A Gender Issue In Cambodia - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1225 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Women Rights Essay Did you like this example? The Gender issue is a worldwide issue which happens not only in the developed country, but it also happens in the developing country such as Cambodian. Even though women always take a part in society and work as a man, but they still cant access to equal rights, offers of advantages, chance, and qualities. Cambodia is a developing country with an approximate 16.25 million populations in 2018. Men and women can enjoy their equal rights, yet it is the difference in real life. Specifically, violations, for example, sexual abuse and violence within the home still happen. However, many people are not educated in Cambodia still exists, relating to many factors and long-traditional. After emerging from the civil war, Cambodia became a country of widows because most of the men died in the Khmer Rouge regime more than the women. The loss of many educated people was killed since that time. Although Cambodia has achieved the time of globalization, women still have been viewed as the lower classification because of gender inequality. But, women do not have enough rights and sufficient capacity to engage in society, political, and economic. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Gender Issue In Cambodia" essay for you Create order There are many factors that women cannot access high education like men because of few points relating to security and reputation. In the context of Cambodian society in ancient time are very stick to women, they do not have to be prominent in social work or learning a lot because after married, they just need to be a housewife, and was supplied by her husband while the men are the most powerful in the family because they need to go outside for work and find the money to support their family. In this manner, when confronting any issues, men utilize their power to solve the problems, sometimes, they use any physical abuse or any violence against women. One concept has raised up like Having a daughter like a toilet in front of the house which mean that if their daughter has made a mistake, so their familys reputation will be disgraced and will be looking down by a neighbor. Till now, some families still using this old concept, especially in the rural areas, they said it is not necessary for women to get a high education like men. Cambodian traditional concept value women less than men. Later on, women have played an important role in the male-overwhelmed circles of work and legislative issues in Cambodia, but the value of women in Cambodian still low. This issues happened on both with education women and uneducated women. For women who have high education and graduated from both inside and outside the country when they involve in society, one proverb from men has been raising up like women cannot do anything more than house chores. Such perception, because they think that women dont have enough capacity and strong decision-making like men. However, if men have made something wrong, society does not pay much attention, but for women, a little fault, they expand to a big problem. Generally, Cambodian families esteem men more than women with the proverb said that the men are like a gold even it is dropped in mud, is still a piece of gold while the women are like a white paper, if stained, will not be erased forever. Because of discrimination and contempt for women, the world decides to set up an International Womens Day which is celebrated annually in every country. On March 8, 1994 , International Womens Day is celebrated for the first time in Cambodia and there is a great deal of participation from women holding placards with the words Stop Violence Against Women and Women Seeking Peace. Beyond this, Royal Government of Cambodia established the Ministry of Womens Affairs of Cambodia to emphasize the importance of women, as well as the promotion and value of women. The life of women in Cambodia is hard, particularly, the women who live in the rural areas. Because of uneducated, even though they work hard, they receive low-income for their family. The majority of them are agriculturists who work hard throughout the day in the fields. Focusing on education rights, principle necessary instruction under the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) comprises of 9 years, separated into elementary school, lower secondary and pre-school to upper secondary. Relating to the adult literacy rate of Cambodia population aged 15 and over who can both read and write has expanded at the national level between 2008 to 2014 for both genders. According to Cambodia Social Economic survey (CSES) in 2010, the adult literacy estimate was 77 percent for both genders, ( 69% for women and 85% for men). After the country began to develop gradually, the adult literacy rate was increased to 78.3 percent (male was about 84.5% and the female was 70.5%) in 2015, through the report of World Data Atlas. By the way, if we look at the illiteracy rate in Cambodian population aged 15 and over who inability to read or write has increased in 2009 about 2.43 million and decreased to 2.31 million in 2015 for both sexes. However, adult female illiteracy in Cambodia was increase about 68.6 % in 2009 and decreased to 66.8% in 2015, according to World Data Atlas. Of course, the illiteracy rate in rural areas is higher than the urban, especially, women get a low chance to education fewer than men. Moreover, its likewise been evaluated that half of the rural women are illiterate and have not finished primary school, according to the report of The Situation of Women in Cambodia. The report said that in 2004, only 16% of Cambodian women registered for lower secondary schools. Many factors that women cannot access the education and dropped out their study. The first factor, they are required to be at home to look after their children, siblings, and doing household chores. And some believed that if women get an education, they just write a love letter to their boyfriends, so, better to stay at home, learn how to cook and take care of the family. Other factors are relating to the poverty. For example, the school in Cambodia is free, but school outfit and study material are not, so, poverty pushes children to drop-out their education, due to the families are poor and cannot afford their children to access the education. And relating to their view that women need to be at home and take care of the family, so it is better to giving their sons to education than their daughters. Another factor that women cannot access to education because it relating to the distance between houses to school and security. As we know in rural areas, there are very few schools and distances from home to school is far. Especially, it is not safe, as many rape cases are the serious crime that increases every year in Cambodia. Notably, in 2015, rape crime increased by 12%, according to Interior Ministry report. Further, the reported from LICADHO said that the victims age between 4 or 5 years old up to 15 years old had been raped. For example, young boy age 17 years old, who lives in Stung Trengs province. The police had reported that this man has been accused of abuse no less than two girls in his village between the ages of 9 and 11 years old. This is so dangerous for young girls who travel alone in rural areas. Relating to that reason, some families in rural areas are fear to allow their daughters to go to school, because of security in their village.

Workplace Negativity - 7059 Words

A Study of Managing Workplace Negativity ORIENTATION TO TOPIC People with negative emotions have a much greater chance of experiencing negative stress and are more likely to experience dissatisfaction with their lives and jobs.1 Some people appear to be born with a genetic predisposition toward negativity while others appear to become negative as a result of their environment. There are those who agree that one’s personality is a combination of genetic make-up and life experiences.2 People who chronically express negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors increase the likelihood of engaging in destructive actions. Workplace negativity is rapidly â€Å"emerging as a disease of the 21st century corporation,† and like any other chronic illness,†¦show more content†¦10. The Pessimists – Pessimists experience the world as an unpleasant place. They expect the world to fall down on them, and if it doesn’t, they do everything possible to help bring it down. 11. The Uncommitted – These are the people who do not take their jobs seriously, making their teammates work more difficult. Work is a very low priority for them. 12. The Criticizers – Their mission is to disagree with anything that is said. They like to be right no matter what. 13. The Crybabies – Crybabies behave like children who don’t get their way. They frown, withdraw, go off on a tirade, and literally cry. 14. The Sacrificers – Sacrificers are the bleeding hearts of the office. They come in early and stay late. They’ll do anything you ask them to but they will, in a self-depreciating way, complain about their workload, difficult employees, and customer or bosses. 15. The Self-Castigators – These people get upset with themselves and then become negative. They find fault with their work performance, appearance, career progress, socioeconomic status, educational background, and so on. 16. 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Dramatic irony Essay Example For Students

Dramatic irony Essay In his play An Inspector Calls how does Priestley use dramatic devices and language to convey his concerns and sustain the interest of the audience?  Priestley wrote the play An Inspector Calls in 1945. Priestley was a socialist and had the intention of using the play An Inspector Calls to broadcast his socialist ideas. He wanted to eliminate the social hierarchy. He uses the Birling family to portray a capitalist family, which was common amongst the higher classes in 1912. A family who has no care for other people, and he shows that with the power of socialism, represented by the inspector. The uneasy lies put on by the Birling family to cover up their real flaws and how they have treated Eva smith, a woman who they considered to be lower class, show that they know they were wrong. The play is set in 1912, two years before World War 1 and was shown in theatres during World War II. This way the audience can relate to the time and would become involved. He wanted to get the audience to question their own morality. There are two main reasons why Priestley wrote this play. The main one being to entertain his audience. The second one was to express a point of view. Priestley was very critical with those with wealth and status who refused to acknowledge how their power and privilege could adversely affect the lives of others less fortunate than themselves. He and many others saw the world as a place where responsibility for all is shared by all. The play was wrote in 1945 because he wanted to warn his audiences of the threat if they carried on the way of life in which they were. The play introduces two choices in which they themselves could choose to happen, they could return to the ways of the Edwardian era or they could move forward for the best into a better era. An Inspector Calls is a polemic. It expresses a strong moral view point of the author that the rich are self-centred, greedy and should be more responsible for their actions. The play concerns the Birling family, which consists of Mr and Mrs Birling and their two children Eric and Sheila. Arthur Birling is a rich business man who thinks very highly of himself, even though he is very often wrong. Arthurs family respect him and listen intently to his ideas and thoughts. Priestly wanted he audience to have a low opinion of Mr Birling because he was discouraging his Capitalist politics and trying to show people like Mr Birling to be at fault. Mrs Birling is extremely concerned about her appearance, she shops almost everyday in order to achieve her best looks. She has very high standards to achieve being part of a rich family in the Edwardian era. Sheila is Mr and Mrs Birlings daughter and is currently engaged to Gerald Croft, a friend of the family (wealthy son of Sir George Croft). Eric is Mr and Mrs Birlings son he is a drunken b boy, however, his parents are unaware of this. Also included in the play is Eva Smith who has been employed at Mr Birlings factory. The Birling family are part of the upper class community. At the opening of the play the Birlings are enjoying a family dinner party to celebrate the engagement of Sheila and Gerald. They are having fun, talking about good times and having a laugh and a joke. The doorbell rings, Mr Birling calls for Edna (the maid) to answer it. Inspector Goole has paid them a visit and announces that he is investigating the suicide of a young girl names Eva Smith. It emerges that each member of the family has played an equal role in contributing to Eva Smiths emotionally affected life up to the point where she committed suicide. The Inspector questions each family member about the death, but they deny any involvement. A Dolls House EssayDramatic irony is used a lot throughout as a source of holding the audiences attention; it is a way of dramatising the whole production. An example of dramatic irony used within the play is when Mr Birling says There isnt a chance of war. As the play was wrote in 1945, the first audiences would know for a fact that the World War Two did in fact occur, therefore Mr Birling was very wrong to make this statement, The Titanic is unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable is another example of dramatic irony in the play. Mr Birling, like many others at the time believed it to be so, however, an audience of 1945 and after, of 1945 and after, having lived past the event know that the facts of history prove this statement to be very wrong. Certain comments used in the play are suited well to the time when the play was written, the audience therefore would be able to relate to these examples of dramatic irony, gathering from this that Arthur was very wrong in his opinions and might even think him to be stupid. Mr Birling has been given this image of being pompous and self-opinionated because J. B Priestley wanted people to move from the Edwardian era to a new and better era. The lighting used in the play also creates a dramatic effect and is used by Priestley to convey his concerns. The main purpose of the change of lighting is to create a different mood or cause tension around particular characters. When the Inspector is introduced the lighting turns from a calm pale pink to harder, brighter pink. This shows that the mood is tense and it shows that the Birlings cant hide from Inspector Goole, the audience or each other. Their guilt then becomes present amongst each other. Another dramatic device Priestley uses is sounds. Doorbell effects are used several times throughout the play when characters enter the scene. Each time the bell rings something is changes dramatically, when the Inspector rings the doorbell and is shown in, for example, the mood of the evening changes from being happy to extremely serious. What is revealed is something that the Birlings will have to live with, knowing that they contributed to the death of a young girl. The ringing of the doorbell is a common device in most homes; therefore it is a device used as an everyday event, when it continuously sounds and something changes dramatically it makes a dramatic device. Somebody from the outside world, somebody from the lower community enters the Birlings world, inside their own home, someone who has more power than them in this instance. The doorbell rings and the Inspector arrives immediately after Mr Birling has made his speech, When things are so much easier, is that a man has to make his own way, has to look after himself -and his family too, of course, when he has one-and so long as he does that he wont come to much harm. The Inspector appearing shows that Mr Birling has not looked after his family like he said. Eric is a drunken man, unknown to his knowledge and the rest of his family has something to hide from each other about the death of Eva Smith.

Beowulf Vs. Grendal Essay Example For Students

Beowulf Vs. Grendal Essay Grendal, a descendant of Cain, is one of the main antagonist of the poem Beowulf. He lives under an inherited curse and is denied Gods presence. Throughout the story Grendal causes enormous grief and fear to the people of Herot. After so much pain and agony the king of Herot, Hrothgar, sends for the protagonist of the poem, Beowulf. He is a Geat and the epic hero of the poem. The wide variety of distinctions between Grendal and Beowulf is what develops the climax of the composition. Beowulf kills Grendal, so he is honored by the people of Herot for his heroic act. Since Grendal and Beowulf play opposite roles in the poem, Beowulf, they let the reader know how contrasting characters can develop the plot of the story. Grendal is known as a monster and portrays one of the many villains in the poem. He is referred to as the guardian of his sins. Grendal depicts a heathen the physical image of man estranged from God. Basically, Grendal reflects a physical monster, an ogre who is hostile t o humanity. Grendals constant visits to Hrothgars mead hall for bloody feasts made him feel powerful over Gods humanity. Unfortunately, the night Beowulf lies in wait for him, he assumes that his bloody feasts will continue and Grendal gives no attention to his method of attack. Grendal is then killed. Beowulf, the heroic figure in the poem, is known throughout the land as a courageous man who performs great deeds of valor. He is a Geat, who later becomes the king of the Geats. Beowulfs strength seems to be a gift from God. As a noble and kind man, Beowulf comes to Herot to save them from Gods foe. Before Beowulf initiates battle with Grendal he exhibits a sense of fairness in not using a weapon against the monster. This demonstrates a great difference between the two characters. Had Beowulfs attack not been unexpected, Grendal surely would have used a weapon. Beowulfs defeat against Grendal sets one of the first stepping stones to his long legacy of heroic deeds. Both of these characters remain static throughout the poem. Beowulf portrays the heroic figure who saves everyone, while Grendal always remains evil with bad intentions. Grendal attacks mead hall because of jealousy. Grendal envies the fellowship and happiness he observes. He dislikes living in the outer world, excluded from the company of men; thus he stalks the moors, jealous of the pleasures of mankind. Beowulf is Grendals worst living nightmare. Beowulf represents everything that Grendal yearns to be: honored by God, a hero in strength as well as in spirit, accepted by mankind. Therefore the contrariety between them sets an exemplary contrast between a hero and a villain. The two main characters of this poem, Beowulf and Grendal are characters that make the story an epic poem. Beowulf delineates the common hero almost mythological, because of his special strength. While Grendal is the common miscreant, who kills for his own entertainment. Both of these characters differ in disposition, however they both have a tendency to strive for what they want. Beowulf strives to be known as the best warrior. Grendal strives to get revenge on mankind for what he savors. Their comparison sets them apart both in temperament and in their mode of thought.

asians essays

asians essays At its inception, the United States was built on principles of freedom, justice, and liberty. A reaction to tyranny and oppression, its creation sought to bring change to centuries of inequity under the British monarchy. But no change is sudden; the growth and evolution of the United States has taken centuries and is still in a state of continual development. In the past year, however, this country has taken an additional step toward progress through the presidential appointment of two Asian Americans, Norman Mineta and Elaine L. Chao, to the Department of Transportation and the Department of Labor, respectively. The acceptance of Asian Americans in the government's high offices has influenced public opinion in many way; most of all, it acknowledges the power of Asian Americans in the community and help break existing stereotypes regarding the social roles of those with Asian heritage. For over a century, Asian influence has been overlooked in history books. As a result of the appointment, America is coming to terms with the fact that Asians are a crucial part of American government and have always been a rich part of American history. According to the PBS special Ancestors in the Americas, Chinese immigrants have been "invisible" in the American story, even though "their presence was pervasive and economically pivotal." It points out the simple fact that the Transcontinental Railroad was built largely with the work of Chinese laborers, yet none are to be found in celebratory pictures of its completion or in the pictures of workers found in archives. High positions in government, however, such as working on the presidential cabinet, cannot be ignored or overlooked. They don't have to attempt to make history; they are already making history with every proposition, with every day. Moreover, the appointment of Asian Americans to such high positions means that they can directly influence public policy,...

The Rules of Attraction essays

The Rules of Attraction essays Main characters - Lauren, Victor, Paul, Sean, Laura The entire novel is set in a backwards motion, essentially the story moves from end to beginning, but explaining the story of everyone of the characters separately while all leading to the same conclusion. Sean is an angry and cynical person who deals drugs and falls in love with Lauren, at the beginning of Sean's story he receives a love letter who he believes to be from Lauren. After going through a small deal of having a gun held to his head by his drug supplier Sean goes around trying to collect money people owe him to pay back his supplier. The story then switches to Paul's story where him and Sean meet at what's called the Edge of the World party. After this comes morning, this is where Sean and Lauren meet after walking to a class that ends up canceled. At this point you can see that Sean and Lauren have chemistry, this is the first time we notice love in the novel. That night Lauren and Laura are talking about the nights party, Lauren looks through a book of venereal diseas es to deter from having sex. This is also when we first learn of Lauren's love for Victor, who is in Europe to study abroad. At the party Paul and Sean meet up and talk, and then they go back to Paul's room to smoke some "pot". They disappear and the novel moves to Lauren and Laura talking about where Sean and Paul went. This is the point where we find out that Paul has feelings for Sean, the strangest part of this segment is that while Sean is smoking pot, Paul begins to masturbate and fantasize about Sean, while Sean is lightly passes out. The next morning Sean goes back to his mailbox to find another love letter, he still believes this to be from Lauren. That night the story goes to Lauren and Laura sitting around their room sniffing cocaine talking about Sean and how Lauren is starting to fall for him. At almost that exact same time, Paul calls Sean and Sean has no idea w ...

Workplace Learning and Human Resource Management Essay

Workplace Learning and Human Resource Management - Essay Example Because of the continuous political, social and economic changes that are taking place within the external business environment, organizational learning is necessary to ensure that each employee is prepared and ready in terms of addressing business and non-business related problems that may eventually hinder organizational success and its overall performance. The nature of formal learning is based on curriculum (Module 1 - Workplace Learning and Human Resource Management n.d.). Usually, formal learning approach takes place within the four-corners of the classroom. On the other hand, informal learning is referring to incidental and unstructured learning which could take place anytime within the work environment (Levenberg and Caspi 2010; Rogers 2003). Therefore, one of the main differences between formal and informal learning is that formal learning is strongly supported by either educational or training institutions except for informal learning (Levenberg and Caspi 2010). Not everyth ing that the workers need to learn can be taught and learned from a formal workplace learning intervention. Given that each employee has the option to learn through informal learning, this report will identify and discuss the reasons why organisations can never or should never rely entirely on formal workplace learning. In conclusion, the learning and economic benefits associated with informal learning will be provided. Eventually, a list of recommendations based on the factors that could hinder the practice of informal learning within the work environment will be identified and thoroughly discussed. Reasons Why Organisations Should Not Rely Entirely on Formal Workplace Learning Limitations of Formal Teaching Techniques Learning that takes place within a formal learning environment normally applies a teacher-led type of learning process (Dillon and Maguire 2007, p. 168). Since a formal learning environment does not always give the learners the opportunity to learn through continuous interaction with other learners within the group, information gathered by the learners is usually limited in terms of fully understanding concepts and theories behind what is being taught in class. Likewise, learners within a formal learning environment may not have the opportunity to ask or be too shy to ask specific question pertaining to what is being discussed inside a formal learning environment. Another limitation associated with the use of formal teaching techniques

The world I come from and my personal experience Statement

The world I come from and my experience - Personal Statement Example My father grew up in the tumultuous period of the 1950s and 60s, in that post-war, mid-twentieth century America recognized as the dominant power of the West, while also having to face the challenges from a belligerent Communist East. My mother originated from a peaceful, Buddhist country, Thailand, and hailed from a traditional, conservative family background. Both my parents are peace loving, and have provided me with all the support I need to develop both academically and in extra-curricular activities throughout my school career. My father encouraged me to learn the Thai language and customs and I benefitted from his, and my mother’s encouragement to attend weekend classes at the Thai cultural centre based at the Buddhist temple. At the local Thai temple I also learnt to play the Thai classical musical instrument khin along with several other Thai students. While growing up, I began to feel that sound (the sense of hearing) was an important factor in my personality and dev elopment. I was able to overcome my shyness and initial lack of confidence whenever I began to play the khin to an attentive audience. Playing classical music on the khin was deeply satisfying, with its loud, fast-paced percussion (klong), clear resonance (ranad) and the butterfly-like striking of the khin strings. In the summer before 11th grade, I participated in the Rock Era Festival, organized by the American Buddhist Community SGI-USA. The performance was free and watched by hundreds of youth who had gathered to promote world peace, and in the process developing their own inner strengths and resources. Before playing the musical instrument khin, one had to perform wai kru an act of homage to one’s ‘spiritual teacher’. Paying respect to one’s elders was a Thai cultural practice honoured by all the students. Here, I found myself an object of curiosity to other Thai students, and felt excluded, because of my mixed parentage. However, once they found that we had more in common with every passing year, the mutual reservations disappeared, and I benefitted from the seven-year long period of cultural immersion of immense benefit in my journey of personal discovery and fulfilment. Personal Experience Even though I was happy to have mastered the khin, I yearned for the pure sound that I could make vocally, totally independent of any musical instrument. This I achieved by joining the Buddhist community chorus. At first, it was difficult, a bold move, as I found socializing with other singers way outside my comfort zone. I persevered, making friends initially with Melany, whom I found to be a sympathetic soul. With her by my side, my social skills continued to develop by leaps and bounds. ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’, with a Hawaiian slant, was the song we practised for the first two months. For the first time, I felt inspired, and was performing from the depths of my soul. On the day of performance, there were at least 16,000 people in the audience. My nerves dissipated at the first riff of the ukulele. My confidence soared and I knew then that I could achieve anything if my heart desired it. This was a national movement of youth seeking to overcome their insecurities through participation in joint activities and thereby ultimately promoting world peace. I felt exhilarated. Coming from a happy home did not make me immune to

Hitler and the Munich Beer Hall Putsch (1923) Term Paper

Hitler and the Munich Beer Hall Putsch (1923) - Term Paper Example After the failed attempt of Munich Beer Hall Putsch, Hitler was sentenced to fie years in prison while being convicted of treason. During the following one year, he dictated his autobiography. Called â€Å" Mein Kampf†, based on his political career. While he did not spend more than one year in prison, the event made him a national hero, as he pursued the fresh attempts to rebuild the Nazi party within the given legal framework. After the heavy loss in World War I and very unfavorable terms of Versailles treaty, the nation had been facing many economic hurdles. The years following this witnessed national instability with veterans and rebellious youths swelling the membership of both the right and left wing parties with the aim of overthrowing the government through armed struggle. The successful â€Å"March to Rome† by Mussolini that gave power to fascists in Rome during October 1922 provided inspiration for the youths who had joined Hitler’s Nazi party to carry out such an attempt in Germany. As Nazis prepared for the coup attempt, the membership of this party had exceeded almost 50,000. Accordingly, Hitler planned to start a â€Å"March on Berlin† movement for taking over the national government. During this time, many responsible authorities of Bavarian state government were agitating against the federal policies on the issue of resistance to Franco-Belgian occupation troops. This resulted in their preparation for a coup against the Berlin rule. Accordingly, they discussed the strategy for such action on the evening of 8 November 1923, while meeting at a hall in the eastern part of Munich. In the meanwhile all nationalist and radical forces had formed a coalition called â€Å"Kampfbund† to give it a shape of a combat league. However, as Hitler was not invited to the Bavarian meeting of November 8, the rivalry of Hitler and Bavarian President Kahr resulted in the deposition of Bavarian government. Accordingly, the

Green Marketing: Advantages and Disadvantages

Green Marketing: Advantages and Disadvantages ACKNOWLEDGEMENT As I sum up draft of my study, I appreciatively reminisce the contribution of all those people without whose support and help, this study would have never taken its present form. I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude towards the pillars of successful completion of Dissertation Report, without whose unflinching assistance co-operation at all times it would rather have been impossible for me to achieve the desired goal. I am greatly indebted to my faculty guide mentor, Mr.Saravana Krishnamurthy, Professor Kohinoor Business School, Khandala for his undying support encouragement throughout the project. Lastly I would like to thank my school, Kohinoor Business School, Khandala for giving me this opportunity to put to practice, the theoretical knowledge that I imparted from the program . Last but not the least I express my thanks to all the respondents who showed a keen interest in my Project, relatives, friends and neighbors to provide me the necessary resources to complete the Project the help provided to me at every step. DEDICATION â€Å"Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision,hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.† -Merlin Olsen I dedicate this report to my parents and friends in recognition of their worth and to my teachers who are the guiding force for me and it is their effort and hard work that showed me the path of success and prosperity which would be there for me for the rest of my life. I would like to thank and dedicate this report to everyone who knowingly and unknowingly contributed to the completion of my Summer Internship Project. I hope people find this report useful and the subject matter adds to their knowledge. ABSTRACT In todays business world environmental issues plays an important role in marketing. All most all the governments around the world have concerned about green marketing activities that they have attempted to regulate them. For example, in the United States (US) the Federal Trade Commission and the National Association of Attorneys-General have developed extensive documents examining green marketing. There has been little attempt to academically examine environmental or green marketing. It introduces the terms and concepts of green marketing, briefly discuss why going green is important and also examine some of the reason that organizations are adopting a green marketing philosophy. It also focuses some of the problems with green marketing. It identifies the key to successful green marketing:  § Credibility  § Publicize stories of the companys and employees green initiatives.  § Enter environmental awards programs to profile environmental credentials to customers and stakeholders.  § Never overstate environmental claims or establish unrealistic expectations. It also tells about Why Are Firms Using Green Marketing  § Organizations perceive environmental marketing to be an opportunity that can be used to achieve its objectives  § Organizations believe they have a moral obligation to be more socially responsible  § Governmental bodies are forcing firms to become more responsible  § Competitors environmental activities pressure firms to change their environmental marketing  § activities  § Cost factors associated with waste disposal, or reductions in material usage forces firms to modify their behavior This report stresses upon the effect of green marketing on the consumers. Green marketing isnt just a catchphrase; its a marketing strategy that can help you get more customers and make more money. But only if you do it right. OBJECTIVE: 1)To determine whether Indian consumers are ready for Green Marketing 2) To determine whether Price has effect on purchase of green products 3) To determine whether environment consciousness has effect on purchase of green products 4) To determine whether Availability has effect on the purchase of green products 5) To determine whether Awareness has an effect on Purchase of green products RESEARCH METHDOLOGY Research Methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It may be understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically. In it we study the various steps that are generally adopted by a researcher in studying his research problem along with the logic behind them. It is necessary for the researcher to know not only the research methods/techniques but also the methodology. Researchers not only need to know how to develop certain indices or tests, how to calculate the mean, the mode, the median or the standard deviation, how to apply particular research techniques, but they also need to know which of these methods or techniques, are relevant and which are not, and what would they mean and indicate and why. Researchers also need to understand the assumptions underlying various techniques and they need to know the criteria by which they can decide that certain techniques and procedures will be applicable to certain problems and others will not. Thus, when we talk of research methodology we not only talk of the research methods but also consider the logic behind the methods we use in the context of our research study and explain why we are using a particular method or technique and why we are not using others. INTRODUCTION According to the American Marketing Association [1],green marketing is the marketing of products that are presumed to be environmentally safe. Thus green marketing incorporates a broad range of activities, including * Product modification, * Changes to the production process, * Packaging changes, as well as * Modifying advertising. Yet defining green marketing is not a simple task where several meanings intersect and contradict each other; an example of this will be the existence of varying social, environmental and retail definitions attached to this term. Other similar terms used are Environmental Marketing and Ecological Marketing. The legal implications of marketing claims call for caution. Misleading or overstated claims can lead to regulatory or civil challenges. In the USA, the Federal Trade Commission provides some guidance on environmental marketing claims. The term green marketing [2] came into prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The American Marketing Association (AMA) held the first workshop on Ecological Marketing in 1975. The proceedings of this workshop resulted in one of the first books on green marketing entitled Ecological Marketing Thus green marketing incorporates a broad range of activities, including product modification, changes to the production process, packaging changes, as well as modifying advertising. My definition which encompasses all major components of other definitions is: Green or Environmental Marketing consists of all activities designed to generate and facilitate any exchanges intended to satisfy human needs or wants, such that the satisfaction of these needs and wants occurs, with minimal detrimental impact on the natural environment. This definition incorporates much of the traditional components of the marketing definition that is All activities designed to generate and facilitate any exchanges intended to satisfy human needs or wants. So, in simple terms Green marketing refers to the process of selling products and/or services based on their environmental benefits. Such a product or service may be environmentally friendly in itself or produced and/or packaged in an environmentally friendly way. The obvious assumption of green marketing is that potential consumers will view a product or services greenness as a benefit and base their buying decision accordingly. The not-so-obvious assumption of green marketing is that consumers will be willing to pay more for green products than they would for a less-green comparable alternative product -an assumption that has not been proven conclusively, specially the mild effect which it had had on consumers has washed away by the present recession (2008-09) only. Green marketers though argue that it is a way to use the environmental benefits of a product or service to promote sales. Many consumers will choose products that do not damage the environment over less environmentally friendly products, even if they cost more. With green marketing, advertisers focus on environmental benefits to sell products such as biodegradable diapers, energy-efficient light bulbs, and environmentally safe detergents. People buy billions of dollars worth of goods and services every year—many of which harm the environment in the way they are harvested, made, or used. Environmentalists support green marketing to encourage people to use environmentally preferable alternatives, and to offer incentives to manufacturers that develop more environmentally beneficial products. IMPORTANCE OF GREEN MARKETING Man has limited resources on the earth [3], with which she/he must attempt to provide for the worlds unlimited wants. There is extensive debate as to whether the earth is a resource at mans disposal. In market societies where there is freedom of choice, it has generally been accepted that individuals and organizations have the right to attempt to have their wants satisfied. As firms face limited natural resources, they must develop new or alternative ways of satisfying these unlimited wants. Ultimately green marketing looks at how marketing activities utilize these limited resources, while satisfying consumers wants, both of individuals and industry, as well as achieving the selling organizations objectives. When looking through the literature there are several suggested reasons for firms increased use of Green Marketing. Five possible reasons cited are: †¢ Organizations perceive environmental marketing to be an opportunity that can be used to achieve its objectives †¢ Organizations believe they have a moral obligation to be more socially responsible †¢ Governmental bodies are forcing firms to become more responsible †¢ Competitors environmental activities pressure firms to change their environmental marketing activities †¢ Cost factors associated with waste disposal, or reductions in material usage forces firms to modify their behavior †¢ Opportunities GOALS OF GREEN MARKETING  · Eliminate the concept of waste.  · Reinvent the concept of product.  · Make prices reflect actual and environmental costs.  · Make environmentalism profitable.  · Bringing out product modifications.  · Changing in production processes.  · Packaging changes.  · Modifying advertising. NEED OF GREEN MARKETING: AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL VIEW Issues like Global warming [3] and depletion of ozone umbrella are the main for the healthy survival. Every person rich or poor would be interested in quality life with full of health and vigor and so would the corporate class. Financial gain and economic profit is the main aim of any corporate business. But harm to environment cost by sustain business across the globe is realized now though off late. This sense is building corporate citizenship in the business class. So green marketing by the business class is still in the selfish anthological perspective of long term sustainable business and to please the consumer and obtain the sanction license by the governing body. Industries in Asian countries are catching the need of green marketing from the developed countries but still there is a wide gap between their understanding and implementation. CHALLENGES IN GREEN MARKETING Ø NEED FOR STANDARDIZATION It is found that only 5% of the marketing messages from â€Å"Green† campaigns are entirely true and there is a lack of standardization to authenticate these claims. There is no standardization to authenticate these claims. There is no standardization currently in place to certify a product as organic. Unless some regulatory bodies are involved in providing the certifications there will not be any verifiable means. A standard quality control board needs to be in place for such labeling and licensing. Ø NEW CONCEPT Indian literate and urban consumer is getting more aware about the merits of Green products. But it is still a new concept for the masses. The consumer needs to be educated and made aware of the environmental threats. The new green movements need to reach the masses and that will take a lot of time and effort. By Indias ayurvedic heritage, Indian consumers do appreciate the importance of using natural and herbal beauty products. Indian consumer is exposed to healthy living lifestyles such as yoga and natural food consumption. In those aspects the consumer is already aware and will be inclined to accept the green products. Ø PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE The investors and corporate need to view the environment as a major long-term investment opportunity, the marketers need to look at the long-term benefits from this new green movement. It will require a lot of patience and no immediate results. Since it is a new concept and idea, it will have its own acceptance period. Ø AVOIDING GREEN MYOPIA The first rule of green marketing is focusing on customer benefits i.e. the primary reason why consumers buy certain products in the first place. Do this right, and motivate consumers to switch brands or even pay a premium for the greener alternative. It is not going to help if product is developed which is absolutely green in various aspects but does not pass the customer satisfaction criteria. This will lead to green myopia. Also if the green products are priced very high then again it will loose its market acceptability. BENEFITS OF GREEN MARKETING Todays consumers are becoming more and more conscious about the environment and are also becoming socially responsible. Therefore, more companies are responsible to consumers aspirations for environmentally less damaging or neutral products. Many companies want to have an early mover advantage as they have to eventually move towards becoming green. Some of the advantages of green marketing are: †¢It ensures sustained long term growth along with profitability. †¢ It saves money in the long run, though initially the cost is more. †¢ It helps the companies market their products and services keeping the environment aspects in mind. It helps in accessing the new markets and enjoying the competitive advantage. †¢ Most of the employees also feel proud and responsible to be working for an environmentally responsible company. GREEN MARKETING MIX PRODUCT Entrepreneurs [5] wanting to exploit emerging green markets either: Identify customers environmental needs and develop products to address these needs or will develop environmentally responsible products to have less impact than competitors. The increasingly wide variety of products on the market that support sustainable developments are: †¢ Products made from recycled goods, such as Quick N Tuff housing materials made from recycled broccoli boxes. †¢ Products that can be recycled or reused. †¢ Efficient products, which save water, energy or gasoline, save money and reduce environmental impact. †¢ Products with environmentally responsible packaging, McDonalds, for example, changed their packaging from polystyrene clamshells to paper. †¢ Products with green labels, as long as they offer substantiation. †¢ Certified products, which meet or exceed environmentally responsible criteria. †¢ Organic products-many customers are prepared to pay a premium for organic products, which offer promise of quality. Organic butchers, for example, promote the added qualities such as taste and tenderness. †¢ A service that rents or loans products-toy libraries. Whatever the product or service, it is vital to ensure that products meet or exceed the quality expectation of customers and is thoroughly tested. PRICE Pricing is the critical element of the marketing mix. Most customers will only be prepared to pay a premium if there is a perception of additional product value. This value may be improved performance, function, design, visual appeal or taste. Environmental benefits will be often be the deciding factor between products of equal value or quality. Environmentally responsible products, however are often less expensive when product life cycle coast are taken into consideration, for example fuel-efficient vehicles, water efficient printing and non-hazardous products. PLACE The choice of where and when to make products available will have significant impact on the customers you attract. Very few customers go out of their way to buy green products merely for the sake of it. Marketers looking to successfully introduce new green products should position them broadly in the market place so they are not just appealing to a small green niche market. The location must also be consistent with the image you want to project and allow you to project your own image rather than being dominated or compromised by the image of venue. The location must differentiate you from the competitors. This can be achieved by in-store promotions and visually appealing displays or using recycled materials to emphasize the environmental and other benefits. PROMOTION Promoting products and services to target markets include paid advertising, public relations, sales promotions, direct marketing and on-site promotions. Smart green marketers will be able to reinforce environmental credibility by using sustainable marketing and communication tools and practices. For example, many companies in the financial industry are providing electronic statements by email; e-marketing is rapidly replacing more traditional marketing methods and printed materials can be produced using recycled materials and efficient processes such as waterless printing. Retailers, for example are recognizing the value of alliances with other companies, environmental groups and research organizations. When promoting their environmental commitment to reduce the use of plastic bags and promote their green commitment, some retailers sell shopping bags and promote their green commitments. Moving Towards Green Marketing The era of green marketing has begun. It has already been granted wide acceptance by all stakeholders. However, there is a need to lay down the standards and practices, in order to bring in objectivity in the judgment of various national and international agencies. This will not only encourage the activities of green marketing but shall also provide the much needed level playing fields to all. PRESENT TRENDS IN GREEN MARKETING IN INDIA[6] . Ø Organizations Perceive Environmental marketing to be an Opportunity that can be used to achieve its objectives. Firms have realized that consumers prefer products that do not harm the natural environment as also the human health. Firms marketing such green products are preferred over the others not doing so and thus develop a competitive advantage, simultaneously meeting their business objectives. Ø Organizations believe they have a moral obligation to be more socially responsible. This is in keeping with the philosophy of CSR which has been successfully adopted by many business houses to improve their corporate image. Firms in this situation can take two approaches: †¢ Use the fact that they are environmentally responsible as a marketing tool. †¢ Become responsible without prompting this fact. . Ø Governmental Bodies are forcing Firms to Become More Responsible In most cases the government forces the firm to adopt policy which protects the interests of the consumers. It does so in following ways: †¢ Reduce production of harmful goods or by -products †¢ Modify consumer and industrys use and /or consumption of harmful goods; or †¢ Ensure that all types of consumers have the ability to evaluate the environmental composition of goods . Ø Competitors Environmental Activities Pressure Firms to change their Environmental Marketing Activities In order to get even with competitors claim to being environmentally friendly, firms change over to green marketing. Result is green marketing percolates entire industry. . Ø Cost Factors Associated With Waste Disposal or Reductions in Material Usage Forces Firms to Modify their Behavior With cost cutting becoming part of the strategy of the firms it adopts green marketing in relation to these activities. It may pursue these as follows: †¢ A Firm develops a technology for reducing waste and sells it to other firms. †¢ A waste recycling or removal industry develops. LITERATURE REVIEW 1. GOLDEN GOOSE OR WILD GOOSE? THE HUNT FOR THE GREEN CONSUMER This paper tries to provide insight by discarding the socio-demographic and personality-based influences that have been the prime research focus for the last 20 years Instead, it follows the example of other researchers looking at the importance of situational factors relating to the purchase itself. The green purchase perception matrix brings together two of the factors that have most often shown a positive link with green purchase behaviour in academic research perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE) and cost/ benefit trade-offs. The consumer will remain central to the greening of business for two very important reasons. Firstly, the consumption undertaken by private households accounts for a large proportion of the economys environmental impact . Secondly, consumption must also form part of the solution within free market economies in which consumer sovereignty is enshrined, and where the majority of companies profess to have a marketing orientation. However, continuing within the conventional marketing paradigm (and with a hunting mentality of identifying and targeting the green consumer with bait, traps and a little camouflage) is unlikely to create significant progress towards sustainability. Perhaps more importantly companies need to create the right habitat in which green consumption can thrive. Instead of acting as hunters, aggressively trying to benefit from the emergence of green consumers by targeting them, they could act more like gamekeepers who nurture and facilitate growth in the population of green consumers. This can be achieved by boosting consumer confidence and by reducing the level of compromise they must make through openness, the provision of full information and consumer choice, environmentally realistic pricing and the development of innovative clean technology solutions. Reference:- Ken Peattie (2001), Bussiness Strategy Environment, Golden goose or wild goose? The Hunt For the green Consumers, Vol: Bus. Strat. Env. 10, 187-199 2. A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ADVERTISING CLAIMS: A MATRIX METHOD APPROACH This study demonstrates that environmental advertising is not a monolithic phenomenon. Certain types of claims posed among environmental a dare more susceptible to consumer confusion and perceptions of deception. Advertisers would be well advised to pay particular attention to these types claims, particularly in light of the recent FTC directives. In their efforts to jump on the green bandwagon, advertisers should be sensitized to the fact that image claims may be a specific problem area Care should be taken in developing and pretest in environmental ads that rely on such claims and efforts to monitor consumer response to them should made. Ultimately, applying the matrix that we have developed here may help to identify such shortcomings with environmental advertising claims and direct attention to potential remedies. Reference:- Les Carlson, Stephen J Grove Norman Kangum (Sep 1993), Journal of Advertising, A context Analysis of environmental Advertising Claims: A matrix Method Approach, Vol.: XXII, No. 3, 27-38. 3.BUYER CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GREEN CONSUMERS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR ADVERTISING STRATEGY The study results provide interesting and potentially useful information about the consumer who is interested in buying green. They suggest that particular consumer attitudes are related to the propensity to buy green, but the relations are qualified somewhat by gender and by the nature of the green buying behavior.Making a special effort to buy green is unrelated to impulse buying and brand loyalty. In terms of the communication variables, persons making a special effort to buy green found magazines more interesting than television and indicated they would not buy a brand whose advertising they dislike. As expected, it was found predictor-criterion relationship differences between the two green buying variables. One criterion variable (making a special effort to buy green) taps a general interest in buying green. The other criterion variable (switching brands to buy green, even at the expense of product effectiveness) is more specific and more stringent in terms of greenness in that it provides more constraints and introduces a salient cost. The results indicate that, across genders, the consumer variables do a better job of predicting the variance in the former criterion than that in the latter criterion.. The results show that the green consumer has an interest in new products, is an information seeker, and talks with others about products. Additionally, green consumers consider themselves opinion leaders, and hence may provide word-of-mouth information that other consumers respect. The green consumer is also a careful shopper, not prone to impulse buying, and pays attention to pr ice, so advertisers must consider those issues as well.The results suggest that if companies do succeed in attracting green-oriented consumers, they will have to continue working to keep them. The lack of brand loyalty on the part of green consumers (in comparison with those less green), coupled with their propensity to actively seek information, implies that the green consumer will always be looking for new products. Although the environmental movement has been underway for years, green marketing seems to be a relatively new phenomenon. Marketers are typically not slow to adopt an innovation, but green marketing is in some ways fraught with peril Certainly, marketers are getting mixed signals—from polls, from research results, an d from sales figures. Common sense suggests that the use of green appeals by marketers can be productive. However, recent research on green marketing and the green consumer, indicates that the concepts will not be easy to apply. Green consumers must be treated carefully and, in particular, with respect. They appear to be careful and thoughtful consumers. Treated fairly, they may be receptive; treated poorly, they may not only switch brands, but also take others with them. References:- L J Shrun, John A McCarty Tina M Lowrey (Summer 1995), Journal of advertising, Buyer Characteristics of the green consumers and Their implications for Advertising strategy, Vol: XXIV, no 2, 71-81 4.ROLE OF SOCIO DEMOGRAPHICS IN SEGMENTING AND PROFILING GREEN CONSUMERS; AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF CONSUMERS IN INDIA Though green consumerism is on the rise, not all the consumers are equally green. To be able to more effectively market green products and ideas,marketers need to segment their market and use differentiated marketing approach for each target segment. Socio-demographic characteristics have been widely used in the past researches as a basis of market segmentation and profiling of green consumers. The present study explores the usefulness of select socio-demographic characteristics in capturing variations present in the environmental consciousness of the consumers in India. Both the univariate and multivariate analyses point to the presence of statistically significant linkages between the socio-demographic characteristics and different environmental consciousness constructs, thus implying potential usefulness of these characteristics in profiling different segments of green consumers an devolving accordingly the green marketing strategies and environmental campaigns as capable of more effectively reaching and influencing the chosen green consumer segments. The study has employed a more elaborate conceptualization of the environmental consciousness construct. Regarding age,. A negative relationship of age with WSE, IISB and IIO signifies a greater tendency among the relatively younger persons (viz., those belonging to the age groups 18-24 years and 24-35 years) to actively search for the environmentally friendly products, gather environment related information and influence others to behave in an environmentally responsible manner. These persons, however, appear less enthusiastic about choosing the least polluting products (ICLPP). This might be due to their lower purchasing power for being mainly either students or unemployed at this stage in their family life cycle. Education level is found to be significantly related with the environmental consciousness in respect to five environmental consciousness measures. A significantly positive relationship of the education level with environmental knowledge (EK), incidence and frequency of conservation behavior (ICB and FCB) and frequency of environmental activism implies greater environmental consciousness among the relatively more educated persons. Because of their higher intellectual orientation, these persons are able to better understand and appreciate green ideas and green claims made by the green marketers. Education level is, however, found to be significantly but negatively related with the respondents willingness to seek environmentally friendly products (WSE). The variable â€Å"typeofschoolattended† emerges as a significant correlate of the environmental consciousness for as many as six constructs. Notwithstanding being less articulate and extrovert, persons with the government school background exhibit a higher level of environmental consciousness in terms of environmental awareness (AEIP) as well as willingness to seek environmentally friendly products (WSE), incidence of seeking information (IISB), conserving resources (ICB) and choosing the least polluting products (ICLPP). The only aspect where they lag behind persons with the private school background is frequency of environmental activism (FEA), probably due to being less extrovert and gregarious than their counterpart. Income also emerges as an important correlate of environmental consciousness. Persons with higher income are also high in their awareness of the environmental regulations (AER),willingness to pay for the environmentally friendly products (WPM), incidence of information seeking behavior (IISB) and choosing the least polluting products (ICLPP). But in terms of their involvement with the activities relating to influencing others (IIO) and conserving the environment (FCB), they turn out to be poor performers. References:- Sanjay k Jain Gurmeet Kaur (2006), Role of Socio Demographics in Segmenting and profiling Green Consumers; An exploratory Study of consumers in India, Vol.: 18 (3), 107-146 5. GREEN MARKETING, AN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE The present paper discusses the emergence of environmentalism in India and examines the response of government agencies, consumers, non- business organizations and corporat

Einstein :: essays research papers

Albert Einstein, a famous scientist. Everyone knows that. But how much do you really know about him. Well, this article is to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Albert Einstein was born on March 15, 1879, in the town of Ulm, in Southern Germany. That town was located at the foot of the Swabian Alps. His address was 135 Bahnhofstrasse but that house was later destroyed in a World War II bombing run. His parents were Hermann and Pauline Koch Einstein. Both of them were Jewish, but didn’t strongly practice the religion. Therefore, â€Å"Israelitic† was written on the Religion section of Einstein’s birth certificate. Two years after Einstein’s birth, Einstein’s sister, Maria, was born. Einstein could talk in whole sentences at the age of three. Einstein’s mom, Pauline Einstein, loved music so Einstein took Violin lessons from age six to thirteen. Einstein’s father wasn’t a successful businessman. He then started a plumbing/electrical engineering company with his brother in Munich, hoping that would be a success. Albert spent the next 14 years of his life there. Albert was supposed to go to a Jewish school, but his parents thought that he would get a better education at a Catholic School. He hated the school’s military tradition and atmosphere. Einstein wasn’t very intelligent during this time. At the age of twelve, he went to a gymnasium, Luitpold Gymnasium to be more exact, which is like a middle school and a high school combined. During then, he was starting to read books on science. He met a poor scholar who helped Einstein in his studies. The scholar’s name was Max Talmud. To boost Einstein’s knowledge, he gave Einstein several hard problems. One of them was to prove the Pythagorean theorem. (See Diagram 1.) In 1894, Einstein’s family moved to Milan, Italy, but Einstein had to stay in Munich to finish his studies. Before the end of the school year, which was six months after his parents left, he was told to leave the gymnasium because of his disrespect to his teachers. He then moved to Italy, which was a surprise to his parents because they weren’t expecting him in Italy. When he was 16 ½, he took a test to get into the Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule (ETH). You didn’t need a high school diploma to get into the ETH. Instead, you need to pass a very hard test. The ETH also played another important role in Einstein’s life: it admitted women. Einstein :: essays research papers Albert Einstein, a famous scientist. Everyone knows that. But how much do you really know about him. Well, this article is to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Albert Einstein was born on March 15, 1879, in the town of Ulm, in Southern Germany. That town was located at the foot of the Swabian Alps. His address was 135 Bahnhofstrasse but that house was later destroyed in a World War II bombing run. His parents were Hermann and Pauline Koch Einstein. Both of them were Jewish, but didn’t strongly practice the religion. Therefore, â€Å"Israelitic† was written on the Religion section of Einstein’s birth certificate. Two years after Einstein’s birth, Einstein’s sister, Maria, was born. Einstein could talk in whole sentences at the age of three. Einstein’s mom, Pauline Einstein, loved music so Einstein took Violin lessons from age six to thirteen. Einstein’s father wasn’t a successful businessman. He then started a plumbing/electrical engineering company with his brother in Munich, hoping that would be a success. Albert spent the next 14 years of his life there. Albert was supposed to go to a Jewish school, but his parents thought that he would get a better education at a Catholic School. He hated the school’s military tradition and atmosphere. Einstein wasn’t very intelligent during this time. At the age of twelve, he went to a gymnasium, Luitpold Gymnasium to be more exact, which is like a middle school and a high school combined. During then, he was starting to read books on science. He met a poor scholar who helped Einstein in his studies. The scholar’s name was Max Talmud. To boost Einstein’s knowledge, he gave Einstein several hard problems. One of them was to prove the Pythagorean theorem. (See Diagram 1.) In 1894, Einstein’s family moved to Milan, Italy, but Einstein had to stay in Munich to finish his studies. Before the end of the school year, which was six months after his parents left, he was told to leave the gymnasium because of his disrespect to his teachers. He then moved to Italy, which was a surprise to his parents because they weren’t expecting him in Italy. When he was 16 ½, he took a test to get into the Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule (ETH). You didn’t need a high school diploma to get into the ETH. Instead, you need to pass a very hard test. The ETH also played another important role in Einstein’s life: it admitted women.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 30-32

CHAPTER 30 Security warden Claude Grouard simmered with rage as he stood over his prostrate captive in front of the Mona Lisa.This bastard killed Jacques Sauniere! Sauniere had been like a well-loved father to Grouard and his security team. Grouard wanted nothing more than to pull the trigger and bury a bullet in Robert Langdon's back. As senior warden, Grouard was one of the few guards who actually carried a loaded weapon. He reminded himself, however, that killing Langdon would be a generous fate compared to the misery about to be communicated by Bezu Fache and the French prison system. Grouard yanked his walkie-talkie off his belt and attempted to radio for backup. All he heard was static. The additional electronic security in this chamber always wrought havoc with the guards' communications. I have to move to the doorway.Still aiming his weapon at Langdon, Grouard began backing slowly toward the entrance. On his third step, he spied something that made him stop short. What the hell is that! An inexplicable mirage was materializing near the center of the room. A silhouette. There was someone else in the room? A woman was moving through the darkness, walking briskly toward the far left wall. In front of her, a purplish beam of light swung back and forth across the floor, as if she were searching for something with a colored flashlight. â€Å"Qui est la?† Grouard demanded, feeling his adrenaline spike for a second time in the last thirty seconds. He suddenly didn't know where to aim his gun or what direction to move. â€Å"PTS,† the woman replied calmly, still scanning the floor with her light. Police Technique et Scientifique.Grouard was sweating now. I thought all the agents were gone!He now recognized the purple light as ultraviolet, consistent with a PTS team, and yet he could not understand why DCPJ would be looking for evidence in here. â€Å"Votre nom!† Grouard yelled, instinct telling him something was amiss. â€Å"Repondez!† â€Å"C'est mot,† the voice responded in calm French. â€Å"Sophie Neveu.† Somewhere in the distant recesses of Grouard's mind, the name registered. Sophie Neveu? Thatwas the name of Sauniere's granddaughter, wasn't it? She used to come in here as a little kid, but that was years ago. This couldn't possibly be her! And even if it were Sophie Neveu, that was hardly a reason to trust her; Grouard had heard the rumors of the painful falling-out between Sauniere and his granddaughter. â€Å"You know me,† the woman called. â€Å"And Robert Langdon did not kill my grandfather. Believe me.† Warden Grouard was not about to take that on faith. I need backup! Trying his walkie-talkie again, he got only static. The entrance was still a good twenty yards behind him, and Grouard began backing up slowly, choosing to leave his gun trained on the man on the floor. As Grouard inched backward, he could see the woman across the room raising her UV light and scrutinizing a large painting that hung on the far side of the Salle des Etats, directly opposite the Mona Lisa. Grouard gasped, realizing which painting it was. What in the name of God is she doing? Across the room, Sophie Neveu felt a cold sweat breaking across her forehead. Langdon was still spread-eagle on the floor. Hold on, Robert.Almost there.Knowing the guard would never actually shoot either of them, Sophie now turned her attention back to the matter at hand, scanning the entire area around one masterpiece in particular – another Da Vinci. But the UV light revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Not on the floor, on the walls, or even on the canvas itself. There must be something here! Sophie felt totally certain she had deciphered her grandfather's intentions correctly. What else could he possibly intend? The masterpiece she was examining was a five-foot-tall canvas. The bizarre scene Da Vinci had painted included an awkwardly posed Virgin Mary sitting with Baby Jesus, John the Baptist, and the Angel Uriel on a perilous outcropping of rocks. When Sophie was a little girl, no trip to the Mona Lisa had been complete without her grandfather dragging her across the room to see this second painting. Grand-pere, I'm here! But I don't see it! Behind her, Sophie could hear the guard trying to radio again for help. Think! She pictured the message scrawled on the protective glass of the Mona Lisa.So dark the con of man.The painting before her had no protective glass on which to write a message, and Sophie knew her grandfather would never have defaced this masterpiece by writing on the painting itself. She paused. At least not on the front.Her eyes shot upward, climbing the long cables that dangled from the ceiling to support the canvas. Could that be it? Grabbing the left side of the carved wood frame, she pulled it toward her. The painting was large and the backing flexed as she swung it away from the wall. Sophie slipped her head and shoulders in behind the painting and raised the black light to inspect the back. It took only seconds to realize her instinct had been wrong. The back of the painting was pale and blank. There was no purple text here, only the mottled brown backside of aging canvas and – Wait. Sophie's eyes locked on an incongruous glint of lustrous metal lodged near the bottom edge of the frame's wooden armature. The object was small, partially wedged in the slit where the canvas met the frame. A shimmering gold chain dangled off it. To Sophie's utter amazement, the chain was affixed to a familiar gold key. The broad, sculpted head was in the shape of a cross and bore an engraved seal she had not seen since she was nine years old. A fleur-de-lis with the initials P. S. In that instant, Sophie felt the ghost of her grandfather whispering in her ear. When the time comes, the key will be yours.A tightness gripped her throat as she realized that her grandfather, even in death, had kept his promise. This key opens a box, his voice was saying, where I keep many secrets. Sophie now realized that the entire purpose of tonight's word game had been this key. Her grandfather had it with him when he was killed. Not wanting it to fall into the hands of the police, he hid it behind this painting. Then he devised an ingenious treasure hunt to ensure only Sophie would find it. â€Å"Au secours!† the guard's voice yelled. Sophie snatched the key from behind the painting and slipped it deep in her pocket along with the UV penlight. Peering out from behind the canvas, she could see the guard was still trying desperately to raise someone on the walkie-talkie. He was backing toward the entrance, still aiming the gun firmly at Langdon. â€Å"Au secours!† he shouted again into his radio. Static. He can't transmit, Sophie realized, recalling that tourists with cell phones often got frustrated in here when they tried to call home to brag about seeing the Mona Lisa.The extra surveillance wiring in the walls made it virtually impossible to get a carrier unless you stepped out into the hall. The guard was backing quickly toward the exit now, and Sophie knew she had to act immediately. Gazing up at the large painting behind which she was partially ensconced, Sophie realized that Leonardo Da Vinci, for the second time tonight, was there to help. Another few meters, Grouard told himself, keeping his gun leveled. â€Å"Arretez! Ou je la detruis!† the woman's voice echoed across the room. Grouard glanced over and stopped in his tracks. â€Å"Mon dieu, non!† Through the reddish haze, he could see that the woman had actually lifted the large painting off its cables and propped it on the floor in front of her. At five feet tall, the canvas almost entirely hid her body. Grouard's first thought was to wonder why the painting's trip wires hadn't set off alarms, but of course the artwork cable sensors had yet to be reset tonight. What is she doing! When he saw it, his blood went cold. The canvas started to bulge in the middle, the fragile outlines of the Virgin Mary, Baby Jesus, and John the Baptist beginning to distort. â€Å"Non!† Grouard screamed, frozen in horror as he watched the priceless Da Vinci stretching. The woman was pushing her knee into the center of the canvas from behind!† NON!† Grouard wheeled and aimed his gun at her but instantly realized it was an empty threat. The canvas was only fabric, but it was utterly impenetrable – a six-million-dollar piece of body armor. I can't put a bullet through a Da Vinci! â€Å"Set down your gun and radio,† the woman said in calm French,† or I'll put my knee through this painting. I think you know how my grandfather would feel about that.† Grouard felt dizzy. â€Å"Please†¦ no. That's Madonna of the Rocks!† He dropped his gun and radio, raising his hands over his head. â€Å"Thank you,† the woman said. â€Å"Now do exactly as I tell you, and everything will work out fine.† Moments later, Langdon's pulse was still thundering as he ran beside Sophie down the emergency stairwell toward the ground level. Neither of them had said a word since leaving the trembling Louvre guard lying in the Salle des Etats. The guard's pistol was now clutched tightly in Langdon's hands, and he couldn't wait to get rid of it. The weapon felt heavy and dangerously foreign. Taking the stairs two at a time, Langdon wondered if Sophie had any idea how valuable a painting she had almost ruined. Her choice in art seemed eerily pertinent to tonight's adventure. The Da Vinci she had grabbed, much like the Mona Lisa, was notorious among art historians for its plethora of hidden pagan symbolism. â€Å"You chose a valuable hostage,† he said as they ran. â€Å"Madonna of the Rocks,†she replied. â€Å"But I didn't choose it, my grandfather did. He left me a little something behind the painting.† Langdon shot her a startled look. â€Å"What!? But how did you know which painting? Why Madonnaof the Rocks?† â€Å"So dark the con of man.† She flashed a triumphant smile. â€Å"I missed the first two anagrams, Robert. I wasn't about to miss the third.† CHAPTER 31 â€Å"They're dead!† Sister Sandrine stammered into the telephone in her Saint-Sulpice residence. She was leaving a message on an answering machine. â€Å"Please pick up! They're all dead!† The first three phone numbers on the list had produced terrifying results – a hysterical widow, a detective working late at a murder scene, and a somber priest consoling a bereaved family. All three contacts were dead. And now, as she called the fourth and final number – the number she was not supposed to call unless the first three could not be reached – she got an answering machine. The outgoing message offered no name but simply asked the caller to leave a message.† The floor panel has been broken!† she pleaded as she left the message. â€Å"The other three are dead!† Sister Sandrine did not know the identities of the four men she protected, but the private phonenumbers stashed beneath her bed were for use on only one condition. If that floor panel is ever broken, the faceless messenger had told her, it means the upper echelon has been breached. One of us has been mortally threatened and been forced to tell a desperate lie. Call the numbers. Warn the others. Do not fail us in this. It was a silent alarm. Foolproof in its simplicity. The plan had amazed her when she first heard it. If the identity of one brother was compromised, he could tell a lie that would start in motion a mechanism to warn the others. Tonight, however, it seemed that more than one had been compromised. â€Å"Please answer,† she whispered in fear. â€Å"Where are you?† â€Å"Hang up the phone,† a deep voice said from the doorway. Turning in terror, she saw the massive monk. He was clutching the heavy iron candle stand. Shaking, she set the phone back in the cradle. â€Å"They are dead,† the monk said. â€Å"All four of them. And they have played me for a fool. Tell me where the keystone is.† â€Å"I don't know!† Sister Sandrine said truthfully. â€Å"That secret is guarded by others.† Others who are dead! The man advanced, his white fists gripping the iron stand. â€Å"You are a sister of the Church, and yet you serve them?† â€Å"Jesus had but one true message,† Sister Sandrine said defiantly. â€Å"I cannot see that message in Opus Dei.† A sudden explosion of rage erupted behind the monk's eyes. He lunged, lashing out with the candle stand like a club. As Sister Sandrine fell, her last feeling was an overwhelming sense of foreboding. All four are dead. The precious truth is lost forever. CHAPTER 32 The security alarm on the west end of the Denon Wing sent the pigeons in the nearby Tuileries Gardens scattering as Langdon and Sophie dashed out of the bulkhead into the Paris night. As they ran across the plaza to Sophie's car, Langdon could hear police sirens wailing in the distance. â€Å"That's it there,† Sophie called, pointing to a red snub-nosed two-seater parked on the plaza. She's kidding, right? The vehicle was easily the smallest car Langdon had ever seen.† SmartCar,† she said. â€Å"A hundred kilometers to the liter.† Langdon had barely thrown himself into the passenger seat before Sophie gunned the SmartCar up and over a curb onto a gravel divider. He gripped the dash as the car shot out across a sidewalk and bounced back down over into the small rotary at Carrousel du Louvre. For an instant, Sophie seemed to consider taking the shortcut across the rotary by plowing straight ahead, through the median's perimeter hedge, and bisecting the large circle of grass in the center. â€Å"No!† Langdon shouted, knowing the hedges around Carrousel du Louvre were there to hide the perilous chasm in the center – La Pyramide Inversee – the upside-down pyramid skylight he had seen earlier from inside the museum. It was large enough to swallow their Smart-Car in a single gulp. Fortunately, Sophie decided on the more conventional route, jamming the wheel hard to the right, circling properly until she exited, cut left, and swung into the northbound lane, accelerating toward Rue de Rivoli. The two-tone police sirens blared louder behind them, and Langdon could see the lights now in his side view mirror. The SmartCar engine whined in protest as Sophie urged it faster away from the Louvre. Fifty yards ahead, the traffic light at Rivoli turned red. Sophie cursed under her breath and kept racing toward it. Langdon felt his muscles tighten. â€Å"Sophie?† Slowing only slightly as they reached the intersection, Sophie flicked her headlights and stole a quick glance both ways before flooring the accelerator again and carving a sharp left turn through the empty intersection onto Rivoli. Accelerating west for a quarter of a mile, Sophie banked to the right around a wide rotary. Soon they were shooting out the other side onto the wide avenue of Champs-Elysees. As they straightened out, Langdon turned in his seat, craning his neck to look out the rear window toward the Louvre. The police did not seem to be chasing them. The sea of blue lights was assembling at the museum. His heartbeat finally slowing, Langdon turned back around. â€Å"That was interesting.† Sophie didn't seem to hear. Her eyes remained fixed ahead down the long thoroughfare of Champs-Elysees, the two-mile stretch of posh storefronts that was often called the Fifth Avenue of Paris. The embassy was only about a mile away, and Langdon settled into his seat. So dark the con of man.Sophie's quick thinking had been impressive. Madonna of the Rocks. Sophie had said her grandfather left her something behind the painting. A final message? Langdon could not help but marvel over Sauniere's brilliant hiding place; Madonna of the Rocks was yet another fitting link in the evening's chain of interconnected symbolism. Sauniere, it seemed, at every turn, was reinforcing his fondness for the dark and mischievous side of Leonardo Da Vinci. Da Vinci's original commission for Madonna of the Rocks had come from an organization known as the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception, which needed a painting for the centerpiece of an altar triptych in their church of San Francesco in Milan. The nuns gave Leonardo specific dimensions, and the desired theme for the painting – the Virgin Mary, baby John the Baptist, Uriel, and Baby Jesus sheltering in a cave. Although Da Vinci did as they requested, when he delivered the work, the group reacted with horror. He had filled the painting with explosive and disturbing details. The painting showed a blue-robed Virgin Mary sitting with her arm around an infant child, presumably Baby Jesus. Opposite Mary sat Uriel, also with an infant, presumably baby John the Baptist. Oddly, though, rather than the usual Jesus-blessing-John scenario, it was baby John who was blessing Jesus†¦ and Jesus was submitting to his authority! More troubling still, Mary was holding one hand high above the head of infant John and making a decidedly threatening gesture – her fingers looking like eagle's talons, gripping an invisible head. Finally, the most obvious and frightening image: Just below Mary's curled fingers, Uriel was making a cutting gesture with his hand – as if slicing the neck of the invisible head gripped by Mary's claw-like hand. Langdon's students were always amused to learn that Da Vinci eventually mollified the confraternity by painting them a second,† watered-down† version of Madonna of the Rocks in which everyone was arranged in a more orthodox manner. The second version now hung in London's National Gallery under the name Virgin of the Rocks, although Langdon still preferred the Louvre's more intriguing original. As Sophie gunned the car up Champs-Elysees, Langdon said,† The painting. What was behind it?† Her eyes remained on the road. â€Å"I'll show you once we're safely inside the embassy.† â€Å"You'll show it to me?† Langdon was surprised. â€Å"He left you a physical object?† Sophie gave a curt nod. â€Å"Embossed with a fleur-de-lis and the initials P. S.† Langdon couldn't believe his ears. We're going to make it, Sophie thought as she swung the SmartCar's wheel to the right, cutting sharply past the luxurious Hà ´tel de Crillon into Paris's tree-lined diplomatic neighborhood. The embassy was less than a mile away now. She was finally feeling like she could breathe normally again. Even as she drove, Sophie's mind remained locked on the key in her pocket, her memories of seeing it many years ago, the gold head shaped as an equal-armed cross, the triangular shaft, the indentations, the embossed flowery seal, and the letters P. S. Although the key barely had entered Sophie's thoughts through the years, her work in the intelligence community had taught her plenty about security, and now the key's peculiar tooling no longer looked so mystifying. A laser-tooled varying matrix.Impossible to duplicate.Rather than teeth that moved tumblers, this key's complex series of laser-burned pockmarks was examined by an electric eye. If the eye determined that the hexagonal pockmarks were correctly spaced, arranged, and rotated, then the lock would open. Sophie could not begin to imagine what a key like this opened, but she sensed Robert would be able to tell her. After all, he had described the key's embossed seal without ever seeing it. The cruciform on top implied the key belonged to some kind of Christian organization, and yet Sophie knew of no churches that used laser-tooled varying matrix keys. Besides, my grandfather was no Christian†¦ . Sophie had witnessed proof of that ten years ago. Ironically, it had been another key – a far more normal one – that had revealed his true nature to her. The afternoon had been warm when she landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport and hailed a taxi home. Grand-pere will be so surprised to see me, she thought. Returning from graduate school in Britain for spring break a few days early, Sophie couldn't wait to see him and tell him all about the encryption methods she was studying. When she arrived at their Paris home, however, her grandfather was not there. Disappointed, she knew he had not been expecting her and was probably working at the Louvre. But it's Saturday afternoon, she realized. He seldom worked on weekends. On weekends, he usually – Grinning, Sophie ran out to the garage. Sure enough, his car was gone. It was the weekend. Jacques Sauniere despised city driving and owned a car for one destination only – his vacation chateau in Normandy, north of Paris. Sophie, after months in the congestion of London, was eager for the smells of nature and to start her vacation right away. It was still early evening, and she decided to leave immediately and surprise him. Borrowing a friend's car, Sophie drove north, winding into the deserted moon-swept hills near Creully. She arrived just after ten o'clock, turning down the long private driveway toward her grandfather's retreat. The access road was over a mile long, and she was halfway down it before she could start to see the house through the trees – a mammoth, old stone chateau nestled in the woods on the side of a hill. Sophie had half expected to find her grandfather asleep at this hour and was excited to see the house twinkling with lights. Her delight turned to surprise, however, when she arrived to find the driveway filled with parked cars – Mercedeses, BMWs, Audis, and a Rolls-Royce. Sophie stared a moment and then burst out laughing. My grand-pere, the famous recluse! Jacques Sauniere, it seemed, was far less reclusive than he liked to pretend. Clearly he was hosting a party while Sophie was away at school, and from the looks of the automobiles, some of Paris's most influential people were in attendance. Eager to surprise him, she hurried to the front door. When she got there, though, she found it locked. She knocked. Nobody answered. Puzzled, she walked around and tried the back door. It too was locked. No answer. Confused, she stood a moment and listened. The only sound she heard was the cool Normandy air letting out a low moan as it swirled through the valley. No music. No voices. Nothing. In the silence of the woods, Sophie hurried to the side of the house and clambered up on a woodpile, pressing her face to the living room window. What she saw inside made no sense at all. â€Å"Nobody's here!† The entire first floor looked deserted. Where are all the people? Heart racing, Sophie ran to the woodshed and got the spare key her grandfather kept hidden under the kindling box. She ran to the front door and let herself in. As she stepped into the deserted foyer, the control panel for the security system started blinking red – a warning that the entrant had ten seconds to type the proper code before the security alarms went off. He has the alarm on during a party? Sophie quickly typed the code and deactivated the system. Entering, she found the entire house uninhabited. Upstairs too. As she descended again to the deserted living room, she stood a moment in the silence, wondering what could possibly be happening. It was then that Sophie heard it. Muffled voices. And they seemed to be coming from underneath her. Sophie could not imagine. Crouching, she put her ear to the floor and listened. Yes, the sound was definitely coming from below. The voices seemed to be singing, or†¦ chanting? She was frightened. Almost more eerie than the sound itself was the realization that this house did not even have a basement. At least none I've ever seen. Turning now and scanning the living room, Sophie's eyes fell to the only object in the entire house that seemed out of place – her grandfather's favorite antique, a sprawling Aubusson tapestry. It usually hung on the east wall beside the fireplace, but tonight it had been pulled aside on its brass rod, exposing the wall behind it. Walking toward the bare wooden wall, Sophie sensed the chanting getting louder. Hesitant, she leaned her ear against the wood. The voices were clearer now. People were definitely chanting†¦ intoning words Sophie could not discern. The space behind this wall is hollow! Feeling around the edge of the panels, Sophie found a recessed finger hold. It was discreetly crafted. A sliding door.Heart pounding, she placed her finger in the slot and pulled it. With noiseless precision, the heavy wall slid sideways. From out of the darkness beyond, the voices echoed up. Sophie slipped through the door and found herself on a rough-hewn stone staircase that spiraled downward. She'd been coming to this house since she was a child and yet had no idea this staircase even existed! As she descended, the air grew cooler. The voices clearer. She heard men and women now. Her line of sight was limited by the spiral of the staircase, but the last step was now rounding into view. Beyond it, she could see a small patch of the basement floor – stone, illuminated by the flickering orange blaze of firelight. Holding her breath, Sophie inched down another few steps and crouched down to look. It took her several seconds to process what she was seeing. The room was a grotto – a coarse chamber that appeared to have been hollowed from the granite of the hillside. The only light came from torches on the walls. In the glow of the flames, thirty or so people stood in a circle in the center of the room. I'm dreaming, Sophie told herself. A dream. What else could this be? Everyone in the room was wearing a mask. The women were dressed in white gossamer gowns and golden shoes. Their masks were white, and in their hands they carried golden orbs. The men wore long black tunics, and their masks were black. They looked like pieces in a giant chess set. Everyone in the circle rocked back and forth and chanted in reverence to something on the floor before them†¦ something Sophie could not see. The chanting grew steady again. Accelerating. Thundering now. Faster. The participants took a step inward and knelt. In that instant, Sophie could finally see what they all were witnessing. Even as she staggered back in horror, she felt the image searing itself into her memory forever. Overtaken by nausea, Sophie spun, clutching at the stone walls as she clambered back up the stairs. Pulling the door closed, she fled the deserted house, and drove in a tearful stupor back to Paris. That night, with her life shattered by disillusionment and betrayal, she packed her belongings and left her home. On the dining room table, she left a note. I WAS THERE. DON'T TRY TO FIND ME. Beside the note, she laid the old spare key from the chateau's woodshed. â€Å"Sophie! Langdon's voice intruded. â€Å"Stop! Stop!† Emerging from the memory, Sophie slammed on the brakes, skidding to a halt. â€Å"What? What happened?!† Langdon pointed down the long street before them. When she saw it, Sophie's blood went cold. A hundred yards ahead, the intersection was blocked by a couple of DCPJ police cars, parked askew, their purpose obvious. They've sealed off AvenueGabriel! Langdon gave a grim sigh. â€Å"I take it the embassy is off-limits this evening?† Down the street, the two DCPJ officers who stood beside their cars were now staring in their direction, apparently curious about the headlights that had halted so abruptly up the street from them. Okay, Sophie, turn around very slowly. Putting the SmartCar in reverse, she performed a composed three-point turn and reversed her direction. As she drove away, she heard the sound of squealing tires behind them. Sirens blared to life. Cursing, Sophie slammed down the accelerator.