Using Quora for Business Purposes

Using Quora for Business Purposes Are you looking for a way to enhance your credibility in your industry? Maybe youre looking to humanize your brand by highlighting your staffs capabilities and/or diversity? Or perhaps youre looking to enhance awareness of your brand through an atypical social media tool?In any of these cases, Quora may be for you. This relatively young social network may not yet have the cachet or user base of a Facebook, Twitter or a LinkedIn. But it offers a unique service that offers savvy marketers a way to enhance their firms standing in the industry, its brand awareness and more, just by answering some questions. © Shutterstock.com | 360bIn this article, we will explore 1) the purpose of Quora, 2) the history of Quora, 3) the benefits of Quora, 4) setting up a Quora account, 5) best practices for using Quora, and 6) a case study.PURPOSE OF QUORAQuora is designed to provide users with quality answers to questions asked by other users. Adam D’Angelo, co-founder of Quora, describes itself, “as a general place for people to share knowledge of all kinds” with a focus on “high-quality content.” Many of those who answer questions are titans of the tech industry, such as Facebook’s founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. D’Angelo started off by inviting his friends to the site, many of whom happened to be in the tech industry.In general, answers are voted on by users, with preference given to those that are comprehensive and personal from credible sources. Unlike many other social networks, to bolster the credibility of the answers, users must register on the site using their real names, rath er than an alias. As with most social networking services, users can create profiles and connect with other users, as well as search the site for topics of interest. D’Angelo describes the motivation for users as:“On Quora, you’re not answering questions because you want to get points or because you have nothing else to do. You’re answering questions because you want to build your reputation or you genuinely, intrinsically enjoy helping people. It’s the same reason someone might want to make a website with information. We just made that a lot easier.”What makes Quora different from the dozens of similar web applications, like Yahoo Answers and WikiAnswers, is the quality of the answers. Quora users regularly receive emails containing some of the most popular Answers those that have been upvoted the most. These are usually Answers that are very credible written by subject matter experts and/or insiders, humorous, insightful or emotionally compelling. Those who ask or an swer questions on the site can see viewership statistics â€" views, shares, and upvotes, on their content on the dashboard called Stats. This can help writer refine their questions and/or answers in hopes of providing more complete â€" and popular, information. HISTORY OF QUORAQuora was founded in 2009 and launched in June of 2010. Its founders, D’Angelo and Charlie Cheever, formerly worked for Facebook, with the former resigning his position there to create the site. Their goal was to create a question and answer site that was better than those online at the time. An iPhone app was launched in 2011 and an Android app in 2012. Shortly after the latter launch, Cheever stepped away from daily management of the firm.By March of 2014, Quora had 1.15 million unique users on the site. By April of 2014, Quora had become the second largest online warehouse of information behind Wikipedia, with over 500,000 topics. At this time, they received $80 million dollars in VC, which accompanied a then-mostly unspent early round of $40 million. D’Angelo indicated that he intended to scale up the product in other countries and languages, using the VC to grow infrastructure, and to remain independent to ensure the quality of Quora. Quora’s head of business and community Marc Bodnick has publicly stated that they intend to monetize the site beginning in 2015 at the earliest.The Co-Founders of Quora have a conversation with John Battelle BENEFITS OF QUORAUsers can benefit from Quora in a number of ways. First, they can use the site to gather information by searching for answers to their questions or writing questions themselves. They can also follow topics and/or people of interest by creating topic specific alerts to deepen their knowledge of the subject.Second, they can establish themselves as an expert by providing thoughtful, comprehensive answers to user’s questions. Quora already benefits from a number of industry leaders, such as Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks owner an d billionaire tech entrepreneur) and Tristan Walker (Director of Business Development at Foursquare), using the site. You can take advantage of that, by adding your carefully composed thoughts on a subject to Quora, by editing Quora questions and adding topics to them.Quora users can get product and/or brand insights by researching answers, monitoring brand mentions (theirs and/or others) and asking relevant questions of Quora users, either directly or anonymously. Quora also launched a blogging platform in 2011, which you can use to extend your Quora and another content.Using Quora to extend your reach and visibilityBy providing consistent, insightful answers that are routinely upvoted, you can not only establish yourself as an expert in your field, but you can humanize your brand through the personal answers you and your staff provide. Further, by taking advantage of opportunities to help honestly answer people’s questions by discussing your brand and its services, you can drive traffic to your site. For example, a question about places to take a holiday on a limited budget might be answered by a social media savvy travel agent, who might be able to convert that user, as well as those that read the answer and visit his/her travel agency website.You can use Quora to extend your reach and visibility through inbound marketing â€" by adding a backlink to your website when answering a question. You can also do so through trend research â€" by following competitors and their content on Quora, as well as popular content in your industry. By searching for popular topics in your industry you can develop content for your website or social networks. You can also network by answering, editing, and collaborating on questions from professionals in your industry, or by sending your contacts Quora content of interest to them.Enhancing your search resultsQuora can also be used for SEO as Quora’s answers are indexed by Google and Bing search engines. While backlinks are â €œnofollow” links, and therefore do not contribute to SEO, but popular content will have your byline and backlink, which can increase your overall traffic. Avoid creating low-quality content just to post a link.Enhancing your public relations planPart of any public relations program is a PR agency or in-house PR department obtaining third-party validation for your brand, product, or initiative. Traditionally, this validation has come from journalists in newspapers; however, increasingly recognition on social networks can help increase the credibility of individuals and firms. Multiple, popular answers on a topic on Quora can do just that. Multiple, popular answers from multiple users from the same company can do it even more effectively.Further, Quora can be used to correct public misinformation as a part of a crisis communications strategy. Or it can be used to respond to basic customer service complaints.Quora has been used by journalists doing background research and may soon b e used by reporters for sourcing material. Currently, Quora includes information for PR departments on how to get coverage in certain media outlets.Integrating Quora into your social media strategyIntegrating Quora into your social media strategy is currently a matter of time rather than money, as it does not cost anything to set up an account, post questions or answers, or blog. While Quora can be used to achieve a number of different marketing objectives â€" such as increasing brand awareness and generating sales leads, it is perhaps best used for building credibility and obtaining business intelligence. Use Facebook for engagement and conversions, Twitter for news, LinkedIn for sourcing â€" but keep your Quora strategy focused on obtaining actionable insights and developing authority in your market.Social Media Speaker Crystal Washington discusses Quora for Business SETTING UP A QUORA ACCOUNTSetting up a Quora account and profile is easy. You can use your email address or your ac count with one of the two social networking sites: Facebook or Twitter. With the former process, you will have to fill out the required form fields; with the latter, you will have to allow Quora to access your accounts, which will allow it to add your friends from these networks to your Quora profile. Once you set up your profile, be sure to connect your other social media accounts to it by visiting Settings, from where you can link email addresses, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and WordPress accounts.When you have set up your Quora account, browse the site for topics of interest and create alerts to follow them. Type a topic in the bar at the top, and hit Enter. You’ll see displayed your topic and related ones. Click the green Follow topic link underneath the exact topic you want to follow to add it to your feed. Next, you can do this by going to Settings and then Email and notifications and adjusting the notifications you will receive by email.Now you are ready to go. Ask questions. Make sure they are well-thought out, grammatically correct, and original check the site for similar questions before posting yours. To ask a question, once you re logged in, type a question in the field at the top and click Ask question.Also, make sure to use the topic biography feature by filling out the Biography fields. When you sign up with a social media account, Quora imports your personal profile information, including education and work history. You will see prompts asking if you want to answers questions about the educational institutions you’ve attended and the employers you’ve worked for. By providing a few contextual details in the biography, which will be displayed when you answer a question concerning them, you can add credibility to your answer. For example, if you answer a question about an event at a high school that occurred ten years, and you’ve already entered into the biography field that you were a student there at the time, Quora users will be inclined to believe you before they even read the first word of your answer. BEST PRACTICES FOR USING QUORAFill out your profile completely, and avoid self-promotion or fluffing. Candor and straightforwardness are valued on Quora.Ensure first that you have a social media policy that is flexible enough to allow employees to participate and encourage them to use Quora on topics of interest to them whether or not they are directly relevant to your core business.Provide and/or have key staff answer questions for which they can naturally provide credible and comprehensive answers. Add (or have them add) a bit of humor or a personal anecdote to the answer to increasing its chances of being upvoted.Add sources to your answer, which can increase its (and your) credibility.Ask open-ended questions. In general, the most popular content is long-form and insightful. Yes or no questions are not what the site was designed for. Also, ask intriguing or unique questions.Use your Quora Inbox to ne twork with other users. Given the number of influencers on the site, this can be an extremely valuable resource.Help filter content by upvoting and downvoting it and by editing questions.Avoid self-promotion, as the format of the site, makes this readily apparent. Referencing your firm’s products and services is a solution is one thing, but a surfeit of jargon, direct appeals, and boasting will quickly lead to downvotes.Monitor your mentions on the site using Google Alerts and the query “Quora your company” to get real-time tracking of what people are saying about your brand. Respond appropriately when necessary, but keep in mind that your answers, if public, should add value to other readers of the content.Monitor the mentions of your competitor’s brands, products and services on Quora by running a simple Google query. You can get long-form, ongoing, and unique business intelligence from users, industry experts, and influencers, with a few keystrokes. Don’t forget to foll ow key topics in your industry as well.Create Boards, which allow you to aggregate questions, answers and even content from other sites on Quora. Aggregating content on a specific topic can be another way to showcase your interest/expertise in it.Add a Quora Follow Button to your website to encourage people to follow you on Quora.If you are a brand, obtain a Verified Profile, so that users have confidence that your brand is in fact you. Verified Profiles are denoted by a blue checkmark and can usually be obtained simply by linking a relevant social media account to Quora.Track and measure your viewership data on But first determine what metrics should be used to meet your objective. Is it visibility â€" measured by followers and upvotes? Is it engagement â€" measured by content and up/downvotes? Is it increased credibility â€" measured by the type of feedback and the type of engagement you receive? Whatever it is, make sure you know what your goals are and how best to measure them b efore investing time and effort composing quality questions and answers.CASE STUDYOne prominent “brand” using Quora is the owner of the first Verified Profile, U.S. President Barack Obama. The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), a landmark piece of healthcare legislation, which he championed, was met with considerable resistance by a number of prominent conservative politicians, and skepticism by much of the public. Some media outlets pointed to a deliberate and systemic misinformation campaign created by the Republican Party as the cause. To clear up concerns concerning the open enrollment period which took place between October 2013 and March 2014, and to help spur sign-ups, the President took to Quora to answer questions himself. The President obtained nearly 28,000 followers, answering questions about ACA, as well as some positive press. And while the most popular question he answered was a personal one, the use of Quora allowed the President to reach a valuable demographic. Som e research points to Quora’s users being young and affluent, which make them a lucrative target for not only voter engagement and political donations, but also consumer products.

The History of Juneteenth Celebrations

Abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth worked tirelessly to free blacks from bondage in the United States. And when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, it appeared that the peculiar institution known as slavery had met its end. For many African Americans, life remained the same, however. That’s because fierce racial discrimination prevented them from living autonomous lives. More shockingly, some enslaved African Americans had no idea that President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which mandated that they be set free. In Texas, more than two-and-a-half years passed before slaves received their freedom. The holiday known as Juneteenth Independence Day honors these slaves as well as African-American heritage and the contributions blacks have made to the United States. History of Juneteenth Juneteenth marks the date of June 19, 1865, when Gen. Gordon Granger of the Union Army arrived in Galveston, Texas, to demand that the slaves there be set free. Texas was one of the last states where slavery endured. Although President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, African Americans remained in bondage in the Lone Star State. When Gen. Granger arrived in Texas, he read General Order No. 3 to Galveston residents: â€Å"The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages.† Following Granger’s announcement, the formerly enslaved African Americans broke into celebration. Today that celebration, said to be the oldest black American holiday, is known as Juneteenth. African Americans not only celebrated their freedom, but they also exercised their new rights by buying land across Texas, namely Emancipation Park in Houston, Booker T. Washington Park in Mexia and Emancipation Park in Austin. Past and Present Juneteenth Celebrations The first massive Juneteenth celebrations kicked off the year after Gen. Granger appeared in Galveston. Historic Juneteenth celebrations included religious services, readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, inspirational speakers, stories from former slaves and games and contests, including rodeo events. Many African Americans celebrated Juneteenth in the same way that Americans generally celebrate the Fourth of July. Today, Juneteenth celebrations feature similar activities. As of 2012, 40 states and the District of Columbia recognize the Juneteenth holiday. Since 1980, the state of Texas has observed Juneteenth as an official holiday known as Emancipation Day. Contemporary celebrations of Juneteenth in Texas and elsewhere include parades and street fairs, dancing, picnics and cookouts, family reunions and historical reenactments. Moreover, President Barack Obama pointed out in his 2009 proclamation of the holiday that Juneteenth â€Å"also serves as a time for reflection and appreciation, and an opportunity for many people to trace their family’s lineage.† While African Americans widely celebrate Juneteenth today, the popularity of the holiday has waned during certain periods, such as World War II. Holiday celebrations of Juneteenth resurrected in 1950, but by the last years of that decade and in the 1960s, Juneteenth celebrations declined once more. Juneteenth became a popular holiday again in a variety of regions during the 1970s. In the early 21st century, Juneteenth is not only a well-celebrated holiday, but there’s also a push to have the 19th of June become a National Day of Recognition for slavery. Call for National Day of Recognition The Rev. Ronald V. Myers Sr., founder and chairman of the National Juneteenth Holiday Campaign and the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, had asked President Barack Obama to â€Å"issue a presidential proclamation to establish Juneteenth Independence Day as a National Day of Observance in America, similar to Flag Day or Patriot Day.† As an elected official in Illinois, Barack Obama supported legislation for his state to recognize Juneteenth, but no president has yet to make a move that would make Juneteenth a National Day of Recognition. Only time will tell if Juneteenth and the slavery of African Americans will ever be acknowledged by the federal government in such an official capacity.

Engaging Religions To Shape Worldviews Example

Essays on Engaging Religions To Shape Worldviews Article Engaging Religions to Shape Worldviews Religion remains an integral part and a critical aspect in the lives of many today; despite the fact, no all people are religious by nature. Contrary to common opinions that religion is important only for the religious, current trends have ideally changed such a perception as it currently plays a substantive role in the shaping of worldviews. Many have believed that religion only entail matters of personal, private belief and as such, never plays any significant role in either public life or in the contemporary world. Religion has a critical role it plays in creating sustainable cultures. Based on such an approach, it is evident that climate change remains a global challenge today. Different religious groups are currently in plans of addressing such challenges, through the formation of partnerships with concerned organizations such as United Nations, where religious groups work towards greening of activities aimed towards reducing aspects such a s climate change, deforestation, and water scarcity (Gardener 23). Previous studies have revealed an increased potential in faith communities becoming potentially influential as gateways to discussions pertaining to environmental protection (Gardener 24). Such a perspective is in addition to the aspect religious gathering becoming education forums for network building, cooperation towards initiating peace and engagements in the communities. The major drivers of environmental impact such as technology and populations have ideally increased elements of consumerism. Even though religion has not taken a strong stand on matters pertaining to consumerism, which contribute significantly to environmental degradation, religion has advocated simple living and such elements that have little impact on the environmental degradation (Gardener 26). Based on the aspects addressed above, it is clear that indeed religion has played a significant role in shaping worldviews, contrary to common opinion that religion only involves matters of personal, private belief and does not play a significant role in public life or the contemporary world.Work CitedGardener Gary. State of the World. Engaging Religions to Shaping Worldviews, Transforming Cultures: From Consumerism to Sustainability. The world Watch Institute, 2010.

Single-Sex or Co-Ed Schools Which Do You Prefer Free Essays

Many parents are agonizing about aspects between single-sex school and co-ed school (coeducational school) in relation to what is best for their children. Hence, to justify which is a much preferred choice in respect to differences between the two kinds of school as well as its benefits and disadvantages. It is only natural, of course, for parents to be concerned especially in matters that concern their children. We will write a custom essay sample on Single-Sex or Co-Ed Schools: Which Do You Prefer? or any similar topic only for you Order Now A minority of parents will choose to send their children to single-sex school because they are concerned about their children’s studies in terms of the possible distraction of the opposite sex, knowing the teenage trends in this modern century. Looking at the modern trends, most teenagers begin having relationships at young ages of 13. It is highly understandable that parents worry. However, parents should also have the confidence in their children, whom they have tirelessly instilled values since the day of their birth, to be able to manage these relationships so that it will not negatively affect their studies. There are percentages of students who are affectionately fond of each other, but did not negatively affect their studies and even made them work harder because they didn’t want their parents to be against the relationship. Besides that, some teachers pay more attention to the boys because usually boy tend to slack in comparison to girls, and sometimes teachers will encourage boys to put in more effort and try harder to solve difficulties. In contrast to that, when girls were having difficulty, the teacher often provides the answer. This may in turn affect girls, thinking that they do not receive equal opportunities of the challenge and lack enjoyment in their studies. While some may send their children to single-sex schools, many still send their children to co-ed school because they are of the opinion that schools are just places where students get acquainted with the basics of the life, which further helps them to foster their proficiency level in different aspects of life required in this competitive world. In many cases, students who come from single-sex school face difficulties adapting or even coping with society because they lack experience in associating themselves with the opposite sex. According to reports from the Australian Government, test results of students from single-sex school are higher in marks than students from co-ed school. This is because children in single-sex schools are more focused in revising for they do not have the distraction students in co-ed classes have. Another eason why single-sex schooling is a good idea is that students are going to have more study time to get more work done, thereby leading to less undone homework and reduce procrastinations. Boys and girls learn in two different ways. That’s why having a single sex school is more rewarding than a co-ed school. According to the report, the difference between the way boys and girls learn are the type of weather boys and girls preferred. Boys prefer to learn in a cool, dark room but girl prefer to learn in warm and light room. Boys like the subject that around math and science but girls usually like around language. So when there are two different people wanting two different things it’s hard to please both sides. In conclusion, whether sending children to Single-sex or co-ed schools a type of love from parents. Going to the two kinds of school actually doesn’t affect the behaviour or a child’s study, it basically just focuses on the student whether they want to study or not. Therefore, I think going to either single- sex or Co-ed school doesn’t actually matter that much as long as you can keep up with your study then having opposite sex around you is an absolute fine thing. How to cite Single-Sex or Co-Ed Schools: Which Do You Prefer?, Papers Single-Sex or Co-Ed Schools Which Do You Prefer Free Essays Many parents are agonizing about aspects between single-sex school and co-ed school (coeducational school) in relation to what is best for their children. Hence, to justify which is a much preferred choice in respect to differences between the two kinds of school as well as its benefits and disadvantages. It is only natural, of course, for parents to be concerned especially in matters that concern their children. We will write a custom essay sample on Single-Sex or Co-Ed Schools: Which Do You Prefer? or any similar topic only for you Order Now A minority of parents will choose to send their children to single-sex school because they are concerned about their children’s studies in terms of the possible distraction of the opposite sex, knowing the teenage trends in this modern century. Looking at the modern trends, most teenagers begin having relationships at young ages of 13. It is highly understandable that parents worry. However, parents should also have the confidence in their children, whom they have tirelessly instilled values since the day of their birth, to be able to manage these relationships so that it will not negatively affect their studies. There are percentages of students who are affectionately fond of each other, but did not negatively affect their studies and even made them work harder because they didn’t want their parents to be against the relationship. Besides that, some teachers pay more attention to the boys because usually boy tend to slack in comparison to girls, and sometimes teachers will encourage boys to put in more effort and try harder to solve difficulties. In contrast to that, when girls were having difficulty, the teacher often provides the answer. This may in turn affect girls, thinking that they do not receive equal opportunities of the challenge and lack enjoyment in their studies. While some may send their children to single-sex schools, many still send their children to co-ed school because they are of the opinion that schools are just places where students get acquainted with the basics of the life, which further helps them to foster their proficiency level in different aspects of life required in this competitive world. In many cases, students who come from single-sex school face difficulties adapting or even coping with society because they lack experience in associating themselves with the opposite sex. According to reports from the Australian Government, test results of students from single-sex school are higher in marks than students from co-ed school. This is because children in single-sex schools are more focused in revising for they do not have the distraction students in co-ed classes have. Another eason why single-sex schooling is a good idea is that students are going to have more study time to get more work done, thereby leading to less undone homework and reduce procrastinations. Boys and girls learn in two different ways. That’s why having a single sex school is more rewarding than a co-ed school. According to the report, the difference between the way boys and girls learn are the type of weather boys and girls preferred. Boys prefer to learn in a cool, dark room but girl prefer to learn in warm and light room. Boys like the subject that around math and science but girls usually like around language. So when there are two different people wanting two different things it’s hard to please both sides. In conclusion, whether sending children to Single-sex or co-ed schools a type of love from parents. Going to the two kinds of school actually doesn’t affect the behaviour or a child’s study, it basically just focuses on the student whether they want to study or not. Therefore, I think going to either single- sex or Co-ed school doesn’t actually matter that much as long as you can keep up with your study then having opposite sex around you is an absolute fine thing. How to cite Single-Sex or Co-Ed Schools: Which Do You Prefer?, Essay examples

The Judeo

Today, many people are inclined to pay attention to the differences in religious traditions when the accentuation of the similarities in the spiritual beliefs is more significant for understanding the roots and principles of this or that religion. The Judeo-Christian tradition and Islam are based on the same spiritual ground that is why it is possible to determine the features which can be discussed as characteristic ones for these religious traditions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is important to note that Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions are Abrahamic in their nature because their roots lead to Abraham. Thus, Christians and Muslims believe in one God, in God’s prophets, in the concepts of revelation and resurrection of dead people (Bowker, 2006). To understand the association between the world religions, it is necessary to focus on similarities in interpreting the creation story, in approaching eschatology and afterlife, in discussing the norms of the moral code and duties. The Judeo-Christian tradition and Islam are usually discussed as monotheistic religions where the stories of the Universe creation by God play the important role. The similarities can be observed not only in the general approach to cosmogony but also in depicting the details of the process. Thus, God is described as creating the World during six days in both traditions. The man was made from the dust or dirt, and he became alive after God’s breathing a life into him. Moreover, Adam and Eve are depicted as the first people in the Koran as well as in the Bible (Molloy, 2009). While having similar features in the story of creation, the Judeo-Christian tradition and Islam also share the similar elements in the approach to eschatology and the idea of afterlife. According to these traditions, the final days of the World are as sociated with the second coming, with the Judgment Day, and with the division of people into two categories of those ones who will go to the paradise and to the hell. According to the Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions, Christians and Muslims will go to the heavens and their position will be judged in relation to their morality and actions (Matthews, 2012). Thus, the concept of the afterlife depends on being a believer because during the last days of the world, the evil will be defeated, and the believers will go to the heavens when the other people will be punished. The idea of the afterlife is closely associated with moral codes and moral behaviors which should be followed in order to please the Supreme Being. The basic elements of the moral codes for both the Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions are the prohibition of idolatry, murder, suicide, adultery, and lying. Much attention is paid to the significance of the family relationships. Thus, any inhumane acts are forbidden and punished (Molloy, 2009). The accents are made on following the moral principles strictly and living the virtuous life (Matthews, 2012). In spite of the fact definite rules can be different for the Judeo-Christian tradition and Islam, the basics are the same.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The discussed core elements of two major religious traditions have a lot of similarities because they are based on the same spiritual roots. The similarities in interpreting the basics of the Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions are important because this fact stresses the single vision of the role of morality and faith in the people’s life without references to following the Judeo-Christian tradition or Islam. References Bowker, J. (2006). World religions: The great faiths explored and explained. USA: DK ADULT. Matthews, W. (2012). World religions. USA: Wadsworth Publishing. M olloy, M. (2009). Experiencing the world’s religions. USA: McGraw-Hill. This essay on The Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions was written and submitted by user Julia Tyler to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Adoption & Measure 58 in Orego essays

Adoption & Measure 58 in Orego essays Oregon adoptees won a nineteen month court battle to see their birth certificates, which have been sealed since 1957. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner refused to continue a hold on Measure 58, an adoption rights law approved by voters in Oregon in 1998. Six birth mothers had filed law suits to prevent this. The new las is retroactive and they feared they would be open to contact from children they had given up for adoption so many years ago. That ist would upset their current lives ans their families didn't know about them giving up a child for adoption. The birth mothers argued that Measure 58 violated their constitutional right to privacy. This change is a good thing. Now oregonions have recognized that adoption should not be hidden in shame, and everyone has the right to know who their parents are. That is is a good thing to pur a child up for adoption so they can have a good home that the real parents couldn't give them. Adoption experts estimate there are about 79,000 adoptees in Oregon. The State office for Services to Children handled about 2,200 last year and estimates the new law will affect about 25,000 Oregonions. So far only 16 Oregon mothers have attached forms to their children's birth certificates saying they do not want contact. If adoptive parents, birth parents, siblings and friends are considered, there is probably not a life in oregon that is not touched by adoption. It will not be an easy road for adoptees, even with Measure58. A birth mother's real name does not always appear on the certtificate, so it's hard to locate a birth parent. It isn't just to cause trouble that adoptees want to know, they may have health problems, and want a medical history. Their are many reasons and I think it's a good thing. ...

The Scarlet Letter Themes and Symbols

The Scarlet Letter Themes and Symbols The Scarlet Letter, Nathanial Hawthorne’s 1850 novel of a 17th century adulterous affair in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, centers on several themes that would have been very meaningful to the highly religious, pre-industrial community in which it is set: the nature of shame and judgment; the differences between our public and private lives; and the conflict between scientific and religious beliefs. Additionally, several important symbols pop up throughout the novel to highlight these themes, including the scarlet letter, the scaffold, and Pearl. Through the use of these themes and symbols, Hawthorne constructs a world of Puritanical guilt and redemption in the earliest days of America’s history. Shame and Judgment The novel’s most central theme is that of shame and judgment- it is the focal point of the story’s first scene, when Hester Prynne is publicly ridiculed on the scaffold in the town square, and it permeates nearly every part of the book from there on. Prynne is forced to wear the eponymous token over her clothes for the rest of her days in the colony, which is itself a judgment she must endure, as well as an ever-present symbol of her shame and lowly position in the community. As such, wherever she goes she is quickly identified as the person who committed adultery, an act for which the townspeople pass judgment on her, causing her, in turn, to feel some degree of shame. This comes to a head when the townspeople try to take Pearl away from Prynne, an act that mostly stems from their misguided assumptions and views of the mother and daughter. Over time, both the town’s estimation of  Prynne and her own feelings of guilt begin to dissipate, but for many years these feelings are quite strong for each party and serve as a central, motivating force within the story. Public vs. Private The flip side of this form of judgment and shame is experienced by Dimmesdale who, though he has committed the same crime as Prynne, deals with this fact very differently. Dimmesdale must keep his guilt to himself, a state of affairs that drives him mad and eventually to death. Dimmesdales position provides an interesting insight into the nature of judgement and shame when felt privately, not publicly. For one thing, he receives no negative judgment from the others in the colony, as they don’t even know of his involvement in the affair, so he only continues to receive their adulation. Additionally, he has no outlet for his shame, as he must keep it hidden, so it eats away at him over the course of several years. This is not to say that this is worse than Prynnes fate, but the differing situation creates an alternative result; whereas Prynne eventually works her way back, somewhat, into the town’s good graces, Dimmesdale must hide his own shame and literally cannot live with it, as he reveals it and then promptly dies. Through the different ways in which these two are made to endure judgment as well as feel shame, Hawthorne presents a compelling look into the nature of human guilt, as both a public and private phenomenon. Scientific vs. Religious Beliefs Through the relationship between Dimmesdale and Chillingworth, Hawthorne explores the differences between scientific and religious modes of thought and understanding. Given that this novel is set in a 17th century Puritan colony, the characters are deeply religious, and have little understanding of scientific processes. Most of their understanding of the world, in fact, comes from a place of religious belief. For example, when Dimmesdale- who, admittedly, is a priest- looks to the night sky, he takes what he sees as a sign from God. Dimmesdale filtering his perceptions through the lens of his profession is largely the point, though, as he and Chillingworth are used to represent these opposing views. Chillingworth is a new addition to the town, and, as he is a physician, represents the encroaching of science into the religious New World colonies. Additionally, he is often described as representing darkness or evil, or just the devil outright, indicating that his mode of thought is at odds with the others’ in the community, as well as antithetical to God’s order. Interestingly, the two men get along at first, but ultimately grow apart when Chillingworth begins to probe Dimmesdale’s psychological state, suggesting that science and religion are incompatible in analyzing one’s mental anguish. One area in which they do align, however, is over Prynne, as each man attempts at one point to win her love. In the end, though, she rejects both of them, showing that an independently minded woman has no need for either. Symbols The Scarlet Letter Given the book’s title, this object is unsurprisingly a very important symbol throughout the story. Even before the main narrative begins, the reader catches a glimpse of the letter, as the anonymous narrator of â€Å"The Custom House† describes it briefly in the book’s opening section. From there, it appears pretty much right away, and comes to be the story’s most prominent symbol. Interestingly, though the letter represents Prynne’s guilt to the other characters in the book, it has a somewhat different meaning to the reader. It symbolizes not just Prynne’s actions, which, of course, it does symbolize, but it also embodies the town’s viewing of her actions as wrong, and as a punishment forced upon her by her community. As such, it says more about the wearer’s environment, than it does about the wearer herself. It shows that this group is willing to make a very public example of people whom it believes to have transgressed. Notably also, Dimmesdale burns a symbol of some sort- which some claim is an â€Å"A†- onto his chest as a sort of atonement for his role in the affair. This highlights the public vs. private theme in the novel, as the two bear the burden of guilt very differently. The Scaffold The scaffold, which appears in the first scene, serves to divide the story into beginning, middle, and end. It first appears in the opening scene, when Prynne is forced to stand on it for several hours and endure harassment from the community. In this moment, it symbolizes a very public form of punishment, and, as this is the beginning of the book, establishes that tone going forward. Later, the scaffold shows up again when Dimmesdale goes out walking one night and ends up there, whereupon he runs into Prynne and Pearl. This is a moment of reflection for Dimmesdale, as he ruminates on his misdeeds, changing the book’s focus from public to private shame. The scaffold’s final appearance comes in the book’s climactic scene, when Dimmesdale reveals his role in the affair, and then promptly dies in Prynne’s arms atop the apparatus. At this moment, Prynne literally embraces Dimmesdale, and the town collectively embraces the two of them, acknowledging the minister’s confession, and forgiving them both of their crimes. The scaffold, therefore, comes to represent atonement and acceptance, completing its journey, much like the characters themselves, from punishment through reflection, and, ultimately, to forgiveness. Pearl Though Pearl is very much a distinct character in her own right, she also acts symbolically as the living embodiment of her parents’ infidelity. As a result, whenever Prynne looks at her, she must confront what she has done, almost more so even than when she looks at the scarlet letter. Importantly, though, she represents not just her parents’ infidelity, but also her mother’s independence. This is epitomized by some of the townspeople trying to take Pearl away from Prynne, which forces the mother to argue before the governor for the right to keep her child. Essentially, she must fight to prove the validity of her desires and affections in the face of this highly rigid and patriarchal society. Pearl, therefore, represents the sinfulness and the gracefulness balanced in tandem inside of her mother- that is, she is wild but still worth loving nonetheless.