History reading assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History reading assignment 3 - Essay Example At some point in her reign, she accepted foreign influence into her court. Products were imported from Europe during her reign. Even populations were â€Å"imported† from Europe including whole German colons that would later lead to the Russian-German conflicts. However, after 1518, Russia abandoned their Western fashion and began making steps to their sources. Everything changed after 1815 with Nicholas I wanting Russian spoken at the court. The local population increased and doubled very twenty years and the military power increased, with the emperor claiming that despotism and tyranny were not the same. The descriptions of Russia and St. Petersburg by the Marquis are very mediocre. He criticizes despotism banally as if it is something deja vu. The most enlightening parts are when Custine holds his talks with the empress and the Tsars and not with the reformists. Here, Custine enters the Russian exception core with Russian singularity. In Custine words, Russian singularity h as not been liquidated by Anglo-mania. The Tsar explains his political choices in impeccable French. He is aware that Russia is under fire. He says that, in Custine’s country, they entertain prejudices against the Russians that are more difficult to overcome than passions of an army in revolt (Abbott, 2012: p 92). In his own country, he had to tackle liberals yet he still defended despotism. It still existed in Russia, and it was the essence of his government and accorded the nation with genius. Custine was prophetic in his harsh review of Russia by claiming that by blocking the road to imitation in Russia, the Tsar was restoring Russia to her old self. Custine understands that Russia has imitated a lot of what the new times have brought, but they will be conservative, peculiar, and traditional. To their enemies, this produces a dilemma: when they imitate, they are labeled as monkeys, but labeled Tartars when they attempt to be Russian. However, by the time of Nicholas, there was no more need to copy the western courts. Custine analyzes the democratic system as a parliament that acts as an aristocracy of the orators that is substituted for birth aristocracy and that it is the government of lawyers (Abbott, 2012: p94). The Tsar is in agreement and adds that since the entire social and political defects of democracy are known, buying votes, seducing in order to deceive, and corrupting conscience. He contends that he disdains these things and that he has paid the price for being straightforward, but shall never more be a king of the constitution. Custine at this point still agrees with him and remarks that without aristocracy, only tyranny would exist and those aristocrats not bending to the leveling hand wielded by despotism existed in both monarchial governments and pure democracies. Custine was of the belief that the end of aristocracy would signal the beginning of the end for the nations. He foresees in Tsar Nicholas the perilous nature of a democracy ruled by a moneyed and ruthless aristocracy. Custine dreads the lawyers and the echo of the newsprint that are nothing, but speeches whose echo is around for twenty-four hours; moreover, this is the despotism, which threatens the nations (Abbott, 2012: p94). Custine believes that the reasons that the Russians remained politically backward were because of religion and that the role of the church is fundamental. Custine then contends that the Russia of the time is still

Promotional Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Promotional Analysis - Research Paper Example The area of the business is strategically located in order for its esteemed customers to access quickly. Because the store also has a high volume of individuals, it is situated in the center of the city and a very spacious locality. Due to greater demand for perfume across the world, the idea of note fragrance came into being. Moreover, the availability of materials as well as skilled labor required producing the product enhanced product generation, also there the high demand for quality and affordable fragrance perfumes boosted the business idea in its existence. Like any other business, the owners of note fragrance had an intention of making profit and employment generation to individuals around the world. In addition, strategic location of the company as well-advanced marketing strategies that are E-marketing among other online services boosted the Idea of generating the Note fragrance store. The business also requires little capital start as cheap and readily labor contributes in one way to another for the development of the fragrance shop. The idea of creating my perfumes emerges because passions and interest in perfumes. Apart from enjoying the beautiful scent of the perfume, I join the business for the sake of make profit and try to make ends meet. Due to readily available market for the product and sufficient infrastructure also boosts the need for one to invest heavily in the business. The product also does not only concentrate on particular individuals, but it cuts across to; young and old, men as well as women. Due to high demand and readily available market for the product, it will call for massive production that will increase the volumes of supplies hence meeting the customers demand at any given time across the world. Fragrance oil international limited is one of the major competitors, producing the same product as Note fragrance. In addition, luxury store also sells

The Right to Property Essay Example for Free

The Right to Property Essay Every person in this worls has the right to own a property according to availability of the same. This ownership is founded on his right to live and survive. However, the ownership of a property is subject to certain things that may be out of control of the person. These pertains to the inherent right of the government to act on every matter relating to its subjects. Based on principles and concepts, the ownership of property is very intricate as it involves complicated processes in the political system. Different countries do not have the same rules relating to property rights. As such, one rule may not be applicable to other people. However, no matter how complicated the processes may be, each individual with respect to his morals, nature, needs and other important factors may basically hamper the inherent right of every government to exercise its power. It is true that the government has the power govern the people based on the need of governmental existence, however, these right has its limitations. As every person is also entitled to his right to live a good life, these natural rights actually protect a persons property from any intervention from the government no matter what kind of intervention it may be. Ownership comprises the right to possess, the right to use, the right to manage, the right to the income of the thing, the right to the capital, the right to security, rights or incidents of transmissibility and absence of terms, the prohibition of harmful use, liability to execution, and the incident of residuarity. All these things may simply be understood on the right of every person to enjoy his property, a right to own or possess the same, the right to even destroy it and the right to exclude other people from its use in line with applicable laws. This is in line with the interplay of fact of ownership by a person and the right of the government to subject every person under the rule of law. The right to possess means the right to be put in exclusive control of a thing and enjoy the thing itself according to his will including the right to remain in control. It also include the claim that others should not without permission, interfer the exercise of ownership. The right or liberty to use at ones discretion has rightly been recognized as a cardinal feature of ownership and the fact that, as we shall see, certain limitations also occur. There is a need to follow this limitation in order to make the society harmonious. If we fail to do the same, the use of property without fundamental laws to follow will cause so much trouble in the political system. The right to manage is the right to decide how and by whom the thing owned shall be used. This decision shall rest from the discretion of the owner of the property. As such, he has the right to transfer or let other person use his own property. We should know that ownership has never been absolute. It has been subject to incidents of ownership as the prohibition of harmful use, liability to execution for debt, to taxation and to expropriation under the exercise of the inherent right of the government on eminent domain through public authority. Emphasis on the social aspect of ownership has, however, varied from age to age. Those sacred and inviolable rights, which, according to the Declaration of the Rights of Man, no one could be forced to cede except for public necessity have become, in French law for instance, liable to expropriation on grounds of public utility and subject to a general doctrine forbididng abuse. According to the liberal conception of ownership, there is a sharp distinction between 3 government and ownership. Though, in a loose sense, the said has the right to exercise the power of eminent domain over at least theland comprising its territory, this does not carry with it rights to possess enjoyment or even to alienate it, so that the sense in which the state is owner is very loose indeed. The interest of the state, according to this conception is confined to power of expropriation and a minimum of restrictive regulation, together with the expectancy of acquiring property as legally vacant or by escheat in some instances (Honore 113). This will give us the idea that the state can only hold a property of a person under the exercise of expropriation and other regulations that the government are required to implement. Another concept that is widely related to ownership and use of private property is socialism. Socialism has led to a revised view of the relation between government and ownership, at leat as regards some important types of property, such as land and business. This will mean, pertaining to practice, that the owners privileges of using and powers of managing a thing a she wishes have been curtailed and that the social interest in the productive use of things has been affirmed by legislation. In the negative, this process has meant that, in the interests of health and comfort, many substances cannot be used at all or can only be used in certain ways. For example, the sale of drugs is automatically controlled as it is harmful to the people, only smokeless fuel may be used in certain areas and garden hoses may not be used at certain periods. Such situations multiplied a thousand fold, have come to seem so natural that we hardly realize that the social interest in the use of things, the conservation of resources and in the details of manufacturing processes in a modern, though it is also a primitive, conception. 4 Now, another thing will be added to explain what has been expounded earlier. Positive control by the state shades into prohibition. The positive duty to exploit ones property in a socially beneficial way, as opposed to the prohibition of a harmful exploitation, has not been generally imposed as its implications fully worked out. It has something to do with the prohibition to use properties that may cause nuisance with other people or anyhting that will do bad things against other persons. A different form of state control is exercised by drawing a distinction between different types of ownership. The difference lies, of course, in the right of government officials to interfere in the management of the former categories and in state regulation of income rights deriving from the property, also in differing rules about alienation. In this way, the sphere of operation of ownership in the liberal sense is narrowed and a form of state participation in management substituted in the remaining sphere. These differences may be seen in the actual interplay of the implementation of property laws. Another form of social control consists in the exercise by officials of the management of things in ther private ownership of the state. Such arrangements present the form but not the substance of ownership in the liberal sense. Management and enjoyment are actually divided and political control, directly or indirectly, is exercised over the allocation of resources and the uses to which the thing owned is put. The nationalized industries in the United Kingdom folow this knid of pattern control. The next social control may be exercised by a restriction on the type of thing that is subject to ownership by persons other than the state, a sin the Russian building lease, where the building is owned by a private individual, the land remaining in state ownership. In effect, this restricts the privileges of the building owner in the general interest. 5 For us to understand the details on how government exercise of power was hampered by the natural rights of man to own different kinds of property, we will illustrate it by giving a concrete example. We will view a scenario that was given by Waldron when for instance a person owns a car. When a person owns a car, he has the legal capacity to use it in a certain way (Waldron 27). But it is true only in some circumstances. The owner of the car is not at liberty to drive it on the footpath or to drive it anywhere at a speed faster than seventy m. p. h. There is no liberty to drive it also without a license from the authorities because that would be illegal. The owner of the car has also the right not to let them use car without permission. However, the use of the car should not be a nuisance to his neighbors or should be in a good condition. As such, he may be liable to damages if it rolls into his neighbors fence. We should remember that these rights, liberties and duties are the basic stuff of ownership. But legal relations can be changed. If the person owns a car, he is in a position to change them. He has the power to sell it or give it to somebody else, in which case all the legal relations change. He has to take on the duties and limited rights of a non-owner of the car and someone else take son the rights, liberties, duties and powers of ownership. Or perhaps he lends or hires the car, that invokes a temporary and less extensive change in legal realtions. He can even bequeath the car in his will and testament so that someone else will take over his property rights when he dies. These are his powers to change his leagl situations or relations and that of others if he is the owner of the car. Finally, she may also, in certain circumstances, have his own legal position altered in relation to the car for instance, he is liable to have the car seized in execution of a judgment summons for debt.

Concept of Facts and Theories

Concept of Facts and Theories 2. Facts are needed to establish theories but theories are needed to make sense of facts. Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge. Growing up in a small village that is hugely effected by supernatural beliefs, beliefs in invisible identities. Villagers believed that sickness and catastrophes are directly related to a variety of invisible person-like beings such as, demons, angels, spirits, ghosts, devils and gods. When the villagers are asked to justify their belief in such entities, they often appeal to testimony first: to reports of sightings, suspicious events that they believe are caused by such beings, and fueled by imagination as a way of knowing. Second, many villagers claim a sense of presence, they sense the presence of their beloved ones who are dead years ago. Numerous testimonies regarding invisible identities made the community in the village consider the existence of these identities a theory that they believed in. Invisible agents or identities provided a quick, convenient and comforting explanations for events. Many questions arose from my experience with this case. How do theories make sense of the testimony or a fact? Or how are facts needed to establish such theories? Can a theory supersede and replace the need for data and testing? Is it always possible for theories in various areas of knowledge to be tested and proven wrong? This essay will investigate these questions and more, using the areas of knowledge of history and natural sciences, using ways of knowing where appropriate. First it is necessary to define the terms used in the statement. Facts are the subset of truths that have been proved and verified[1]. Truth exist in unlimited numbers, when they are discovered and tested, they become facts. A theory is a detailed clarification. The aim of a theory is to provide us with clarifications of physical things, phenomenon and events. We can make sense of facts by establishing theories, theories are established by formulating hypotheses, either by observation or sometimes by intuition and analogy and deducing conclusions from these hypotheses that can be tested directly or indirectly by observation or by experiment. For example, we all know that the sun emits light, its a fact. The fact doesnt give reasons about why this phenomenon occur, thats an observation of a fact. A theory is an explanation of a set of facts[2].The aforementioned theory was created using a set of evidence and mathematic calculations that supported and explained the long process from sc ratch. Breaking up the claimed statement into two fragments. First, that facts are needed to establish theories and second, that theories are needed to make sense of facts. If we look at the two aforementioned claims through Physics, we can bring up the relationship between experimental physics and theoretical physics. Experimental physics is directly relied on observation and data collection while theoretical physics use laws and mathematical analysis to predict theories. For example, in physical cosmology and astronomy, dark energy is a form of energy which is hypothesized to permeate all of space[3]. A search team was formed to observe distance measurements in supernovas. To illustrate, Researchers would study the relationship between the distance to an object in a supernova and its radiation, which gives how fast it is receding from us. This led to the discovery that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. This method of formulating a theory was the same as Aristotles interpretation of science. He viewed science as a closed circle where any observer or in this case, scientist can gather facts and then, by induction, formulate a theory. The same view goes to how one of my colleagues who is an archeologist attempted to prove the existence of an ancient frankincense trade route from Oman to the rest of the Middle East it is believed that frankincense is the first substance to be traded and was a crucial part of the Middle East economy thousands of years ago. The Route was proven to exist when a treasure trove that contained hundreds of archeological sites in the Middle East was discovered. Two distinguished discoveries came to light, the team uncovered an ancient fortress virtually identical to one they previously discovered in Oman. His team also uncovered a broad variety of other artifacts, including thurbiles made of mud which is used as incense holder. Thurbiles come in different shapes and designs but the team have noticed a certain pattern in the design of the thurbiles that they found in the sites where small shapes and plants were drawn to decorate the thurbiles. Linking this case to my question, the discoveri es in the different archeological sites were considered facts and were linked together because the designs found in the archeological sites were virtually identical. A theory was established to explain the observations which is that these archeological sites share same patterns and designs therefore they were linked and connected together. Theories are also necessary for facts to be established. An example of this is that theorists had predicted the existence of the Higgs boson which is a particle in the Standard Model of particle physics for more than five decades ago[4], which then encouraged the experimental physicists to search for the Higgs. And now the existence of the Higgs has been established as a fact. Another example is that the theory of gravitation predicted the behavior of objects on the moon and other planets long before the activities of spacecraft and astronauts confirmed them. In the previous two examples, the theories helped narrow facts that are found from a wide range of experiment and researches to a narrower scope providing few simple rules that summarize hundreds of observations. These rules make scientists have a focused area of research to examine. Some theories that have been regarded and accepted for centuries had a great impact on the new compelling theories supported by facts but can a theory supersede and replace the need for data and testing? Deducing a theory in mathematics for example does not require any objective facts gathered from our surroundings in order for it to be true. In a sense, Mathematics is true without reference to reality. Purely analytic statements can be demonstrated a priori. A proof of a theorem cannot involve experiments or other observed evidence in the same way such evidence is used to support scientific theories. In the previous two examples, the variables in the theories were directly observable which led to the theories making specific, clear predictions about the future. Deducing a theory can enrich our interpretations and meaning by providing us with a different approach to look at the same facts. I believe the statement should be edited to Facts are needed to establish truthful theories about the surroundings. Interpretations are an approach to make factual propositions meaningful. Theories can help us make sense of facts. Since we have defined facts as subset of truths that have been verified and verification can make theories true or false, we can also conclude that facts without a connecting theory are just facts fluctuating in a sea of logical space, independent of one another. Bibliography: Wikipedia, , accessed January 19, 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy#cite_note-6. , accessed January 21, 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgs_boson#cite_note-OnyisiFAQ-8. Onyisi, P. (23 October 2012). Higgs boson FAQ. University of Texas ATLAS group. Retrieved 2013-01-08. Https://www.facebook.com/MarkCC, Good Math/Bad Math, September 08, 2015, accessed January 19, 2017, http://www.goodmath.org/blog/2015/09/08/not-a-theory-really-its-not-a-theory/. [1] http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-fact-and-truth/ [2] http://evidence-based-science.blogspot.co.uk/2008/02/what-is-scientific-law-theory.html [3] Wikipedia, , accessed January 19, 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy#cite_note-6. [4] Onyisi, P. (23 October 2012). Higgs boson FAQ. University of Texas ATLAS group. Retrieved 2013-01-08.

John Edgar Hoover :: essays research papers

John Edgar Hoover G-men, Feds, Special Agents and Detectives, all names for members of a nationally, elite police force known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation. But how would you act if you found out that the G-men was started by a cross dressing homosexual? John Edgar Hoover was born in Washington, D.C. on January 1, 1895. His father, Dickerson Hoover, was a printmaker, but he had a mental breakdown in 1921 and he spent his last eight years in Laurel Asylum. This dramatically reduced the family income and Hoover had to leave school and seek employment. Hoover found work as a messenger boy in the Library of Congress, but highly ambitious, spent his evenings studying for a law degree at George Washington University. After Graduation, Hoover's uncle, a judge, helped him find work in the Justice Department. After only two years in the organization, Alexander M. Palmer, the attorney general, made Hoover his special assistant. Hoover was given responsibility of heading a new section that had been formed to gather evidence on "revolutionary and ultra-revolutionary groups.† Over the next couple of years Hoover had the task of organizing the arrest and deportation of suspected communists in America. This was known as the Red Scare. From his previous work in the Library of Congress, Hoover decided to catalog all of the suspected communist. Over the next few years 450,000 names were indexed and detailed biographical notes were written up on the 60,000 that Hoover considered the most dangerous. Hoover then advised Palmer to have these people rounded up and deported. On 7th November, 1919, the second anniversary of the Russian Revolution, over 10,000 suspected communists and anarchists were arrested in twenty-three different cities. However, the vast majorities of these people were American citizens and had to be eventually released. However, Hoover now had the names of hundreds of lawyers who were willing to represent radicals in court. These were now added to his growing list of names in his indexed database. Hoover was appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation in 1924. The three years that he had spent in the organization had convinced Hoover that the organization needed to improve the quality of its staff. Great care was spent in recruiting and training agents. In 1926 Hoover established a fingerprint file that eventually became the largest in the world. The power of the bureau was limited. Law enforcement was a state activity, not a federal one.

THE SINFUL NATURE OF MEN IN WILLIAM GOLDINGS LORD OF THE FLIES :: essays research papers fc

When anyone thinks of the word â€Å"evil† they do not think it is within themselves. In reality, without a structured and well-followed society, people are apt to follow their own corrupt desires and neglect the thought of consequence. In the allegory, Lord of the Flies, William Golding reveals that man’s selfishness and sinful nature will be unmasked when the structure of a society deteriorates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the story opens, the boys are stranded on the island without any type of authority and must fend for themselves. A meeting is held and the chief, Ralph, is quickly named. A reader at once can notice there is already a power struggle between Jack and Ralph but this is overlooked when Jack says rational and sensible remarks about what should be done. The stability of civilization is still apparent when Jack says, â€Å"I agree with Ralph. We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English, and the English are best at everything. So we’ve got to do the right things,† (Golding 42). The boys are still influenced by the restraints they learned from a controlled society. Joseph Conrad asserts that â€Å"there exists a certain ‘darkness of man’s heart’ that is suppressed by the light of civilization† (Introduction to Lord of the Flies 2). â€Å"Although Golding suggests the h armony of an ideal society, he does not indicate any faith in its creation† (Kennard 234). The more meetings that are held the more futile they become. â€Å" ’We have lots of assemblies. Everybody enjoys speaking and being together. We decide things. But they don’t get done,’ † (Golding 79). The boys realize that there are no punishments for what they do and disregard their priorities. â€Å"The idea that the absence of the restraints of civilization can lead to a subversion towards savagery† (Introduction to Lord of the Flies 2). The makeshift society that the boys have created is already starting to weaken.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  More and more time passes, the tension growing between the boys heightens and their hibernating savageness starts to peer out. Now, the boys start to completely ignore the rules and neglect the thought of getting rescued and start to fulfill their own wishes of hunting and playing. â€Å" ‘The rules!’ shouted Ralph. ‘You’re breaking the rules!’ ‘Who cares?’ [Jack retorted]†¦ ‘Because the rules are the only thing we’ve got!’ [Ralph replied]. ‘Bullocks to the rules! We’re strong – we hunt!.

Mexican Daily Life Essay

There are a variety of common courtesies that Americans should observe when in Mexico. Some of the important issues of cultural etiquette are described herein. When in Mexico Americans should refrain from calling themselves â€Å"Americans. † Mexicans consider themselves Americans too since the whole continent is called America. Another part of Mexican culture that may be shocking to American’s traveling there is the way machismo is verbalized by male members of Mexican society. Making sexual or derogatory remarks at women is a typical part of the culture and should not be seen as harassment. Wearing a wedding band and mentioning children usually will stop these types of comments. Attempting to speak Spanish even if your Spanish is not good is appreciated. When speaking in English slang and idioms should be avoided. Using broken English does not aid communication and can be seen as offensive. Many Mexicans speak English but many more read English. If possible, a written copy of what you are saying should be provided. Mexicans do not often say no because it is considered impolite. Consequently, it is important that you recognize this and look for other clues as to what the real answer is. If a Mexican says maybe it is a good indicator that the answer is definitely no. Asking for a yes or no response to a specific question repeatedly is tolerated but you must be patient because it will take a while before the real answer comes out. People stand much closer to each other in Mexico. It is considered unfriendly to back up when a Mexican approaches you in conversation. You must be aware of the tone of voice you use when in Mexico. Using a quick pace or a sharp or forceful tone will make you come across unfavorably. Eye contact is not as direct or long as in the United States. Mexicans are status conscientious so what you wear or what you drive makes a clear statement about who you are in society. When attending a social event you should arrive 30 minutes late. Arriving earlier is considered rude. At small parties your host will introduce you. At large parties you may introduce yourself. When dining you should not sit until you are told where to sit and you should not eat until the hostess starts. It is polite to keep both of your hands visible while eating and to leave some food on your plate when finished. Only men are permitted to give toasts. The traditional greetings used in Mexico vary depending on the sex of the participants and the amount of time they have known each other. It is important to greet each member of a group individually. Women will pat each other on the forearm or shoulder as an initial greeting where men use the handshake in situations where they are greeting someone for the first time. Handshakes consist of a gentle grip and a quick sharp shake. After men develop a relationship hugs or back slapping called abrazo replace the handshake. Women will progress to a series of air kisses on the cheek. Air kissing is also the appropriate greeting between a man and a woman who know each other. The first kiss is in the air near the left cheek and the second is in the air near the right cheek. Unmarried women receive an additional kiss as a wish for marriage. Receiving an abrazo or air kiss is an indicator that you have been accepted into the group. These traditional Mexican greeting are indicative of gender characteristics. Females are supposed to act open while men are expected to act closed. Foreigners should politely accept these greetings from Mexicans but should not initiate a move from one greeting to the next. This is especially important for an American man who is greeting a Mexican female. The American man should never initiate the air kisses as it may be interpreted as sexual advance which damages the women’s honor and her partner’s machismo. Women are even expected to initiate a handshake with men. It is important to wait until invited to call a Mexican by his or her first name because of the emphasis on formal hierarchy with in the society. Until then you should use the correct honorific (Senor, Senora, Senorita) and the family name. If you do not know if a woman is married or not you should use Senorita followed by her family name. In oral communications you should use the father’s family name only. In written communications it is appropriate to use the father’s family name first followed by the mother’s family name. A respectful smile is always appropriate during greetings. Saying goodbye in Mexico is very similar to the process used for greetings. The host will walk the guest to the door and the goodbye will be said with the same procedure as the greeting. If you received a handshake, abrazo, arm pay or air kiss upon arrival expect the same upon leaving. Etiquette about who initiates the goodbye is the same as for greetings. It is polite to thank your host for the good time. Gift giving in Mexico is very similar to gift giving traditions in the United States. When invited to a Mexican’s home, it is considered polite to bring a gift of sweets or flowers. White flowers are a good choice because they are viewed by Mexicans as uplifting. Red flowers are not appreciated because they are used when someone is sick. Marigolds should not be given because they symbolize death. Gift wrapping does not carry any special significance. Gifts are opened immediately in the presence of those who gave them. It is appropriate to respond enthusiastically. Gifts are not used very often in Mexican business. However, bringing a small gift from home to a business partner you have worked with before is okay. Another accepted use of gifts in business is to give chocolates to the secretary. Since gifts are not used frequently, giving chocolates to the secretary will usually help future business run smoothly as you will be favored. It is extremely important for American men who are presenting females with gifts at work to state that it is from the wife or family. Presenting a gift to a female from a male may be seen as a sexual advance. Colors have been assigned definitions since the Aztec empire in Mexico. However, the definitions of what each color means has changed a lot since then. In the Aztec empire green was a symbol of royalty, white meant death, yellow was a symbol for food and blue symbolized sacrifice. Today’s definitions for colors are representative of Mexican cultural conventions. Warm deep colors that reflect the landscape are used in decorating. Bright reds and yellows are fiesta colors. Today white symbolizes purity. White items are believed to have the ability to ward off black magic. Red stands for unity and protection. Using a red handkerchief to cover your mouth when passing a house where someone has died or been sick is believed to protect you from illness or death. Yellow is a mourning color. Consequently, marigolds are planted in cemeteries. Dark blue is also a mourning color. When attending a funeral Mexican’s are expected to wear dark blue. Green is a symbol of independence and hope. Humor is understood and appreciated in Mexico. Situational humor as well as â€Å"slap-stick† humor are enjoyed. Humor that demeans someone to advance someone else can only be used in limited contexts to promote machismo and, consequently, should be avoided. Jokes using Mexican stereotypes or dealing with the Alamo and Mexican-American War are not appreciated. Since humor in Mexico involves many social nuances, it may be better to avoid trying to intentionally make jokes. However, if your host makes a joke smiling and laughing are expected. Mexicans typically work a 5. 5 day work week with 8 hour days Monday through Friday from 9-5 o’clock and a half day on Saturday. Mexican law requires that the work week does not surpass 48 hours per week and that lunch hour which is from 3 to 4 o’clock must be paid. However, this schedule varies by the type of business. For example, government workers often work the entire 48 hours in a five day workweek and take off for lunch at 2 o’clock for two hours. Consequently, government workers often work very late into the evening. It is very important to establish a friendship with a Mexican business partner before getting â€Å"down to business. † As a result friendly conversation on home life is often mixed into business conversations as a way to get to know people. Breakfast and lunch are good times to have mixed discussions that can lead to better business. However, Mexicans work to live not live to work so business talk should be left out of social situations unless initiated by the Mexican. Between 8 and 11 million children under the age of 15 are working in Mexico, approximately 20% of the population of children. This number does not include children working on farms. Although it is illegal to employee children under the age of 16, it is still commonly practiced in Mexico because children provide a cheaper source of labor. Many children use fake ID’s to obtain employment because of the financial need of the family. Businesses are not usually punished for illegally employing minors. Alcohol is used regularly in Mexico. The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18. There are responsible drinkers and alcoholics in Mexican society. Approximately 13% of the population has experienced alcohol dependency. Unfortunately incidents of alcoholism are rising. Alcohol is used disproportionatly by men because of Mexican gender roles which promote risky behavior for men and conservative behavior for women. Alcohol is permitted in both business and social settings. In business alcohol is most appropriate during lunch or diner meetings. Mexican leisure activity is similar to that of the United States. Mexicans enjoy television, concerts, movies, picnics, shopping and sports. Soccer is the most popular sport. Businesses that provide picnic tables and soccer fields for use by employees on their lunch hour are viewed very positively by Mexicans. Fiestas, birthdays and traditional holidays are also enjoyed by all members of Mexican society. The types of leisure activities that Mexicans enjoy do not vary for the different income levels. Only the amount of time and money one can invest in these activities varies from one class to another.