What were the main features of the African slave trade, and what Essay

What were the main features of the African slave trade, and what effects did it have on Africa Restrict your answer to the period before 1800 - Essay Example This in fact was the worst slave trade in history according to the author. (Buxton, 2005 p16) Africans in general, the ones involved in the slave trade and those who were left, faced a lot of pain. It was total horror and disgust to Africans as they went through the miseries. The territories left behind by the slaves would become wilderness and expose the villages to a great extent of conflagration and chaos. Their children would be kidnapped and murdered in pursuit of some inferior supplies from the continent of Europe. Europe would always treat the slaves and those Africans left behind in a very evil and cruel manner. The traders would give to the chiefs who would sell the slaves very minute revenues in compensation and leave them to apply to the ones left. The chieftains would sell approximately 250,000 (to the higher) slaves per annum and the revenue would be about 4 pounds per head. Sometimes they would be duped and even at times the recipients of the slaves would describe the received merchandise as one that would only fit an inferior description. It would result into a very infeasible business, shunning off the fact that the whole process was so dehumanizing. Firstly, the revenues received would sometimes not meet the costs at all since it had to be applied to pay the armies that would involve in the trade of slaves. The reprisals among the chieftains would also be a requirement and the cost of the ravaging of their land as well as property destruction. The other items that would prove costly as well were such items as ammunition, and arms. There were also the goods that would be imported into Africa that would not match the gains from the traded slaves in exchange. Also the slaves hunting process was not a very nice experience and it would only be described as horrid. Millions of acres of land would be left abandoned since the owners would be traded as slaves. They (chiefs) would trade the slaves basically to get ball, powder and brandy and

Gender Archaeology Essay Example for Free

Gender Archaeology Essay Gender archaeology is a field of study that encompasses different approaches in the study of gender. It developed in the 1980s at the time feminist movement emerged in many societies including America and Britain questioning the male bias of the mainstream archaeology. Gender plays a significant role in constructing society and its values, categorizing which are female or male roles, and creating meanings and identity. However, studying the concept of gender is difficult as its meaning is influenced by many factors and relationships in the society. Arguments are raised that gender, unlike the biological sex, does not exist and complicated to test through archaeology. One of the traditional approaches in studying gender is through material culture where tangible evidences are correlated with the presence of men and women such as artefacts and tools excavated, suggesting a representation of the two genders and their activities (Shaw and Jameson 2000: 251). The productive use of material culture is one of the most significant contributions of archaeologists unlike other disciplines which ignore the potentials of material and its symbolic representations and meaning construction of gender (Bintliff 2004:85). Scholars should recognize the relevance of material culture as it is able to correlate the objects and its physical realities and consequences to gender, allowing varied ways of exploring an object or material. It provides resources for reference and medium for practice of gender. It aids the study of gender archaeology in all geographical regions, categories of material culture, and periods (Gilchrist 1999: 15). One of the research methods used in studying material culture is a case study, which is also commonly used in feminist archaeology, where archaeologist become ethnographers. They visit the site or region of analysis aiming to reconstruct the past societies with as much details as possible about the past people’s lifestyle, customs, traditions, beliefs, and other events (Nelson 2006: 45). In this way, history of people and its meanings are identified through material evidences which represent relationship to gender. Numerous studies have revealed astounding facts and evidence leading to an understanding on how the meanings of gender and its facets are identified. Many pre-historical studies have been conducted around the world in knowing how men and women are represented, particularly in artefacts, and how these representations construct or deconstruct the roles of each gender. In a study, Ungendering Archaeology: Concepts of Sex and Gender in Figurine Studies in Prehistory, Naomi Hamilton analysed and interpreted the prehistoric anthromorphic figurines from Eastern Europe and the Near East (Donald and Hurcombe 2000: 18). Hamilton devised as methodology to identify sex on the figures and analyse the stereotypes attached to it regarding Western gender roles. There were numerous figurines unearthed from Europe but the interpretations are different and sometimes contradicting. Some scholars argue that these figures, particularly those with women, represents ‘goddess worship’ but others did not agree. According to Hamilton, there is a need for a theory on gender and gender relations that would at least provide better explanations than the traditional studies. For any unfamiliar figure, it would be easier to assume that a certain object represents a male or a female goddess or creature but others might interpret it differently. In Seklo group from Greece, for example, an excavator thought of the distorted figure with womanly shape as representation of female centaur while other objects resembling male figure are assumed as enthroned men. Later, the female-like figure was interpreted in different views: seated figure, goddess, or female on a birth stool. These varied translations happen most of the times because, as Hamilton argued, archaeologists readily accept that aspects of human life have universal characteristics such that what is commonly associated with women in another region or era is assumed to be similar in another region of different period (Donald and Hurcombe 2000: 28). Hamilton argued that the ambiguity the two mutually exclusive genders (male and female) and its resemblance to historical Western societies have not been questioned. Traditional assumptions on these figurines readily announced as representation of sex and gender roles and not other things. Besides, interpretations are based conservative view on gender. Archaeologists assumed that there is a standard gender division in culture but anthropologists say otherwise. In many historical figurines, most represent female as it was how assumed by archaeologists. It must be that male is not so superior in the old times than now. Obviously, there are difficulties and contrasting views on identifying which gender figurines stand for. Hence it is important to consider not to identify each figure as sex symbol only but also gather other information on culture to avoid pre-conceive notions that men or women are represented in such matter for a period of time and also to avoid stereotypes on the roles of women. Research on gender might suffer if there is a strong bias on either gender or gender differences. The assumption that every culture has standard or similar male-female divisions of characteristics might lead to building a gender based on stereotypes (Hamilton 2004). These might influence on how men and women are viewed today and how their roles are determined in every aspects of life such as family, politics, or academe. Hamilton’s study on figurines has a plausible argument that the traditional assumptions of archaeologists have made conclusions that are inaccurate and lacks credibility. This is an important consideration since these kind of assumptions lead to opposing views damaging or overrating either gender especially women who has been, for a long time, regarded as subordinate to men. List of References Blintiff, J. L. (2004) A Companion to Archaeology. United Kingdom: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Gilchrist, R. (1999) Gender and Archaeology: Contesting the Past. Taylor Francis. Hamiton, S. M. (2004) Gender in Archaeology. Rowman Altamira. Nelson, S. M. (2006) Handbook of Gender in Archaeology. Rowman Altamira Shaw, I. and Jameson, R. (2000) A Dictionary of Archaeology. United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell

The central limit theorem

The central limit theorem The Central Limit Theorem The central limit theorem is the second fundamental theorem in probability after the ‘law of large numbers. The‘law of large numbersis atheoremthat describes the result of performing the same experiment a large number of times. According to the law, theaverageof the results obtained after a large number of trials should be close to theexpected value, and will tend to become closer to this value as more trials are carried out. For example, a single roll of afair diceproduces one of the numbers {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} each with equalprobability. Therefore, the expected value (E(x)), of a single dice roll is (1+2+3+4+5+6) à · 6 = 3.5. If this dice is rolled a large number of times, the law of large numbers states average of the result of all these trials known as the sample mean , will be approximately equal to 3.5. = 1Nk=1Nxk≈Ex=3.5 If the number of trials was to further increase, the average would further approach the expected value. So in general, as N→∞, →Ex This is the main premise of the law of large numbers. The central limit theorem is similar to the law of large numbers in that it involves the behaviour of a distribution as N→∞. The central limit theorem states that given a distribution with a mean (ÃŽ ¼) and variance (ÏÆ' ²), the samplingdistribution of the mean approaches anormal distributionwith a mean (ÃŽ ¼) and a variance (ÏÆ' ²N) as N, thesample size,increases. In other words, the central limit theorem predicts that regardless of the distribution of the parent population: Themeanof the population of means isalwaysequal to the mean of the parent population from which the population samples were drawn. Thestandard deviationof the population of means is always equal to the standard deviation of the parent population divided by the square root of the sample size (N). Thedistribution of means will increasingly approximate anormal distributionas the size N of samples increases. →X~N(ÃŽ ¼, ÏÆ'2N) (This is the main consequence of the theorem.) The origin of this celebrated theorem is said to have come from Abraham de Moivre, a French born mathematician who used the normal distribution to approximate the distribution of the number of heads resulting from many tosses of a fair coin. This was documented in his book ‘The Doctrine of Chances published in 1733 which was essentially a handbook for gamblers. This finding was somewhat forgotten until the famous French mathematicianPierre-Simon Laplacerevived it in his monumental work‘Thà ©orie Analytique des Probabilità ©s, which was published in 1812. Laplace was able to expand on de Moivres findings by approximating the binomial distribution with the normal distribution. De Moivre Laplace But as with de Moivre, Laplaces finding received little attention in his own time. It was not until the nineteenth century was at an end that the importance of the central limit theorem was discerned, when, in 1901, Russian mathematicianAleksandr Lyapunovdefined it in general terms and proved precisely how it worked mathematically.A full proof of the central limit theorem will be given later in this document. One may be familiar with the normal distribution and the famous ‘bell shaped curve that is associated with it. This curve is often found when presenting data for something like the heights or weights of people in a large population. Where ÃŽ ¼ is the mean . When the central limit theorem is applied, the distribution will approach something similar to the graph above. However, the amazing implication The central limit theorem explains why many non-normal distributions tend towards the normal distribution as the sample size N increases. This includes uniform, triangular, inverse and even parabolic distributions. The following illustrations show how they tends towards a normal distribution:

The Red Convertible Essay examples -- Analysis, Louise Erdrich

Symbolism is a quintessential element in all writing, whether it is prose or a poem. â€Å"The Red Convertible,† a short story written by Louise Erdrich, tells the story of the destructive nature of war, via the strain caused on the families from improper deconditioning. The main characters in the story, Lyman and Henry Lamartine, are brothers that develop a seemingly inseparable bond through a car; a red convertible. Lyman, the younger of the two was very hard-working and could always â€Å"make money† (Erdrich 394). He manages to ascend up the employment ladder at Joliet Cafà © from â€Å"washing dishes† (Erdrich 394) to eventually owning the establishment. Henry was soon drafted into the war and became a Marine. Upon returning from the Vietnam War â€Å"Henry was very different† (Erdrich 396) and â€Å"the change was no good† (Erdrich 396). Additionally, with the name in the title, it is only befitting that the convertible play a very impo rtant factor in the short story. The red convertible, Henry’s refusal to remove his war garments, and the picture of the two brothers are symbols that make the story complete by providing a view of their lives and personality. Although there are many symbols throughout the story, the most established is the red convertible. Louise Erdrich uses the red convertible as a symbolic representation of not only Lyman and Henry’s relationship but all war separated families. The convertible served as a common enjoyment of both brothers and is representative of their independence. When Henry returned from the war scarred, â€Å"quiet, and never comfortable sitting still anywhere† (Erdrich 396). Lyman was upset that his brother was acting differently, so, in order to spark emotion and â€Å"interest† (Erdrich 396) Lyman damaged th... ...d Lyman’s relationship. A noteworthy example is when Lyman â€Å"plows† (Erdrich 400) the automobile into the river. Eventually, the car engine dies; just like Henry and the relationship of the two brothers. Clothes, an occupational indicator in this instance, show Henry’s inability to remove himself from war. His garments act as a binding force and a memory that will oppress him until death. Comparatively, the picture serves as a reminder of the past that continues to haunt Lyman, so much in fact, that he â€Å"put the picture in a brown bag and folded the bag over and over tightly† (Erdrich 398). The author uses the most disparaging facet of living, death, to portray that life is not everlasting and that although we will not live forever, our memories will. Symbols deepen the story by opening a gateway into the emotional and physical states of the brothers. The Red Convertible Essay examples -- Analysis, Louise Erdrich Symbolism is a quintessential element in all writing, whether it is prose or a poem. â€Å"The Red Convertible,† a short story written by Louise Erdrich, tells the story of the destructive nature of war, via the strain caused on the families from improper deconditioning. The main characters in the story, Lyman and Henry Lamartine, are brothers that develop a seemingly inseparable bond through a car; a red convertible. Lyman, the younger of the two was very hard-working and could always â€Å"make money† (Erdrich 394). He manages to ascend up the employment ladder at Joliet Cafà © from â€Å"washing dishes† (Erdrich 394) to eventually owning the establishment. Henry was soon drafted into the war and became a Marine. Upon returning from the Vietnam War â€Å"Henry was very different† (Erdrich 396) and â€Å"the change was no good† (Erdrich 396). Additionally, with the name in the title, it is only befitting that the convertible play a very impo rtant factor in the short story. The red convertible, Henry’s refusal to remove his war garments, and the picture of the two brothers are symbols that make the story complete by providing a view of their lives and personality. Although there are many symbols throughout the story, the most established is the red convertible. Louise Erdrich uses the red convertible as a symbolic representation of not only Lyman and Henry’s relationship but all war separated families. The convertible served as a common enjoyment of both brothers and is representative of their independence. When Henry returned from the war scarred, â€Å"quiet, and never comfortable sitting still anywhere† (Erdrich 396). Lyman was upset that his brother was acting differently, so, in order to spark emotion and â€Å"interest† (Erdrich 396) Lyman damaged th... ...d Lyman’s relationship. A noteworthy example is when Lyman â€Å"plows† (Erdrich 400) the automobile into the river. Eventually, the car engine dies; just like Henry and the relationship of the two brothers. Clothes, an occupational indicator in this instance, show Henry’s inability to remove himself from war. His garments act as a binding force and a memory that will oppress him until death. Comparatively, the picture serves as a reminder of the past that continues to haunt Lyman, so much in fact, that he â€Å"put the picture in a brown bag and folded the bag over and over tightly† (Erdrich 398). The author uses the most disparaging facet of living, death, to portray that life is not everlasting and that although we will not live forever, our memories will. Symbols deepen the story by opening a gateway into the emotional and physical states of the brothers.

Not Your Grandfather’s Farm

Imagine a world where the food you ate was secretly replace with a factory created artificial replica. In this world the imitation food looks, smells and tastes like the original, sometimes even better. Most of this fake food including the meat was made up of only a few plant-based materials and a gang of chemicals. Also, imagine it would slowly kill you trough a range of horrible dieses. We currently live in this bizarre world. America's food industry is one of its deepest, darkest, best-kept secrets. When we think of a farm we picture scenes from Charlotte's Web. Not warehouses with ten thousand chickens, or dairy cows ankle-deep in ordure, huddled together under tin sheds in blistering heat. We picture the cows grazing on grass. Not eating formulas made of poultry waste and orange peels. The way food is produced is so over looked that it takes an outbreak of some sort to focus our eyes on problems beyond the grocery store shelves. Naturally, capitalism produces a natural pressure toward efficiency. In the meat industry this has led to the factory farm. Every effort is bent toward maximizing the output of meat and minimizing the cost. As a result, â€Å"The U. S. agricultural industry can now produce un- limited quantities of meat and grains at remarkably cheap prices† (32). The food that factory farms produced is cheap in terms of monetary value. However, it comes at a high cost. The mass production of farm animals effects the environment, economy, and human health. Inevitably, intensive animal agriculture depletes valuable natural resources. Instead of being eaten by people, the vast majority of grain harvested in the U. S. is fed to farm animals. This wasteful and inefficient practice has forced agribusiness to exploit vast stretches of land. Forests, wetlands, and other natural ecosystems and wildlife habitats have been decimated and turned into crop and grazing land. Scarce fossil fuels, groundwater, and topsoil resources that took millenniums to develop are now disappearing. In addition, industrialized farms are threatening the well being of rural communities throughout the U. S. , and citizens are increasingly working to block their construction in order to prevent pollution and protect the quality of life. Family farms have been the core of agrarian culture for thousands of years, providing the opportunity to connect with the land and to live in tune with the seasons and the weather. Traditional farmers don't produce more than the carrying capacity of the land. They understand the condition of the soil and its ability to sustain various crops from season to season. They commonly produce and save their own seeds, a practice that has helped small farms maintain the integrity of crops, and allow hardier, diverse strains of plants to prosper. Contrasting this, industrial farms use a few strains of high yielding crops, an approach that threatens genetic diversity and often leads to chemical dependency. Short-term efficiency and profitability, rather than long-term sustainability drives the factory farming model. It externalizes costs, such as pollution clean up and health care services, onto others in the community. Neighbors of industrial operations have experienced health problems ranging from chronic asthma to neurological damage. Furthermore, the meat, poultry, dairy and egg industries employ technological short cuts to maximize production. Under these conditions, virulent pathogens that are resistant to antibiotics are emerging. These new super germs, whose evolution is traced directly to the overuse of antibiotics in factory farming, have the potential to cause yet unknown human suffering. Millions of Americans are infected, and thousands die every year from contaminated animal food products. Despite repeated warnings from consumer advocates, the United States Department of Agriculture's meat inspection system remains grossly inadequate, and consumers are now being told to expect animal products to be tainted. Meanwhile, the agribusiness industry, rather than advising consumers to curb their intake of animal products, has devised extreme measures of overcooking and antibiotics. This helps consumers avoid the dangers of animal products and maintain their gross over-consumption of meat and dairy In conclusion, it seems like some appalling conspiracy straight from the pages of a George Orwell novel. Yet factory farming is not plot to manipulate the masses. It's not only of our making, but it also made us. Cheap food accounts for American prosperity. We spend less of our annual incomes on food than any other nation. According to Walsh, â€Å"Americans spend less than 10% of their incomes on food† (33). There are various hazards that stem from our cost efficient food. Consequently, they are the price of the American way of life. Maybe they are telling us that it is time to change.

Can Failure Lead to Success

Failure is to success as practice is to perfection. One who perseveres to achieve a paragon of whatever it may be will one day accomplish that task. In the same sense, an average human being who makes mistakes, like the rest of us, must fail in order to reach the level of success that he or she is determined to. A transient feeling of doubt may come across after or during the breakdown, but learning to be optimistic in such situations will abet one to learn from the wrong-doing and make better of themself.Any obstacle to stand in someone’s way of acquiring success is simply just a nudge in a different direction. Failure gives you the opportunity to come back stronger and braver. You are given a chance to work even harder than you did in the past. Assiduity and confidence is the key to picking up from any debacle that may influence you to give up. Imagine interviewing for a job that seemed like the best out there for you, but you didn’t get it.However, another job comes up that pays more and fits more comfortably for your schedule. A frustration of decline suddenly becomes something gained. Everything will soon be put into its’ right place, which is something pivotal to remember when you are in a struggle. Now that you have undergone such a negative time period of failure, you have been given a learning experience. Your stream of thought has been influenced and enriched. It is easier to develop new and different ideas, being that you must erase previous concepts.Make a new approach, take a risk, or test out something new to see a change in what you have done. All you have room left for is improvement, so doubting yourself will lead you nowhere. Learn from the mistakes that you have made in order to never run into them again on your road to success. Think of your downfalls as different plans that didn’t work out, rather than complete failures with no advantage. There are always things to learn, ways to grow, and new opportunities waiti ng for you.Failure can very well lead to success, but it all depends on you. Don’t be pessimistic when you must make new attempts in different situations. Be the best you can be so that your efforts can shine through in your work. Desire to succeed is much greater at this point, meaning you can truly stay focused on your goals. Viewing failure as the end of your road is the biggest mistake of all. Simply consider it the beginning of something potentially better.