Ultraviolet Radiation - Definition of Science Terms

Ultraviolet radiation is another name for ultraviolet light. It is a part of the spectrum outside the visible range, just beyond the visible violet portion. Key Takeaways: Ultraviolet Radiation Ultraviolet radiation is also known as ultraviolet light or UV.It is light with a shorter wavelength (longer frequency) than visible light, but longer wavelength than x-radiation. It has a wavelength between 100 nm and 400 nm.Ultraviolet radiation is sometimes called black light because it is outside range of human vision. Ultraviolet Radiation Definition Ultraviolet radiation is electromagnetic radiation or light having a wavelength greater than 100 nm but less than 400 nm. It is also known as UV radiation, ultraviolet light, or simply UV. Ultraviolet radiation has a wavelength longer than that of x-rays but shorter than that of visible light. Although ultraviolet light is energetic enough to break some chemical bonds, it is not (usually) considered a form of ionizing radiation. The energy absorbed by molecules can provide the activation energy to start chemical reactions and may cause some materials to fluoresce or phosphoresce. The word ultraviolet means beyond violet. Ultraviolet radiation was discovered by the German physicist Johann Wilhelm Ritter in 1801. Ritter noticed invisible light beyond the violet portion of the visible spectrum darkened silver chloride treated paper more quickly than violet light. He called the invisible light oxidizing rays, referring to the chemical activity of the radiation. Most people used the phrase chemical rays until the end of the 19th century, when heat rays became known as infrared radiation and chemical rays became ultraviolet radiation. Sources of Ultraviolet Radiation About 10 percent of the light output of the Sun is UV radiation. When sunlight enters the Earths atmosphere, the light is about 50% infrared radiation, 40% visible light, and 10% ultraviolet radiation. However, the atmosphere blocks about 77% of solar UV light, mostly in shorter wavelengths. Light reaching the Earths surface is about 53% infrared, 44% visible, and 3% UV. Ultraviolet light is produced by black lights, mercury-vapor lamps, and tanning lamps. Any sufficiently hot body emits ultraviolet light (black-body radiation). Thus, stars hotter than the Sun emit more UV light. Categories of Ultraviolet Light Ultraviolet light is broken into several ranges, as described by ISO standard ISO-21348: Name Abbreviation Wavelength (nm) Photon Energy (eV) Other Names Ultraviolet A UVA 315-400 3.10–3.94 long-wave, black light (not absorbed by ozone) Ultraviolet B UVB 280-315 3.94–4.43 medium-wave (mostly absorbed by ozone) Ultraviolet C UVC 100-280 4.43–12.4 short-wave (completely absorbed by ozone) Near ultraviolet NUV 300-400 3.10–4.13 visible to fish, insects, birds, some mammals Middle ultraviolet MUV 200-300 4.13–6.20 Far ultraviolet FUV 122-200 6.20–12.4 Hydrogen Lyman-alpha H Lyman-ÃŽ ± 121-122 10.16–10.25 spectral line of hydrogen at 121.6 nm; ionizing at shorter wavelengths Vacuum ultraviolet VUV 10-200 6.20–124 absorbed by oxygen, yet 150-200 nm can travel through nitrogen Extreme ultraviolet EUV 10-121 10.25–124 actually is ionizing radiation, although absorbed by the atmosphere Seeing UV Light Most people cannot see ultraviolet light, however, this is not necessarily because the human retina cant detect it. The lens of the eye filters UVB and higher frequencies, plus most people lack the color receptor to see the light. Children and young adults are more likely to perceive UV than older adults, but people missing a lens (aphakia) or who have had a lens replaced (as for cataract surgery) may see some UV wavelengths. People who can see UV report it as a blue-white or violet-white color. Insects, birds, and some mammals see near-UV light. Birds have true UV vision, as they have a fourth color receptor to perceive it. Reindeer are an example of a mammal that sees UV light. They use it to see polar bears against snow. Other mammals use ultraviolet to see urine trails to track prey. Ultraviolet Radiation and Evolution Enzymes used to repair DNA in mitosis and meiosis are believed to have developed from early repair enzymes that were designed to fix damage caused by ultraviolet light. Earlier in Earths history, prokaryotes could not survive on the Earths surface because exposure to UVB caused adjacent thymine base pair to bind together or form thymine dimers. This disruption was fatal to the cell because it shifted the reading frame used to replicate genetic material and produce proteins. Prokaryotes that escaped protective aquatic life developed enzymes to repair thymine dimers. Even though the ozone layer eventually formed, protecting cells from the worst of the solar ultraviolet radiation, these repair enzymes remain. Sources Bolton, James; Colton, Christine (2008). The Ultraviolet Disinfection Handbook. American Water Works Association. ISBN 978-1-58321-584-5.Hockberger, Philip E. (2002). A History of Ultraviolet Photobiology for Humans, Animals and Microorganisms. Photochemistry and Photobiology. 76 (6): 561–569. doi:10.1562/0031-8655(2002)0760561AHOUPF2.0.CO2Hunt, D. M.; Carvalho, L. S.; Cowing, J. A.; Davies, W. L. (2009). Evolution and spectral tuning of visual pigments in birds and mammals. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 364 (1531): 2941–2955. doi:10.1098/rstb.2009.0044

The Atomic Bomb During World War II - 1924 Words

During World War II, Japan refused to surrender to the Allied Powers due to the fact that the fate of their leader, Michinomiya Hirohito, was uncertain. The United States wanted to end the war quickly and prevent lives being taken because of an invasion of Japan. This led to the creation of the atomic bomb with the Manhattan Project. President Truman’s order to drop the atomic bomb on Japan ended the war. However, using the atomic bomb resulted in conflicts such as the Cold War, and present day problems such as the Iran Deal and North Korea. The creation of the atomic bomb began with the Manhattan Project. During World War II, the United States were fearful that Germany would use a nuclear weapon so they created the Manhattan Project†¦show more content†¦On August 6th, 1945 the United States dropped a nuclear bomb called Little Boy in the town of Hiroshima. The Little Boy was the heaviest bomb at the time weighing 9,700 pounds and with a length of 10 feet. The task of dropping the first atomic bomb was carried out by the 509th Composite Group (Little Boy and Fat Man Web). However the dropping of Little Boy caused major casualties, the bombing of Hiroshima killed 180,000 people (Kennedy, Chapter 36). Three days later, on August 9th, 1945 the second and final atomic bomb that would ever be dropped on a city was called Fat Man which destroyed Nagasaki casing 80,000 deaths (Kennedy Chapter 36). The Manhattan Project was eventually absorbed into the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). After the bombs destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki other nations scrambled to get their hands on weapons of mass destruction. This would eventually lead up to the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. Even though the Manhattan Project is now gone, the terrible consequences of its invention of the atomic bomb still linger today (â€Å"Key Issues: Nuclear Weapons: History: Pre Cold War: Manhattan Project† Web; â€Å"Little Boy and Fat Man† Web). The Cold War was a conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union that occurred from 1947 to 1991. There are many reasons on why the Cold War occurred between the two countries such as: the conflict between communism and capitalism, which country

Family Tree free essay sample

My grandparents from my mother’s side of the family were both born in China and resided in a small town their entire life. My grandmother—Po Po, goes by the name of Ling Tan; and my grandfather—Gung Gung, is called Chau Yi Chen. Both of them lived in the same village and were tied together through arrange marriage which is a very popular tradition in China. Due to China’s one child policy, my grandfather grew up with no siblings because it was illegal to give birth to more than one child. Unless the family is within the minority and falls under certain circumstances, the family would be fined heavily if they give birth to addition children. Grandfather Chau Yi worked as a farmer to help support his family; and Grandmother Ling was born in a middle class family and had an older brother—Tim Chi Tan. Being a middle class family had given her family the ability to pay off their fine for having a second child. We will write a custom essay sample on Family Tree or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Granduncle Tim Chi left home in 1958 hoping for a better future in life, but he has never returned home ever since—neither did he contact the family. Therefore, I do not have much info about him and my mother would forbid me asking. Nevertheless, my grandmother grew up helping her parents in a small Chinese restaurant until she married my grandfather. After my grandparents were married for two years, they gave birth to my mother named Yan Ru Chen and a younger brother named Chang Yi Chen. Uncle Chang Yi worked at a restaurant as a waiter during daytime and a delivers newspaper early in the morning. Uncle Chang Yi left home in 1984 in attempts to seek a better life by swimming across the border to Hong Kong. Unfortunately, he failed his first attempt and was deported back home. Knowing that the opportunities in China are very limited, my grandmother cannot stand seeing her son’s potential to succeed trample in waste. She exhausted her savings to payoff generals for my uncle to reach Hong Kong safely—undocumented. His second attempt to leave home was a success, and a new chapter of his life begins. My uncle currently resides in Hong Kong and is happily married with two daughters. Furthermore, my grandparents from my father’s side of the family were also born in China and lived in the Guangdong Province their entire life. My grandma—Ma Ma, Hua Li Li, and grandpa—Yei Yei, Chung Yu, both grew up as the only child in their family and were raised in the lower class. They were neighbors and knew each other ever since their early adolescent years. My grandma grew up working in her parent’s grocery store selling fruits and vegetables as a living. My grandpa worked in a farmer market selling pork and fish and supported his parents. My grandparents were married in 1945 and 3 years later they had their first and only child which is my father named Shiu Ki Yu. My father left home around 1974 to work in the navy for 5 years and later immigrated to United States after hearing how beautiful it is and how much freedom you can have. My mother immigrated to the United States in 1987 and was introduced to my father by an old friend from China. The first and only city both of my parents lived in the United States is San Francisco. My father worked as a chief in Chinatown and my mother worked as seamstress on Third Street of market. In 1990, they gave birth to my older sister and two years later I was born. Another two years later we welcomed a younger brother to our family. Both sides of my grandparents did not want to move to America because they were afraid to start a new lifestyle, old of age, and language will be a barrier for them. At the same time, my parents were not able to support them while being paid a low wage and trying to feed their three kids. Currently, my parents are retired while my siblings and I are pursuing our college education in California. A new life soon awaits as we all look forward to being the first in the family to pursue a higher education and to graduate college.

Research Proposal on Gender Based Violence Essay Example

Research Proposal on Gender Based Violence Essay Gender-based violence is the violent group actions conducted against the person just because she belongs to the opposite sex. Apparently, the primary victims of gender-based violence are women, and this problem lasts for thousands of years. Historically, in many cultures women were deprived of rights and their sexual abuse and slavery was often treated like a norm. Even domestic violence conducted against a woman was a regular thing until the 20th century. Though the level of the protection of the human rights and the value of the human life have increased, there are still many problems related to violence based on gender on the victim. The first group of the actions treated like violence includes such points as forced marriage (still practiced in some Asian countries), female genital mutilation (widespread in some countries of Africa), rape (prevalent all over the world). The second category of violence is characterized with trafficking in women, who are kept as slaves and involved in sex industry, sexual slavery, etc. Such women face the problem of systematic rape and even forced pregnancy, and it is considered probably the most severe violation of the human rights and freedoms. Finally, there are such types of gender-based violence as forced sterilization – mainly practiced against the women involved in forced prostitution. Moreover, such women are often forced to stop their pregnancy to prolong their service in sex slavery. One can notice that the majority of the examples of gender-based violence is connected with the violation of the female rights and their forced involvement into sex industry with all the consequences of this process. We will write a custom essay sample on Research Proposal on Gender Based Violence specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Proposal on Gender Based Violence specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Proposal on Gender Based Violence specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The young person can improve her knowledge about the peculiarities of gender-based violence and its cause and effect on the human psychological and physical health. If the student chooses this topic for the analysis, he is expected to make an exciting and thought-provoking paper which can impress the reader at once. One can dwell on the most severe points related to gender-based violence and observe them in detail making a successful and logical research project in the form of the proposal. The proposal can persuade the professor in the quality of the chosen topic if the student makes it brief, entertaining, informative and clear. To prepare a well-structured research proposal, the student can pay attention to the advice found on the Internet in the form of a free example research proposal on gender-based violence in Zambia. The young professional can compose his own logical and well-formatted text following the model of the writing of a free sample research proposal on gender-based violence written online.

Soviet Union and de-Stalinization Essays

Soviet Union and de-Stalinization Essays Soviet Union and de-Stalinization Essay Soviet Union and de-Stalinization Essay Soviet Union Leaders in the Post Stalin Era Kareem M. Khalil Fall 2010-2011 Lebanese American University Outline I. The Soviet Union: a. Background about the Soviet Union from 1917-1953. b. Vladimir Lenin. c. Joseph Stalin. II. Nikita Khrushchev: a. Rise to power. b. De-Stalinization. c. Reforms and domestic policies. d. Foreign Policy. e. Expulsion from power. III. Leonid Brezhnev: a. Rise to Power. b. Domestic Policies. c. Brezhnev Stagnation. d. Foreign Policy. e. Death. IV. Yuri Andropov: a. Rise to Power. b. Domestic Policies. c. Foreign Policy. V. Konstantin Cherenko: d. Policies and short office term. VI. Mikhail Gorbachev: e. Domestic policies f. Foreign policy. g. Fall from power. h. End of the Soviet Union. VII. Conclusion Soviet Union Leaders in the Post Stalin Era The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, simply referred to ask the Soviet Union, was a socialist state that spread from Northern and Eastern Europe to various parts of Central Asia. It dated between the 30th of December 1922 and the 26th of December 1991. Until its collapse in 1991, it consisted of almost 15 constituent republics that are acknowledged today as: â€Å"Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan† [ (Rosenberg) ]. The father and founder of the Soviet Union was no other than Vladimir Lenin who managed to set the foundations of the USSR after overthrowing Tsar Nicholas II in November of 1917, and finally establishing a Soviet government in 1922. After asserting himself as the â€Å"Chairman of the Council of Peoples Commissars of the Soviet Union†, Lenin began planning and implementing new policies and ideas that would affect the USSR, alter and influence the rest of the world even after he passed away. McCauley (1993) describes some of Lenin’s policies during his reign as the following: nationalizing all banks and important business enterprises, distributing lands to peasants, reintegrating several states into Bolshevik Russia, and exporting the communist ideology. After Lenin’s death in 1924, Joseph Stalin was appointed as the â€Å"General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). † Stalin, and through outsmarting and slowly banishing his opponents, managed to establish a totalitarian regime and appoint himself as the supreme leader of the Soviet Union in the late 1920’s. Stalin’s period in office was both devastating and costly to the Soviet Union in especially in its domestic policies. Stalin’s five year economic plan (the rapid industrialization of the USSR) produced remarkable results, but cost the lives of around â€Å"14. 5 million peasants† (â€Å" moreorless. au. com/killers/stalin. html, â€Å"), and reaped the lives of almost twenty million people and deported over twenty five others from their homes. Stalin’s gruesome and horrendous rule ended when he died on the 5th of March, 1953. Stalin’s sudden decease left an important void in which many were eager to fill. The outcome of Stalin’s death resulted in a system of collective leadership. The key figures of this communal rule were: â€Å"Nikita Khrushchev, Lavrenti Beria, Nikoli Bulganin, Georgy Malenkov, Vyacheslav Molotov, and, Lazar Kaganovich† ( fortunecity. com/victorian/riley/ 787/Soviet/Khrushchev/Krushchev. html). During this period, the struggle to instigate a premier to head the Soviet Union faced many turbulences and changes. At the beginning, Malenkov assumed power as acting Premier, and Khrushchev undertook his predecessor’s (Stalin) position as First secretary of the CPSU. Subsequently, and by 1955, Georgy Malenkov was forced to relinquish his position as Premier, and was substituted by Nikoli Bulganin (who was supported and favored by Khrushchev). After Stalin’s death, his successors proceeded to diverge from the latter’s cruel and violent strategies. Surprisingly, and in a six hour speech in the 20th Party Congress, Khrushchev criticized and condemned Stalin’s bloody reign. This step forced a considerable amount of pressure to the First Secretary as McCauley (1987) describes, especially with his compatriots in the collective leadership circle. Two assassination attempts later, and a failed expulsion scheme set by Kaganovich, Molotov, and Malenkov against him, Khrushchev still managed to strengthen his power furthermore. Ironically, and in 1958, Nikoli Bulganin was forced to resign by the same man who favored his appointment, and Khrushchev assumed both the position of Premier (on the 27th of March) and First Secretary of the CPSU. Although Khrushchev worked closely and for many years with Stalin, nonetheless he was unusually dissimilar to the latter. Unlike Stalin’s harsh manner and look, Volkogonov (1998) describes Khrushchev as more of a forthcoming, pleasant, humorous, and energetic individual. Their differences are undoubtedly noticeable as Khrushchev embarked on a new policy of De-Stalinization, set to cross out Stalin’s bloody history from the Soviet Union’s international image and its people’s minds. As part of his new policy he began with renaming all the cities that carried Stalin’s name and all pictures and statues of Stalin were destroyed (as not to leave any mark to be a remainder of him). By doing so, Khrushchev managed to obtain an approval from the West and appear as a prominent and distinguished leader than his predecessors, in which Stalin would have almost certainly never acquired or achieved. In his domestic policy, Khrushchev set in motion various agricultural, administrative, and industrial reforms. In the farming sector, he launched his virgin land campaign that sought to improve and â€Å"develop the country’s virgin land and forests† [ (Sakwa, 1999) ], but his strategy proved disastrous. On the administrative level, Khrushchev began with abolishing the courts undertaken by several governmental agencies. He carried one to make the Central Committee assemblies public and open to a large number of Soviet Officials to speak freely in, and used this to his advantage since any declared opposition to him would be shunned out by the large number of his supporters. In the industrial sector, he tried to decentralize ministries and transform them into local councils to become more receptive to any problems or urgent requirements, but these councils did the opposite of what they were anticipated to do. In spite of his decent image with of the West and his more peaceful and reformist approach in the USSR, perhaps little change occurred in his military-defense/foreign policy. He sought after upholding a powerful Communist Eastern bloc. This is clearly revealed with the Warsaw Pact that was set together during his rule. Furthermore, the cold war tension peaked during his reign specifically at the incident of the Cuban Missile Crisis, in which he was utterly disgraced and was forced to withdraw the Russian arsenal from the isle. Following his major failures, and by 1964, Khrushchev was ousted out of office when he was vacationing, and was replaced by another collective leadership composed of Alexei Kosygin, Leonid Brezhnev, and Nikolai Podgorny. However, and between all the members of the â€Å"troika† (three members of the collective leadership system), Brezhnev was the most prominent and influential figure. This reason may be attributed to the simplicity of Brezhnev’s character. In his book â€Å"Autopsy for an Empire†, Volkogonov (1998) portrays the latter as a traditional, team player, and influential figure able to rally large support to his views in any path he desired. Perhaps the characteristics Brezhnev enjoyed enabled him to further rise over his two fellow rulers, and ultimately break free and become the USSR’s sole executive. Throughout his rule of the Soviet Union, Brezhnev implemented a policy to protect and sustain his rule as General Secretary of the CPSU, but at the same time brought about important reforms despite his conventional mentality. Kelley (1987) explains that Brezhnev, like Khrushchev, wanted to leave a mark in history, therefore he attempted many policy reforms. What made him different than other leaders was that Brezhnev acted carefully with every step he took n a certain field while balancing it with another field. Consequently, and by doing so, he was able to handle his critics and avoid any conflict with them and promote a balanced progress. Brezhnev’s domestic policy first focused on Soviet industries. His plan was to merge different factory â€Å"associations† whereby weaker factories could be reinfo rced by stronger ones in order to hasten the process of modernization [ (Kelley, 1987) ]. He then carried out to abolish the decentralization plans carried out by his predecessor Khrushchev His other important reforms stemmed from the agricultural sector. Brezhnev kept on the principle of collective farming, ordered all Soviet owned land to be increased by a half a hectare, and introduced new machineries to further facilitate and accelerate production. Despite Brezhnev’s intense investment in agriculture, that particular sector was faced with many droughts that affected production. The result of such disasters forced the USSR to â€Å"import large quantities of grain from Western countries† [ (http://countrystudies. us/russia/14. htm) ]. A key feature of Brezhnev’s rule, was the economic stagnation (referred to as the Brezhnev Stagnation) that the USSR’s economy passed through in the mid 1970s. The economic progress had reached its peak during that period, and began to go into stalemate. This can be attributed to several factors being: decreasing standards of living, the small numbers of unemployment that resulted in workers working less and getting paid nonetheless, and the abuse of the Soviet population to the cheap consumer goods and government services. With regards to his foreign policy, Brezhnev’s priority was to reassert the communist influence in the neighboring communist states â€Å"by undermining the influence of China† [ (http://countrystudies. s/russia/14. htm) ]. China was a growing communist influence in the Asian region, and Mao publicly denounced the Soviet foreign policy at the time. The relations between the USSR and China severely deteriorated to an extent that the armies of both countries went to a small confrontation. On the Eastern side Brezhnev created the â€Å"Brezhnev Doctrine†, as a result of some events that took place in Cz echoslovakia. Notably in 1979, Brezhnev declared war against Afghanistan (to enforce a communist government) and the issue remained unsettled until the 1980’s. Several important treaties were signed by Brezhnev at that time including: The Treaty on the â€Å"Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons†, â€Å"Strategic Arms Limitation Talks†, â€Å"Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty†, â€Å"Interim Agreement on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. † These treaties helped ease the rising tension of the Cold War Khrushchev initiated and delay the ongoing arms race. Perhaps the most important accomplishment of Brezhnev detente period was the signing of the 1975 Helsinki accord, which strengthened the communists in the Eastern Bloc and raised more antagonism against the US and the West. On November 10th 1982, Brezhnev passed away, and his successor would be Yuri Andropov. The two most notable heirs to the General Secretary of the CPSU position were Konstantin Cherenko and Yuri Andropov. In this short race for to gain the executive position, Andropov had apparent advantage. â€Å"After fifteen years of leading the KGB† [ (Mrose, 2010) ], he possessed a prolonged experience in both foreign and defense policies and had the advantage to gain support and form a strong and large to replace Brezhnev. Therefore on the 12th of November 1982, Andropov was elected to be the next leader of the Soviet Union. Although his term lasted about fifteen months, his policies and some notable events should be mentioned. Brezhnev’s rule resulted in massive corruption amongst several Soviet officials, and as a result, Andropov’s first policy was to reintroduce party regulations to counter this phenomenon. Furthermore, Andropov wanted to â€Å"boost labor discipline† (http://countrystudies. us/russia/15. htm,†). To further explain this point, we refer to the section about how workers became less efficient in Brezhnev’s rule, therefore Andropov provisioned and implemented new rules to regenerate a strong workforce. On the foreign policy level, his rule witnessed even more decline with the U. S especially after the Soviet’s shot down a Korean commercial airplane and killed all its passengers (one being a U. S senator). Perhaps his most important success was finding Mikhail Gorbachev and advancing him towards a higher ranking in the Communist regime. Andropov passed away on the 9th of February, 1984, and was replaced by Konstantin Chernenko. Although Andropov’s wishes was for Gorbachev to replace him, Chernenko (and after a long series of deliberation) was elected to become the new leader of the Soviet Union on the 13th of February, 1984. Kelley (1987) describes the process in which Chernenko reached power as way for the old members of the central committee to preserve their interests on one hand, and because younger member did not figure out their stable path in politics. Due to his very short stay in office, old age, and illness; Chernenko did not have any notable foreign or domestic foreign policy plans. Perhaps the most important event of his time, was the initiation of Gorbachev to replace him. Chernenko passed away on the 10th of March 1985, and was replaced by the final leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, on the same day. Mikhail Gorbachev was the youngest elected General Secretary to assume command in the history of the USSR. Volkogonov (1998) describes him to be the 2nd famous worldwide leader Soviet leader after Lenin, and the most contemporary individual amongst them. Gorbachev launched a wide scale reform policy that affected different sectors of the country. His strategy could be summarized into the following: reorganization, more freedom, democratisation, and hastening economic growth. The first goal one Gorbachev’s agenda was to introduce better scientific and technological means and methods in industry and agriculture. Through this means, he aimed at eliminating the long economic stagnation present since the Brezhnev era He soon realized that his aspirations will not have the desired effect unless he changes the political system from within. Therefore Gorbachev replaced several key and old Soviet officials with new energetic and younger ones. He went on to issue laws that control quality production goods, to render the sale of low-grade products. Throughout his industrial/agricultural reform phase, Gorbachev did not abandon his predecessors’ idea of a central planned economy, and tried to promote and strengthen it even more. With regards to reorganizing party ranks, democratisation, and reducing government control, Gorbachev’s second step was to dissolve the Soviet Supreme rule within itself. What began as changes in members of the Central Committee and keys ministries, evolved to draft plans of multi-candidate elections and assign non- party individuals to several governmental ranks. In 1989, he established â€Å"the Congress of People’s Deputies† (a new legislative body) in an attempt to lighten the government’s grip. Gorbachev was elected to become the head of state in the same year (General Secretary position was no longer the supreme executive position), and in 1991 he was elected to become the President of the USSR. Gorbachev’s policy of giving more freedom to the Soviet citizen’s was a new method of rule. For the first time perhaps in the USSR’s history, he decreed private ownership laws that enabled individuals to possess their own businesses. He carried on to divide the government owned airlines at that time to several autonomous airlines. Surprisingly, Gorbachev paved the way to a vast and wide â€Å"freedom of speech† policy to the Soviet citizens. This was used as a tool to silence the conservatives who opposed his reforms. Gorbachev’s new motto with regards to foreign policy was â€Å"new political thinking in international relations† (Holloway, 1988). He first began with normalization of relations with the West and especially the United States in order to reduce Cold War tensions. By doing so, he also wished to enhance both economic and diplomatic relations with the West to reach his goals, rather than confrontation or isolation. This step also helped him promote his domestic policies of reform because the United States at that time had the solution to many of Moscow’s problems. n the December 1987 Washington Summit, both countries met to endorse the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. In 1990, the Washington summit was held between the two nations where both countries showed willingness to participate in improving relations on many levels. In addition Gorbachev pursued more diplomatic means with t he United States with regards to arms control. In 1991, both states met in Moscow to sign the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Furthermore, Gorbachev enhanced the Soviet Union’s relations on many sensitive fronts. He engaged in process of improving the relations with China, after the crisis in the Brezhnev era, and succeeded in doing so. The first Soviet-Chinese summit was held on May 1989. Gorbachev carried on to improve relations with Europe where he gave an important speech on the 7th of July, 1987 where â€Å"he insisted on the sovereign right of each people to choose their own social system (â€Å" country-data. com/cgi-bin/query/r-11378. html† , 1996). Finally, the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989 in accordance with the agreement signed by the US, Pakistan, the USSR, and Afghanistan in 1988. As much as Gorbachev’s foreign and domestic policies seem constructive, yet they yielded several disastrous results. The economic policy brought about by the government resulted in several food and supply scarcities. The decentralization and loosening the governments grip policy outcome was the disintegration of the Soviet Union within itself, and many of its former states declaring independence. Soon enough, and after severe weakening of the Soviet Union, the August coup of 1991, and the creation of the â€Å"Commonwealth of independent states†; Gorbachev dissolved the Soviet Union nd Boris Yeltsin became the first president of the non-communist Russia. All great empires must come to an end as history as clearly shown us. Its fair to say that although the communist ideology was promoted as the best alternative to the imperial and capitalist means, its implementation was not close to its teachings. As shown in the above, each leader in the long chain of command in the S oviet Union partially or to a high extent drifted away from the original thoughts of Lenin. Each had his own goals, ways of thought, and policies that he projected in different means. Some even went to the extent of shunning the original foundations of communism and rejecting and insulting old leaders. They all had their different agendas, they just hid behind the shadow of the regime in order to reach higher ranks, implement their goals, and leave their own mark in Russian and international history. Bibliography (n. d. ). Retrieved from fortunecity. com/victorian/riley/787/Soviet/Khrushchev/Krushchev. html. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://countrystudies. us/russia/14. htm. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://countrystudies. s/russia/15. htm (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://countrystudies. us/russia/17. htm (2001, May 23). Retrieved from moreorless. au. com/killers/stalin. html. Holloway, D. (1988). Gorbachevs new thinking. America and the World 1988 , 68 (1). http://countrystudies. us/russia/17. htm. (n. d. ). country-data. com/cgi-bin/query/r-11378. html. (1996, July). Kelley, D. R. (1987). Soviet politics from brezhnev to gorbachev. New York: Praeger Publishers. Mccauley, M. (1987). Khrushchev and khrushchevism. Great Britain: School of Slavonic and Eat European Studies, University of London. McCauley, M. (1993). The soviet union: 1917-1991. London and New York: Longman. Mrose, C. (2010, November 12). Retrieved from https://www. libertycentral. org/today-in-history-yuri-andropov-assumes-power-in-the-soviet-union-2010-11 Rosenberg, M. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://geography. about. com/od/countryinformation/a/ussr. htm. Sakwa, R. (1999). The rise and fall of the soviet union 1917-1991. New York: Routledge. Volkogonov, D. (1998). Autopsy for an empire. New York: The Free If you need a kind of write my essay online help with another paper topic, contact us right now!

Why are Hollywood movies so popular Do you think Hollywood movies are Essay

Why are Hollywood movies so popular Do you think Hollywood movies are the representation of US imperialism Or the representation of universal values - Essay Example It is suggested that undeveloped societies subscribe to value systems and institutions that hinder the development process. (Van) The modernization first appeared in the 1950s, even raised in the 1990s.It has grown significantly making the world a global village. With the presence of the members of the fourth estate. The 1960’s saw a great push for social change. Movies during this time focused on fun, fashion, rock n’ roll, societal shifts like the civil rights movements, and transitions in cultural values. It was also a time of change in the world’s perception of America and its culture, largely influenced by the Vietnam War and continuous shifts in governmental power. The modernization theory explain how society progresses through the adaption of new technologies, economic growth, improvement in living standards and infrastructural development, literacy and cultural development, national identity development. (Anonymous) Historically, the legend of Hollywood began in the early 20th century and it has become an earmark of modern American society rich in history, innovation and technological advancement. The origin of movies and motion pictures began in the late 1800’s, with the invention of â€Å"motion toys† designed to trick the eye into seeing an illusion of motion from a display of still frames. This revealed a significant use of technology. According to the modernization theory, there was greater shift in the social change that was brought by the advancement in technology. By the end of the 1980’s, it was generally recognized that films of that time were intended for audiences who sought simple entertainment, as most pictures were unoriginal and formulaic. (Anonymous) Therefore, many studios sought to capitalize on advancements in special effects technology, instead of taking risks on experimental or thought-provoking concepts VCR’s were still popular at this time, and profits from video rentals were higher than the sales of

Evaluation of a Business Code of Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Evaluation of a Business Code of Ethics - Essay Example And to manufacture them in a socially responsible way† (IKEA Services, 2004). Locally and globally the company does not hesitate to declare its devotion to values like trust, integrity and honesty. Another plausible statement can be found in IKEA’s Code of Conduct, the IWAY Standard (IKEA Supply, 2008). It is firmly stated there that â€Å"we can do good business while being a good business†. Thus, within the business environment and activities of the company one can find ethical messages like â€Å"better living† and â€Å"socially responsible way† while in its ethical code (the IWAY) the message is about being and doing a good business. The IWAY is based on international conventions and declarations like the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the Fundamental Principles of Rights at Work, ILO declaration (1998), the Rio Declaration on Sustainable Development (1992) and the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact (2000). Marcoux (2008) agrees that a â€Å"common approach in international business ethics is to refer to or to construct lists of norms that ought to guide transnational business conduct†. ... ) diversifies these principles by adding the features of a duty-driven ethical system to the code of ethics Following IKEA’s business operating network structure the IWAY is a Code of IKEA directly with its suppliers (contractors). It is about what a supplier should do in the right way. Suppliers are responsible for communicating the content of the IKEA code of conduct to sub-contractors and workers. Relations to applicable law and regulations are at the core center of the subject. Workers or as Ikea familiarly calls them â€Å"co-workers† and managers are not directly addressed. Trade unions are only mentioned, while nothing is related to civil groups and voluntary organization and to religious topics. The development of a company’s code of ethics can be motivated by the sole requirement of life and human experience or by personal moral values and national cultural traditions. Working in favor of social responsibility can be a basic value in the behavior of grou ps and individuals. Prior to the current state of affairs Friedman in his article â€Å"The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits† (1970) rigorously raises a discussion on the topic of the "social responsibili ­ties of business". He argues that social responsibilities are of the individuals and not of the business. There he reminds about his book â€Å"Capitalism and Freedom† (1962), where the author postulates that "there is one and only one social responsibility of business–to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits". Amazingly contrasting to this position appear IKEA’s guiding principles for working in the interest of the child, the worker and the environment. Implementation of a Code of Conduct may be driven by international agreements and by