The Selfish Hedonist

â€Å"I'll have a husband yet / who shall be both my debtor and my slave / [†¦ ] for mine shall be the power all his life† (Chaucer 262). In The Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath, also known as Alison, presents herself as the authority on marriage and marital life. She comments on the social and legal position of women in marriage and daily life. She claims she has her knowledge from experience, not from scriptural authority. She dictates her life story of her five previous relationships with her fellow pilgrims to show her experience. Rather than rejecting scriptural authority, she appeals to logic thus rejecting too strict interpretations of scriptural rules and commandments. She gives ridiculous details of her marriages, including her marrying old wealthy men so that she could get their money once they died. After telling the unreasonable details of her relationships, she goes on to tell a tale about an old hag and one of King Arthur's knights. The old hag forces the knight to marry her after she helps him with a life-saving question of â€Å"What do women most want in life? The Wife of Bath attempts to portray the idealness of a woman's domination in the end yet she fails because the old hag becomes passive again. Through the Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale in The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer portrays the Wife of Bath as a selfish hedonist and feminist trying to gain complete control over men. Her new stand on women's supremacy only shows her selfishness because she wasn't trying to make a difference or revolutionize anything, she was only trying to gain personal benefits. The Wife of Bath's prologue is used to explain the basis of her theories on authority and sovereignty. The medieval Church at the time of the Wife of Bath saw her as a wicked woman, and she boasts about it with pride: â€Å"If I turn difficult, God give me sorrow! † (262). â€Å"Her marrying three old men in succession is a violation of not only of the law of common sense but even of the law of Nature, who would bring together those of comparable age† (Oberembt 288). Marrying another man after already being married previously is already a scandalous crime for this time period. Now to marry someone much older than herself a few times in a row is wrong not only in the eyes of God, but it is wrong along the lines of common sense too. The text of the Wife of Bath's Prologue is based on an allegorical ‘confession' in which she tells her sins to her audience in her life story: â€Å"O Lord, I wrecked their peace / innocent they were, without remorse! † (Chaucer 268). She confesses to deceiving and tricking her husbands just so she could get money and admits to arrange a fifth marriage while still in her fourth. In doing so, she demoralizes herself to try to be better than a man. Having more power than a man means she gets to decide, yet she goes and ruins her own reputation just so she can have an edge over men. Her rebellion against patriarchal authority and the abusive treatment of particular men expressed by the Wife of Bath are really but the projections of her selfish attitude: â€Å"His pleasures were my profit, I concurred† (269). She does not care about anyone but herself and she chooses to display that willingly. She has a self-centered interpretation of the marriage. Oberembt uses the argument that she was only twelve years old in her first marriage and that she was unable to conceive a child with her first husband which could've lead to her â€Å"frustration† (Oberembt 288). Through her words, and mostly through her actions, the Wife of Bath expresses her views on a wife's domination through her own life story. The Wife of Bath's Tale is an exemplum, providing an answer to the question, â€Å"What do women want? † Chaucer uses the Wife of Bath to explain and give an example that women most desire sovereignty: â€Å"A woman wants the self-same sovereignty / over her husband† (Chaucer 186). The tale is Alison's idea of the perfect illustration of her point. The Knight gives in to his new old wife and therefore she becomes beautiful in his eyes because she has now been given the right to choose. But if one was to switch the roles of men and women in society, men would become a very meek and uncertain group of people who wouldn't know how to behave. â€Å"Thus the Wife of Bath comically inverted the conventional sex-linked male and female behaviors† (Oberembt 300). When the Knight of King Arthur lets the old hag make the decision, he abandoned the male's sovereignty in favor of the woman's rule: â€Å"My dearest wife / I leave the matter to your wise decision† (Chaucer 291). The Wife of Bath most likely sees her story as what she wishes would happen normally. But by her story, she's not changing anything or giving examples on how to change the present ways because no man is going to willingly give up his sovereignty only to have his wife rule over him. The Wife of Bath is an early extreme feminist who believed in women having the most power and command over their husbands: â€Å"You make the choice yourself† (291). â€Å"Through the Old Hag, Dame Alice persuades an unreasonable male chauvinist to renounce self-indulgence and to accept the only reasonable norm for human conduct† (Oberembt 300). She is the only person who believes that a woman's domination will make everyone happy. But on the man's side of the story, he is forced to give up his masculinity and become sensual only so that his wife can now become masculine. In the Wife of Bath's Tale, she attempts to convey her message that women want domination, yet with closer analysis one sees that her ideas do not seem to work out well. Chaucer seems to have made the relationship of the tale and the teller to force one to consider Alison's argument of domination. The argument in contrast to this belief is the idea that the Alison just wants a mutual relationship, one that is of giving and receiving: â€Å"His pleasures were my profit, I concurred† (Chaucer 269). If the Wife of Bath is telling us that marriage is all about having sex with your spouse just so that they could give you fancy things and money in return, there is no sign of a revolutionary idea. McKinley states that â€Å"each spouse's body becomes the property of the other by virtue of the new marital alliance† (371). If this is the case, then the couple has the right to each other and the right to have sex with each other and there shouldn't be any type of give and take mentality. In the end of the tale, the old hag relinquishes her power and never really becomes the dominant of the two: â€Å"‘And have I won the mastery? said she† (Chaucer 291). She becomes a passive wife when she gives up her power by giving the knight what he wants. This is because the knight gives her the choice to choose and it seems as though she now has complete control, yet she gives up her power when he wants to have sex with her and she resigns his power and listens to him. The Wife of Bath's Tale ultimately contradicts Alison's belief of female domination in that the woman never gains domination over the man: â€Å"My dearest wife / I leave the matter to your wise decision [†¦ ] [Sir,] Do with my life and Death as you think best† (291). The language and acts of self-sacrifice, obedience, and submission seem to suggest the very antithesis of self-actualizing, assertive behavior which feminism [and Alison] has championed (McKinley 373). † Throughout the Wife of Bath's Prologue, Alison stands strong to the idea that women should have complete control over their husbands. One might think that the tale she would tell contains support to her ideas, but it does not. For in the end, Chaucer shows us that the Wife of Bath's idea of domination wouldn't work because she would eventually give her power up again only after just receiving it. Therefore, Chaucer depicts Alison as a selfish woman who wants authority over her husband and yet in the end he shows how her ideas would never work. One must come to the conclusion that the Wife of Bath only tries to express her belief in a wife's complete supremacy over their husbands. In the Wife of Bath's Prologue, Alison uses her experience to verify her theories on a wife's supremacy. She also uses Biblical examples to support her ideas, such as previous Biblical characters that had multiple spouses. But her life story is evidence to her views and without her personal input one would wonder whether or not her beliefs really would work. In the Wife of Bath's Tale, Alison most likely sees her story as what she wishes would happen normally. But with a closer look at the details, she's not changing anything or giving examples on how to change the present ways because no man is going to willingly give up his sovereignty only to have his wife rule over him. Also, the tale ultimately proves Alison wrong because the old hag becomes passive in the end after being given the control. Alison proves her theory wouldn't work, and Chaucer tries to explain why a woman's superiority wouldn't work too well through the old hag and her decision to give into the knight's request of sex.

Mktg Plans Essay

The type of decision-making a consumer uses for a product does not necessarily remain constant as the needs and wants of consumers are constantly changing and newer innovations are constantly being churned out to fulfill our changing needs. Nowadays what would usually involve a routine response behavior is not as simple because of the enormous variety a consumer has to choose from. There are many things that a consumer can evaluate in terms of purchasing a product; packaging, price, reputation, and whether or not there is a sale on the item can all be factors that a consumer evaluates. It might be even that the product is currently very trendy at the moment that would motivate the buyer to purchase it, which would be a case of limited decision-making. There are also many sociodemographic factors that affect the type of decision-making a consumer uses for a product. For instance, if you receive a big bonus and have more income going into your household, you may choose to use limited o r extensive decision making in picking out a product with better brand recognition and of better quality. Another reasons that affect the type of decision-making a consumer uses for a product does not necessarily remain constant is for different occasions the product is being used for. For example, if someone were to attend a fancy party whose host you are trying to impress, you would use extensive decision making in order to pick out a wine that tells the host that they have class and a fine taste in wine. An example of how the type of decision-making I use has not remained constant is for my use of high-end fashion items, such as shoes from Ferragamo. If I wanted a pair of shoes from the main website I would search all over the web for the same shoes at a discounted rate for me to get the best deal on them. However, if I see shoes that I like and are on sale on the main Ferragamo site, I would buy them right away with no hesitation. Buying a high-end product at a discounted rate would lower my buyer’s remorse. A new service that is targeted at the college student market are house-cleaning services. The house-cleaning services often come in packages for a full clean up service for a minimum of 2 hours for around $65-$80. This service can be extremely profitable within the college student target market as a general conception of the college demographic is that they are fans of instant gratification. They are the ones who would rather not spend the time buying cleaning products at a store to clean their whole house, when it would only take 65 dollars (split between 2-4 roommates) for their house to be spotless in 2 hours. Although this service is offered, I don’t think they have capitalized on the college student market enough. I often hear these services through word-of-mouth or by an occasional Groupon deal. There are several different forums house-cleaning services can be offered to the college demographic in a more effective way: enhanced web presence, and cross-selling once a clie nt has been established are some of them. The main factors a house-cleaning service needs to consider when targeting a college target market are price and long-term commitments. A college student often has a limited budget on what they can spend so the cost of labor of a cleaning service has to be reasonable in order to outweigh the prospects of buying their own cleaning products at a much more affordable rate. Students are constantly on the lookout for deals and discounts and are constantly on the Internet, so Groupon, Living Social, Facebook, and Craigslist are great ways to advertise the service. The Internet is also a great source for students to research the ratings of the company offering the service because credibility of the company offering the service is highly important for a house-cleaning service since they are entering your home and have access to all your personal belongings; this is a way you can eliminate your competitors – by being the most credible and collecting the most amount of favorable reviews online. Long-term commitment is important because this is a service that needs to be used frequently in order to churn out the most amount of profit. A student must find value in having their house cleaned frequently by being pleased with the outcome of the service the first time. In order to yield customer returns and customer satisfaction, the house-cleaning service company can offer deals such as â€Å"For every 1 time you use us, you get 35% off your next house-cleaning,† or â€Å"Buy a package deal of 4 house-cleaning services for the price of 3.† They can even offer additional services such as laundry services that include cleaning, folding, and ironing. Timing is another factor a house-cleaning service can capitalize on since college students are those who want instant gratification. You can offer a service that is available 24 hours and have the job done in an hour and a half. Lastly, a house-cleaning service could take advantage of the social issues trending. Currently, while flu season is in full throttle, many students are getting sick. A house-cleaning service could advertise their flyers at a student health center or somewhere that students get flu shots with advertisements that stress on the need for a clean and germ-free house so that students can avoid getting sick. A company can create an atmosphere on its website by reflecting the same amount of value and prestige they have in there store directly onto their website. There are several factors a company needs to evaluate such as the usability of the website (whether or not it is easy to navigate, whether or not the functions work, and whether or not all the products are available), the websites atmosphere (sounds, presentation, layout ect.) The atmosphere of the website should communicate to the customer that it is a viable and reliable means of purchasing their products by making it look professional. The website atmosphere can encompass music and designs that compliment the prestige of the actual store. For example, the online store for Louis Vuitton evokes a very prestigious feel where many of the functions of the website are there for aesthetic purposes. The photographs used on the website are taken by professional photographers and the typeface is very elegant and classy. Although there is a lot of information on the website, it is very organized and flows very well in a direction that pushes a consumer to dig deeper into their site, finding more products to look at. The website is also organized in categories of their products which makes it easier to navigate around, such as shoes, dresses, and my favorite category, sale. Furthermore, there is a function on the website that allows a customer to zoom in on the product, allowing able to hone in on every inch of the product, assuring the products quality. A customer can browse the product from every angle and determine whether or not each specification of the product is suitable for them. Lastly, when a customer has decided to purchase a product, the website suggests more products for the consumer to buy that have a similar style to the one they have purchased and guarantees returns and a full refund if they are unhappy with their purchase. The process is also simple and fast, which eliminates the possibility of a consumer backing out of their purchase. It is obvious to the consumer that Louis Vuitton is a top-tier brand through its intricately and carefully designed website. The price is all extremely high, but it emphasizes its strong global presence in the most luxurious retail markets and gives you an impression that the brand is worth the money. If I were to start a pet grooming service in a town where there are two established pet groomers, I would price lower in order to gain recognition and penetrate the market. I would set my penetration price to a low price and sell my services in bundles in order to expose the services I offer as well as show that the quality of my services can match up to the existing competition. Once I have captured an interested audience, I can begin to maximize on customer loyalty strategies to keep them coming. I would constantly monitor my competition in order to learn about new services they offer as well as their prices in order to stay competitive. Since I am offering lower costs, it would be essential for me to estimate and calculate my demand and cost in order to not lose money in this endeavor. I would attempt to lower my overhead costs in running my grooming service at locations I do not have to rent, such as my house in order to yield a profit quicker. I would position my company to be a smaller, less established company who can do the job just as well as the other grooming services. I would start off by using my friends and family to bring in their pets for me to display my services on my front lawn in order to attract attention to potential customers so that their perceived quality of my services are that it is legitimate and that I take good care of their pets. Other reasons for why I would price my product low is because a pet grooming service is not a necessity, which means that in a down economy, a pet grooming service wouldn’t be anybody’s priority. Therefore a low price point can convince them that the value in having a well groomed pet is worth the money. Lastly, I would differentiate my services from my competitors in order to lower the associated price elasticity. I believe this value trade-off will drive the market to the lower-priced alternative.

Best Practices inTraining and Development Article

Best Practices inTraining and Development - Article Example The individual development planning process includes self-assessment, assessment of current position and work environment of the employee, identification of development activities, and finally putting the development plan in action. Furthermore, the article talks about different cost-effective practices in training and development. These include on-the-job experience that involves committees, conferences and forums, critical incident notes, field trips, job aids, job expanding opportunities, job shadowing, learning alerts, peer-assisted learning, stretch assignments, and special projects. Other practices include coaching, mentoring, networking, and performance appraisal. Classroom training practices are also important, and these include courses, seminars and workshops. Off-the job training and development can be provided through courses offered by educational institutions, professional associations, reading groups, and self paced independent learning. In short, the article talks abou t some of the best practices in training and development of employees. If implemented correctly, these practices can prove to be very fruitful for the progress and productivity of the organization in the long

United States v. OHagan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

United States v. OHagan - Essay Example His actions would directly impact the shareholders and other stakeholders in the company in a big way. In the present case, O’Hagan has used the non-public information to his advantage to make huge profits, which consequently caused serious losses to other shareholders. Although the way O’Hagan obtained this information is very nonrepresentational and abstract, his association with the law firm, and in the process of takeover makes his case strongly liable to the shareholders under the  §10(b). The  §10(b) in reality prohibits any act or accomplishment that results in fraud or deceit related to purchase or sale of any security. In the present case, O’Hagan has involved in an act which is fraudulent and deceitful from other stakeholders of the company. The excerpts from Justice Ginsberg’s decision state, â€Å"Under the â€Å"traditional† or â€Å"classical theory† of insider trading liability,  §10(b and Rule 10b-5 are violated when a corporate insider trades in the securities of his corporation on the basis of material, non-public information. The classical theory applies not only to officers, directors, and other permanent insiders of a corporation, but also to attorneys, accountants, consultants, and others who temporarily become fiduciaries of a corporation.† Even the law of misappropriation holds that misappropriating confidential information for securities trading purpose would be a breach of duty owed to the source of that information, which gives rise to a duty to disclose or abstain. O’Hagan’s case is a clear deception of conduct related to securities transactions. The  §10(b) holds that any action taken by anyone associated with the principal in any manner and/or had access to non-public information that would be used to their advantage is liable to the shareholders. O’Hagan although was not an insider, in sense, he had the information about the takeover, and his association with Dorsey

International Business of McDonald Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Business of McDonald - Essay Example It is referred as the industrial business transactions which take place collectively among two or more nations, areas or regions. These transactions are performed in order to augment the profit margin of an organisation along with its brand equity across the globe (Eebizguides, n.d.). Notably, in recent years the scope of international business in United Arab Emirates (UAE) augmented due to low trade barriers and huge amount of Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs). In addition, UAE also offers the opportunity of free trade zones with modern infrastructure and sovereignty from foreign exchange controls. The economy of UAE also offers an easy entrance to consumer markets connecting ‘13 free trade zones’ in the present scenario (Eebizguides, n.d.). The objective of the assignment is to analyse the importance of international business and the scope of foreign investment in UAE with the motive to assist an Australian renowned fashion company, Peter Alexander to expand its busine ss operations in UAE. With this intention, the discussion of this paper will evaluate the suggestion of considering joint ventures as a mode of strategic alliance with the local companies of UAE for Peter Alexander’s penetration to the market. 2.0. Project Description and Progress Peter Alexander is a renowned Australian fashion designer, mainly known as the leader in the segment of stylish sleepwear, nightwear and gifts. It includes varied types of stylish and trendy clothes for men, women and kids. In the year 2004, the foremost stand-alone store for Peter Alexander’s products was established in the city of Melbourne, Australia with his name (Peteralexander, n.d.). The objective of this project is to propose the organisation, i.e. Peter Alexander to expand in the UAE highlighting the opportunities in the UAE fashion industry. In order to enhance the portfolio of the brand along with its distinctiveness from a global perspective, Peter Alexander can be suggested with noteworthy strategies with due consideration to joint venture initiatives to attempt towards expanding its business operations in the markets of UAE. Hence, it might also facilitate Peter Alexander to amplify the brand value and total turnover of the organisation. It might also enhance the reputation of Peter Alexander, which is extremely essential to sustain in the long run. With this concern, the progress of this particular project will be considering the virtues of joint ventures to assist in the expansion planning of the company. Stage 2 3.0. Business Matching and Networking Owing to the virtues of globalisation, the intensity of fashion events enhanced quite rapidly acting as the backbone of the emerging markets of Middle Eastern region providing a considerable contribution over the GDP of these economies. Moreover, the exclusivity of fashionable hubs also developed by a large extent due to presentation of varied shows by the leading fashion houses within the market of Dubai (S cribd, n.d.). Thus, it is advised to the management of Peter Alexander, to visit the markets of Abu Dhabi and Dubai in order to recognise its underlining opportunities and strengths by conducting a market research to evaluate the internal as well as external risks

The Somali Profile in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Somali Profile in UK - Essay Example The paper also analysis the unemployment issue of the Somalis and the causes of the unemployment in London. The map below shows the location of Somalia in the African continent. Somalis in the UK, Migration and History Trends The Somali migrated to UK due to civic problems in Somalia. Somalia has had many problems since the ousting of formal government in 1991. Most of the Somali natives have escaped the worn-torn country to various destination including Kenya, Ethiopia and UK. The Somalis started their migration to England in notable figures in the early 1990s and formed the biggest group of refugees in the land then (Griffiths 2004, p25). The Somalis who fled to UK are a mixture of various clans most of whom are Muslims. Some of the Somalis migrated to Diaspora to join others who were living there (Werbner 2002, p126). Previous researches indicate that the Somali population has been in UK since the early 1980s (Grifiths 2002, p20). Most of the Somalis living in England are found in London. The number of Somalis living in London is approximately 70,000 people while the large proportion of them is found in Tower Hamlets. These are approximately 13,000 people (IOM 2006, p5). The map below shows the distribution of the community in UK. ... Some of the barriers causing the unemployment of the Somali people in London include invalid pre-migration qualifications and improper or inappropriate contacts in the land in addition to loss of significant skills due to the migrations. The unemployment problem is enhanced by the fact that most of Somalis prefer similar job to those they held in Somalia. Only a few of them about 15% have the required skills and training to acquire jobs in London. In 2006, more than 70% of the Somali living in London were jobless (Adfam 2009, p20). Lack of employment opportunities has led to desperation among many Somali people. They have in turn resulted to chewing khat as a means of passing time (Baafuo-Awuah 2005, p20). This has been a major problem and has been blamed for rising in crime and impotence among the males (James 2006, p44). Men 35years and above Women 35 years and above Young people 35 years and below With Jobs 900 400 450 Jobless 1100 2800 2350 Total 2000 3200 2800 Source:Adfam2009,p 20 Discrimination and racial issues Part of the unemployment problem of the Somalis in London is based on the issue of education. This is because compared to other ethnic groups in London in issues such as levels of wages and retaining of jobs, the Somalis perform worst. The issue of unemployment thus cannot be justified based on discrimination of black minority groups Harris 2006, p54). The Somalis are discriminated on the first impression created by nomadic settlers that they are poorly educated. Most of the women are poorly educated while the only educated people are the young individuals who have been able to enroll in the UK education system (Harris 2006,

Is celebrity culture part of a social hierarchy Refer to at least two Essay

Is celebrity culture part of a social hierarchy Refer to at least two academic sources in your answer and provide examples - Essay Example While political leaders and aristocracy still hold high importance and are themselves now celebrities, being a celebrity no longer requires political attachment. Television and film have become vehicles for celebrity, created through popularizing the image of actors and putting their personal lives in view of the public. In the more recent period of time where new media has become a concept from which public attention is developed, anyone with the proper equipment can find a way in which to gain the notice of the public, creating a sensation that provides instant, if often short-lived, celebrity. While gaining celebrity requires the smallest reason in order to gain the public’s attention, status within the category of celebrity has an informal, but crucial range of importance. Rolph and Kirby define the term celebrity through earlier English terminology in contrast to contemporary usage. Earlier terminology refers to giving honour and dignity upon someone who had earned this s tatus. The current usage refers only to someone who has gained attention, the concept of honour and dignity far removed from the culture of celebrity. In reference to the more contemporary usage, Rolph and Kirby state that a celebrity is someone who has â€Å"the condition of being much extolled or talked about† (Rolph and Kirby, 172). ... They argue that while some scholars consider the concept of ’celebrity’ to have been in existence throughout history, going back as far as Alexander the Great in order to define those who have had celebrity status. Other scholars suggest that celebrity is primarily a social construct that came into existence with the equalization of the common man through the â€Å"democratization of reputation† (Rolph and Kirby, 174). They further the argument of the contemporary nature of celebrity by suggesting that it is more defined by the late twentieth century as it has been â€Å"premised on the economic conditions of capitalism† as reputation has become commoditized (Rolph and Kirby, 174). Celebrity has been developed through the need to create attention for individuals who then capitalize on that attention in order to earn money. However, it must be noted that often it is the managers and owners of the medium through which the celebrity works who promote the sens ationalized popularity of the individual on whom the celebrity is centred. Social hierarchy has existed throughout history, different sets of people being divided by sometimes arbitrary definitions from which status is gained or lost. According to Sidanius and Pratto, social hierarchy that is defined by gender and age are universal across cultures. However, groups that have been created in response to the development of the culture have more arbitrary definitions for how social hierarchy is defined. The creation of arbitrary sets of social groups, like that of celebrity, is usually caused by the increase economic surplus as it is sustained within a culture (Sidanius and Pratto, 299). In other words, as disposable income rises and survival is less relevant in priority,

The Role And Relevance Of World Trade Organization Essay

The Role And Relevance Of World Trade Organization - Essay Example The first round of talk was held in Geneva in 1947 and helped to establish the working framework of GATT. The second round was held in 1949 in Annecy, France, and concentrated in tariff reduction among member countries. The third and fourth rounds of trade negotiations were held Torquay, England, and in Geneva in 1951 and 1956 respectively. Both negotiations focused on tariff reduction and accession. The fifth commonly referred as the Dillon round was held in Geneva in 1960-62, and was instrumental in revising the GATT treaty. Both the Kennedy round and the Tokyo round of trade negotiations were held in Geneva in 1964-67 and 1973-79 respectively. The eighth round, known as the Uruguay round was finalized in Geneva in 1986-93 (Sampson 2001). The Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations, which is currently underway, was launched in the Qatari capital in 2001. The current round of talks is mandated to liberalize the global trade and also to bolster development. Though the talks had been scheduled to end by December 2004, it has not been concluded to date due to profound discrepancies that exist between different member nations’ aspirations and interests. During the Uruguay round of talks, member countries saw the need to establish an umbrella body charged with the responsibility of overseeing the rules of trade between member countries (WTO 2008). This marked the birth of World Trade Organization (WTO). The World Trade Organization, located in Geneva, Switzerland, was established in January 1995 as a result of the Uruguay round of negotiations.  

Replacing Leather Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Replacing Leather - Essay Example The Economics Indian Mirror in their article â€Å"The Indian Leather Industry†Ã‚  reported that the growth has been phenomenal, to say the least. From Rs.320 million in the year 1965-66 to Rs.69558 million in 1996-97. It also brings pride to the nation. The Indian leather industry today has been recognized for its quality and is now among the top seven foreign exchange earners of the country. From being a mere exporter of raw materials in the sixties, it is now a legitimate and dollar earning industry. The sector accounts for 2.5 per cent of the global leather-related trade of Rs. 387,200 crores. An estimated 15 per cent of total purchase of leading global brands in footwear, garments, leather goods & accessories, in Europe, and 10 percent of global supply is outsourced from India (Damodaran & Mansingh). The leather industry employs about 2.5 million people2 and has annual turn over of Rs. 25,000 crores (Damodaran & Mansingh). Engrained in the Culture The industry also goes b eyond economics, it has become a part of Indian identity. Many who work in the industry, entrepreneurs and workers, feel that making leather is beyond making a living. It serves as the connection to their past and the only thing they have known to do. Thus, the organizational structure of leather companies are usually set up in a way that incorporates Indian family tradition as well as an attempt to a modern approach primarily due to the influence of the West who has been India’s biggest leather consumer. Environment Damage One may find over half of India's leather industry around the Ganga river basin. Through Utter Pradesh and West Bengal, treatment plants transform raw hide into materials to be used by Hollywood superstars and international socialites. It is this interest of designers and rich and famous that made this industry a major player in the country's economy. In West Bengal alone, there are 600 tanneries employing and 20,000 units manufacturing leather products. T hey employ 200,000 people (Brown, â€Å"Told To Clean Up†). There is the negative side though. It does more damage to the environment, one that does not compensate for what India gains financially. For one, they used different chemical processes that would preserve the leather. They soak and line the hide, remove the grease ad pickling the hide, and other processes that use salt as the primary ingredients. Brown further reported that about 3000 tonnes of salt are used to preserve 5000 tonnes of raw hide. The problem is 90% of this salt goes into the river and groundwater systems causing pollution and contamination. They also use other products like formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives, and various oils, dyes, and finishes—some of them cyanide-based. Most leather is chrome-tanned which has long been declared hazardous by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) also reported that tanneries produce pollutants like prote in, hair, salt, lime sludge, sulfides, acids, 2,000 pounds of solid waste including flesh and waste nearly 15,000 gallons of water a for every ton of hides that it processes. All these either say on the environment to damage the soil, water, and health of humans around or it goes straight to landfills together with the 800,000 tons of chrome shavings annually. In PETA’s article titled â€Å"Wool, Fur, Leather: Hazardous to the Environment† they said, â€Å"Groundwater near tanneries has been found with highly elevated levels of a variety of toxic substances. The Regis Tanning Co., Inc., operated a tanning facility from the early

Foundations of European Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Foundations of European Law - Essay Example The EU’s powers of decision making and the operation of its institutions have invited widespread criticism1. Critics argue that there is no democracy in the EU and they attribute this to the functions of EU and its institutes. There are several baseless arguments that attempt to affix the label of democratic deficit on the EU. However, democratic deficit can arise, only if there is no transparency, a lack of consensus, paucity of trust, absence of a social justice system and no accountability2. The European Union is said to be democratically deficit because the executive power is completely vested in the European Commission, which is not an elected body. The Commission enjoys widespread powers in the EU, and it is the decision maker and organiser of the matters in the EU. It proposes and executes the legislation in the EU3. The important legislative organ of the Commission is the Council of Ministers. This Council is not accountable to anyone and is beyond the scrutiny of the Member States. All the Member States of the EU are required to adopt the euro as their sole currency. Member States are also required to adopt the directives and regulations issued by the EU and integrate them in their national legislation4. A referendum was held in the year 2005, which had proposed a constitution for the European Union. The citizens of France and Holland opposed the enactment of a constitution for the EU. The constitution was later incorporated in the Lisbon treaty, in October 2007. The United Kingdom opposed the proposed transfer of greater power to the European Union. The Lisbon Treaty proposed a president and a foreign minister for the EU, a supreme court, a civil administration system, a flag and anthem, a Charter of Fundamental Rights for the citizens of Europe, an extension in majority voting, more powers to make treaties and a specific clause, the Passerelle clause, which fortifies the

Occupy Wall Street Movement Essay Example for Free

Occupy Wall Street Movement Essay The Occupy Wall Street Movement began on Sept. 17, 2011, when a diffuse group of activists began a loosely organized protest called Occupy Wall Street, camping out in Zuccotti Park, a privately owned park in New York’s financial district. The protest was to stand against corporate and government greed, social inequality and the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process. The idea was to camp out for weeks or even months to replicate the kind, if not the scale, of protests that had erupted earlier in 2011 in Tunisia and Egypt. There were many that protested for this trying to make a change. Many people fought for their rights asking for help for certain situations such as foreclosing in homes and also asking for better jobs to support their families which I feel was the hugest part regarding this Movement. The Movement was very important for these people to stand up for their rights and announce the help that they needed and they feel that other people deserved when stuck in situations. There was a main slogan for these protesters. We are 99 percent was a huge part of this. It refers to income differential, a main issue for OWS. It derives from a We are 99 percent flyer calling for Occupy Wall Streets second General Assembly in August 2011. The variation We are the 99% originated from a page of the same name. Vietnam War era, and that the majority of Democrats, independents and Republicans see the income gap as causing social friction. The slogan was boosted by statistics which were from the Congressional Budget report released in October 2011. I feel that Occupy Wall Street Movement did have great point. I think what they were hoping to do was great for people. Others did not understand that they were trying to distribute more of a even income for all people with better jobs. They were even trying to create more of a number of jobs for all people. A big part of this was to relieve much debt from people that had this. I think the effort for this had great morals and should have been remember and supported. This is a issues that I believe still comes from time and time and there still hasn’t been much done about these issues presented. Many people do not understand how hard today’s world is. There would be so much relief is there was a program that could help people out so much. I think people are fighting for their rights for so many things. People are looking for other’s to listen to their opinions. These people in the Movement wanted to make a change not just for themselves, but for the world and future. They were trying to make the public understand what they are not agreeing with and get them to understand that there are many other factors that need to be considered. Utilitarianism I feel plays a huge part in this. This represents good over bad for almost all situations. I feel that people in this Movement could feel that they would involve themselves with this. One of the big points with Utilitarianism is that one must understand happiness before they can get happiness. I feel that for what the people in this movement were fighting for was their happiness and they have already understood unhappiness. People can understand Utilitarianism that believes in this protest. Many people have gone through these six stages that were fighting for their rights. These people were looking for happiness and to maximize it as long as possible. It was very important for these people to get out of their tough situations and fight for a better life for everyone. People were not disregarding their problems; they were simply acknowledging them and trying to move on. It was just asking for help. Kant’s ethics I feel is the opposite of this movement. Kant felt that acting out in feelings and self interest meant you had no moral worth. He felt people that made mistakes just shall be punished. Many people are fighting to not feel this way. They were fighting for the right to get better no matter their situation. Just because a mistake is made does not mean you did not have any morals or any self worth. People everyday have made mistake that should not be held against them for their whole lives. Many people have made decisions which may have been wrong. We all should have the right to move on and go forward. There is not morally wrong about sticking up for what you believe in and fighting for it. Kant was very by the book and believed that everything should go a certain way. I don’t think he considered to fight for rights for humans and that some things that come along aren’t always morally correct. Another thing that was fought in this Movement was income equality. Income inequality is increasing nationwide and new data from the Census Bureau shows which states have it worst. Maine, West Virginia and California all count among states where the wealth gap is expanding fastest. The gap between the richest and poorest residents of twenty states increased last year, while remaining about the same for the remaining 30, according to newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau. No states saw significant decreases in their levels of income inequality. There is a huge different in the income equality. Many people don’t make barely anything to others. This has gotten worse over the years. It has even gotten worse then the 1700’s. There is way too far of a difference between the minimum wages and taxes that are taken from people. It would only be fair to up the minimum wage to make things more fair to people that do not have as good as others. This is something that people in the Movement were fighting for also. I feel that people in this movement would have been satisfied by just being acknowledged for the change they were trying to make. It is important for people trying to make a change in many important ways to at least feel like they are getting somewhere. I think a great outcome would be for people to consider what they are saying and work on fixing the problems. I think that many things that are being fought for are morally correct. If we all take a chance and realize the things we need to work on like provding help for people that need it, that would be great. For example, now in 2012 we have Obama care that helps many people that are in need of insurance that cannot afford it. Romney now is trying to get rid of this saying the government is paying too much to help low income people. This is the same thing. Many low income people are in need of this help and this should not be taken away from them. I think that a great ending would be for all people to be financially good. But everyone must work to get this help. I think we should all be financially stable no matter what income we make. Money is most of today’s problem especially with this economy today, if we could somehow get past this moment and look outside of this I think we could make it as a country by helping each other out. I believe this movement stood for great things. I think it will continue more movements in the future. Many people feel strongly about this subject. Some people use government help and abuse, but there are many people out there that need the help. I feel there should be a limited time to get assistance until you get on your feet. I believe there will be many people who want to fight over an argument about that. I hope there will be more positive movements such as this one in the future so people can stand up for what they believe in and what they hope for. People are looking for better jobs to make more money for their family. I feel that all people should fight to get to the best. That issue will never fade away. Some people had said about the movement that people were only asking for money which was not true. The goal of this movement was to get help for different things. These people in my opinion were not trying to over grow capitalism or start a riot. People were hoping for help when foreclosing on their homes which was a big issue. These are things that are happening to people who lose their jobs or getting a pay cut at work. These people were hoping for programs to get back on their feet. There are so many programs out there to help people; some money from the government should be able to go towards helping out people in these situations. I feel that this movement was very important and that people will continue to ask for this help until they are heard or a change is made. References: http://occupywallst.org/ http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/o/occupy_wall_street/index.html http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/16/us/ny-occupy-anniversary/index.html

The Electronic Frontiers Australia Essay Example for Free

The Electronic Frontiers Australia Essay The Electronic Frontiers Australia, Inc. (EFA) has launched a campaign â€Å"Generation Z safely surfing the Internet†, in an attempt to revoke the Australian law of forcefully blocking inappropriate content from teenage children. EFA is a NGO dedicated to the cause of promoting Internet users rights. The Australian government had earlier passed a law in 2007 requiring all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to implement Internet filtering; which the EFA opposes. Though the proposal was held in principle by the Rudd Labor government without any detailed subsequent information, its application was confirmed in January 2008 by Minister Conroy. The campaign by EFA aims to promote safe Internet usage of the Generation Z through media and communication. The education of parents on monitoring their children’s Internet usage is also emphasized. Forcefully blocking content is an infringement of civil liberties of the computer operators, which needs to be resisted. Apart from civil rights, such blockages deprive parents of the opportunity to guide their children towards safe surfing, through habit cultivation. EFA expects communities like Adolescent Family Counseling, Anglicare and Australian Camp Connect Association to extend support for its campaign. The EFA has pointed out to the results of a 2005 survey by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) that showed that most parents are against the filtering system. With only three out of ten parents using the system, most parents maintained that they trusted their children’s ability to judge right from wrong. Some parents felt that the software of the filtering system was ineffective and therefore the objectives of the system cannot be realized. Many parents also felt that the implementation of the filters drastically reduced Internet speed. The EFA questioned the technical feasibility of the system saying that both the filtering systems, content analysis and index filtering are not completely foolproof. There are several ways through which the black listed content can pass through the system. Also the harmful content identified by the Australian Communications Media Authority for black listing does not include content originating outside Australia. Elaborating on the costs to the government on account of the filtering system, EFA spokesman Colin Jacobs said that the $24. 3 million allocated for this in the current budget and the $51. 4 million anticipated for the next year can be put to better use. The government in its 2004 report, revealed that the expense of executing ISP-level Internet filtering systems would be $45 million towards initial installation, extra servers to run the software and ISP personnel to set up the system, and $33 million required subsequently each year. The government had maintained that it is unsafe for children to access the Internet without the controls. However children belonging to the Generation Z have high curiosity and needs, always wanting to seek and explore. This aspect of childhood trait should be not be chopped down by forcefully blocking content. Children need to be encouraged to explore; however they need to be guided by the parents. As part of its strategy, EFA banks on major media releases on the topic to gather support. With a media portfolio of three newspapers, five online media, two journals and airtime on two radios, EFA intends to put the issue in the lime light of public sphere. Social workshops to attract journalists and establishing of strategic partnerships with media groups and publications sharing EFA views, are also in the agenda. Holding community meetings, interviews with the focus group, delivering speeches, distributing pamphlets and publishing monthly newsletters are part of the campaign’s strategy.

Explain what causes changes in supply and demand

Explain what causes changes in supply and demand The constancy and steadiness of any economy is based on the structure of its supply and demand. The supply and demand establish the pattern of the prices and the quantities of different commodities and products in the economy. The increase and decrease in the supply and demand fluctuates the prices and the quantities of different products. The market has a certain balance between various elements and all this symmetry is affected by the variation in the pattern of supply and demand. Various replacements and substitutions play role in adjusting the balance of the market and the prices and their elasticity are also affected by these. Furthermore all this has an effect on the society. Basically four market systems are there. Varied roles are played by the economists in different markets. Explain what causes changes in supply and demand A market is a place where various products are bought and sold. At times there is too much quantity of a certain good is present in the market then it is said that the supply of that good is high. When a product is produced and the capability and eagerness to sell this product is there at a certain price in a certain time period then this is known as supply of that product. Similarly when there is a capability and eagerness to buy a certain product at a certain price in a certain period is known as the demand of that product. The income is traded in return of various jobs and tasks. Likewise if we have a demand of any particular product we offer money in order to buy it. Market equilibrium is basically where the demand of any product is almost equal to the supply of the product. At this stage the prices for such a product are the most suitable for it. Whereas if there is too much supply and the demand for a product is comparatively low then the consumers will pay less for that product. Similarly if there is too much demand of any product but the market has a less supply of that product then the price of such a product goes high and the buyers are willing to pay even more for it. Therefore in order to maintain the market equilibrium it is better to bring the supply equal to demand and vice versa. Determine how changes in price and quantity influence market equilibrium Steven Tomilison defines equilibrium (Understanding Market Equilibrium, Determining A Competitive Equilibrium, p1,) as a state where there is no propensity to change. Market equilibrium is a stage where the prices and quantity of any product remains constant and endure the pressure by the buyers and the sellers. Here the supply of a product is basically similar to the demand of the product. This equilibrium is disturbed when there because of undue pressure a change is brought about in the prices or quantity of any product. What actually happens is that there maybe less demand of a product where the sellers might bring in too much of the product in the market. Here basically there is less willingness to buy a product or the demand of that product is reduced thus affecting the prices and also reducing them. Likewise if there is too much eagerness by the buyers to buy a certain product but the suppliers bring in lesser quantity in the market this will increase the demand thus increasing the prices of that product also. This all is actually bringing a change in the prices and quantity of a product thus affecting the supply and demand and bringing a change in the market equilibrium. This all can be stated that an increase in quantity decreases the prices whereas the decrease in quantity will increase the prices. Describe how the necessity of a good and the availability of substitutions impact price elasticity. Harrison (2004) defined elasticity as the flexibility to increase or decrease. When it comes to the elasticity of the prices this can be shown by a graph of price elasticity of demand or PED. This price elasticity of demand is calculated by dividing both the percentages of demand with the price. This PED is very useful. Companies are interested in them when investing in new business or starting new ventures. It gives them the idea of competitive prices and the profit margin. According to Harrison (2004) the influence or effect of the taxes and subsidies is seen by the governments by this PED. By levying more taxes on harmful products such as cigarettes or alcohol will increase its prices thus decreasing its demand. Similarly by providing a subsidy on any product will decrease the price of that product thus reducing its price and making it easier for the consumers to buy it or increased demand. Nowadays for every product there are different alternatives or substitutions present in the market. The necessity of a product will lead to finding its substitution and creates a direct relationship in them. This relationship fluctuates because of different situations and conditions of the market and the world and this is what capitalism is. Food has been described as essential and fundamental element for life by the China Agricultural Economic Review. This review describes the relationship between the supply, demand and the prices of different products in Nigeria. The domestic food prices were increased when Nigeria faced a food shortage between 1998 and 2001. To overcome this shortage different food products and livestock was imported from other countries. This increased the prices of these food products as large import bills came along with them which added up to the prices of these products. Automatically these prices were to be endured by the consumers. This resulted in large import bills. Now the domestic food prices were already high because of the shortage the imported food prices were almost similar or even higher then those products. This all brought about the elasticity in the prices and the economy was provided with elasticity. The market would have said to be inelastic if there was no shortage and the food p rices were normal and there were less imports and competition higher. http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/pqdweb?did=1657972491sid=3Fmt=6clientId=13118RQT=309VName=PQD). Market Systems and the Role of an Economist There are different types of business and likewise the market systems are also of different types. As per Mankiw (2007) the market systems can be divided into four basic types, and the markets not only in US but all over the world usually fall under one or the other categories. Majority of the economists also agree with this diversification of market systems. Monopoly is one of the market systems. As the name refers the market is dominated by a single or sole seller and usually no alternatives are present for such a product. Since there are no substitutions the competition factor is also absent. Due to the advancement in the technology and information explosion usually the monopoly of any one product is nowadays not commonly seen but still companies like cable companies, trash collectors etc. are considered to be monopolies due to the uniqueness they provide through their product or services. According to Mankiw (2007) the monopolies enjoy this state because of the low marginal value they keep. Oligopoly is another type of market system. According to Mankiw (2007) in oligopoly there are very few sellers present in the market for a certain product and action of one at times affects others also. The profits of everyone are affected by oneà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s decision. This type of competition is known as imperfect competition. Monopolistic competition is one of the market systems. As per Mankiw (2007) in this type of market system there are sellers who sell products which may be alike but cannot be considered as identical. That is their few features may be similar but they do differ from one another in other features. Again this is a type of imperfect type of market systems where the buyers are same but the products are different. Perfect competition is the fourth type of market system and as the name indicates that the competition in this type of market system is perfect. The product is absolutely same but there are a number of sellers present in the market. The competition here is too high because of the number of sellers and the price of the product is usually very near to the cost of the product. It is difficult for the sellers to gain a good margin out of such type of a market. One business can only be successful if it copes up well with the type of market system it enters. Good economists tend to understand the demand of the market system. They are well aware of the cost of the production and make efforts to offer better then its competitors. The buyers are always looking for the best with the most cost effective price. In order to earn the most of the market share one has to cut down its prices to the lowest then only it can compete successfully. Conclusion Thus the price of the product, the product itself, its buyers and sellers are the factors that affect the supply and demand of a product. The decision of the buyers regarding the quantity and their purchase is very much dependent on the price of the product. They are always willing to pay for quality but it is essential that it should be affordable for them. The increase in supply is because of too much quantity of a product present in the market, similarly the demand increases when there is not enough of the product present in the market. The price elasticity is also dependent on the importance of a good and the competition present for that good.

Why Band Directors Stick with it and Teach :: Band Directors Education Music Essays

Why Band Directors Stick with it and Teach It’s a question we all ask ourselves from time to time: "Why am I doing this? Is it really worth it?" For band directors, the question comes up a little more FREQUENTLY. The long rehearsals, hours of preparation and planning. Budget, buses and banged up tubas. Counseling and consoling. Lesson planning to tour planning." Why are you doing this?" Someone asked me once, "It’s only band". It’s only band? Studies show that those high school students least likely to be involved with drugs are band students. Six separate national independent studies showed students with four years of instrumental music scored 40-50% higher on their Math and English Sat scores that non –music students who had equal scores four years earlier. "Why" Music is the only subject that encompasses all seven learning intelligences. Music is one of only two subjects that "connects" the two independent sides of the brain –logical and creative. Similar studies showed that band students attend more regularly. They participate in their classrooms, look forward to and actually like school. They become more focused, more disciplined. An educated person is less likely to end up in jail, impaired by addictions, or homeless. Band teaches life skills. Where independent thinking is the model in most academic classrooms, teamwork is essential in band. Band students learn to work with and for each other. The three R’s in band include Respect, Responsibility, & Reliability. Our students learn to appreciate one another for their individual talents and their contributions to the organization as a whole. They learn positive social skills –the most important factor in our program –where we teach such qualities as confidence, pride, and self esteem; all values that will serve these young people well throughout the course of their life. Citizenship, team motivational skills/leadership skills, time management, organization skills, dependability, and honesty are instilled into band members. Band teaches students to face challenges and strive to reach higher and higher goals. Band is family. When your student walks onto campus, he or she is instantly adopted into the strongest society on campus. They will be spending their school days among the top achievers on campus, with fellow students who look out for one another and steer each other away from trouble instead of towards it. Teachers, staff, parents, and volunteers watch over all the kids as if they were their own.

Alice Walker Essay -- essays research papers

Best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple, Alice Walker portrays black women struggling for sexual as well as racial equality and emerging as strong, creative individuals. Walker was born on February 9, 1944, in Eatonton, Georgia, the eighth child of Willie Lee and Minnie Grant Walker. When Walker was eight, her right eye was injured by one of her brothers, resulting in permanent damage to her eye and facial disfigurement that isolated her as a child. This is where her feminine point of view first emerged in a household where girls were forced to do the domestic chores unaided by the brothers. Throughout her writing career, Alice Walker has been involved in the black movement and displays strong feelings towards the respect black women get. In 1961, Walker entered Spelman College, where she joined the Civil Rights Movement. Two years after graduating in 1965, she married Melvyn Leventhal, a Jewish civil rights lawyer; afterward, they worked together in Mississippi, registering blacks to vote. In the summer of 1968, she went to Mississippi to be in the heart of the civil-rights movement, helping people who had been thrown off farms or taken off welfare roles for registering to vote. In New York, she worked as an editor at Ms. Magazine, and her husband worked for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. In 1970, Walker published her first novel, The Third Life of Grange Copeland, about the ravages of racism on a black sharecropping family. In Meridian, 1976, her second novel, she explored a woman’s successful efforts to find her place in the Civil Rights Movement. She read much of Flannery O’Conner's work and greatly admired her. For one thing, O’Conner practiced economy. According to Herbert Mitgang of the New York Times, "She also knew that the question of race was really just the first question on a long list"(1983). Much of Walker’s writings are very personal. For example, one of her first books once was written during a time in which she was pregnant and suicidal and it described how she had an abortion and dealt with all of its after effects. Unlike many other authors, she is not afraid to write about very personal experiences she has had. Since the beginning of her writing career, she has written sixteen books, including five novels, several collections of essays, short stories, children’s books, and poems... ...mp;quot;(1993). Overall, Walker has been a very influential author throughout the black community, and her audiences are very much interracial. Although many of the criticisms are controversial over her view of black men, through this research it is concluded that the depiction cannot be narrowed down to black men. She was merely describing the kind of man who had the potential and who was abusive. Not suprisingly, most of the controversy streams from the fact that there aren’t other black male characters portrayed to counteract the depiction of the abuser. This perceived imbalance however doesn’t mean that she is focusing all her anger towards black males, she is merely trying to illustrate topics that people know are true yet perhaps unwilling to admit it. Another good argument is that it seems as though critics are trying to force her to choose between her support for the black community and her support for the feminist movement, and she won’t do that for them. She is equally supportive of both, and that is a very admirable quality. Alice Walker was a very personal author who was not afraid to show or hide anything in the struggle against racism and support for black women. Alice Walker Essay -- essays research papers Best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple, Alice Walker portrays black women struggling for sexual as well as racial equality and emerging as strong, creative individuals. Walker was born on February 9, 1944, in Eatonton, Georgia, the eighth child of Willie Lee and Minnie Grant Walker. When Walker was eight, her right eye was injured by one of her brothers, resulting in permanent damage to her eye and facial disfigurement that isolated her as a child. This is where her feminine point of view first emerged in a household where girls were forced to do the domestic chores unaided by the brothers. Throughout her writing career, Alice Walker has been involved in the black movement and displays strong feelings towards the respect black women get. In 1961, Walker entered Spelman College, where she joined the Civil Rights Movement. Two years after graduating in 1965, she married Melvyn Leventhal, a Jewish civil rights lawyer; afterward, they worked together in Mississippi, registering blacks to vote. In the summer of 1968, she went to Mississippi to be in the heart of the civil-rights movement, helping people who had been thrown off farms or taken off welfare roles for registering to vote. In New York, she worked as an editor at Ms. Magazine, and her husband worked for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. In 1970, Walker published her first novel, The Third Life of Grange Copeland, about the ravages of racism on a black sharecropping family. In Meridian, 1976, her second novel, she explored a woman’s successful efforts to find her place in the Civil Rights Movement. She read much of Flannery O’Conner's work and greatly admired her. For one thing, O’Conner practiced economy. According to Herbert Mitgang of the New York Times, "She also knew that the question of race was really just the first question on a long list"(1983). Much of Walker’s writings are very personal. For example, one of her first books once was written during a time in which she was pregnant and suicidal and it described how she had an abortion and dealt with all of its after effects. Unlike many other authors, she is not afraid to write about very personal experiences she has had. Since the beginning of her writing career, she has written sixteen books, including five novels, several collections of essays, short stories, children’s books, and poems... ...mp;quot;(1993). Overall, Walker has been a very influential author throughout the black community, and her audiences are very much interracial. Although many of the criticisms are controversial over her view of black men, through this research it is concluded that the depiction cannot be narrowed down to black men. She was merely describing the kind of man who had the potential and who was abusive. Not suprisingly, most of the controversy streams from the fact that there aren’t other black male characters portrayed to counteract the depiction of the abuser. This perceived imbalance however doesn’t mean that she is focusing all her anger towards black males, she is merely trying to illustrate topics that people know are true yet perhaps unwilling to admit it. Another good argument is that it seems as though critics are trying to force her to choose between her support for the black community and her support for the feminist movement, and she won’t do that for them. She is equally supportive of both, and that is a very admirable quality. Alice Walker was a very personal author who was not afraid to show or hide anything in the struggle against racism and support for black women.

John Ernst Steinbeck :: Essays Papers

John Ernst Steinbeck Chronology Born: February 27,1902 in the family home. He lived at 132 Central Avenue, Salinas, CA. He wrote his first stories here as a child. Father: John Ernst Steinbeck. He lived 1863-1935. He was the County Treasurer. Mother: Olive Hamilton Steinbeck. She lived 1867-1934. She was an elementary teacher. Sisters: Elizabeth Steinbeck Ainsworth. She was born on May 25,1894 and died on October 20, 1992. She lived in Pacific Grove, CA. Esther Steinbeck Rodgers. She was born April 14,1892 and died on May 9,1986. She lived in Watsonville, CA Mary Steinbeck Dekker. She was born on January 9,1905 and died January 23,1965. She is buried in the family plot. 1919: Graduated from Salinas High School, then located on West Alisal Street across from the post office. Began attending Stanford University. 1919 - 1925: He attended Stanford University. 1925: He went to New York City, working odd jobs, including manual labor for the construction of Madison Square Garden. He was unable to find a publisher. He returned to California the next year. 1929: Cup of Gold became his first published novel. 1930: Married Carol Henning and moved to the family home in Pacific Grove. His father helped support the struggling couple. They divorced in 1942. She lived in Carmel Valley, CA after and died February 8, 1983. 1932: The Pastures of Heaven became his first published work set in Monterey County. 1934: His mother died in the Salinas home. John had stayed in the home to take care of her. After this experience, Steinbeck wrote to a friend, "The house in Salinas is pretty haunted now. I see things walking at night that it is not good to see." Steinbeck wrote to 1934: A short story set in Monterey County, The Murder, won an O. Henry Prize. 1935: His father died. This was the first year Steinbeck had commercial success. Tortilla Flat was an instant hit. 1935: He won the Commonwealth Club of California Gold Medal for Best Novel by a Californian for Tortilla Flat. 1936: He again won the Commonwealth Club of California Gold Medal for Best Novel by a Californian for In Dubious Battle. 1936: Of Mice and Men, set around Soledad, was produced as a novel and then as a play. The Red Pony by Steinbeck also won recognition. Steinbeck mentioned labor violence in Salinas in a letter, "There are riots in Salinas and killings in the streets of that dear little town where I was born.

Major Educational Challenges Assessment for Kenya Education System Essay

With a total population of over 43 million, Kenya is the biggest and most advanced economy in the east and central Africa. It is well-known for its natural resource and the vast variety of wildlife, which contribute a large proportion to Kenya’s GDP in agricultural and service sectors. It’s prosperous capital Nairobi is also given the name â€Å"East African Paris†. But behind the misleading impression of affluence left by a minority of urban population, Kenya is still a poor developing country with half of the population living in total poverty. Even though with a GINI index of 42. which is only medium, the economic status inequality of Kenyans is relatively high: The rich has a condo with four private cars and two maids while the poor in shabby clothes are living in slums just two miles away. The economy of the country also leads to problems in the education sector in Kenya. The objectives of this memo is to identify three most important issues that may be challenges for Kenyan Government and Kenyan education sector, and come up with potential solutions and strategies to address them. 1, Educational inequality between urban and rural areas There’s been a significant educational inequality between urban and rural Kenya. From the data provided by â€Å"Exploring Kenyan Education† site, School Location Density (2007), most schools distributes around big cities in the southern and southwestern Kenya where the majority of the population lives in. These cities includes Nairobi the Capital, Nakuru, Kericho, Kisumu, Eldoret, Kakamega, Meru and Mombasa. Since the school density does not show any problems because it follows the demography theory, but the enrollment rate and the educational investment may tell a part of the story. In big cities like Nairobi, the gross enrollment rate of primary education is as high as 103% and the net enrollment rate is 91% (2009). But as of northeastern and northwestern Kenya the ratio is as low as 35% or even 25%. Even though the primary education is free and uniform in Kenya, there are still extra costs. One that blocks the way of education for children is the school uniform. Students drop out of schools simply because they don’t have school uniform, the situation is even worse in those tribe territories and extreme poor areas. The school uniform costs almost a thousand Ksh that many families cannot afford. Even though there has been official regulation noting that no student ought to be turned away for not having uniform, uniform is such an ineradicable â€Å"culture† in Kenya schools that either schools or parents keep students away from school for not having schools uniforms. Lacking of resources becomes another. Lacking of sufficient textbooks and necessary stationaries makes students in rural areas hard to study. Students normally depend on what their teachers can provide to them and most of the time a textbook is shared by two plus students. Even there are articles saying lacking of teachers is another problem, but according to the data by Kenya Open Data, the Pupil-Teacher Ratio in rural areas is not significantly higher than that is in developed area) -Possible solutions Providing free school uniforms targeting economically challenged students (application by student or their parents). Education ministry should also take responsibility to make sure every single student can have the textbooks they need. Unified and organized studying necessities delivery should be arranged at the start of each semester. 2, Primary-to Secondary Bottleneck The primary education in Kenya is free and an average of over 90% of eligible school-age children are enrolled into primary schools, but the net enrollment rate only ranges from 3%-50%, that means even in the best conditioned area, nearly half of the students quit studying at the age of 15. Tuition Fees remains the largest barrier for going secondary school. Data shows that a primary student cost around 3,000 Ksh (32 USD) per household per year (2005), but surges to 25,000 Ksh (270 USD) for secondary education, which accounts for more than half of Annual income per household. Despite government subsidies for secondary schools, some national and top provincial schools charge fees as high as 73,600 Ksh for one year. Such excessive education expense may be totally fine for students from privileged families, but for kids from middle class or poor families who fight all the way to those schools, that becomes a disaster. The other factor that creates the bottleneck is the poor education quality in most of the public primary schools. Primary school students need to reach over 250 points in KCPE (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) to be qualified to continue secondary education. There are better teachers teaching in private schools and students are receiving â€Å"elite† education. 77 percent of private primary school students (2007) score over 250 compared to only 45 percent among public school students. This really reveals the poor teaching quality which fails students in public schools, thus most economic privileged families send their children to private schools. -Possible solutions: More government subsidies – Though the secondary education receives governmental subsidies, more subsidies are needed to help those students with economical difficulties. Document students who need tuition aid and set up foundation targeting those students. Thus the resource can be concentrated to those in need. Further more, more money should be invested for better teachers, better infrastructures in public schools. Strengthen subsidy usage supervision – Kenyan Ministry of Education spends more than 10,000Ksh per secondary student annually. This amount of money is controlled by schools instead of directly by the students, and the tuition gets even higher each year. Many secondary schools charges suggested annual tuition standard by MOE for only one semester, and most of them cannot explain the subsidies usage. Having government nominated supervisor sent to schools regularly to make sure the subsidies are in proper use would be a potential solution. Heath problems that contribute to the dropout and poor education quality Health problem has been a huge challenge for students in Kenya and the country’s heath system has been always in a difficult time trying to provide accessible heath care for its population. Poor nutrition, underweight, intestinal worms, malaria, HIV, unexpected early pregnancies, etc. have greatly influenced students’ academic performance. In some areas such as Naivasha and Thika, own illness/disability becomes the biggest reason for not attending school. The ratio may be as high as over 70% and some time reaches over 90%. Also, early pregnancy is also a main contributor to the high dropout rate among girls. -Possible solution School heath program: a school based heath system should be set up to secure students’ health condition. Since families may not be able to provide enough food supply especially for those poor families, government should help schools provide at least one meal per day to ensure students’ nutrition supplement. Also, 3. 6 million children were dewormed in 2009 and continuing implementing deworming program has been proved to be an effective way to increase attendance. Then schools should also take responsibilities for sex knowledge education which most children could not receive at home.

Chemistry in Our Dailylife Essay

Our entire universe is do up of matter which is constantly changing forms and evolving into other forms of energy. chemistry is defined as the study or science of this invariably changing matter. The other sciences which we study usually like biology, physics and mathematics ar all dependent on alchemy and atomic number 18 known as limited studies under the elaborate subject of alchemy. Since in that respect is chemical science seen in biological forms as well as physical states of nature, in that location argon subjects called biochemistry and physical chemistry which abet study these changes.There are many a(prenominal) chemical substance changes which occur around us anyday but we are never aware of them. But this is a enormous modal value of inculcateing children how magical the solid ground of chemistry is With these real examples you fuck teach them by winning a chemistry in workaday life quiz, as practical studies are always playing period to learn. T o institute this job easier for you, mentioned below are a hardly a(prenominal) such examples of chemistry in everyday life, take a look Examples There are chemical reactions in daily life like, in the way you breathe, the food you eat, the water you befuddle and in every motion which is taking place around you at every second of the day.It is a very key and interesting concept which could be taught to your children as they entertain to know, how their world works. The best way to explain this to them is to show them practically how and why are a few things in nature the way they are You ordure do this by demonstrating a few kids chemistry experiments for them. An essay on this consequence can be a abundant start to teach these kids, what a wondrous thing, chemistry is. Find out what these levelheaded mechanisms of nature are, that define presence of chemistry in daily life, read on.Water, which occupies 70% of the earths surface is take shape by two chemical elements, en thalpy and oxygen. Soap is an emulsifier which allows oil and water to alloy and so the oily mixtures on ashes and clothes can be removed after application of soap and water. Chemistry in kids life can too include why ve dieables are faded. black vegetables consist of chemical compounds called carotenoids which moderate an theatre known as the chromophore. It absorbs authentic wavelengths of liberal and and then there are colored vegetables.Food is cooked because of the steam thats set up either in the water added or that which is turn in inside the food items. Onions make you cry due to the presence of entropy in the cells which break after the onions are cut. This sulfur gets mixed with moisture and thus irritates your eyes. You feel hungry because of the satiety piazza in your brain falls briefly of particular hormones to function and then sends the ratify of hunger. You fall in love, get attracted and have a feeling of belonging because of certain monoamines p ass in your brain which get stimulated by means of nerve sensors.If you have wondered, why is the sky blue, it is due to a phenomenon called the Rayleigh scattering, which depends on scattering of strike through particles which are much littler than the wavelength. Hence when light passes through gases, there is scattering and the sky appears blue. Coffee keeps you watchful because of the presence of a chemical called adenosine, in your brain. It binds to certain receptors and slows the nerve cell natural action when sleep is signaled. Anaerobic fermentation is as well a long concept which is present in the chemistry of everyday life.It is present in yogurt, breads, cakes and many other baking hot products. It is the multiplication of certain useful bacteria which increase the size of the food and make it much filling and soft. The food mountain chain present in every ecosystem is also a major part of everyday life chemistry. Even though it has more biological background, it eventually works because of its chemistry. With these great examples, there is no other definition of the existence of earth and its components other than chemistry. Thus, through so much to learn from, you can easily teach your children the importance of chemistry in our day-to-day life