliability as well as being emotionally driven. Love relies on manipulative language to carry her article, which makes her writing seem shallow and poorly developed. We will write a custom essay sample on Race in America Critique or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In her article, Love argues that, though many citizens, politicians, and even the press profess that the country is far past its racial issues, they are still present in today’s society. Love begins by bringing up an interview of Delegate Frank D. Hargrove Sr. , a Republican from Richmond, Virginia. In this interview, Hargrove made the statement that â€Å"blacks need to get over [slavery]† because it is â€Å"counterproductive to dwell on it† when â€Å"not a soul today had anything to do with slavery† (Love par. 2). Love goes on to argue against Hargrove’s views, providing many statistics to prove that America is in fact not over the problem of racism. Love concludes with a reminder that â€Å"the United States is not alone† (Par. In its racial struggles, and determines that the solution to them is to study the past to understand where the origins of racism are as a whole nation, not just as individual citizens. Love is writing to a generally Catholic audience. The readers of this publication are interested in â€Å"spiritual renewal and social analysis guided by the spirit of charity† (America), so this may explain the reasoning behind Love’s argument. Love’s writing is manipulative from the beginning. She does not provide any context for Delegate Hargrove’s statement, unfairly making him sound like more of a racist than he would have had his comments been provided background information. Love’s tone is very defensive throughout the article, making it sound like she is seeking pity. Overall, Love relies far too much on emotional appeals to support her argument. The statements made by Delegate Hargrove which Love uses as a foundation to her argument were taken manipulatively out of context. Love does not explain the situation surrounding the comments, nor does she elaborate as to why they were made. With further research, it was discovered that Delegate Hargrove was making these statements in response to a resolution calling for an apology from the state of Virginia for the long gone institution of slavery (Gibson). Delegate Hargrove disagreed for the need of such apology, therefore he was explaining why he did not vote to support it. Love’s portrayal of the interview was inaccurate, making her writing seem unreliable and contriving. Furthermore, the statistics Love provides in support of her claim that racism is still prevalent in the United States are poorly cited and are seemingly shallow. They are one sided in regard to the race in which is referenced, making Love’s bias toward the subject obvious. Love clearly believes strongly in her argument, which is necessary for a convincing piece of writing, but she lets this get in the way of the need to present all sides of the issue. If Love had shown statistics of races including, but not limited to, African American, her argument would have come off as more developed as well as possibly more convincing. In regards to remaining on topic, Love strays from her original point. The article begins by addressing the disagreement for a necessary apology for slavery by a state legislator, but then immediately jumps to the issue of racism in the country today. The connection between these two topics is vague and the lines of logic that are assumed connect the two are left unexplained. Love’s balance of the different ideas of her thesis is uneven, making some aspects of it ineffective. She spends the majority of the article stating facts and figures that she believes support her argument. The solution she gives is short, shallow, and is summed up in one sentence. It sounds as though Love is not as concerned with providing a key to peace as she is with bringing to attention to â€Å"unfairness† of certain parts of American society. Again, the meat of her writing is intended to manipulate the emotions and cloud the reasoning of readers. Although Love brings many pieces of evidence to the forefront in an attempt to show the racism that still exists in the United States of America, she does so shallowly and manipulatively in order to support her weak and poorly developed argument. I agree with Love in her opinion that racism is still an issue in our country today, but not for the reasons she provides. I believe that had she used fewer statistics, had cited those statistics more, and had relied more on a solution to this problem, it would have been a more convincing stance. Also, her deceptive interpretation of Delegate Hargrove’s statements was completely off putting for me. Yes, I think that his statements were poorly worded and not thought out, but after reading his comments in the context that they were given, I find myself agreeing with him for the most part. Overall, I believe Love’s article was weak in development, shallow, and manipulative, therefore making it unconvincing.

A Brief Analysis of the Hayward Lumber Company’s Environmental Strategy free essay sample

HLC initially looked into FSC-certified wood when custom home-builders began to generate a demand for the material. This consumer base is generally providing a service for luxury home buyers who tend to be less price-sensitive and willing to pay the higher rates in order to claim environmental friendliness. The other portion of their customer base, low-cost builders, did not show an interest in such expensive products despite the ecological appeal. In order to meet the demands of the luxury home buyers HLC dedicated a portion of their inventory holding to FSC-certified lumber, spending twenty-five percent more on the ‘green’ wood. This company was the only one in the region to take on this endeavor. The ability to provide the eco-labeled FSC wood to builders in the area allowed HLC to set themselves apart from the other suppliers in the area that had refused to lay out the capital for the eco-label. We will write a custom essay sample on A Brief Analysis of the Hayward Lumber Company’s Environmental Strategy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page HLC was able to effectively separate themselves from the other suppliers by providing this new and unique service and the consumer base had no other options, ensuring sales. The initial direct investment for FSC-certified lumber was $500,000, giving the firm just over a million board feet. However, as the firm would have stocked non-certified product instead, the extra cost to HLC was an estimated hundred thousand dollars. The firm was able to sell a large portion of the eco-labelled good at five percent mark up, selling the twenty percent excess at the price of regular lumber. Taking a small loss on the extra inventory affected profit less than allowing the product to spoil. Outside of the direct investment, there are other costs to consider. Pursuing these green interests and infiltrating the company’s culture with â€Å"Hayward’s Green Manifesto† would take time and money, not to mention advertising expenses to inform and attract the eco-friendly consumer base. Full cost to the firm could be estimated to be around one million dollars, depending on sourcing expenses and the costs for pursuing the educational environmental strategy. However, only a portion of this would be viewed as additional cost over the costs of maintaining the previous product line solely. Hayward had to plan this effort carefully, as FSC-certified product was different than the traditional product that the firm was used to turning over. Sourcing would have to be done carefully by making sure suppliers were adhering to the regulations for harvesting ‘green’ timber. Chain of custody certification costs would be reflected in the costs that Hayward would see in purchasing and selling FSC wood, while HLC dealt with learning and following FSC regulations for sustainable forestry. Due to the costs, this product was, understandably, difficult to source. Very few areas of woodland worldwide attempted to obtain certification and promote sustainability. This is due in part to the costs of certification and part to the inefficiency costs from the chain of custody. Overall, the supply chain for FSC-certified wood required more controls to limit the losses normal to the production of regular lumber. Dedicated mills or FSC-certified milling time had to be set aside for perfecting the harvested timber and the expensive nature of the product increases the need to cut down on imperfections. Regulations required the firm to shut down and completely clear premises of non-certified wood before they could begin to handle the premium product, reducing output by time waste. HLC faced holding costs, including the loss associated with selling off excess inventory, due to this as the firm only purchased a few times throughout the year – having to forecast and purchase the good in advance. Green builders most likely do not pose a threat to HLC’s new business. Due to the transport costs and certification costs associated with the product, it would be difficult for green builders to purchase frequently. One builder may not be able to accurately predict demand for upcoming projects and efficiently purchase the required amount of wood. The article mentions that a lumberyard in the region would cost around $12 million, making it very expensive for a green builder to buy land to appropriately store excess product or safety stock. It would be time-consuming for the green builders, as well, because they may require specific requirements that HLC is used to accomodating. Taking on these extra tasks rather than sourcing from HLC would drastically reduce the time that could be spent on other projects. HLC has a long-standing history with many subcontractors for providing quality and meeting custom demands and deadlines such as specific delievery instructions to prevent cluttering construction sites. Similarly, HLC is set up specifically to handle incoming wood and abiding by certification standards. Their relationships with sourcing partners also may enable them to acquire the limited eco-label more easily than a builder could. Their plan to become a â€Å"one-stop shop† for green building is a strong one. It enables these builders to obtain the environmentally safe building materials all from one trustworthy supplier – at any time they wish due to the â€Å"just in time† approach of HLC. Easing the builder’s procurement process reduces costs further for the builders and promotes a good image of the lumber company. Educating the industry about eco-friendly building tools and materials helps to stimulate demand for the firm, drawing in like-minded consumers that would not hinder the environmental efforts of the company. HLC could be more efficient at handling FSC-certified wood, however, and the truss plant is a good way to do this. Having these pre-made options for FSC-certified roof and floor trusses would cut down on the need to make the items customly for each builder. Similarly, this option is lower in cost than meeting individual requirements and could draw in the previously unwilling low-cost tract housing builders. The others projects could be sound investments, as well, involving expansion through acquisition and showcasing to attract new consumers and promote the idea of sustainability. However, taking on all three could be too much for the firm. Hayward could experience many advantages of taking these routes. Not only would it increase the firms standing to the environmentally-conscious part of the world, expansion of the ‘green’ portfolio could help the firm to be one step ahead of this emerging trend – much like the arsenic-free wood decision enabled HLC to capitalize on a market idea before it became a mandate which may have resulted in high cost. Disadvantages could include losing out on the low-end market to which they previously held strong relations with. This involves loss of supplier relations and consumers, as well. The efforts to transform the industry and incorporate it into Hayward’s ‘greener’ view could prevent this to some degree, especially the truss expansion option. It is a good way to prevent product loss due to exposure to the elements as well as expand on Hayward’s three-part manifesto idea of becoming a one-stop shop. This plan reduces error and imperfections in the products while decreasing time significantly, enabling the firm to hold true to the original model of quality and the Hayward’s family ideal of being â€Å"on time, as promised. †

A History of United Nations Missions in Africa

A History of United Nations Missions in Africa The United Nations (UN) conducts a number of peacekeeping missions throughout the world. Beginning in 1960, the UN began missions in various countries in Africa. While just one mission occurred through the 1990s, turmoil in Africa escalated and the majority of missions were run from 1989 on. Many of these peacekeeping missions were the result of civil wars or ongoing conflicts in African countries, including Angola, the Congo, Liberia, Somalia, and Rwanda. Some of the missions were brief while others lasted years at a time. To confound things, some missions replaced previous ones as tensions in the countries escalated or the political climate changed. This period is one of the most dynamic and violent in modern African history and its important to review the missions that the UN carried out. ONUC -  UN Operations in the Congo Mission Dates: July 1960 through June 1964Context: Independence from Belgium and the attempted secession of the Katanga province Outcome:  Prime Minister  Patrice Lumumba  was assassinated, at which point the mission was expanded. The Congo retained the secessionist province of Katanga and the mission was followed by civilian aid. UNAVEM I -  UN Angola Verification Mission Mission Dates:  January 1989 through May 1991Context:  Angolas lengthy civil war Outcome:  Cuban troops were withdrawn one month ahead of schedule, having completed their mission. The mission was followed by UNAVEM II (1991) and UNAVEM III (1995). UNTAG  -  UN Transition Assistance Group Mission Dates:  April 1990 through March 1990Context:  Angolan Civil War and Namibias transition to independence from South Africa Outcome:  South African troops departed Angola. Elections were held and a new constitution approved. Namibia joined the UN. UNAVEM II  -  UN Angola Verification Mission II Mission Dates:  May 1991 through February 1995Context:  Angolan Civil War Outcome:  Elections were held in 1991, but the results were rejected and violence escalated. The mission transitioned to UNAVEM III. UNOSOM I  -  UN Operation in Somalia I Mission Dates:  April 1992 through March 1993Context:  Somali Civil  War Outcome:  The violence in Somalia continued to escalate, making it difficult for UNOSOM I to deliver relief aid. The United States created a second operation, the Unified Task Force (UNITAF), to help UNOSOM I protect and distribute humanitarian aid. In 1993, the UN created UNOSOM II to replace both UNOSOM I and UNITAF. ONUMOZ  -  UN Operations in Mozambique Mission Dates:  December  1992 through December 1994Context:  Conclusion of the Civil War in Mozambique Outcome:  The ceasefire was successful. Mozambiques then government and the major rivals (Mozambican Nation Resistance, or RENAMO) demobilized troops. Those people who were displaced during the war were resettled and elections were held. UNOSOM II  -  UN Operation in Somalia II Mission Dates:  March 1993 through March 1995Context:  Somali Civil War Outcome:  After the Battle of Mogadishu in October 1993, the United States and several Western countries withdrew their troops from UNOSOM II. The UN voted to withdraw UN troops from Somalia after having failed to establish a ceasefire or disarmament. UNOMUR  -  UN Observer Mission Uganda-Rwanda Mission Dates:  June 1993 through September 1994Context:  Fighting between the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF, based in Uganda) and the Rwandan Government Outcome:  The Observer Mission encountered many difficulties in monitoring the border. These were  due to the terrain and the competing Rwandan and Ugandan factions. After the Rwandan genocide, the missions mandate came to an end and it was not renewed. The mission was succeeded instead by UNAMIR, which had already begun its operations in 1993.   UNOMIL  -  UN Observer Mission in Liberia Mission Dates:  September 1993  through September 1997Context:  The First Liberian Civil War Outcome:  UNOMIL was designed to support ongoing efforts by the  Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)  to bring an end to the Liberian Civil War and ensure fair elections. In 1997, elections were held and the mission terminated. The United Nations established a Peacebuilding Support Office in Liberia. Within a few years, the Second Liberian Civil War had broken out. UNAMIR -  UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda Mission Dates:  October 1993  through March 1996Context:  Rwandan Civil War between the RPF and the Rwandan government Outcome:  Due to the restrictive rules of engagement and an unwillingness from Western governments to risk troops in Rwanda, the mission did little to stop the Rwandan genocide (April through June 1994).   Afterward, UNAMIR did  distribute and ensure humanitarian aid. However, the failure to intervene in the genocide overshadows these significant although belated efforts. UNASOG  -  UN Aouzou Strip Observation Group Mission Dates:  May 1994 through June 1994Context:  Conclusion of the territorial dispute (1973-1994) between Chad and Libya over the Aouzou Strip. Outcome:  Both governments signed a declaration agreeing that Libyan troops and the administration had been withdrawn as previously agreed upon. UNAVEM III  -  UN Angola Verification Mission III Mission Dates:  February 1995 through June 1997Context:  Angolas Civil War Outcome:  A government was formed by the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), but all parties continued to import arms. The situation also deteriorated with the involvement of Angola in the Congo Conflict. The mission was followed by MONUA. MONUA  -  UN Observer Mission in Angola Mission Dates:  June 1997 through February 1999Context:  Angolas Civil War Outcome:  Fighting in the civil war resumed and the UN withdrew its troops. At the same time, the UN urged a continuation of humanitarian aid. MINURCA -  UN Mission in the Central African Republic Mission Dates:  April 1998 through February 2000Context:  Signing of the Bangui Accord between rebel forces and the Central African Republics government Outcome:  Dialogue between the parties continued and the peace was maintained. Elections were held in 1999 after several previous attempts. The UN mission withdrew. MINURCA was followed by a UN Peacebuilding Support Office in the Central African Republic. UNOMSIL  -  UN Observer Mission in Sierra Leone Mission Dates:  July 1998 through October 1999Context:  Sierra Leones Civil War (1991-2002) Outcome:  The combatants signed the controversial Lome Peace Agreement. The UN authorized a new mission, UNAMSIL, to replace UNOMSIL. UNAMSIL  -  UN Mission in Sierra Leone Mission Dates:  October 1999 through December 2005Context:  Sierra Leones Civil War (1991-2002) Outcome:  The mission was expanded three times in 2000 and 2001 as the fighting continued. The war ended in December 2002 and  UNAMSIL troops were slowly withdrawn. The mission was followed by the UN Integrated Office for Sierra Leone. This was created to consolidate the peace in Sierra Leone. MONUC  -  UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mission Dates:  November 1999  through May 2010Context:  Conclusion of the  First Congo War   Outcome:  The Second Congo War began in 1998 when Rwanda invaded. It officially ended in 2002, but fighting by various rebel groups continued. In 2010, MONUC was criticized for not intervening to stop mass rapes near one of its stations. The Mission was renamed the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. UNMEE -  UN Observer Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea Mission Dates:  June 2000  through July 2008Context:  A ceasefire signed by Ethiopia and Eritrea in their ongoing border dispute. Outcome:  The mission was ended after Eritrea imposed numerous restrictions that prevented an effective operation. MINUCI  -  UN Operation in  Cà ´te dIvoire Mission Dates:  May 2003 through April 2004Context:  Failed implementation of the  Linas-Marcoussis Agreement, which was to end the ongoing conflict in the country. Outcome:  MINUCI was replaced by the UN Operation in Cà ´te dIvoire (UNOCI). UNOCI is ongoing and continues to protect the people in the country and aid the government in disarmament and demobilization of former combatants. ONUB -  UN Operation in  Burundi Mission Dates:  May  2004 through December 2006Context:  Burundian Civil War Outcome:  The missions goal was to restore peace in Burundi and help establish a unified government. Pierre Nkurunziza was sworn in as President of Burundi in August 2005.  Twelve years of midnight-to-dawn curfews were finally lifted on the people of Burundi. MINURCAT -  UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad Mission Dates:  September  2007 through December 2010Context:  Ongoing violence in Darfur, eastern Chad, and northeastern Central African Republic Outcome:  The concern for civilian safety amidst activities by armed groups in the region prompted the mission. By the end of the mission, the government of Chad pledged that they would retain responsibility for protecting its citizens. After the termination of the mission, the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic continued efforts to protect the people.   UNMIS  -  UN Mission in Sudan Mission Dates:  March 2005 through July 2011Context:  End of the Second Sudanese Civil War and signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) Outcome:  The CPA between the Sudanese government and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) was signed, but it did not bring immediate peace. In 2007, the two groups came to another agreement and Northern Sudanese troops withdrew from Southern Sudan.   In July 2011, the Republic of South Sudan was formed as an independent country. The mission was replaced by UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) to continue the peace process and protect civilians. This started immediately and, as of 2017, the mission continues. Sources: United Nations Peacekeeping.  Past Peacekeeping Operations.

History response 11 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

History response 11 - Assignment Example anticipated that Castro was someone he may well work with, since Cuban leader explored New York and Washington seeking both public and official support. But affiliations deteriorated after the Cuba’s Agrarian transformation rule nationalized land possessed by American firms. Both corporate lobbyists and Cold War hawks soon portrayed Castro as a Soviet threat on America’s doorstep. As tensions increased, Castro sent Che Guevara to Moscow and Beijing to shore up support for his regime while the Eisenhower administration drew up plans for invasion. Having this and Che being a Chinese collaborator, the relations between China and Britain melted. At present day, therefore, the medium of exchange has changed to numerous mediums unlike opium which was used in the former years by china and Britain(Goscha et al 7). ` The Great Leap scheme that was founded by Mao’s authority was unsuccessful. The steel formed in small shared furnaces was practically ineffective coupled with food production that plunged since many people died in the scarcity that resulted. By 1961 the collapse of the Great Leap Forward guided the more realistic â€Å"experts† in the Communist Party to lessen Mao’s authority slowly while renewing rationality to financial preparation (Goscha et al 30). Yet still, Mao’s conviction in the power of ground-breaking eagerness would inspire a younger age group of revolutionaries. Guevara was amongst those involved in the Chinese replica as an option to both free enterprise (capitalism) and the heavy Soviet form of technocratic communism (Goscha et al 41). This shows both a good example of youth culture as seen in schemes that he formed and also a bad instance on the youth, signified by his failures on food

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Sources of air pollution - Essay Example What will happen if the temperature of the world increases? Global warming will occur. Global Warming is prevalent on our Earth even today. It is causing deaths of thousands of animals each year, glaciers are melting and the pollutants are causing diseases such as asthma and lung cancer, etc. The destruction of ozone layer is continuously taking place by our activities, the use of natural resources by us and also by emissions of harmful gases in the atmosphere. At first, we will look into the sources of air pollution inside our homes. We, as human beings are a major constituent of creating air pollution. In our offices, schools, and homes, we make use of certain products and perform activities which are the reason for air pollution. Such activities are known as anthropogenic sources of air pollution. These activities include cooking and smoking. Other sources comprise of Boilers in which we boil water or other liquids at our homes, steam generators as they create smog when we start them for electricity purposes. Also piston engines, furnace, and gas turbines create pollution in the air1. Also, industrial plants set up by humans, power plants and vehicles which have internal combustion engines generate VOCs, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and their particulates. In most big cities and urban areas of the world, cars are the primary source of these air pollutants such as Los Angeles and Mexico City2. Farmers burning wastes from crops create carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other particulates. Other human activities such as leaky refrigerators, aerosol sprays, perfumes and fumes from varnish, paint, and other solvents are the main factors in increasing air pollution. Natural sources, also known as biogenic sources, are also a cause for air pollution but are not as harmful as the human sources. The quality of air is destroyed or worsened by natural processes such as volcano eruptions which produce chlorine, sulfur,

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Sexual Politics Kate Millet (1970)

Sexual Politics Kate Millet (1970) Sexual Politics Kate Millet (1970) Summary of document This article enables the reader to understand the difficulties of gaining equal rights and respect which women faced during the second wave of feminism (1970s). Though it can be possible for females to appear to have a higher class to some men due to the economic, social and educational purposes (Millet, 1970, p36). The writer suggests that the castelike status of a female within patriarchy is most liable for confusion (Millet, 1970, p36). This is due to the writer suggesting a two-tier caste system which meant despite some females may be born into a higher class then some males, it meant that due to the domination of sexual status, patriarchy society has been formed. There are two examples from the text which backs up the point that the writer was making. These are: a black lawyer has a higher status than a white farmer. However, race itself can be used in a caste system which overrides class. This means the white farmer belongs to a higher order of life just as it oppresses the pro fessional in spirit. Also, much of the literature between 1940s -1970s has shown the caste system towards male triumphs over the social status of wealthy and educated women. (Millet, 1970, p36) The writer also suggests that males use bullying and hostile remarks (Millet,1970, p36) as a psychological (Millet, 1970, p36) form of dominant power. Class divisions are not threatened by expressions of enmity or the existence of sexual hierarchy which has been reaffirmed to punish the female quite effectively (Millet, 1970, p36). The writer suggests that the function of class in patriarchy is dependent on how expressive the masculine supremacy allows itself to become in society. However, the writer states a paradox to this point. She states: while in the lower status strata, the male is more likely to claim authority on the strength of his sex alone, he is actually obliged more often to share power with the women of his class who are economically productive. Whereas in the middle and upper classes, there is less tendency to assert a blunt patriarchal dominance, as men who enjoy such status have more power in any case. (Millet, 1970, p36) The writer suggests that Western patriarchy are interested in concepts of romantic love compared to Eastern patriarchy, but this interest could be used to conceal the patriarchal nature of society. She states that it was a Victorian habit, for example, to insist the female assume the function of serving as the males conscience and living the life of goodness he found tedious but felt someone ought to do anyway. (Millet, 1970, p37) She suggests that the concept of romantic love can be used as emotional manipulation which the male is free to exploit (Millet, 1970, p37). This is convenient to both genders due to dominance gained by the male and the concealed realities of the female status and their burden of economic dependency. One of the main effects of class within patriarchy is to set one woman against another, in the past creating a lively antagonism between career woman and housewife. (Millet, 1970, p38) This is means that one envies the other security and prestige, while the envi ed yearns beyond the confines of respectability for what she takes to be the others freedom, adventure, and contact with the great world. (Millet, 1970, p38) Women have less investment in the class system (Millet, 1970, p38). This is due to women having fewer permanent class associations compared to males, also not many women rise above working class in personal prestige and economic power (Millet, 1970, p38) so women do not enjoy the benefits that higher class will offer the males. Usually the white male concedes the female to a higher status than the black male. However, due to white racist ideology being exposed; this has meant these ideological attitudes of racism has now changed to sexism. The writer states the priorities of maintaining supremacy might outweigh even those of white supremacy; sexism may be endemic in our own society than racism. (Millet, 1970, p39) Wider social, economic and political context This book was written during the 1970s which was during the second wave feminism. This second wave of feminism was focused on advocacy of womens rights, in particular equal pay, sex discrimination laws, right to contraception and the legalization of abortion. It can be argued that Radical feminism is opening out the revolutionary struggle in new areas we want control not only over the means of production but over reproduction. (London Feminist Movement, 2010) It is hard to imagine that these women were seen as sexual objects as well not even allowed a view. One of the campaigns was the personal is political. This is where women spoke out about constant sexual harassment, major crimes like rape, as well as being seen as inferior to men. Some important events happened during the 1970s. The Miss World protest in 1970 was significant due to women protesting against the objectification of women as judging women only on their looks is insulting. (British Library, 2014) In 1973, the first R ape Crisis centre was formed in England and Wales to provide co-ordination and support to affiliated member groups and campaigns and lobbies to raise awareness of the issues of sexual violence in the wider community and with local, regional and national government. (British Library, 2014) In 1975, the Sex Discrimination Act was made to render unlawful certain kinds of sex discrimination and discrimination on the ground of marriage and establish a commission with the function of working towards the elimination of such discrimination. (British Library, 2014) Also in 1975, the Employment Protection Act made maternity pay a requirement for employers and stopped employers dismissing when women get pregnant. (British Library, 2014) The Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act in 1976 allowed women to obtain a court order against violent husbands without divorce proceedings. (British Library, 2014) One of the positives that came from 1970s especially for feminists was that Margare t Thatcher becomes Prime Minister in 1979. (British Library, 2014) Authors motives Kate Millett book was one of the first second wave texts to use the term patriarchy to describe the different structures of male power. She believed that patriarchy controlled every aspect of womens lives from sexuality, family, etc.   She suggests patriarchy has the power to shape how women thought as well as how they lived their lives. (Hannam, 2006) Millet suggests that personal lives were affected by the state and by patriarchy, so this enabled the opportunity for feminists to challenge the divisions between the public and the private that was central to liberal political thought. (Hannam, 2006) However, Millett was criticised for being anti-male and maybe seen as radical feminist. Target audience The target audience of this document would be feminists. This is because the document supports feminist ideals even though to some feminists it can seem anti-male. This document allows feminists but any reader to understand her opinions and beliefs during the second wave of feminism as well as using the term patriarchy to describe different structures of male power which was not seen til Kate Millett wrote her book. Usefulness of document This document is useful because this book inspired a new wave of feminism which was revolutionary and radical enough to create change for the women who lived in this period. Without vocal writers like Kate Millett, women may have gained as many rights as they did during this period. It can be argued her book was controversial however, her opinion is praised and attacked but her text is used in women studies which means her aim to get more female literature into education succeeded. Though it can be argued that other feminist wrote the same ideals before Kate Millett, but no one was a bold as her when writing their opinions onto paper. Conclusion Sexual Politics still remains to be one of the founding pieces of the second wave of feminism. Many Feminists have continued Milletts criticism with their own opinions to feminism and society. This book will always inspire another generation of feminists due to passionate and boldness she puts into her book. Bibliography British Library. (2014) Timeline of the womens liberation movement. The British Library. Available from: https://www.bl.uk/sisterhood/timeline# [Accessed 19 January 2017]. Hannam, J. (2006). Feminism. 6th edn. Harlow, England: Pearson/Longman. London Feminist Network (2010). Womens liberation and radical feminism 1970-early 1980s. Available from: http://londonfeministnetwork.org.uk/what-weve-done/what-we-did-in-2010/womens-liberation-and-radical-feminism-1970-early-l980s [Accessed 19 January 2017]. Millett, K. (1970) Sexual Politics. Urbana, IL, United States: University of Illinois Press.

Image Processing :: essays research papers

Adaptive Shape Contour Tracing Algorithm ABSTRACT In this paper we are going to present a new shape contour tracing algorithm called  ¡Ã‚ §Adaptive Contour Tracing Algorithm ¡Ã‚ ¨. The algorithm can trace open and closed discontinuous digital shapes and return an ordered set of boundary points that represent the contour of the shape. Unlike other algorithms that return boundary points that are part of the traced shape, our algorithm returns background points that are adjacent to the shape ¡Ã‚ ¦s contour. Furthermore, the algorithm is not hindered by shapes that are noisy and ill-defined as it can adapt to interruptions in the shape ¡Ã‚ ¦s contour using a pre-set tolerance and is able to scan multiple neighbors of a given point. The algorithm has a low complexity and no restrictions on the type or size of the traced shape. The extracted ordered set of boundary points represents the contour of a given shape and is important for curvature-based shape descriptors. Categories and Subject Descriptors I.4.6 [Image Processing and Computer Vision]: Segmentation  ¡V Edge and feature detection, Pixel classification General Terms Algorithms. Keywords Image Processing; Contour Tracing; Shape Boundary Extraction. 1. INTRODUCTION Contour tracing is an important process in boundary-based shape matching. All shapes are represented by a pattern of pixels and the contour pixels are usually a small subset of that pattern. Curvature-based shape matching methods rely on the contour pixels to describe the irregularities in shapes and a reliable contour-tracing algorithm is needed to extract the boundary of shapes. If the shape has holes then another hole search algorithm need to be applied to extract the hole pattern and such an algorithm is not part of this article. We developed a sequential contour-tracing algorithm denoted the  ¡Ã‚ §Adaptive Contour Tracing Algorithm ¡Ã‚ ¨. The algorithm computes the surrounding contour of any shape and adapts to all types of closed curve representations whether they are filled or partially filled digital shapes. Any pixel, 1-pixel wide lines, and full shapes could be traced and represented by closed curves. The algorithm also accounts for discontinuities in the shape contour and can reach nearby pixels. The contour trace starts from the top left point or pixel closest to the shape and proceeds clockwise following the surrounding of the contour of the shape rather than the contour itself. The path around the contour is traced in a look-forward sweep pattern to find the next surrounding point that is closest to the contour. The path is then closed when the start point is found.