Diversity in the World Essay Example for Free

Diversity in the World Essay One of the most profound factors in the universe is diversity. However the most evident diversity which affects peoples’ lives is racial and ethnic diversity. Although theories of origin of universe show a common source of all human races in the world, environmental factors in the area certain people live in can be held accountable for the diversity that is observed in human race. Undoubtedly, racial diversity is important in the world as it creates variety and taste in life; on the other hand, it is evident that diversity has also been a source of conflicts in the world. A world of diversity Personal experience with diverse cultures is very important in understanding the diversity in the world. An example could be the visit to the Eunoto ceremony from the Maasai community, which is one of the foreign traditional ceremonies in Kenya. Usually, tourist are informed about it during their stay in East Africa. The Maasai community which lives in the East African region is one of the conservative traditional communities which have refused to let go their practices. The Eunoto ceremony is used to mark the end of one age set’s period in service of worrier hood for the community and their consequent promotion to the junior elders. This marks their initiation to adult life where they can be allowed to marry and have children. Eunoto is a four day ceremony which takes place in an enclosed hut which is specified for that ceremony. Every warrior has his head shaved by his mother sitting on the same cowhide where he was circumcised. The head is then decorated and the shaving of the head means that they have lost the most valuable stage of their life which is full of freedom. After the ceremony, the now crowned junior elder may select a girl of his choice for a wife. At the same time some restriction like drinking milk and eating meat which are restricted in their warrior years are also lifted. (Finke, 2003) How can the one describe his/her racial and ethnic diversity? It is difficult to define the word race owing to the varied application of the word in different circumstance. The word race defines a particular group of people who can be identified through a common factor. This means that it is a group of people that share common characteristics (Kim, 2001). These characteristics can vary from factors like religious, skin color, and others. However, in everyday usage, the word race has been used predominantly based on the color of the skin thereby giving the black race and the light skinned race. This is just a construction of the society and the meaning many not be referring to provable differences. In defining ones personal racial and ethnic identity, it is natural to use of all these characteristics that have been used to differentiate one race from the other. In that case, based on the skin color, the person could say that he/she, for instance, is black American since his/her great grand parents were presumably, slaves who had been shipped from West African to work in Caribbean plantations. This kind of characteristic can be evidenced in ones physical character; even if the one doesn’t have a black complexion, he/she may have a chocolate complexion which may lead to the African origin. The heritage and cultural practices that have been inherited from grand parents may be passed down the line of generation and may be evident today. A race can also be defined in terms of other characteristics like language and religion. In terms of language, it may be hard to exactly foot ones ancestry since nowdays Americans usually know only American English language. At the same time, the ancestral language may not even be reflected in ones names. The name of a person can tell the origin of a person even without assessing other characteristic. For example the name Patel will assure that there is a high probability that the person is an Indian. Most people surrounding us every day have both names in English which can explain the level of assimilation of the African slaves in the American society. In terms of religion, a large percent of Americans families are Catholic. Catholic was a predominant religion in the tradition American plantations. However, sometimes, a little enquiry from ancestors how a certain family ended up being Catholics shows that many slaves and in deed Americans were converted to catholic during the independence era as they opposed the Anglican religion perpetuated by the British. Family customs are important practices that have been passed on from one generation to the other. In some families, there are practices which father insists on like the position of the first born in the family. The first born is supposed to provide example to the rest of the siblings. In an era where family divorces are on the rise, some fathers insist that once their children are married they would like to see them have a happy marriage like they have had. These are some of the customs among other that some parents have tried to pass on to their children in certain cultures. There are practice like dressing, music, and other practices that are preserved in our family. In term of dressing, some believe in dressing like a gentle lady or gentleman. This means dressing smart. In some families, every time the one enters in the house there will be a rock music playing as the onweners like no other. Taking children to see â€Å"the land of origin† is also very popular. How can the American culture be described? Evidently, American culture is the most diverse in the world, being a multilayered culture with huge cocktail of cultures blending together to produced the Americana culture. American culture is also the most influential in the world and different aspects like clothing (notably hip star), music (pop music), business, and others have defined the standard world culture. There are different evident factors that set the American culture from the rest. The Hollywood culture that defines entertainment is the most evident. Other clear aspects of American culture is the culture of consumption, racism based on three dominant groups including African American, white American and Hispanic, and fundamental religious culture of Christians, Jews, Islam, and Atheists. American culture is very rich in diversity. (Levenstein, 2003) What would happen if a resident of the United States of America changes sex? If the one wakes up next day and finds that he/she had changed sex, life would not change much in the modern American society. American society has moved toward gender homogeneity and anyone can perform any duty. There are no cultural restriction and those existing in different races have been overtaken the constitutional legislations. Ones life would, therefore, differ in terms of the biological gender roles and in no other aspect. Also, it can be said that throughout time some aspects like dressing and the general social life has been greatly changed by the wave of globalization but this is common to all the middle class. Conclusion Diversity in the world may be the source of variety and taste of life. There are diverse races of in the world with each defined by a set of culture practices. The one could consider being an African American but his/her racial and ethnic identity may be polarized by the mix up of cultures in the diverse American culture. Today, it might prove very difficult to point out culture practices that may identify individual racial background except for the color of their skin. Reference: Finke, J. (2003): Maasai – The Eunoto Ceremony. Retrieved on 22nd November 2008 http://www. bluegecko. org/kenya/tribes/maasai/eunoto. htmfrom Kim, U. (2001): Culture, science and indigenous psychologies: An integrated analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press Levenstein, H. (2003): Revolution at the Table: The Transformation of the American culture, Berkeley: University of California Press,

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: essays research papers

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight In part four of this tale the theme that is advanced is chivalry, honor and human weakness. As Gawain goes to meet the Green Knight we get the feeling of dread by the authors description of the weather outside. It is bitterly cold and snowing. The wind is whipping around Gawain as he travels (115). The extreme weather reminds us that Gawain is going to face something just as ominous. As Gawain dresses for his meeting he binds his love token ( the green girdle) twice around his middle. He is somber as he prepares for his impending death. His sense of honor is what binds him to this meeting that will certainly be his death, so he thinks (117). Gawain is steadfast in his desire to fulfill his promise to meet the Green Knight. The guide pleads to Gawain that he will surely be killed if he continues on his mission and he tells Gawain to just leave and ride off in some other country rather than be killed (121). Gawain reaveals to us, yet again, his chivalry when he says that he would face his destiny rather than be a disgrace (121). When Gawain finally reaches the chapel of the Green Knight he is met with a roar. The Green Knight proceeds to play games with Gawain in an attempt to test his bravery and chivalry (127-128). The fact that Gawain did not retreat and run after several attempts were faked reveals how honorable Gawain was. It is not until the Green Knight actually takes a blow at Sir Gawain’s neck that we see that the green girdle worked its magic. Only to Gawain’s dismay is it revealed to him by the Green Knight that it was all a test set up to show if Gawain was truly an brave an honorable Knight (133). Gawain is devastated by his weakness and lack of honor and cowardice revealed by his hiding the green girdle from the master. He begins to repent and chastise himself for his failings. This reveals his human weakness that is in all of us. He is very humbled by his behavior (133).

World Trade Center: Bathtub

One of the famous structures ever built in the entire history of mankind is the World Trade Center. The said structure is said to have hold numerous offices and institutions that plays a vital role in running the economy of America and even to other nations. Moreover, the World Trade Center is also one of tallest buildings ever erected making it attractive to many people around the world. This might also be the reason why the said structure was attacked and was brought down by the alleged terrorists in the year 2001. The structure then was totally destroyed and what only remained was its mere foundation. A Brief History. In the year 1946, the New York state planned to build a structure that would serve as the center for trade and commerce in the said U. S state. Manhattan was chosen to be the location of the planned structure in the year 1962. Numerous professionals were tapped to facilitate the construction of the World Trade Center including Japanese architects and engineers leading the design and construction team. The construction started in the year 1966, starting with the first tower located in the northern part of the site. The north tower was completed after six years and the center accepted tenants even before the tower was totally furnished. A year after the construction of the north tower, another building finished its construction located in the southern region of the site. It was on the same year that the dedication of the World Trade Center commenced. During that time, the World Trade Center was considered as the tallest structure ever built with 110-storey with more than a thousand and three hundred feet in height. Structural Foundation The foundation of the World Trade Center twin towers was constructed with one of the deep foundations ever made. A deep basement was made to support the entire structure of these towers and all of the loads the structure handles. The said basement is also called as the bathtub. This refers to as the underground foundation area not only of the World Trade Center but also of the adjacent buildings located in New York. The bathtub is a distorted rectangle in shape with dimensions equal to almost a thousand feet by five hundred twenty feet with a depth of about seven-storey building. The bathtub is situated down to the rock layer of earth’s foundation. It is then further supported by strong, solid walls that served as the barriers to impede water from the Hudson River to enter the foundation. The said walls are also called as slurry walls. This foundation was made due to the fact that the site where the World Trade Center was erected was man-made. Moreover, the bathtub was built underground and submerged into water. The bathtub designers used pre-fabricated steel as framework of the main foundation of the building. The amount of steel used totaled about two hundred thousand tons to supply the needs for the foundation of the World Trade Center. Braces were placed to support the slurry wall aside from the supplemental support provided by the bedrock. The Foundation Design of the World Trade Center Source: www. wc7. net The Bathtub The foundation designed by the architects and engineers was seen to be massive, just as what should be considering the height of the buildings to be erected on top of the said foundation. It is a must for any gigantic structure to cling its foundation on the solid rock located beneath the earth’s ground. To attach the foundation to the bedrock, the construction workers dug enormous mass of soil and brought it up on the earth’s surface. Another challenge that was faced by the builders is that the site is near a body of water. The water coming from the river may interfere in the construction of the foundation of the World Trade Center. To resolve this problem, the workers used digging machines to create channels down to the solid rock area of earth. As they dig troughs, the workers placed a slurry wall made up of bentonite. Bentonite is an expensive type of clay that is effective in impeding water from flowing. The said material would go within the dug channels, which would effectively block the water coming form underneath the surface. Pictorial Representation of the Foundation for the World Trade Center Source: www. deepexcavation. com Slurry Wall Slurry walls, also known as diaphragm wall is a type of structure created and casted in a certain trough or channel. The trench was hinged by an expensive type of clay called as bentonite that is specified to impede soil erosions into the foundation. In other terms, slurry walls refer to a wall that is utilized to obstruct stream flow. There are equipments that are being used in applying the slurry walls in building foundations. Some of the tools used include hydromills, hydraulic clamshells and other trenching equipment. Slurry Wall History The first slurry wall that was constructed was in the year 1950 in Italy. Four years earlier, slurry walls undergone series of tests to assess its capabilities as a part of foundation of a big structure. In the year 1960, this technology was introduced in the United States of America by the European building designers. Various buildings in the US were built using the slurry walls which includes structures located in New York and California. It was only after the said structures were built that the World Trade Center was erected and used the slurry walls in its foundation. Other key states utilized the technology like Boston and Washington D. C. Slurry Wall Construction Slurry wall construction can be summarized into four steps, as shown in the figure below. The first procedure is to create a trench and applying the clays used in forming the slurry walls (A). After this procedure, a steel cylinder is inserted at the ends of the excavated areas (B). After that, a fortification cage is placed down the trench to add more support in the foundation (C). The last procedure is the concreting of pipes where the buildings would be attached. Pictorial Presentation of Slurry Wall Construction Source: www. deepexcavation. com Slurry Wall Applications There are numerous applications that can be associated with the utilization of slurry walls. One of its major applications is to serve as earth retention barriers for tunnels, subterranean vaults, and excavations. Another application of slurry walls is for blocking water penetration onto the foundation. Increasing the strength of the foundation of any structure is also one of the major applications of these slurry walls. Moreover, contamination prevention is also one basic application that is used by many architects and engineers. A gas leakage prevention form landfill is also one application that can be associated with the slurry walls. However, there are also limitations in using slurry walls in the construction of foundation. Construction of slurry walls requires heavy equipments that consume a lot of space in the construction site. Operational costs are also expensive because of the materials needed in the construction of slurry walls. Slurry Wall: After 9/11 Attack The attack made on the twin towers of the World Trade Center caused severe damage into the structure. Furthermore, after the fall of the entire structure down to the ground, many people worried about the possible damage on the slurry walls and the bathtub of the World Trade Center which can possibly affect the adjacent structures built near the vicinity of the World Trade Center. Water penetration from the Hudson River can provide damages on other structures and can also bring flooding in the nearby areas. Because of these concerns, a team of experts was sent to check the status of the said walls and inspected the entire foundation site continuously using various equipments like inclinometers and other monitoring devices. Rehabilitation of the said walls were made in order to maintain the strength of the foundation of the World Trade Center and to avoid recurring problems that might bring more harm to the people and properties in the said region.

Mole Relations in Balanced Equations Example Problems

These are worked chemistry problems showing how to calculate the number of moles of reactants or products in a balanced chemical equation. Mole Relations Problem #1 Determine the number of moles of N2O4 needed to react completely with 3.62 mol of N2H4 for the reaction 2 N2H4(l) N2O4(l) → 3 N2(g) 4 H2O(l). How to Solve the Problem The first step is to check to see that the chemical equation is balanced. Make sure the number of atoms of each element are the same on both sides of the equation. Remember to multiply the coefficient by all atoms following it. The coefficient is the number in front of a chemical formula. Multiply each subscript only by the atom right before it. The subscripts are the lower numbers found immediately following an atom. Once you verify the equation is balanced, you can establish the relationship between the number of moles of reactants and products. Find the relation between moles of N2H4 and N2O4 by using the coefficients of the balanced equation: 2 mol N2H4 is proportional to 1 mol N2O4 Therefore, the conversion factor is 1 mol N2O4/2 mol N2H4: moles N2O4 3.62 mol N2H4 x 1 mol N2O4/2 mol N2H4 moles N2O4 1.81 mol N2O4 Answer 1.81 mol N2O4 Mole Relations Problem #2 Determine the number of moles of N2 produced for the reaction 2 N2H4(l) N2O4(l) → 3 N2(g) 4 H2O(l) when the reaction begins with 1.24 moles of N2H4. Solution This chemical equation is balanced, so the molar ratio of reactants and products may be used. Find the relation between moles of N2H4 and N2 by using the coefficients of the balanced equation: 2 mol N2H4 is proportional to 3 mol N2 In this case, we want to go from moles of N2H4 to moles of N2, so the conversion factor is 3 mol N2/2 mol N2H4: moles N2 1.24 mol N2H4 x 3 mol N2/2 mol N2H4 moles N2 1.86 mol N2O4 Answer 1.86 mol N2 Tips for Success The keys to getting the correct answer are: Make sure the chemical equation is balanced.Use the coefficients in front of compounds to get molar ratios.Check to make sure you use the appropriate number of significant figures for atomic masses and report mass using the correct number of figures.