Global Leaders Essay Example for Free

Global Leaders Essay For my essay I chose Nicolas Sarkozy, who is the President of the French Republic. I would describe Nicolas Sarkozy’s leadership style as visionary, affiliative, commanding and pacesetting. Nicolas Sarkozy has a reputation as being â€Å"confident and fast-paced† and â€Å"aggressive†. I would consider Mr. Sarkozy as a visionary on the fact that he was once a lawyer and is close to his people. Mr. Sarkozy inspires people with his vision and reforms. Mr. Sarkozy is affiliative by boosting morale during the economies downturn by saving the French company Alstom. Mr. Sarkozy would be considered commanding and pacesetting on the bases that he is very focus driven and has high standards that he expects to be done when he wants them done. I chose to compare U. S. President Barack Obama to French Republic President Nicolas Sarkozy. I would consider President Obama as the â€Å"new school† style of leadership as opposed to President Sarkozy’s â€Å"old school† style of leadership. I would describe Mr. Obama’s leadership as visionary, coaching, democratic. Mr. Obama and Mr. Sarkozy leadership styles defer in that President Obama is not an aggressive leader but instead puts more effort into the visionary, coaching, and democratic approach to get the people’s value and support. While President Sarkozy has a more my way or the highway approach and more effort is put towards the affiliative, pacesetting and commanding leadership style. Both Presidents have a common style of being visionaries; they spend time in inspiring their people on the course that should be taken.

Parent and Child Relationships Essay Example for Free

Parent and Child Relationships Essay â€Å"I Am Sam† is a powerfully touching film that tells the story of a parent and child’s love for one another. It shows that love is pure, and that no matter how great the mind is, love is even greater. The film’s protagonist is Sam, a mentally-challenged adult with a mental age of 7. Sam has a daughter, Lucy, with a prostitute who left them. Sam works at the local Starbucks to support Lucy, and everything is going along well until Lucy turned 7, because she already surpassed her father’s mental abilities. This creates problems, because early on we see that Lucy is precocious and inquisitive, and she is no longer satisfied with her father’s nonsense answers to her questions. When she starts wanting to read more difficult books than what Sam reads to her, she fakes having difficulty reading so as not to offend her father and make him feel inferior. On Sam’s part, even when he sees that Lucy is already growing up, he tries his best to support her the best way he knows how. Lucy does not see this yet because she is still a child, but she understands that her father is different, but she loves him because he is a very loving father who takes her out to the park and to eat pancakes and generally takes good care of her. Later in the film she is embarrassed when her classmates tease her that her father is a retard that she denies him and tells them that she is adopted. The authorities take her away from Sam, and later on sent to a foster home. When the authorities take Lucy away from him, he does everything he could to get her back. He even gets the fearsome lawyer Rita to help his cause. Rita, a successful and stringent lawyer who values winning more than anything, decides to take Sam’s case just to prove that she is not as selfish as she looks. Through the course of helping Sam, she realizes that Sam is a good father, that Sam’s mental inadequacy has not hampered his ability to love and care for his daughter at all. That in fact, he is a better parent than she is. When at first she sought to win Sam’s case because she did not want to lose, eventually Rita sympathizes with Sam’s cause. Sam visits Lucy regularly, and Lucy realizes that she wants her father back, and that she is going to fight back just to be with him, even if she is smarter than him, even if the world laughs at her for having a retard for a father. At this moment, Lucy has matured, and although she is just 7, she has taken responsibility not only of her own actions, but also decided that she will take care of her father when he could no longer take care of her, that she needs to be smart and capable and strong for the both of them. She saw just how much her father loves her and how he does not give up on her even when she denied him. However, even with Rita’s help, Sam loses the custody battle at court. Sam breaks down as he is convinced that he cannot take care of his own daughter. All this time, he was doing everything he could, enlisting the help of his friends and employers and colleagues to prove that he has what it takes to raise his daughter, but he finally accepts the fact that he is mentally inadequate to give her needs. If he really loves his daughter, he would do what is best for her even if it means letting go of her so that she could be the best that she could be. And Sam does that. He accepts that he cannot take care of Lucy, but even when he concedes, he does not give up on being a father to her. He moves in to an apartment just to be nearer to Lucy, so that even if he cannot raise her at least he could be there for her whenever she needed him, and so that he could watch her grow up. Lucy is hurt that she cannot be with her father, but she takes matters on her own hands, Late at night she sneaks out of her foster home to be with her father. Her foster parents find her out, and she does not deny that she longs to be with her father, even if they think that they can be better parents than him. Eventually, the foster parents let her go back to Sam, for Sam to have custody of her. The film tells us that love is great driving force that cannot be measured by financial success, or by intellectual achievements. Society may look at Sam as a retarded, inadequate man, but he fought for his daughter against all odds, when Lucy’s own mother simply walked out and left them. Lucy was smarter than Sam, but she learned about love from her father because he showered her with it. That is why even when she was presented with a better future with a â€Å"better† set of parents, she still chooses to go back to Sam, because she knows that her father loves her and she loves him. At the end, the film teaches us what a parent can give best to his child, and what a child needs most from a parent – love. And that is something that cannot be bought or substituted with material things, because children will always know if their parents have shown them enough love.

Dry Yeast and Hydrogen Peroxide Acid Base Catalysis

Dry Yeast and Hydrogen Peroxide Acid Base Catalysis Mateo Rodriguez Abstract   Category: Chemistry The purpose of this experiment was to figure out if either acids or bases accelerate or decelerate the chemical reaction consisting of dry yeast and hydrogen peroxide. I am trying to prove that the more acidic or the more basic the reaction is, the more accelerated the reaction will be. Enzymes are very important to the human body because they speed up chemical reactions without being a part of it. Enzymes are made up of proteins which are important biological compounds in the formation of living organisms. The addition of an acid or base to yeast makes  a certain amount of bubbles to show how acidity or basicness affects the chemical composition  taking place in the reaction with the yeast. Without the addition of an acid or a base, the reaction is harmless to our bodies. The enzyme Catalase is used in everyday life as well. The protein found in the enzyme is easily changeable with the addition of another substance Among the materials that you need to conduct this experiment are five clear containers, a washable spoon, distilled water, a measuring cup, baking soda, lemon juice, and a set of measuring spoons. The six planned concoctions are control with no acids or bases, low-acid with one teaspoon oflemonjuice, high-acid with two teaspoons of lemon juice, low-base with one teaspoon of baking soda, and high-acid with two teaspoons of baking soda. You might even want to try a combination of both the acid and the base. Next, you must add a Y4 cup of hydrogen  peroxide into the glass. Then add a 1teaspoon of dry yeast and the reaction will begin. Record  your results carefully to track this marvelous experiment. In the end, the reactions that were further away from a neutral pH performed in a more decelerated rate. Therefore, the control, low-acid, and low-base reactions performed at a more accelerated rate than the high-acid and the high-base reactions. However, the combination reaction performed at an exponentially better rate than all other reactions. Although all the mixtures performed within the same range (besides the combination), it was simply due to the reactions being at a microcosmic scale. The experiment ended up proving my initial hypothesis completely incorrect. It would probably be a wise idea to use larger amounts in order to get more appreciable results. The bubbles formed because different atoms in the hydrogen peroxide and the dry yeast collided and then bounced away to be farther away than they were in the beginning. This microscopic change appears to us humans in the form ofbubbles. The enzyme Catalase found in dry yeast, is also found in our bodies organs; primarily the liver. What Catalase does in the liver is manage the graying of our hair. The more Catalase the faster our hair will gray, and the less Catalase there is the slower our hair will gray. Since Catalase is found in our crucial organs, doctors and scientists have done experiments to try and manipulate the enzyme. Their experiments primarily consist of the yeast acting against acids and bases as I did in my project. If this experiment were to be done on a more grand scale, it would sure affect and aid us in our everyday lives. Introduction The purpose of this project is to figure out if either acids or bases accelerate or decelerate the chemical reaction consisting of dry yeast and hydrogen peroxide. Enzymes are very  important to the human body because they speed up chemical reactions without being a part of it. This catalysis isnt just found in the human body, its also in most living things on Earth. Enzymes are made up of proteins which are important biological compounds in the formation of living organisms. The addition of an acid or base to yeast makes a certain amount of bubbles to show how acidity or basicness affects the chemical composition taking place in the reaction with the yeast. If you have ever mixed baking soda and lemon juice in an attempt to fight indigestion, you will see a basic chemical reaction between the two. Without the addition of acids or bases, the yeast reaction is quite harmless to our bodies. However, since we consume acids and bases almost every day, its a great idea to enlighten your self on just how our bodies are working. The main goal of this experiment is to fmd out how well the catalase in yeast breaks down acids and bases or vice versa. Hypothesis  and  Background  Research Acids and basses are two very common terms in many scientific fields, such as chemistry. Acids are chemical substances that dissolve some types of metal and turn litmus intro a red color because of them being of a pH lower than seven. They are typically a corrosive or sour-tasting kind of liquid. Bases on the other hand, are usually of a pH higher than seven and are the opposite of acidic substances. They accept hydrogen ions instead of releasing them such as acids do. Bases will also typically turn litmus paper into a sort of blue color. There are several different types of chemical reactions and changes happening around us in our everyday lives. The most common of these reactions occurs when a raw egg turns solid. This happens because an impressive amount of heat is applied to the raw egg which forms longer and stronger chains of protein molecules inside the egg. This reaction and several others that occur in our body rely on enzymes, which are basically special types of catalysts made up of protein. Catalysts are anything that speeds up an action without being used up themselves. Thus, an acid- base catalysis is the acceleration   of a chemical reaction by the addition of an acid or a base with the acid or base itself not being consumed in the reaction. Enzymes are not only found in human bodies, they are found in all types of living things including yeast. Yeast contains the enzyme known as catalase which breaks down the chemical hydrogen peroxide (H202) into  oxygen gas and water. This would be the react ion that will inform us about the amount of  bubbles formed from the acids and bases. This reaction will also show us how much the yeast has to work to break down the hydrogen peroxide when different substances are also added onto the concoction. Proteins can be changed when a specific amount of heat is brought upon it. Since enzymes are made up of proteins, they too can be changed by heat. However, what a majority of people do not know, is that the addition of acids and bases can also affect the way that a protein is put together. Both acid-catalysis and base-catalyzed reactions are used for their own unique purposes. A macrocosmic example of acid catalysis is the reaction and conversion of the hydrocarbon atoms found in petroleum to gasoline, and the creation of silicone. An example of a grand base ­ catalyzed reaction is the creation and conversion of several compounds and molecules used in the creation of foam sponges. The main reasoning behind this investigation is to discover how well the catalase enzyme in yeast can break down hydrogen peroxide after different amounts of acids and bases have been added onto it. For this experiment, my hypothesis is that the more acidic or the more basic the concoction made in the different cups is, the more bubbles will be made and the higher they will get. Procedure Materials The materials you will need for this experiment include: 5 clear glass containers of equal size (beakers or test tubes are ideal) Permanent marker Tape 5 clean spoons Distilled water Small clear cup/glass Baking soda Set of measuring teaspoons Measuring cup Hydrogen peroxide Dry yeast Ruler Lemon juice Variables         Ã‚   1. The rlcpcndent-ormanipulated variable in this experiment is the amount of lemon juice or baking soda poured into the different containers and thus, the acidity or basicity in each container. 2. The iodepor responding variable in this experiment is the height and amount of bubbles formed as a result of the chemical reaction. 3.   The controlled variable or the variable held constant in this experiment is the amount of yeast and the amount of hydrogen peroxide put in each container and the containers themselves. StepbyStep Directions 1. Label the containers: 1- Control, 2- Low Acid, 3- High Acid, 4- Low Base, and 5-High Base. 2. Put a spoon in each of the containers, and make sure to never move a spoon from one container to the other. 3. Add two teaspoons of distilled water to container 1- Control. 4. Stir in 1 4 cup of hydrogen peroxide to container 1-Control. 5. Stir in 1 teaspoon of yeast to container 1- Control. 6. Place the ruler alongside the container, and record the highest height the bubbles reach 7.Of the other containers, record predictions first, and actual results after on a chart. 8.   To create the acidic containers, add one teaspoon oflemonjuice to container 2- Low Acid and two teaspoons oflemonjuice to container 3-High Acid. 9. Add one teaspoon of distilled water to container 2- Low Acid so it is the same volume as con iner 3. 1O.Stir in V4 cup of hydrogen peroxide to containers 2 and 3. ll.Add 1 teaspoon yeast to both container 2 and 3. Stir and observe. 12.Record the maximum height ofthe yeast bubbles. 13.To create the basic containers, add one teaspoon ofthe baking soda solution to container 4- Low Base and two teaspoons of the baking soda solution to container 5- High Base. 14.Add one teaspoon of distilled water to container 4- Low Base so it has the same volume as container 5. 15.Stir in V4 cup ofhydrogen peroxide to containers 4 and 5. 16.Add 1 8 teaspoon of yeast to both container 4 and 5. Stir and observe 17.Record the maximum height ofthe yeast bubbles. (Compare your predictions with your actual observations) Results There were a plethora of things to be discovered from this otherwise simple experiment. The very flrst thing that you have to be aware of to do this experiment is that there will always be a change to an altered chemical reaction, no matter how small the alteration or the result. The result of each and every chemical reaction wasnt very different, but it was enough so that each showed a noticeable change. The temperature for each experiment I conducted stayed at approximately the same level throughout. The original height of the mixture was approximately 1 inch before adding the yeast. I performed three separate trials for each chemical reaction. The results were approximately the same for every trial I conducted of the different concoctions. The initial height of all the concoctions prior to adding yeast was approximately I inch. The constant reaction worked at the most accelerated rate, thus causing more bubbles to form on the mixtures surface. This occurred because of the fact that the enzyme Catalase works best at around pH 7, and this mixture was very near to the neutral pH. The foamy bubbles made the height of the concoction reach approximately 1.5 inches in an average whiskey glass. The bubbles reached their maximum height at a slow rate. This was true for a majority of the reactions. Control Reaction   Ã‚   The acidic reactions reacted in a very similar way to each other. The low-acid reaction acted in a very similar way to the control reaction in every single trial I conducted. The bubbles in this reaction reached a slightly lower height than that of the control reaction; approximately 1.2 inches. The pH of this composition was slightly more acidic; about a 6 or 5 on the pH scale. The pH being lower is what caused the bubbles to perform in a more decelerated rate. The high-acid reaction also performed at a lesser magnitude than the control reaction. The height of the bubbles reached a height of slightly more than 1 inch. Due to the fact that the high-acid reaction had a lower pH and strayed further from the desired neutral status, it performed the worst of all the reactions thus far. However, this reaction reached its maximum height in a shorter amount of time. Low-Acid  Reaction  High-AcidReaction The low-base mixture reacted in approximately the same way as the low-acid mixture. This is because the two mixtures were the same amount of pH away from the desired neutral pH. This concoction was at a pH of roughly 9 or 10. The height ofthis mixture was approximately 1.2 inches. Even though the amount of acid or base added to the mixture was the same, the one teaspoon of baking soda raised the pH more than the one teaspoon of lemon juice lowered the pH because the baking soda is a powder. It being a powder allows for the individual molecules of the substance to spread around the mixture more than the tangy lemon juice could. The high-base mixture reacted in a very similar way to the high-acid mixture. Again, this was because they  were the same amount away from a neutral pH. The pH of the high-base concoction was a pH of approximately 11 or 12. The maximum height of this mixture reached slightly more than 1 inch. This blend also reached its maximum height in a shorter amount of time than the others. Low-Base  Reaction  High-Base  Reaction Due to the fact that the different reactions reacted in quite a similar way to one another, I decided to conduct an additional experiment. This one consisted of one teaspoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of baking soda in the beginning. This was to discover if a mixture of the two would accelerate or decelerate the Catalase reaction. I had previous knowledge that a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice resulted in a foamy liquid that helped with indigestion and to fight off minor cancer cells, so I put it to the test with the catalytic enzyme. This concoction reacted in a way like no other. The maximum height of the reaction was approximately 5 inches. This reaction also reached its maximum height quicker than any other reaction. The initial foam of the mixture of the acid and the base caused the yeast bubbles to be larger and whiter in color in comparison to the other reactions. Estimated  Height  of  Yeast  Bubbles Actual  Height  of  Yeast  Bubbles Control 2in. 1.5 in. Low-Acid 3 in. 1.3 in. High-Acid 4in. 1.1in. Low-Base 3.3 in. 1.35 in. High-Base 4.4in. 1.15 in. Combination 5 in. 2.5 in. Conclusion The results proved my hypothesis completely incorrect. I believed that the further away from neutral the concoctions got, the more accelerated the reaction would be. However, the complete opposite to what I believed turned out to be true. I was very surprised to see that every  planned reaction gave approximately the same results. That was why I decided to conduct an  experiment with usually counteracting substances; the acid and the ba::}if I were to do this  experiment again, I would use larger amounts in order to get larger and more visible results. The most plausible explanation of the yeast reaction is that the bubbles formed because the hydrogen and oxide atoms collided with the Catalase in the yeast and then bounced away. Due to the fact that the molecules bounced apart, a larger microscopic gap formed between the atoms. The way us humans see this minuscule separation is in the form of the Catalase bubbles. The way that this reaction could help us in our everyday lives i s actually quite simple. Catalase is found in a majority of human bodies; especially in the liver. What Catalase does in the human body is that  if there is more of it in the liver, your hair will gray at a slower rate or not at all, and if there is not a lot of Catalase in your liver, then your hair will grow at an exponential rate. Due to the fact that Catalase is found in one of our crucial organs, doctors and scientists have conducted  experiments to try and manipulate the enzyme in order to treat ailments in that region of the bodese experiments were simply on a microcosmic scale, which did not allow them to  perform in such a notable and appreciable way. However, on a larger scale, this type of catalysis would be truly helpful in our everyday needs. Bibliography Gray, Theodore. Molecules:TheElementsandtheArchitectureofEverything.New York City: Black Dog Leventhal, 2014. Print. Touchette, Betty. (2014, May 01). AcidBaseCatalysis. /www.education.com/science-fair/article/acids-bases-affect-enzyme-action/> Ruiz, Brianna. (2015, September 10). AcidandBaseCatalysis. Goodsell, David. (2004, September). PDB101:Catalase. 15

The Keys to Entrepreneurship Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursewo

The Keys to Entrepreneurship What makes a successful entrepreneur? What can one do to put oneself in a position to succeed on their own? Jay Goltz, for example, is an extremely successful entrepreneur who started his business from the ground up. In the summer of 1978, Jay Goltz founded the Artist’s Frame Service. His business started by using his father’s basement as his office, but eventually moved to an old factory district in Chicago. Today, Goltz’s business in the largest retail, custom picture framing facility in the United States, with over 120 employees and more than $9 million in sales. This success has led Goltz to earn several awards, including being inducted into the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. What did Goltz do or possess to make his business venture so successful? Perhaps if one asks the right questions the answers will reveal themselves. Why do entrepreneurs like Jay Goltz succeed when so many others fail? Can a person develop the personality traits to become a suc cessful entrepreneur, and how would one attempt to do that? How important is a business plan when getting started in a business like Goltz’s Artist’s Frame Service? By examining Jay Goltz, and how he started his business, one should be able to identify the attributes that are required to be successful in entrepreneurship. Jay Goltz succeeded in business, I believe, because he was much more prepared than the average person was. Along with possessing key personality traits, Mr. Golt...

The Development Of Desire :: essays research papers fc

The Development of Desire The development of the male warrior, throughout literature, has a direct relationship with the development of western civilization. The attributes a warrior holds, fall respectively with the attributes that each society held as valuable. These characteristics, started by societies ideals, become the warrior's only reasons for continuing their heroics. The ideals however do change with each warrior. At the beginning we have a warrior with one mission, which later the warriors become more challenged and have to change ideas and concepts to continue. The evolution of the warriors desires becomes the complex ideals that western civilization develops over time. With this progression of civilization, from simple to complex ideals, so will the evolution of the ideals and desires of our heroes change from simple to complex.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Odysseus is a man who is both strong and smart, but most known not for the brawn of his body, but the wits of his brain. A man who is loved in every country, but Trojan, and could stay where ever he chooses, his sailors knew this to be true as one bench mate to the next, â€Å"It never fails. He is welcome everywhere: hail to the captain when he goes ashore!† (Homer 166). The irony falls as Odysseus only desires his homeland. †Begin when all the rest who left behind them headlong death in battle or at sea had long ago returned, while he[ Odysseus] alone still hungered for home and wife† (Homer 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Odysseus has many opportunities to end his journeys and start a new life. For instance, if he desired, Odysseus was able to stay with Kalypso who wanted him forever, â€Å"Her ladyship Kalypso clung to him in her sea-hollowed caves- a nymph, immortal and most beautiful, who craved him for her own† (Homer 1). Kalypso knows even though she has Odysseus in her home, he is not hers to have. â€Å" Son of Laertes, versatile Odysseus, after all these years with me, you still desire your old home? Even so I wish you well†( Homer 87). To which Odysseus replies, â€Å"...Yet, it is true, each day I long for home, long for the sight of home...† (Homer 87). Another chance for Odysseus to start a new life is offered by the king of the Phaecians to marry his daughter and live there; â€Å"...seeing the man that you are, seeing your thoughts are my own thoughts-my daughter should be yours and you my son-in-law, if you remained. â€Å"( Homer 120). In each case, Odysseus, only wants to return to his wife Penelope, his son, and most of all his homeland.

Human Dignity in A Lesson Before Dying Essay -- Ernest J. Gaines

Human Dignity in A Lesson Before Dying    Grant and Jefferson are on a journey. Though they have vastly different educational backgrounds, their commonality of being black men who have lost hope brings them together in the search for the meaning of their lives. In the 1940’s small Cajun town of Bayonne, Louisiana, blacks may have legally been emancipated, but they were still enslaved by the antebellum myth of the place of black people in society. Customs established during the years of slavery negated the laws meant to give black people equal rights and the chains of tradition prevailed leaving both Grant and Jefferson trapped in mental slavery in their communities. The struggles of Grant and Jefferson share a common theme, man’s search for meaning. Grant has the advantage of a college education, and while that may have provided some enlightenment, he remains in the same crossroads as Jefferson. Grant sees that regardless of what he does, the black students he teaches continue in the same jobs, the same poverty and same slave-like positions as their ancestors. Grant has no hope of making a difference and sees his life as meaningless. Though Jefferson’s conflict is more primal, it is the same as Grant’s struggle. Jefferson is searching for the most basic identity, whether he is man or animal. It is this conflict of meaning and identity that bring Grant and Jefferson together. In this book, Ernest J. Gaines presents three views to determine manhood: law, education and religion. Jefferson has been convicted of a crime, and though he did not commit it, he is sentenced to death as a "hog" a word that denies any sense of worth or fragment of dignity he may have possessed in a world ruled by oppressive white bigots. Jefferson is at an even greater loss as he has no education and after the conviction he doubts that God can even exist in a world that would send an innocent man to his death. It is clear that Jefferson does not believe he has any value. " ‘I’m an old hog. Just an old hog they fattening up to kill for Christmas’ " (83). Though Grant may have had some advantages compared with Jefferson, his position in life was not significantly better than Jefferson’s. Grant knows that if he had been the black man sitting in the courtroom, he too would have been convicted. In his powerful opening to the novel, Grant says, "I was not there yet I was there... ...rong tell them im a man" (234). Jefferson died with dignity and Grant returned to Bayonne believing he could make a difference. It is not clear that religion, a belief in God, made the difference for either of them. It is clear that as they struggled with the issue of a higher power, they did discover that the meaning of their lives was not attached to the white man’s beliefs and myths, but rather came from inside themselves. To the end, they both struggled with whether or not there was a God. As they end their journey together, Jefferson is at peace and becomes a hero in his community. Though Grant cannot be a hero, he does find his place and returns to the schoolhouse with new hope and a vision for making a difference, if not for himself, for his students. He doubts himself at times, but he gains determination for his students. "Yet they must believe. They must believe, if only to free the mind, if not the body. Only when the mind is free has the body a chance to be free. Yes, they must believe. They must believe. Because I know what it means to be a slave. I am a slave" (Gaines 251) Works Cited Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson Before Dying. New York: Vintage Books, 1993.

Language diversity Essay

I understand â€Å"language diversity’ to refer to the use of a vast range of different languages (an expression of communication). In the case of the prescribed article, this is applied in the context of South Africa as a country. It is our cultural diversity and by extension, our â€Å"rainbow nation† image that is one of the first things foreigners associate with us as a country†¦ well, that and Madiba and Bafana-Bafana. It is an image we sell to the world, of the once divided country who overcame the crippling stigma of apartheid to rise as one people, one nation. This is one reason why it is so painful to see the statistics listed in the article, that a staggering third of the people who participated in the study felt threatened by other cultures. The study attributed this partially to the large number of people in this country who fall into the lower income bracket, who may not necessarily come into contact with other cultures. While I accept that this may be the case in some instances, I find it very difficult to see this as the main, contributing factor. Apart from our rainbow nation image, South Africa has a reputation for being the land of possibilities. Where other countries may turn a blind eye to the suffering in other parts of the world, leaders like Desmond Tutu and Madiba have never been afraid of speaking up about the injustices done to people. We have become a country of refuge, for people who simply cannot survive in their own country of origin. The incidents that have been reported in the news recently show us that there is definitely a feeling of being threatened by other cultures. Foreign owned businesses under attack and people fleeing for their lives. One cannot attribute this to not having contact with other cultures. I think it is a combination of factors, one of the most pressing being the overwhelming levels of poverty we see in these communities. Desperation breeds intolerance and ultimately, violence. Another is the legacy that has been left behind by apartheid. Fear and discrimination of differences. In the light of the present political climate, it is people like the Greaves family who may just be the example we look to; of how we need to move forward as a nation. People who do not let culture and race be the determining factor in who they choose to love and call their own; who embrace the unifying element of humanity over other dividing differences, as difficult a process as it may be. Taking the step to adopt across cultural and colour divides would present many challenges and questions like these could be raised: 1. How do families who adopt children from a different language background cope? I imagine that it must be a very difficult process for both the child concerned and the family, to assimilate oneself into a different culture. Different language and cultural backgrounds determine not only the spoken word, but our behaviour. Older children especially, who have been raised in one culture and then removed and placed in another, could have major problems adjusting and miss-communication between the members of the new family unit could occur. Language and culture are intertwined, and something as simple as lowering one’s gaze in the presence of an elder out of respect could be misinterpreted as insolence, or fear, etc. This is just one example of why it is so important for prospective parents to research and learn about the culture surrounding the children they would like to adopt. An article I read online (find at: http://family.findlaw.com/adoption) suggested some creative ways for adoptive parents who want to create a family life more inclusive of their child’s culture/language. Some of these suggestions included: Becoming members and participating in multi-cultural support groups Participating in religious services. Researching and including food and festivals into family life. Learning the child’s birth language. Placing the child in a school environment that encourages and celebrates cultural diversity, with students across the culture spectrum. How do people deal with the issue of multiple languages in the same family? Multilingual families are formed for many different reasons. There is the monolingual family who deliberately introduce a new language into their home and lives as they feel it enriches them as people; the family who emigrates and therefore has to learn the new language of their new home, or the family unit where both parents come from different language backgrounds. Then there  is the case of the multilingual family who learn a new language as a result of it being their adoptive child’s home language and the child learning theirs. Christina Bosemark, founder of the Multilingual Children’s Association, suggests the following ways where multilinguism in a family can not only be managed, but fostered: 1. Both parents should be in full agreement of which languages will be spoken in the family home. It could be detrimental to the family dynamics if an insecure parent feels excluded by virtue of his/her spouse speaking to their child in a language that he/she doesn’t understand. 2. While it is an exciting prospect to learn a new language, one needs to remain realistic about the time it will take. Research indicates that children need to be exposed to a new language on average of 30% of their day, in order to be fully conversational in it and to learn the finer nuances of it. 3. Create a plan and follow it. If the parents are learning their adoptive child’s language of origin, they need to figure out the best way for them to do so and move forward with it. Conversational language classes, formal lessons, etc. If it is the child who is learning a new language, look at the age of the child and their interests as a starting point on which methods may be best for them. Younger children learn best in context to their real-world life, their environment. Immersing themselves in the new language, speaking and being spoken to in it; is often the best way for them to learn it speedily. Teenagers learn differently to younger children. It is important that they be able to choose the learning methods best for them. Most do not learn in a linear fashion anymore due to the digital world they have been brought up with, this should be a point considered when deciding on the best methods moving forward. 4. Networking is not only a domain of the workplace. Building a support network with other individuals who are also raising their children in the same languages as you are, are an invaluable asset. Apart from providing emotional support and sharing knowledge, your children will benefit from learning the language from others their own age through play-dates. Research constantly shows us that children learn best through play, so books, movies, toys, etc., in the new language are fantastic  educational tools. 5. Lastly, patience is the greatest virtue when embarking on such a difficult journey. I presume there would be many hurdles on the path to a happy, truly multilingual family. For every setback, it is important to remind oneself about the bigger picture. If a plan is not working, never be afraid to re-examine and work out alternatives. All families are not the same and what works for one may not for another. Is adoption across cultural, ethnic and language divides a good thing? This question is obviously very loaded, not to mention, an extremely subjective one. I think that it boils down to the particular couple doing the adopting. People like the Greaves family obviously do not think that the colour of a person’s skin defines them as an individual; nor is it something to consider when it comes to the choice of whom to love. However, not all people feel the same way. Research shows that for many South African couples, the choice of adopting a child from another culture is based on availability. Statistically, there are more children from black backgrounds and for some reason, coloured boys, not girls; than there are white, Indian, Chinese, etc. People looking to adopt within their race can be put on a waiting list for years before they can find the baby of their choosing, if at all. From my own family, I know of a few people who have chosen to go the adoptive route, after having tried unsuccessfully to have children of their own. One couple flew to Pakistan and went through the costly and long wait to adopt a baby who would fit into their Indian-Muslim family, a child who wouldn’t raise eyebrows in their community. Another distant cousin flew to Chechnya to adopt. She adopted two boys, at 4 year intervals. In her case, the process was even longer and even more expensive. Her first son was adopted as an infant but the second son was adopted at the age of 5. He had memories of his first family and the war-torn country he had grown up in. Also, he had lived in an orphanage for  the last two years of his life and had become, like many children do, â€Å"institutionalised† in his demeanour and behaviour. Back in South Africa, they struggled to help him with processing his insecurities and difficulties. At meal times he would eat until he became physically ill because as much as they reassured him that they would always have food available, his memories of near starvation haunted him. His adoptive mother tried everything to get him to bond with her and see her as a parent but beyond acknowledging them as a provider to his physical needs, he refused to engage with her and her husband. After many, many years of therapy and work, they are now in a much stronger place as a family. I have heard the reasoning, of how it places a lot of pressure on parents and their adoptive children when there are race differences within a family. Of the communities that can be cruel and the challenges it presents. I remember when an Indian, Muslim friend of mine and her husband adopted a little black boy. An old aunt of hers wept openly, and implored her to consider the consequences of her actions. When her son grew up, her aunt reasoned, who in their community would give their daughter’s hand to him in marriage? I hear the reasoning but personally speaking, I applaud the couples and individuals who do it anyway. If we are truly going to build a better world where we see people as people and not as merely a representative of a particular faction, it starts with families like these. Success and happiness are surely sweeter when one knows that one had to work at gaining it. And there are many advantages to having a family that is multicultural too. In response to any bias they may face from outsiders, probabilities are that a family that is multicultural will be a very close one with the children feeling very supported by their parents. Children from these homes are taught acceptance and tolerance of differences. Research shows that children who grow up in a multi-lingual home develop the ability to be flexible in their thinking abilities, probably as a result of receiving and processing information in more than one language. People who come from  multi-cultural homes are often rich in heritage and multi-faceted in character. The question to adopt across divisions is ultimately a very personal one. A person should look very carefully at who they are as individuals before taking the leap. As difficult as it may be though, I’m sure any family who have done so will tell you that the wonderful family they created was definitely worth the challenges they faced. Bibliography of articles researched: 1. http://www.omniglot.com/language/articles/bilingualkids1.htm 2. http://www.omniglot.com/language/articles/bilingualkids1.htm 3. http://princessa.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-raise-multilingual-children 4. http://www.adoption.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62:story5&catid=12:adoptive-parents-&Itemid=83 5. http://babiesinmind.co.za/adoptions 6. http://adamcap.com/schoolwork/the-pros-and-cons-of-intermarriage/ http://ddeubel.edublogs.org/2010/08/02/the-teenaged-language-learner/ http://termcoord.eu/2014/02/age-factor-second-language-acquisition/ 7. http://family.findlaw.com/adoption)