ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction There have been numerous debates surrounding whether Israel subscribes to an apartheid ideology in its treatment of Palestinians, or not. Several political, social, and global commentators have expressed their opinions on this issue with varied outcomes (Honest Reporting 2017; Havardi 2016; Reimann 2017). Scholars, humanitarian organizations and the United Nations (UN) have also contributed to this discussion by critically evaluating Israel’s policy on the treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories (West Bank and Gaza) and within the Israeli sovereign state (Pappé 2015; Jacobs & Soske 2015). These observers have either supported, or opposed, the view that Israel is an apartheid state. In this paper, the apartheid analogy stems from the application of discriminatory policies on Palestinians, by the Jews, as was the case with how white supremacists treated black people in South Africa. The comparison started in 1961 when Hendrik Verwoerd, the architect of South Africa’s apartheid policies, drew several comparisons between Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and South Africa’s treatment of non-whites in the apartheid era (Havardi 2016). Based on these comparisons, many international observers started to use the apartheid analogy to describe, or analyse, the conflict between Israel and Palestine (Cole 2017; Honest Reporting 2017; Havardi 2016; Reimann 2017). In the 1970s, several Arab-based magazines fuelled this analogy by comparing Israel’s’ actions in the occupied territories to the Bantustan strategy in South Africa, at the time (Cohen 2014). Several Palestinian scholars adopted the same view and started spreading the notion that Israel was applying some form of latent apartheid against Palestinians (Cohen 2014). Some academicians and activists started including this view in their literary works throughout the 1980s and 1990s, when conflict between Israel and Palestine was at its peak. This analogy became more prominent in the 1990s, when Israel gave limited self-governance powers to Palestinians living in occupied territories (Cook 2013). By 2013, many international observers started to normalize this analogy in their works and assessment of Israel’s policies in occupied territories. This paper critically assesses the ideology that Israel is an apartheid state, from a legal perspective, by comparing and contrasting arguments made by scholars, academicians, and international bodies on the subject. Through a review of both views, we argue that Israel is an apartheid state. Support for the Apartheid Analogy System of Control Policy in the Occupied Territories Critics believe that the branding of Israel as an apartheid state stems from the system of control policy that it applies in settlements close to the Israel-Palestinian border (IBP, Inc. 2015; Cook 2013). The West Bank comes into sharp focus when reviewing this policy because this is where most critics have found evidence of its use. The use of identification cards and the establ
Introduction Imperialism played a key role in the interaction of world cultures, resulting in new forms of literature, art and other forms of cultural expression. While there is no doubt that imperialism had a sinister side, scholars now realize that it was a platform for contact and cultural exchange between different communities. Locals had a role to play in the reception of foreign culture from imperialists. Through an analysis of changes that took place during and after imperialism, this report will demonstrate that the phenomenon hybridized local culture. General focus will be given to the impact of imperialism on the local economy, culture, and architecture. Imperialism Definition of Imperialism Imperialism is the process of dominating a region using cultural, economic, and territorial bias in order to create an empire. Imperialism may be extreme or progressive (Feuer 4). Feuer further claimed, “The Nazis practiced the extreme form by eliminating unwanted peoples” (4). Conversely, the British, French, and Belgians exerted progressive imperialism by assimilating the colonized people into their culture (Feuer 9). The colonizers claimed that they had a civilizing mission in ‘backward’ nations. In the instance of the orient, this can be seen when the journalist from France likens it to Europe. However, there are quite a number of different versions of the beliefs of the origins of imperialism. Unlike the Europeans who feel like it was deeply rooted in their culture, the Americans feel like the orient is more associated with Japan and China. With all the colonization that the European nations such as Germany, Portugal and Spain associated themselves with in the region, came the synchronization of their cultures. Imperialism and its impact on culture Imperialism had a profound effect on native languages. Many locals learnt the language of their colonizers. Some individuals, such as Bisong explain that this is not necessarily a threatening situation (124). The author speaks about his native country, Nigeria, and how most parents want their children to learn English. He explains that many of them are motivated by the need to develop their children’s opportunities in the future and enable them to earn the right education. Unlike various critics like Bisong who affirm that “the imperial language – English – may potentially neutralize or replace local languages, the opposite is true” (125). Children who are already competent in their mother tongue do not need to regard English as threat. They only spend three or four hours a day speaking English while the rest of their time is spent communicating in their native languages. As a result, many of them are reaping the benefits of being multi
Characteristics for Development of Whale-Watching Industries On the social front, it is evident that although the community in the Vava’u area comprises of only 16,000 people, it has been on the forefront in whale conservation efforts and demonstrates a friendly nature to tourists. Additionally, the community has been effective in using promotional material involving the humpback whales to put Tonga on the world map. On the economic front, it is clear that tourism is the economic mainstay of the Vava’u area due to the fragile nature of other economic activities mainly in the manufacturing, agricultural, forestry and service sectors, hence making the area a fertile breeding ground for the development of modern whale-watching industries. Concerning the natural environment, the Vava’u Island group in the Kingdom of Tonga is not only located in a tropical climate with warm, sheltered waters but also prides itself for hosting one of the whale species most popular for tourism. The high-quality marine environments in the area ensure the availability of humpback whales, which often visit the area for mating, birthing, and raising young calves. Non-Economic Impacts of Whales and Whale-Watching As demonstrated by the author of the article, tourism activities occasion both economic and non-economic impacts in the destination area or country. In the context of the Island of Tonga, whales and whale-watching activities are likely to occasion difficulties in hosting large numbers of tourists, environmental pollution and degradation, conflict between operators, resentment in the local community fuelled by increasingly large numbers of tourists, and internalization of vices such as prostitution and gambling among the local people. Other non-economic impacts of whales and whale-watching activities likely to affect the Island of Tonga include inflationary pressure in the local economy, loss of local control on how local resources are managed and distributed, as well as environmental degradation due to the establishment of numerous whale-watching businesses in the area. However, a positive non-economic impact for the Island concerns the change of attitudes and value systems among the local community, especially in terms of valuing and conserving the humpback whales as a critical resource for social and economic development of
Ethnicity, culture, and religion are essential elements which to a considerable extent, shape every individual’s personality. At the same time, these elements often become a topic of difficult conversations and even sources of conflict. As a person who has faced discrimination on numerous occasions, I believe that holding conversations with people about race and cultural identity is important, and I am always willing to participate in them. I have experienced racism ever since I was about seven years old. My parents are from different cities in Yemen, and both sides of the family would sometimes have conversations with me on how their culture is better than the other. After migrating to Qatar, I encountered negative comments and assumptions about my nationality and poverty in my home country. In the United States, I faced new racist interactions, this time concerning my religion. Still, these experiences have made me grow as a person, learn, and appreciate my culture, religion, and ethnicity. Moreover, every time I am targeted by people holding negative views about me, I attempt to have a conversation with them. I do not get offended by their words because I understand that their perspectives stem from their ignorance. Therefore, I always strive to educate people and tell them about my beliefs and cultural background. As a result, I am highly skilled in such conversations and always willing to engage in them since, in the majority of cases, people actually change their attitudes, recognize their mistakes, and even apologize.
The Fat girl is one of the most popular short stories by Andres Dubus. It is a story of a young girl Louise and her search of herself, her love, identity and self-acceptance. She was in conflict with herself and the society because of her weight. In facts, her character is the embodiment of the girls of the modern society who suffer because of the extra weight. The story gained a great popularity as it depicts the urgent problem that many people face and raise an important question: Should people try to be themselves or be the ones the society wants them to be. In this paper, we will try to answer this question. We will focus on the issue of self-identity. Thus, we will analyze the story to answer a question: was it a right decision for Louise to lose weight and what consequences of this decision? Thus, on the one hand, she got thinner and it gave her many possibilities: to marry, to do things she never did before like swimming in the pool and wear nice clothes. On the other hand, she lost herself and could not enjoy her favorite food feeling hungry all the time. In order to support the idea that losing weight was a right decision, we have to provide several convincing evidences. First of all, she became attractive and gained the approval of her mother who was never satisfied with the appearance of her daughter and encourage her to lose weight: “For days her relatives and acquaintances congratulated her, and the applause in their eyes lasted the entire summer, and she loved their eyes, and swim in the country club pool, the first time she had done this since she was a child”. (Dubus, 172) Thus, Louise’s self-appraisal rose and she felt another person, a better person. A young woman became the one her friend and family wanted to see her. She liked the way people treated her, and she felt more self-confident. Finally, she was the way her friends were. She was slim, attractive and she could lead a “normal” life. Her new appearance gave her a possibility to get married, though she thought that she would never do this because she was not pretty and not attractive, “Richard was the first man outside her family to kiss her barbecue she was sixteen” (Dubus 172). It was an unattainable dream for her. First of all, because of the words of her mother when the girl was nine, “in five years, you’ll be in high school and if you’re fat, the boys won’t like you” (Dubus 164). But now, when she was slim and beauty, she could leave the thoughts about unsuccessful relations with boys. She had a beautiful wedding, handsome husband, awesome honeymoon and finally a child. As opposed to “all the benefits” of getting thinner, there are considerable disadvantage
Evaluating the existing compensation plan to determine if it is the most appropriate for my company. Explaining the rationale Wal-Mart provides incredible compensation plan for its employees. For instance, the company offers Annual Incentive Payments through a considerable Management Incentive Plan. This is done upon accomplishment of pre-set performance objectives. The company designs its yearly incentives to recompense the attainment of annual performance goals. Evidently, the institution seeks to leverage its performance and gain competitive advantages by adopting viable human resource administration techniques as well as compensation plans that foster fairness (Altman, 2000). The practices give superior plans that facilitate a faultless match amidst work done and pay. Compensation and benefits encompass the incentives that people are subjected to following work. Compensation refers to the reimbursement benefits provide to pay for the service rendered or professional contribution provided. Organizational managers are obligated to establish polices that enhance retention of workers who give relevant support in regard to the operations and performance. Their preservation is critical in the organizational context institutions (Ezzeddine, Hachicha & Bouri, 2011). The existing compensation plan of Wal-Mart seeks to leverage performance in the institution by giving necessary rendezvous mechanism that are able to enhance understanding and designing of credible work terms. This is attainable through the use of information systems (IS) that foster communication amidst the workers and the employer. The system equally augments effectiveness in service delivery by enhancing consumer satisfaction. As noted, the available compensation plan clutches relevant capacities that allow Wal-Mart to comprehend its workers, needs and harmonious strategies to fortify their welfare (Camerer, 2003). This boosts employee retention that is critical in promoting performance. It also guarantees enough recognition of employee’s efforts that add to their wellbeing. The compensation plan established and embraced by the company is apt. Determining the most beneficial ratio of internally consistent and market consistent compensations systems for Wal-Mart It is evident from Wal-Mart that remuneration as well as work benefits involve physical and non-physical incentives reimbursed to workers for services offered. The reimbursement protocol or payment system is established to consider worker’s duty to guarantee fairness. It is a motivational plan that determines an individual’s effort as well as contribution in the delivery of services. There exist numerous theories that characterize the employe
One of the current and most burning topics for discussion among American citizens is the choice of the President in 2020. The US presidential election is characterized by the presence of many solid democratic representatives with their ideas and values. To make sure people choose correctly, it is recommended to consider a sociological perceptive and analyze if any of the nominees are able to meet the majority of core American values developed by Williams in 1975. In this paper, attention is paid to the Vermont Senator, Bernie Sanders. He is one of the longest-serving congressmen in American History, who is known due to his passion for redistributing wealth and solving inequality issues in society (Graham; Haltiwanger). Some political leaders fail to understand the essence of individualism, humanitarianism, religion, or love, and Sanders, relying on his experience, can restore the worth of a sociological perspective and these values during the presidential elections. In the mid-1960s, sociologist Robin Williams introduced 15 core values to determine human behaviors in American society. They include the importance of achievement and success to attain wealth and power, individualism to appreciate personal development, and material comfort with appropriate medical care, housing, nutrition, and other favorable economic conditions. People have to consider their best interests to elect their leaders, to choose the number of children for their families, or to share their public opinions (Neal and Youngelson-Neal 15). The sociological perspective shows that American society is a constantly changing social product with specific backgrounds that influence human attitudes and behaviors. Some human needs are identified after their birth, and many needs are developed with time when the impact of the environment cannot be neglected. American society is a complex concept with many determinants, and the election of the President in the country is one of the most significant events because it shows the achieved progress and preferred values. People have to investigate the positions of several candidates and make their choices independently. The position of Sanders is not difficult to understand as it includes several core values inherent to American life. He shared his clear vision about healthcare (to provide all with care in a cost-ef
Introduction Globalization, a process characterized by major integration of economies and cultures, is becoming rife and with it a shift in the way society operates. As communication technologies advance and transportation means become faster and more affordable, the world is slowly turning into a global village where reduction of barriers between nations is upper most in the mind of all. This trend has as its basis the philosophy the notion that a harmonized world whereby cultural differences are reduced and similarities expounded on is feasible. Globalization has resulted in some positive attributes which have made people view it as a benevolent phenomenon. However, globalization does pose some significant challenged to the society especially with regard to cultures. This paper shall argue that the intercultural connection that arises from globalization helps to fuel greater cultural conflict. To reinforce this claim, this paper shall review some of the significant effects that are as a result of globalization. The various manners in which globalization has resulted in conflict will also be highlighted. Globalization Leading to Conflict One of the key features of globalization is that it seeks to create cultural homogenization. For this reason, globalization has been accused of eroding local cultures as well as the national identity of a people. This has been perpetrated mostly through the electronic media which creates multiple cultural exchanges that are consumed all over the world (Blum 92). The homogenization in question is mostly along the Western culture lines and this might lead to discourse in a nation. Blum asserts that a state which has always relied on its unique cultural environment might find its ability to govern undermined by cultural homogenization (94). As such, the state may be unable to perform certain aspects due to its being undermined as a result of cultural integration which arises as a result of globalization. Local values, rights afforded to the individual and even human rights differ from one culture to another. Globalization purports to harmonize these by importing or exporting values which are to be adopted by all nations. This has resulted in conflict as some countries remain opposed to some of the practices that are interchanged through globalization. Schwirtz and Yaffa elaborate on this by giving an example of the gays in Moscow who are persecuted for their sexual orientation (1). This is because homosexuality is viewed as an imported Western value and the Russians are unwilling to embrace or even tolerate this practice which is viewed as perverse. The rights of gay members of the society are therefore not respected and instances of violence against this minority group are rife in Moscow. One of the primary characteristics of globalization is the widesprea
Following the currently increasing globalization among nations marketing strategies have been made easier both at local and overseas markets. In this case, local marketers within the US can find easy access to market his/her commodities to foreign markets like European Union and Japan among others. Basically, the marketing strategies for local and foreign markets may vary in terms of the channels used to promote the products and to make the consumers be aware of the product being marketed. In this regard, therefore, the marketing of a US-based company that produces medical home-care products would devise more sophisticated marketing strategies for his products to EU and Japan; different from the ones used for local markets (Laudon & Traver, 2010). Following the eminently increasing e-commerce among businesses, it would be more appropriate for the manager to adopt an e-commerce strategy to market the products in the EU and Japan. Here, the manager should develop a website and present the commodities he wishes to market in very colorful graphics and explanations; which would make the buyers know the product better and enhance its popularity. On the other hand, the manager would only be relying on local mass media like TVs, Newspapers, and Magazines as the medium for making his products known to the buyers. In addition, the manager would expand his local market by adopting e-commerce since local buyers would also be reached through the internet (Arikan, 2008). From this point of view, if the manager wants to expand his marketing to the EU and Japan, it would be easier for him to establish his products in the market, as e-commerce strategy is very appropriate in enhancing the achievement of his ultimate goals and objectives. This is because; through online marketing of commodities and services, more buyers have been created as a result of enhancing the popularity of the commodity online. In the local markets, the manager would only be using local channels to reach his customers which can not reach the customers in overseas markets (Cronin, 2000). Generally, the most significant difference between the marketing strategies the manager would take to market his products to local markets and to the EU and Japan would entirely be dependent on the channels used. In the local markets, the marketer would only use home-based marketing channels like in-person selling among others, while overseas, he/she would have to employ e-commerce strategies by applying electronic marketing channels which can reach such regions more efficiently. This is because; e-commerce strategy is one of the most influential strategies among firms and organizations towards prosperity and profit maximization. Generally, the manager should adopt the e-commerce strategy in order to secure their performance both in the short-run and the long-run, both in the local and overseas markets (Laudon & Tra