Being Me

Being Me Its tough being a teenage girl; especially me, that’s excruciating. Take some advice – no one can ever fully understand someone so don’t even try to – it’s impossible. As you read this essay beware, not everyone lives with money and happiness handed to them or lives ‘the dream’. Fact 1, Everyone is stereotyped, bound to whatever group everyone else thinks you are, not who you actually are every stereotype hates at least one other. I get stereotyped because of the make-up on my face, nothing else, just how I look. Why? To find another way to make themselves feel better by putting everyone else down. Pathetic, right? I have lost and gained so many people it is unbelievable; one thing I will say though, is no one sticks around. They expect you there for their troubles but when yours it’s completely different, you can handle them on your own, yes of course. I have gained 3 important people though, Heather Gemma and Anya, they may not stick around forever but they are the closest. I am bitter towards friendships because I lost my best friend to her boyfriend, shaped my opinions on almost everything, from friendships to relationships with anyone, a great deal. Looking back on this I would say I handled that poorly, I don’t need to be hasty but I choose to be. Right, let’s take a look into the intricate mind of me. My paranoia ruins all my relationships, including my family and friends, it works me up to the point I get extremely upset to the point I can’t eat or sleep. My paranoia makes me think that if I haven’t spoken to someone in a few days they absolutely hate my guts, it ruins everything for me. Also, my temper has extremely heightened to the point I am constantly ‘nippy’ towards everyone, the smallest things irritate me. If it was possible I would evaporate my paranoia into thin air and get on with my life but when I look back on it I wish I would just grow up, give myself a slap and get on with my life. I am constantly worn out and lacking any enthusiasm in anything. This means my focus on anything, especially school work. Unfortunately I need my grades for a job, college or maybe even university- how good would it be if you didn’t?! It puts your confidence down to know you would need higher A’s to succeed. Oh well, you can only do the best you can? No, not good enough, push the barriers, get the highest grades possible†¦ Yeah right! When I look back on my focus on my grades etc, I actually cannot help it, I wish I could grasp what the teachers tell me but it goes right through me no matter what I try. As many other teenage girl I don’t see, in the mirror, what everyone sees when they look at me. I see a FAT, ugly, scarred girl, looking back at me. To do my make-up in the morning I see a monster gawk back at me. My weight will not change no matter what I do, I cannot change my face, I cannot change my past either; I completely give up now. When people look at me they only see the intimidating yet happy me I ‘want’ them to see†¦ this gives them the impression of no matter what they do I will be as strong as ever, they will never bring me to my knees. I would say I handle this extremely well considering the amount of self criticism I give myself. People can change your attitudes towards almost anything I suppose yes? Correct. One person has influenced my recent attitude adjustments; I cannot sleep anymore, I cannot trust anyone and he makes me extremely short tempered. Now-a-days if anyone just slightly annoys me I have thoughts going through my head of the things I would do to them if possible but luckily enough I manage to keep my temper. I handle my temper better than anything else in my life, I dread to think where I would be if it completely consumed me. I suppose you could say I have never had a proper start in life; I never really saw my parents growing up, I grew up with violence but technically that made me the person I am today; able to defend myself although I just use it to intimidate. Peer pressure also played a part in my growing up†¦ I had no chance growing up as a normal teenager; ‘oh, do this, it’s cool! C’mon, just do it! DO IT, DO IT! ’ In the end you just end up bowing down to peer pressure, then it consumes you with its viscous grip. I wish I had never given into peer pressure, it has supplemented into ruining my life. Of all things that should affect me, death doesn’t. It happens†¦ yes it fills you with great sadness but on the other hand it happens, get over it. It happens to everyone close or near to you. Although I must admit I am lucky enough never to have lost a relative as close such as a parent, sibling, etc. I lost my great aunt Ivory not too long ago but I was at a loss as to why we celebrate the day of someone’s funeral, it just seems wrong. They may possibly be better off dead but people should be looking back in remorse to think they never spent any more time possible with that person†¦ I never spent any more time with my granddad than when my mother took me in. I didn’t understand he was dying but I wish I had requested to pay more time with him. When I think about it all, I handle my life as best as I can, if I lost at least one aspect, maybe my temper, I would be ended, that would appear on my records preventing me from my beloved job I crave. To be honest? I am a cold person who should be messed up more than I already am but who can help anyone? No one because no one can ever fully understand another, it is impossible. I wish I wasn’t so messed up although I wouldn’t trade my life for anyone else’s, because everyone has their flaws.

Critical Incident Essay

It was a cold friday afternoon as I sat at the bus stop waiting to get home. I had just got out of an intense Friday lecture from the Northampton local Mosque. The Imam was furious and obviously disgusted at the behavior of our generation. â€Å"How do we live with ourselves† Imam Aseem Ibrahim had said. â€Å"Most of us have enough to feed ourselves and our family, even buy the latest gadgets just because we can but do we feed the poor? Do we clothed them?† He said in anger as he chocked on the words. The lecture kept on playing in my head as I waited for the bus. It made me realize, we could do some good with the money we spend on some unnecessary things especially the ones we buy for ourselves to please others. Earlier, I had planned on buying the new Manchester United away jersey, but with what the Imam said, I don’t think I need it anymore. I could use at least half the money to do good for others. Just as I drift on my thoughts, I noticed a fish and chips cart which reminded me of the breakfast and lunch I had missed. I had been staying up late studying that I forgot about a couple of meals. â€Å"Don’t starve yourself in the course of feeding others.† The Imam had said while giving his lectures. I starved myself but it wasn’t because I was trying to feed anybody, I was just trying to catch up on loss time. I got up and got myself some fish and chips then sat back at the bus stop seats. As soon as I had the first swallow, I realized I could help poor people by feeding them delicious food with a reasonable amount of money. The food was relatively cheap. I smiled and continued to enjoy. Halfway through my meal, I saw a little Indian boy with an elderly woman walking towards my direction. The boy smiled at me so I smiled and offered him my food. The little boy smiled again and shook his head. â€Å"Are you sure?’ He shook his head and stopped walking. â€Å"Alright then.† I went on with my meal. A few minutes later, the bus arrived and just as I motioned to get on it, the elderly woman furiously said some words to me in Hindu. I shrugged and got on the bus. When I arrived home, I found my roommate Taneem watching a Hindu movie. I noticed something weird as I watched a little with him. â€Å"Why is the subtitle saying yes while the woman keeps shaking her head?’ I asked. â€Å"Because shaking your head is to Indians as nodding your head is to us. She’s saying yes.† Taneem explained. Even though it was minutes after I had left the boy and the woman, I felt so embarrassed at what I did to the boy. My intentions were good, but it looked otherwise.

Domestic Violence Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Domestic Violence Issues - Essay Example the manifestations of violence within what should be a loving relationship to fully understand the horror to which victims are subjected and the need for adequate protection to be provided by both the civil and the criminal justice systems. Perpetrators and Victims Domestic violence is conceived of primarily as a problem of men's abuse of women. Although researchers have documented abuse within same sex relationships4 and although there is evidence that, in a comparatively small number of cases, women abuse men5, the available research suggests that domestic violence is overwhelmingly directed by men against women6. The prior relationship between victims and defendants is most apparent in crimes against women. Men are more likely then women to experience violent victimization. But the nature of these events differs greatly. Women are about six times more likely than men to experience violence committed by an intimate. The prior relationship between victim and offender causes particular problems for law enforcement officials in the area of domestic violence. Domestic Violence: Literary Review Violence in the context of intimate relationships encapsulates may types of abuse: emotional/psychological, physical, sexual and economic. Such abuse can occur within married, separated and divorced relationships or among single people living together or simply dating one another. Many enduring and dysfunctional aspects contribute to the violence that occurs, so it is important to examine how abusive episodes emerge within the context of the ongoing relationship. Of all the crimes reported to the British Crime Survey in 2000, more than 1 in 20 was classified as domestic violence. Survey reports of...A. Stanko (1989), 'Policing Men's Violence: An Introduction' in J. Hanmer, J. Radford and E. A. Stanko (eds), Women, Policing and Male Violence: International Perspectives, London and New York, Routledge Cook, B., David, F. & Grant, A. 1999, Victims' Needs, Victims' Rights: Policies and programs for victims of crime in Australia, Research and Public Policy Series No. 19, Australian Institute of Criminology, Canberra.

How students should have an year off before college ( research paper ) Essay

How students should have an year off before college ( research paper ) - Essay Example The reasons for which will be discussed in this paper. However, prior to discussing these privileges, I will first present the possible drawbacks of a college gap year that was not properly planned and thought out by the parents and student. Yes, even for all the perceived benefits of the gap year, there are also negative effects or reasons for doing so. Let's put it this way, Hollywood has produced one too many movies about teenage high school graduates who go backpacking through Europe for all the wrong reasons. Taking a gap year does not mean that a high school graduate should party up a storm and insist in spending it in Europe when the parental units may not be able to afford it. This is not a movie like Eurotrip. Spending a year in Europe just to party is not an economical thing to do. The plane ticket is expensive enough without parents having to shoulder the cost of the child â€Å"exploring† the wrong side of Europe through parties that make the kid stay up late and s leep all day. Nothing remotely related to learning can be gained from that. Some kids also opt to take a year off from school when he is not accepted into his chosen university. The excuse becomes that the gap year is necessary in order to help him prepare to try and gain acceptance into the same university or college next year. A college application rejection is not the end of the world that one should wallow in for a whole year. There is no discounting the fact that getting rejected by any school one submitted an application to is quite upsetting. But the point of getting into college is just that. One learns to deal with rejection and go on with life. By opting to take a year out of the educational system, the student only makes matter worse for himself. Taking a year off will not guarantee that there will be an admission in his future. However, opting to attend a â€Å"safety school† will at least guarantee that the student can try to get a transfer application accepted t he next semester or the next year, depending upon how the grades look for that student. Finally, the biggest mistake a student can make is considering a gap year simply because it will look good on his resume. Just because your college resume might look a little thin on the experience and volunteer side does not mean that there is nothing in it for a decent school board to consider. Those are not the defining moments of your high school career. Instead, what college boards really look for are the good grades and passing marks relevant to the application you put in. The most important question is if a student, without a gap year experience to include in his resume, still has the credentials to make the grade for the college department of his choice (Katz, Gillian â€Å"3 Great Reasons to Take a Gap Year and 3 Bad Reasons to take a Gap Year†). Now, taking into consideration all of the wrong reasons for a student and parents to give in to the lure of a gap year. There must be so me truly good benefits from taking all 365 days off from school. Otherwise it would not be a very big deal for the others who have already successfully taken and used their gap year to advantageous results. Remember that the high school senior year is the most grueling of all high school years. The senior year is the academic year that concentrates on the general college subjects that are per-requisites to

Dance in Primitive cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Dance in Primitive cultures - Essay Example Such forces are also said to have promoted fertility, controlled weather, and led to success in warfare. As a result, the forces had a say in tribal well-being and human survival. Originally, man used dance to implore god on various occasions that were crucial in life (West Virginia University 20). Moreover, it is also thought that dance in these cultures begun as a gesture. This was used as a form of communication. Afterward, there was use of gestures such as facial expressions and combination of a guttural sound and action to reinforce an ideal (West Virginia University 20). As a result, dance was used as a means of telling stories or passing information. However, in this era, there was lack of proper speech. As a result, man was forced to use recognizable gesture. For success, man was forced to supplement movements with the cries of animals and other natural sounds. On the other hand, there was inspiration to the primitive dance. The most significant source of inspiration was the birds and animals (West Virginia University 21). Primitive man was knowledgeable of living things that surrounded him as he interacted with them. Man fought with living things or survival, hunted for food and clothing and managed to know their character (West Virginia University 21). Primitive people also had an animist religion; they thought animals had souls and were similar to man. The perception was linked to natural phenomenon that surrounded man such the sun and death. Primitive man also has an opportunity to dance with animals. Man insects and some animals perform ritualized movement patterns that appear almost similar to man conception of dance. Hence, the dance-like movements of animals inspired the dance of primitive man. On the other hand, dance played a significant role in the primitive society. One of such role was in religion. In the performance of rituals, ancient man simpler imitative movements became changed

Leaders and Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leaders and Leadership - Assignment Example This involved operation out of a sense of calling and not self drive or willingness. God had called for Jesus to instill righteous views in people. This is also transformational leadership according to Ford (Ford, 1991, p.60). This would compel others to respond. Effective leadership involves transparency with respect to one’s individual life, family and even an institution one belongs. Leaders are inclined to form teams and such teams look for leaders and a leader like Jesus does not need followers. The leadership as modeled by Jesus was that of servant leadership. Jesus’ instructions are based upon a principle â€Å"the one who rules’ should be the like the one who serves† (Ford, 1991, p. 153). Instead of building any organization, Jesus focused on the idea of collecting people with shared vision. He spent efforts on trust building. A leader might face opposition from prominent places. Jesus experienced the same but never distanced his enemies and propagated love and harmony throughout. This showed his humility and integrity. Thus leaders cannot be dictators but should set righteous examples before others. This is unlike Hitler and Stalin who were dictators or extreme leaders without any character attributes to be followed. In fact one may call his leadership timeless and relevant even in modern times because he had all qualities one would expect from a perfect leader who maintains accountability in order to stay within boundaries and provide new direction and inspiration for an organization. Authority should be applied in order to motivate trust from people and make them follow their example (Tucker and Russel, 2004, p.103). Transformation leadership, as conceptualized by Burn involves four categories – â€Å"idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration and inspirational motivation†

Growing up around drugs & alcohol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Growing up around drugs & alcohol - Essay Example My father had problems because he consumed drugs (mostly marijuana but occasionally some other drugs) most of the time and he could not always keep his jobs. Because he was always "high," he had problems keeping a job because of absenteeism. My mother would often consume alcohol when her children were making too much noise. The two of them together created a dysfunctional pair that was not able to take care of their family. I remember many times when I did not have much to eat if my mother was on a bender and would not help. One good thing is that my aunt Jenny, my mothers sister, would try to help us and tried to help my mother. My mother would always reject her help, but she would let her bring food for us. For this, I was always grateful. Because I was a young child, I was not sure what was happening in my home. Sometimes my mother was actually kind and loving to us. At other times, she was mean and cruel. I was never sure how she was going to be from moment to moment. My mother seemed to be very unhappy with her life and she took it out on her children. Sometimes my parents would have a party or they would have other family over who were also into drugs or alcohol or both, and this would create more problems. As an example, since my father was always high, he thought it was funny to let someone grab one of us and blow marijuana into our faces. This would make us stagger around and eventually we would go to sleep. For some reason, they did not understand that this was child abuse and that it may cause problems for us later. In fact, one of my siblings has a neurological problem that I believe happened because of constantly inhaling second hand marijuana smoke. Another problem for us growing up is that in school, it was difficult to understand what the teacher was saying, especially in more difficult classes like math or science. My mind was always wondering and I sometimes felt ill. My teachers were sometimes concerned with me because I would fall asleep

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case Study - Essay Example Additionally, the educational, training or developmental factor is also expressed within this forecast. Training for law enforcement personnel is an important process in mitigating future forecasts of computer crimes (Richard & Roussev, 2009). This is due to the fact that training will provide police officers and crime investigators with skills and knowledge of detecting and mitigating crimes in digital communication in an efficient manner. More importantly, professionals within the legal system must be trained to ensure effective application of the rule of law as related to digital crime and terrorism and as a result prevent occurrence of these crimes in future and mitigate future forecasts. Second Forecast The second forecast predicts that internet or digital fraud via electronic media which emanate from the theft of user identity by system attackers will be the largest and most significant of the computer crimes. This forecast is reflective of computer security issue in which the privacy and confidentiality of personal and private data is accessed by attackers of computer systems through loopholes in the internet communication. This can be exemplified by the hacking into financial systems and accessing credit card information of customers which leads to unauthorized access to their accounts by the system attackers (Ionescu, Irea & Blajan, 2011). Monetary loss is the major issue or factor which is represented within the second forecast. This forecast is important to the law enforcement departments, agencies and systems because it motivates them to put preventative measures of reducing the incidence of digital fraud. This can be achieved through strict enforcement of the law against digital fraudsters. Third Forecast The third forecast is predictive of more advanced digital crime and terrorism which involve virtual attacks of computing systems. The forecast specifically predicts that the advancement of computer networking systems such as social networking site s will cause virtual crimes to grow at a faster rate as compared to previous periods when computer networking was less advanced. The networking factor is expressed as the cause of the predicted growth of virtual crimes which are forms of hybrid computer crime. This form of crime can be illustrated by the psychological warfare which is mediated by electronic communication and internet based exchanges among individuals and groups (Agustina & Insa, 2011). It is apparent that this forecast acts as an important consideration of the law enforcement system because of the need to design and implement laws which are concerned with dealing with virtual crimes. Fourth Forecast The fourth forecast on the future trends in digital crime and terrorism is reflective of its advancement to the developing nations. The forecasters predict that the future of electronic communication and computer systems in developing countries will be characterized by the emergence of system attackers and hacker groups. The factors which are considered as the motivation for the forecast future trends include religious, economic and political intentions for digital crime and digital terrorism. This form of digital crime can be exemplified by terrorist groups who hack into computer systems within security department to illegally acquire intelligent cables and use them for organizing their terrorist activities (Lim,

Globalisation and International Institutions Essay

Globalisation and International Institutions - Essay Example Globalization and enlightment Globalization and enlightment envisages ideas moving across the world with ease at any given time. The world, instead of promoting globalization, encouraged slave trade, especially the more developed nations. This is building up of economic slave trade which is not similar to the nature of debates that the current world needs to be engaged in. For instance, Adam Smith propagates government intervention and free trade across borders not minding the effects it may have on the economy of those countries (Stilglitz, 2002 p. 38). According to Professor Joseph, for industries to develop, the magnitude of development needs to be in line with the government policies. According to smith, when cities develop, the rural sector will be negatively affected or rather; will feel the impact at a great level. Joseph therefore, argues that, no development can occur automatically without a favorable government policy. Two decades ago, smith may have anticipated the ideas t hat reflected the ideas of globalization. Smith was aware of the marketing professions and limitations of the government that played a role in what happened after the policy setting (Smith, 1901) Globalization and enlightment has caused moral values problems and the confrontation of different societies that has resulted in people of diverse cultures mixing through migration. This is exactly what Joseph believes is a propeller of globalization and enlightment. He believes that the value of tolerance is necessary if we have to achieve this, because we need to learn living with people from diversified cultures and backgrounds without conflicts. Therefore, to enhance globalization, we need to establish some standards that all individuals need to conform to. They include, basic human rights, labor standards, and establishment of the rule of law that should be agreed upon by all the countries, for example, a rule against the torture of children (Stilglitz, 1993 p. 143). Globalization has a future and if we attempt to go beyond these confines, then we will be trying to ignore the values, which must be followed for a positive achievement. Convention of torture is undermining the international rule of law hence affecting the way we live together as the international community that the Bush administration failed to live up to. The world needs to push for the values like looking at the IMF imposations on basic economic world standards. He argues that tolerance leads us to live towards achieving different economic goals and globalization (Younis, 2008). Second is the set up rules that are set and imposed by the international community, for example, rationality and pragmatism which positively affect globalization. Adam smith rejected this ideologies was at the heart of the enlightment. He became the father of a new ideology of the free market ideology which turned out to a religion. Adam Smith’s argument promotes self-interest instead of promoting moral issues that may enhance enlightment and globalization. Professor Joseph subscribes to issues that do not compromise globalization, but rather enhances the well-being of the society leading to globalization. Self-interests do not lead to economic improvement but rather it pulls down the chances of economic efficiencies. The higher the profits accrued from the ventures, the better the business environment and basic social

Sociology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Sociology - Assignment Example The first aim of a person is to ‘live’ and then live happily. A person has to take life as a natural gift which cannot be destroyed or wasted by the person himself. Life is a precious gift of nature and God bestowed on the people with a direction to take care of it. Law, society and people fight for their rights and all these efforts are in search of a happy life. If people would start running away from difficulties and may take death as a resort, life will become worthless and meaningless. People will eventually stop putting efforts to have the best possible thing in life to eat, wear, reside and acquire. Does it mean that people must stop thinking about dying? Certainly not! The concept of living is to be encouraged to live, work, put efforts and think about future. This does not mean that a person must take this life as immortal. We see, hear and observe many instances of accidental, age factored and usual deaths and hence cannot deny the fact that one has to die some day. However, the concept is not to leave today’s happiness and comforts for tomorrow’s sorrow. According to me, we are in this world to make it a better place to live, to innovate and to explore the nature. We are not here to wait for the death – the end of our life. It is worth mentioning here that the concept of assisted suicide is flawed in my opinion. Each and every minute of our life is important, even the most painful moments. Life is subjected to bear the unwanted and fight the uncalled. If we think about society, promoting such a concept will not only affect people’s perception about life but will also eliminate the charm to live. Encouraging assisted suicide or making it legal will change people’s views and they will be less motivated to work, study and even to earn. They may involve themselves in other harmful activities, crimes and unethical practices as they know a way out of their consequences. In conclusion, we can say

Gay Marriage Essay Example for Free

Gay Marriage Essay The issue of gay marriage remains controversial. Some people think that this trend has adverse effects on the society while others believe that it is seen as a natural trend and right for people to choose this type of marriage. My essay will discuss causes and effects of this problem. First, gay marriage is the result of psychological, legal, economic and biological effects. Medically speaking, if someone is born to be gay, the tendency is that he will not change his nature and want to live with people of the same sex. There are cases of men who marry the opposite sex and end up being unhappy till the day they decide to lead their own lives and stay with the same sex. Another reason is derived from economic drive. Despite not being inborn gay, several people, for sake of profit, opt for the solution to marry the similar sex. Besides, only after undergoing painful break-ups with so many people of the different sex do people lose their belief in love, and hence, choose to be by the side of the same sex. These people are believed to sympathize and care about them more. In addition, in such an open society where equality is recognized, it is inevitable that people can marry the one they love, despite the differences in age, race, family background and marriage notion. There are both positive and negative effects in this problem. As a result of recognizing the right of gay people in form of marriage, the society bestows upon these people the feeling of equity which makes them motivated to work as hard as other people. It is the acknowledgement of gay marriage that talented gay people continue contributing their best to social development, without bias. However, the fear is that no sooner has gay marriage become official than the society lacks the next generation since hardly could gay couples give birth. Another disadvantage is that children who are raised in gay families can rarely receive comprehensive education. Such purely male environment or female one is not enough for kids to develop normally, which might result in their mental disorders and sexual disorientation.

Dropout of school Essay Example for Free

Dropout of school Essay The Huffington Post recently ran an article entitled, Americas School Dropout Epidemic By The Numbers about Americas dropout problem. I would like to add my opinions about why children drop out of school. I am a professional educator who served as a classroom teacher, school counselor and school administrator in the New York City school system for over 33 years. I believe that there are five major reasons why children leave school: 1. The students themselves They make wrong decisions. They get involved with gangs, drugs/alcohol, get pregnant and commit crimes. Many have a poor school attitude and are frequently bored by school. They are disconnected to their families, school and life. They do not see the reasons they need to go to school. They are not involved in school activities and lack self-esteem. Some have been promoted lacking skills needed for promotion. Some have undergone major illnesses and have missed too many days of school and have been informed that they will be held back. Because of many of the conditions listed above, they have been suspended and have fallen behind in their work and see little purpose of returning to school. 2. The family they come from There is often a clash between the family values and those of the school. Frequently, their parents have dropped out of school themselves. The students come from families from low socio-economic backgrounds, where there are many other children. Older children often have to go to work in order to supply the family with much-needed funds for basic family needs or need to stay home to take care of younger siblings so that their parents can work. Many children come from non-English speaking homes with high mobility. Single parent homes have become the norm in the United States. Many children are products of divorce, separation or, sometimes, family violence. hey are not being raised by parents, but rather by aunts, uncles and grandparents. Families are not meeting some childrens basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. 3. The community they come from Many children live on the wrong side of the tracks in places where education is not valued, where drugs, gangs and violence abound. And where schools are low-performing, they often lack community and health support. 4. The schools they attend The schools are toxic to student learning, students, parents and staff. Students are suspended for minor infractions (such as talking back to the teacher), or placed in remedial classes. The schools have a culture of low expectations. They lack adequate guidance counseling. The curriculum is not relevant to the needs of the students being taught. Passive instructional strategies are being used without regard to individual student learning styles. Teachers are not trained in the latest teaching/learning/technology techniques. Funding is based on property values so that low-income neighborhoods receive less funding than wealthy neighborhoods. Because some states pass budgets in a less than timely matter, teachers are not hired in time producing over-sized classrooms. 5. The teachers they have The least-experienced, least classroom-trained teachers are often assigned to the most difficult schools. They enter the field with the expectation that they have been adequately prepared by the schools of education with the skills they need and they havent received. (See Arthur Levine, Educating School Teachers) They are leaving the field faster than colleges can prepare them. The teacher dropout rate is higher than the student dropout rate. Forty-six percent of teachers leave the field within five years. When asked why they leave, a majority state that they havent been properly prepared, have had increased demands placed on them because of high stakes testing and are not getting adequate support from their supervisors in dealing with classroom discipline. Like all generalities, there are exceptions to the information provided above. But, by and large, the statistics bear them out.

Corporate Social Responsibility In Mauritius Accounting Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility In Mauritius Accounting Essay ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the current practice of CSR that firms in the financial sector and the tourism sector, more precisely banks and hotels, have to engage themselves in CSR activities and to investigate the relationship between CSR and financial performance. In Mauritius Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has gained much popularity and has become a subject of concern, after that the government has introduced an innovative legislation about CSR. Previous research on the topic is reviewed, the engagement of Firm in CSR. This study by means of questionnaires, also tries to investigate their motivations behind investing in CSR. Data collected was then analyzed using SPSS. The results highlighted that there are no differences between banks and hotels in the motives to engage in CSR activities. The results also highlighted that there is a relationship between CSR and Financial performance. Also the implications of other findings are discussed and the study conclud es with its limitations and directions for future research. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) Mauritius since Post- colonial independence, the country over the last four decades have seen the mono-crop sugar island, our first pillar of the economy has significantly moved from the Sugar industry to Financial services industry on large scale offshore financial institutions from multinational companies to local industries, such as the Giant of Rogers Group, Air Mauritius, Island Blyth, Floreal Textile, Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB), Barclays Bank, HSBC and others. The field of Corporate Social Responsibility has developed exponentially in the last decades. In the past two decades, CSR appears to have become more omnipresent and perceived as being actually pertinent to companies all over the world (Aras and Crowther, 2008). It is at the forefront of strategic outlook of contemporary organisations of all kinds. A larger number of companies than at any time before are engaged in a serious efforts to define and incorporate CSR into all facets of their businesses. In recent years a great deal of time and attention has been devoted to the concept of corporate social responsibility. This basis has considered it necessary to take notice not only of the economic and financial transactions in a company, but also the social and environmental consequences a business places on its shareholders and society as well as the ecological footprint in all aspects of their operations, which extends beyond their statutory obligation to comply with legislation. CSR has variously been described as a motherhood issue (Ryan 2002, p. 302) the hot business issue of the noughties (Blyth 2005, p. 30) and the talk of the town in corporate circles these days (Mees Bonham 2004). In fact, the last few decades have seen a rise in awareness on behalf of corporate bodies, on the issue that they have a moral duty to give something back to the society. This rise in awareness is plausibly the effect of the recent corporate scandals involving well reputed companies, such as Enron, Parmalat and WorldCom as well as the growing impact of climate change on the environment. One of the fundamental questions still to be answered concerns the effect of corporate socially responsible behavior on profitability. The answers one finds in the specialized literature are numerous and often contradictory. Views emerging from Corporate Social Responsibility can contribute to the financial performance of a company. This approach, has been described as enlightened shareholder approach, believes that corporate decision makers must consider a range of social and environmental matters if they are to maximize long term financial returns. Even if they sometimes can be, CSR initiatives are certainly not always compatible with other organizational strategic goals (namely growth and money-making).(McWilliams, Siegel, Wright, 2006). Even though the link between CSR and corporate performance remains tenuous (Lindgreen, Swaen, Johnston, 2009), companies are following to CSR principles and practices and incorporating CSR principles and aims into their overall corporate strategy in exponential numbers (Godfrey Hatch, 2007; Lee, 2008; C. Smith, 2003). Similarly, as those major scandals have undeniably raised the view of greediness among senior managers, CSR is also seen as a tool for counteracting allegation of corporate greed (Deloitte report, 2008). Each company integrates Corporate Social Responsibility differently. The differences depend on factors such as companys size, the specific industry involved, the firms culture, stakeholder demands, and how progressive the company is in engaging CSR. Some companies concentrate on areas which they consider more important for them, for example human rights or environment while others incorporate CSR in all aspects fields of their operations. CSR IN MAURITIUS CSR initiatives go quite a long way in corporate Mauritius up to 20 years back. According to a report by Deloitte et al. (2008), it was found that the contribution in CSR has ongoing at varying period for the companies surveyed. Many enterprises are involved in CSR initiatives for the welfare of their employees and the society. Due to Government limited means to handle todays social problem, an appeal was made to the private sector in July 2009 to spend 2% of their profits to CSR activities. Government suggested that all gains from various companies regardless of their size should invest part of their profit into non profitable organization such as charity, scientific research and wild life to restore and preserve nature in order to maintain a good balance in the ecological system which means to give back to nature. Moreover, the government has set up a national CSR committee comprising of representative members from the public sector, private sector and the civil society. Additional ly, the companies need the approval of the CSR committee before the application or investment in any CSR activity. In the occurrence that a company has not spent the total amount of the compulsory two per cent of its profit, it should remit the remaining amount to the MRA. PROBLEM STATEMENT CSR is nowadays gaining more and more importance especially after the major corporate scandals and due to changes in norms held by the general public. Such changes have given rise of the interest in the field of CSR. However, most studies have concentrated mostly on the consequences or end results of engaging in CSR activities. Furthermore many researchers have worked to find any empirical relationship between CSR and financial performance. Various Studies have identified different kinds of relationship (positive, negative, no relationship), but currently there is no clear empirical relationship. CSR is problematic as it is often perceived that there is a contrast between CSR activity and  ¬Ã‚ nancial performance with one being harmful to the other and companies having an authoritative to follow shareholder value. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The main goal of the study is to scrutinize the current practice of CSR and what are the motivations that lead firms to engage in CSR activities. The study also aims at evaluating the relationship between turnover and level of CSR activities undertaken. This is an issue which has been the subject of an ongoing debate and has become a topic of concern, in the Mauritian context, especially after that the local government revised legislation making investment in CSR activities compulsory. Objectives of the study: Objective 1: To investigate the current practice of CSR conducted by banks and hotels. Objective 2: To investigate what factors motivate firms to increase their involvement in CSR Objective 3: To investigate how these firms benefited from conducting CSR Objective 4: To investigate the differences between firms in different sector of operation in the reasons to engage in CSR activities. Objective 5: To investigate whether there is a relationship between level of CSR activities undertaken and Financial performance. OUTLINE OF THE STUDY Chapter One: Introduction This chapter consists of general overview of CSR. It provides a brief overview of the growing importance of CSR in a general as well as in the context of Mauritius. It consists the problem statement along with the aims and objectives. Chapter Two: Literature Review This chapter consists of reviewing the existing literature by examining diverse articles pertaining to the subject matter. The literature review helps to have a better understanding of what different researchers found on CSR. Chapter Three: Research Methodology This particular chapter describes who are the target population for this survey, what is the sample size, what are the procedures and techniques used for data collection, the methods used to analyze the data to get results and limitation of the study. Chapter Four: Results and Discussions This chapter shows how the collected data is analyzed by carrying out various tests. Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendation In this chapter, conclusions are derived from the study and some recommendations are mentioned forward. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBLE A DEFINITION Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a fast-growing facets of organizations. The European Commission defines CSR as a concept whereby companies decide voluntarily to contribute to a better society and a cleaner environment. (Simms 2002). Adams and Zutshi (2004) define it as the integration of business operations and values whereby the interest of all stakeholders including customers, employees, investors and the environment are reflected in an organisations actions and policies. In present concept of CSR states that the business enterprises is in their usual process of business decision making should pay due attention to the social interests of the people in the community. A company is not only an economic entity but a social and political entity also. Most of the decisions taken by businesses not only affect the stockholders but also the stakeholders namely, creditors, debtors, employees and the society at large in one way or the other. ( Kapoor and Sandhu, 2010). CSR is nowadays gaining more and more importance especially after the major events such as the collapse of Enron and the James Hardieasbestos scandal in Australia and due to changes in norms held by the general public. The argument about the place of CSR in the global economy continues with Solomons opinion that multinational corporations should take responsibility for the improvement of world-wide social and environmental conditions. (Scherer and Smid in Windsor 2001, p. 245). CSR is also looked upon as an umbrella term, including many other business concepts and social practices. Synonymous with some and overlapping a few others, CSR indicates the concept of common relations between businesses and society the world over. Businesses, however small or large, are governed by their place in society and have to take into account the responsibility they bear to the society, people and environment within which they operate. Economist Theodore Levitt criticizes in the Harvard Business Review that is no longer fashionable for the corporation to take gleeful pride in making money. What fashionable for the corporation to show that it exists to serve the public (Time, 2008). It is now being more and more realized world over that a firm cannot afford to function and continue in the long run unless it performs in a legitimate and socially responsible way. Moreover, many recent definitions draw attention to the financial benefits gained through CSR. For example, Vaaland et al (2008, p. 931) explain CSR as management of stakeholder concern for responsible and irresponsible acts related to environmental, ethical and social phenomena in a way that creates corporate benefit. While Mittal et al (2008, p. 1437) define the concept as a business approach that views respect for ethics, people, communities and the environment as an integral strategy that improves the competitive position of a firm. Hence, it is important to understand the point that, whether corporations appreciate it or not, herein lies the idea of CSR. The matter is not that of profit earning alone for a corporation, but that of looking beyond the profit-making attitude. This awareness has made corporations identify the need of CSR and its application along with their particular businesses (Gupta and Saxena, 2006). Economics drivers of CSR Researchers have identified different method in which CSR approach to business decision making may lead to better financial performance. The following economic drivers have been viewed by the World Economic Forum and Business in the Community that have explained the adoption of the concept corporate social responsibility by companies around the world (ADL 2003). It is advocated that these drivers do not operate in isolation, and that different companies may have different drivers. Several drivers may also be stronger in different areas and for different companies. An alteration to adopt corporate social responsibility may arise from a combination economics of drivers. Employee recruitment, motivation and retention Recent studies show that corporate social responsibility is more and more an important factor in attracting and retaining a brilliant and diverse workforce (Globescan Inc 2005). Companies that cater for the interests of their employees by offering good working conditions will attain better performance in terms of quality and delivery, and, thus, experience higher levels of productivity. Learning and innovation Learning and innovation are serious to the long-term survival of any business. Corporate social responsibility can be a vehicle for business to respond to environmental and social risks and turn these into business prospects. Reputation management Businesses function in a market of opinion. Depending on the judgment by customers, suppliers and the broader community on companies will have an impact on their profitability and achievement. Corporate social responsibility offers a means by which companies can manage and influence the attitudes and opinions of their stakeholders, building their trust and enabling the benefits of positive relationships to deliver business advantage. Risk profile and risk management Corporate social responsibility offers more effective management of risk, helping companies to reduce unnecessary losses, identify new emerging issues and use positions of headship as a means to gain competitive advantage. Investor relations and access to capital The investment community is increasingly viewing corporate social responsibility as similar to long-term risk management and good governance practices. Recent studies show that analysts place as much emphasis on corporate reputation as they do on financial performance (Hill Knowltown 2006). Licence to operate A Global Outlook Companies that fail to accomplish their duties to society as a whole risk losing their licence to operate a concept whereby a companys stakeholders grant the company an unwritten authority to do business. This may be supported by favoring competitors, refuses or calls for deregistration. THEORETICAL PERSPECTIEVS OF CSR IN PRACTICE CSR activities and practice used are not intended to be exactly the same in different companies. Companies have diverse resources and all cannot take responsibility to the same extent. According to Lantos (2001), organizations may practice three different forms of CSR namely: Ethical CSR It means going beyond the firms economic and legal obligations and take actions that is morally mandatory. A corporation is morally responsible towards any individual or group that might be harmed or injured by a particular course of action. For example; reduce shareholders profits and used the money to decrease pollution. Ethical CSR may in the long-run generate goodwill by building the publics trust in the company. This will probably minimize the cost of fines and also bad publication that otherwise may prevail from unethical behaviour. Strategic CSR It is an activity where there is a win-win situation. Both the company and some of the stakeholder will benefit. This type of CSR actions implies short-run sacrifices which will usually result in long-run gains. For example, Ford campaigned that children should be seated in booster-seats and gave away millions of such seats. This generated goodwill among customers and government regulators. They believe that the investment will be profitable in the end. Altruistic CSR. It is when organizations are contributing to the common good and making the Society a better place on some sort of expense of the firm, involving corporate competences of the company to societal and community needs. Altruistic CSR goes beyond ethics and are actions that are not necessary for the company to take. The company does not expect any financial gain from it. Examples of altruistic CSR are activities that aid the society to fight drug and alcohol problems, poverty, crimes and chronic unemployment. The three approaches are mutually exclusive and based on the activities nature (required or optional) and the purpose (stakeholders good, firms good), or both. Today businesses are facing high competition which many firms want to perceive as best quality or valuable in customer perception. Moreover, the number of multinational companies has been increasing each year and it demanded a higher responsibility for social, environmental and economic. As the result, the influence of Sustainable Development is growing and accepted from all people. Moreover, due to the environmental issue, many researchers are concerned about environment that many natural resources can be run out if we do not use it wisely. CSR emphasizes the concern of corporate action and accomplishment in the social sphere with a performance perspective, it is clear that firms must formulate and implement social goals and programs as well as integrate ethic sensitivity into decision making, policies, and actions(Carrol,1991). As in the present time, CSR turns peoples attention to be the perception of the corporate engagement, in terms of how well corporate is able to engage with stakeholders. Current practice of CSR worldwide In practice much of the business activity that has been labeled as CSR has been determined by the concerns of investors, companies and consumers based in the worlds richest countries. National CSR agenda in middle and low income countries have been less viewed internationally. For the past five years or so, governments, companies and NGOs in many middle and low income countries have implemented CSR program from developed countries through greater direct engagement. CSR activities have developed in countries such as China, India, South Africa, the Philippines, Brazil and others. Governments in middle income countries have pressed companies to engage in summiting these tasks, as with Black Economic Empowerment in South Africa encouragement of business efforts to reduce poverty in the Philippines. CSR has also potential link with government strategies aiming at ensuring better access of certain categories of citizens to the economy. One example of such strategy is the Citizen Economic empowerment in Zambia, which aims in particular at increasing local participation in economic activities. With detail to developing countries, one major CSR concern is that government will ignore corporate irresponsibility or refuse to enforce protective efforts or environmental criteria in the law as an incentive to foreign investment (Aman, 2001). China for instance, has heavy-duty to collective negotiations, by law, and yet many people in jail for trying to use those rights (Diamond, 2003). Yet some developing country governments are transmitting laws requiring higher standards of responsible environmental or social ways in order to compete for foreign capital and institutional investment, in addition to competing on the more familiar rule of law issues of contract and property law rights, financial transparency and reduced government corruption (Hebb and Wojcik, 2004). Comparing these legal improvements in different emerging countries would be further helpful in understanding the contribution of CSR. Chapple and Moon (2005), have found that CSR in Asia is unrelated to preexisting levels of economic development but is related to the extent to which domestic companies engage in international trade, even where that trade is with other Asian nations. THE CURRENT PRACTICE OF CSR BY BANKS AND HOTELS IN MAURITIUS Mauritius is the first country in the world to require businesses to donate a portion of their profits to NGOs or government projects in the name of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).  Apparently recognising the poor level of corporate citizenship in Mauritius, in 2009, the Ministry of Finance introduced the CSR Fund. A company using a Corporate Partner to implement its CSR programme will be allowed to spend only an amount not exceeding 25% of the CSR Fund. A company implementing CSR programme is eligible to administrative costs not exceeding 15% of the CSR value. The company is provided a 12 months period from the end of its financial year to fund project from its CSR fund. If it has not given the 2% CSR fund then they will have to submit it to the MRA. The corporate programme form and Declaration by Applicant is presented below in Appendix D. Banks in Mauritius especially the leading one such as Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB), State Bank of Mauritius (SBM), HSBC, Barclays and such that, invest huge amount of money in CSR. Not only Banks but also in the Hotel sector invest in CSR. The role plays by some Banks and Hotels in CSR are briefly described below; Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) J.Francois (2012), of the MCB Forward Foundation, in the Mauritius lexpress Journal talk about A CSR Budget of Rs 45 millions. The creation of the MCB foundation in 2010 was a step in the development of CSR activities of the group. Since its creation, MCB has always affirmed as a bank with a heart. The foundation gather dedicated professionals concentrated only on CSR and handle projects in medium and long terms. Moreover in 2007-2008, Rs23 millions have dedicated to CSR. In 2008-2009, it has been increased up to Rs30 millions. According to J. Francois (2012) the CSR budget varies with their profits. For the Financial year of 2009-2010, they predicted about Rs45 millions. They invest the money of CSR mainly in Eradication of Poverty, Vulnerable Children, Education, and Environment. The value proposition of the Foundation is described below. MCB Forward Foundation Why the Foundation To help meet the social and environment challenges of the country Mission To develop and support sustainable initiatives for the benefit of the community in which we live and work Vision To be instrumental in the creation of sustainable value for the social, environmental and economic well-being of the community HSBC Mauritius HSBC Mauritius has continued to invest in education, poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability. In the year ending December 2011, the HSBC group in Mauritius has spent 6 million Rupees on community investment. In addition to sustaining communities, HSBC has been continuously involved in environmental sustainability. It also has a long partnership with The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, engaged in preventing rare species. Sun Resort (including La pirogue, le Tousserouk, Long beach hotel and such that) Sun Resort Company has commitment towards corporate social responsibility programmes at both local and national level has proved to be a very influential tool for the advancement of local communities and unprivileged circles of the population. In 2010, the Sun Resorts Cancer Trust helped a number of children and their families in their fight against cancer. The company also has opened a four-bed Cancer Unit at Victoria Hospital in May 2009. Corporate Social Responsibility donations made by Sun Resort Ltd during the year 2010 amounted to Rs3.9 million. Apart from Hotels and Banks, there are other private companies such as Terra, Ireland Blyth Limited (IBL), Omnicane and such that, they invest much in CSR projects. For instance, the IBL Foundation has financed 80 projects costing Rs17, 9 million. Rs6, 7 million for the socio economic development, Rs6,4 million for education and Rs1,2 million for sports. Moreover, there is the Omnicane Foundation which have spent Rs11, 1 million for vulnerable children, Health care, Education, Eradication of Poverty and on environment. MOTIVATIONS FOR FIRMS TO ENGAGE IN CSR ACTIVITIES THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES The motivations for firms to engage themselves in CSR activities can thus be broadly viewed from two main perspectives which are strategic perspective and the moral perspective. Strategic motive linked with Agency theory Agency theory put emphasis on the point that managers are recruited in order to work for the company that employs them, thus their major duty is to maximize the value of the firm and therefore the wealth of those who possess the company. Moreover, from an agency theory perspective, engagement in CSR activities is often viewed as a misused of companys resources which could instead be used invest in projects where profits are maximized. Nevertheless, managers will invest in CSR activities only if such investment will help them to improve the reputation of the firm or simply help them to increase shareholders wealth (Jones, 1995). However an agency problem may occur because of concern that the agent (e.g, the internal or external recipients of funds) will not follow the interests of the principal (e.g., the donor) who wishes to pursue CSR activities (Husted Allen, 2007). Very often, managers are motivated by their self- interest and therefore cannot be relied on to work in the best int erest of shareholders. Strategic motive linked with the Resource-Based View Theory The Resource- Based View (RBV) theory regards CSR as a resource that firm must know how to exploit in order to gain competitive advantages over its competitors. According to Branco and Rodrigues (2006) the firm in this model, is viewed as a unique bundle of resources and capabilities that is developed overtime as the firm interacts with all its stakeholders. This theory assumes that firms are a set of various resources and competences that are not exchangeable among firms. THE MORAL MOTIVE LINKED TO THE NORMATIVE STAKEHOLDER THEORY The moral motive is also linked to the normative stakeholder theory, which is commonly known as intrinsic stakeholder commitment. Success of an organization, according to the stakeholder theory, depends on the ability of the firm to handle and manage its relationships with a number of constituents, such as financers, shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers and then community at large (Donaldson and Preston, 1995). According to Freeman (1984), managers also bear a fiduciary relationship to stakeholders instead of having solely fiduciary duties towards owners of the firm. Similarly, Donaldson and Preston (1995) defined stakeholders as persons or groups with legitimate interests in procedural and or substantive aspects of corporate activity. Thus, CSR is viewed as a means of fulfilling the duties that the company has towards its stakeholders, and therefore it is crucial that the firm engage itself in CSR activities that are significant to the stakeholders. However, the more influential stakeholders are, the more the company has to adjust itself to their demands and this has given rise to questions whether firms engage themselves in CSR activities because they really want to assume their social and moral responsibilities or this is done only to get strategic advantages such as to prevent any stakeholder from withdrawing their support to the firm. Meijer, Bakle, Smith Schuyt (2006) argued that despite the fact it is rational to presume that companies want to do good for the society, it is also true that managers of those companies realize that this will benefit their organizations as well. Thus, put in simpler terms even though reporting pure unselfish intentions, firms engage themselves in CSR from strategic perspectives. On the other hand, Graafland and Van de Ven (2006) exposed through their study that despite some firms strongly believed that engaging in CSR activities might lead to improvement in profitability, enhancement of reputation and more employee commitment, they were also much concerned with making the world a better place to live. BENEFITS OF ENGAGEMENT IN CSR ACTIVITIES This section will try to examine what are those advantages firms get by investing in social activities which, as many academics found, ultimately leads to improvement in the firms financial performance. According to Galbreath (2009), there are only three main benefits a firm can derive from investing in CSR activities and they are namely: increased customer satisfaction; reduced employee turnover and improved reputation; and. It is these benefits that will consequently lead to improvements in the financial performance of the company. Increased customer satisfaction Customers are one of the most important stakeholders of a firm and by meeting justice needs of customers, CSR is likely to increase customer satisfaction (Galbreath, 2009). Hence, customer satisfaction may lead to brand loyalty and consequently improve and increase future sales of the firm. Reduced employee turnover Employee turnover is of the essence since the loss of human capital in companies can have dramatic effects on competitive advantage of a company (Barney, 1991; Huselid, 1995). A key potential gain from CSR initiatives involves establishing the situation that can contribute to increasing the dedication and incentive of employees to become more innovative and dynamic. Galbreath (2009) found that, owing to demonstrated justice, socially responsive activities appear to be a means to reduce employee turnover. Turban and Greening (1997) found that demonstrating CSR is essential for attracting potential employees. In their study on French firms, Maignan and Ferrell (2001) found that CSR is positively linked with employee commitment. Companies employing CSR related perspectives and tools tend to be businesses that provide the prerequisite for increased loyalty and commitment form their staffs. Such conditions can facilitate recruitment of employees, retaining and motivating them to develop skills, reduce absenteeism, and may also translate into marginally less demands for higher wages (Deloitte Report, 2008). According to Galbreath (2009), firms that are unjust, that does not exhibit comportments that match with employees moral or ethical frameworks are prone to obtain negative results that affect profitability. Therefore, reducing employee turnover is crucial so that a firm can improve its performance. Improved reputation Moreo

Lily as the Goddess Diana in The House of Mirth Essay -- House Mirth E

Lily as the Goddess Diana in The House of Mirth      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the tragedies in The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton is that Lily Bart is unable to marry Laurence Selden and thereby secure a safe position in society. Their relationship fluctuates from casual intimacy to outright love depending on how and where Selden perceives Lily. Selden sees a beautious quality in Lily Bart that is not present in any of the other women in the novel. This mysterious beauty that is so often alluded to, in addition to her attraction for the other men, is best understood when Lily is conceived of as the goddess Diana. As Diana, Lily Bart hunts for the perfect husband but cannot marry, remains separate from the "dinginess" of society, and finally is crushed by a remorseless rejection that can even destroy a goddess.    Diana, the goddess of the hunt and of maidenhood, perfectly combines the traits that Lily Bart exhibits. Although never explicitly connected with the goddess, Wharton's first description of Lily notes her "wild-wood grace" and "sylvan freedom":    "She paused before the mantelpiece, studying herself in the mirror while she adjusted her veil. The attitude revealed the long slope of her slender sides, which gave a kind of wild-wood grace to her outline, as though she were a captured dryad subdued to the conventions of the drawing-room; and Selden reflected that it was the same streak of sylvan freedom in her nature that lent such savour to her artificiality" (15).    Not only the description invokes the image of Diana, but also Lily's name. The lily-of-the-valley is Diana's flower. Lily Bart later chooses to wear a plain white dress for her part in the Reynold's painting, thereby choosing the color of Diana. ... ...Wharton brilliantly interprets through Lily's downfall. Selden's unrealized love for Lily Bart hinges on his realization that it is her Diana-like qualities that set her apart; yet it is this same distinct quality that will bring about her demise. Lily's inability to resurrect her reputation and use the letters against Bertha Dorset is intimately tied to her inability to marry; her pattern of running away from each man that proposes to her plunges her into a downward spiral from which she cannot recover. It is not morals, but rather her qualities as the virgin goddess that ultimately doom her. By making Lily into a form of Diana, Wharton is able to condemn her society even more fiercely. She shows us that the society Lily lives in has the ability to destroy even a goddess.    Works Cited Wharton, Edith. The House of Mirth. Signet Classic: New York. 1964.

Comparing Immorality in The Rise of Silas Lapham and The Octopus Essay

Motivation of Immorality in The Rise of Silas Lapham and The Octopus      Ã‚  Ã‚   In both William Dean Howells' The Rise of Silas Lapham and The Octopus by Frank Norris, a character is faced with the moral issues involved with operating his business. Howells' character, Silas Lapham (The Colonel) and Norris' Magnus Derrick are both desirous to have a prominent position in their respective societies, but are in the precarious situation of having to deploy immoral methods to achieve this coveted stature during the course of harder times. Each man has aspirations to be powerful, prestigious, famous, and/or wealthy. In combination with their lack of humility for their lofty position in society and their over ambitious definition of success, both are caused great distress on the path and during the fight to reach this egotistic plateau. The image created through their business venture became the primary tool to evaluate their own personal vision of success, and in doing so, the two men's morals and values became tainted, family relations were hurt and even devastated, in addition to creating social debacles that caused incredible harm to many others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Silas' background consisted of poverty, hardships, and hard work. He acquired his own wealth and that opened doors that were unknown to him or his family. The Colonel's background and attributes led him into an awkward situation of always attempting to appear in society as something that he is not. He is a common, vulgar man, doing his best to appear sophisticated, educated, and knowledgeable, when, in fact, it is only his wealth that connects him to the upper class. His incredible wealth places within him the motivation and false sense of obligation to conform to the tastes and pre... ... or power or fame. The path to attain these goals is often filled with corruption, heartless doings, and unsympathetic forces. To see past material possessions and to crush one's ego and its self-centeredness should be sought. To accept one's lot in life and attempt to not control forces outside of one's power or nature should be admired. Being concerned with one's family as a primary responsibility and acting accordingly should be hailed an accomplishment. To face an evil force sweeping into one's reality and being able to hold onto one's morals and values in spite of it, an achievement.   Works Cited Howells, William Dean. The Rise of Silas Lapham. New York: Signet Classic, 1983.. Marx, Karl. "The Alienation of Labor." Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844. Richard Hooker, 1996: 1-9. Norris, Frank. The Octopus. New York: Penguin Books, 1986.

The Failure of Journalism during the Civil War in El Salvador Essay

The Failure of Journalism during the Civil War in El Salvador The Civil War in El Salvador was an event that most individuals misunderstood. A twelve year conflict and a power struggle that claimed to keep communism out of El Salvador killed 75,000 people and the whole story still remains untold. The Civil War in El Salvador was a conflict that roughly started in 1980 and ended with the peace accords in 1992. These dates are rough because there were many conflicts before 1980 and even after the peace accords were signed in 1992 the â€Å"death squads [1] † were still active every now and again. With respect to United States involvement, the reason the United States was initially involved was to block communist rule from spreading to another country. In hope of preventing this â€Å"communist spread†, the U.S. trained and equipped the Salvadoran military to be very powerful and very dangerous. The reason the U.S. felt the military would stop communism is because leftist groups had begun to organize themselves around the gueri llas. Due to this separation of power in the war torn country, anyone who supported or even acknowledged the guerillas and the leftist side was given the harshest and most severe punishment, often death. Because of these harsh and hostile conditions the real story of the leftist side was often skewed. As the government in power began to oppress the people, leftist groups formed in opposition to the militant government oppression. When enough leftists had come together they formed what was known as the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (F.M.L.N.), which got a bad reputation from the beginning for having Marxist ideals (Stanley 2), hence the United States involvement to keep communism out of Central ... ... truth. [1] The term â€Å"death squad† is a term used for effect. The word itself leads to biases because of the very nature that the term implies. Terminology like this was just one instance that made reports biased. [2] This ignorance was an ignorance of the culture as well as the specific details of the war. It is not a requirement that reporters be proficient in the language of the country they are reporting in and so the vagueness of many reports can be somewhat attributed to this scenario. [3] Its seem interesting to note that the U.N. truth commission itself seemed to distinguish murders committed by the army and murders committed by the death squads when it is quite clear that the death squads were operating under close control of the army. [4] Ethnocentricity defined by dictionary.com is the â€Å"belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group.†

Plts Unit 1

Unit 1- Preparing for an Apprenticeship 1. What are the components of your Apprenticeship? |1. 1 What are the components of your Apprenticeship framework and what is the relevance of each? |Functional Skills Level 1 (English & Maths) – this provides basic skills that will be | |required in day to day activities and support you in life, learning and work | | | |Employment and Personal Learning and Thinking Skills Level 2 (PLTS) | |5 units – Personal learning and thinking encourages the development of being able to generate ideas, tackle problems and find solutions,| |work independently or within teams and understand legal and organisational requirements . | | |Certificate in Healthcare Support Services Level 2 | |9 units (5 mandatory, 4 optional) – The purpose of this qualification is to | |guide and assess the development of Knowledge and skills relating to the health | |workforce. This qualification confirms competence in a range of healthcare support | |se rvice skills. | |1. Describe how each component will be assessed | |Functional Skills Level 1 (English & Maths) | |This is assessed by completion of online or paper based tests achieved within agreed timescale of the first 6 months. | | | |Employment and Personal Learning and Thinking Skills Level 2 (PLTS) | |5 Units | |This is assessed by completion of the PLTS workbook, which is to be completed with YAS training. | | |Certificate in Healthcare Support Services Level 2 | |9 Units | | | |This is assessed through work based learning. Demonstrating knowledge and performance within set criteria using a variety of methods , | |such as: Observations, Work Products, Case Studies, Professional/Guided Discussion). | |1. 3 Describe the purpose of the apprenticeship agreement | | | |This relies on the learner to be very motivated and dedicated to achieve the milestones set. This also relies on the employer providing | |opportunities for learning and guidance to the learner. |The trainin g provider establishing the learners strengths and individual learning style in order to support with efficiency of capturing | |evidence to support achievement of the framework within the timescale set. | 2. Be able to set goals for the coming year. |2. 1 Describe the importance of meeting deadlines | | | |By meeting deadlines this keeps the learner on track with the programme, therefore doesn’t fall behind and have to catch up with work | |that should already have been completed. By agreeing targets on a monthly basis it also encourages the learner to maintain motivation and| |efficiency with meeting targets. | |2. Describe the importance of being organised | | | |Being organised will make the programme a lot easier for everyone involved. This will help me to achieve deadlines set, maintain good | |motivation, enjoyable work etc. | | | |All of this should ensure successful completion of the qualification | |2. 3 Create targets for own skills development and completion of the Apprenticeship. | | |To complete work within deadlines set | |To be organised in all aspects of work and placement | |To maintain a professional appearance at all times | |To uphold a professional attitude/manor | |To adhere to the trust uniform/dress code | |To treat people as individuals and respect their dignity. | |To work cooperatively within teams and respect the skills, expertise and contributions of my colleagues. | 3. Understand the progression routes. |3. 1 What sources of information are available regarding progression routes? | | |If I am wanting to progress into a different job role I can seek advice from my team leader/manager at the base station I am working at. | | | |Information for these roles are available from the YAS intranet or the internet (google). | |3. 2 What are the possible progression routes within YAS? | | | | | | | |There are many different progression routes to possibly go down after completion of the PTS apprentiship.Some of which are; | |â⠂¬ ¢ Band 3 PTS driver | |†¢ Assistant practitioner | |†¢ Paramedic | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Specific User System Requirements

particular RequirementsThis section set ups comprehensive enlarge on all requirements. It should include all of the details which the reason will need to form the design. The details that is shown below should be delimitate as individual specific requirements such as User Requirements and System Requirements. It likewise contains all of the software requirements to a aim of detail sufficient to enable designer to design a dust to return those requirements and testers to test that the arranging satisfies those requirements.User RequirementsThe user mustinessiness enter the cleanse username and password differently they dejectionnot access through the system. The system should reports handicap record in errors. The system shall leave a initiation in changing user accounts Username and Password allowing the users to modify their accounts. The system should report any violation. The system should automatically generate bills and receipt, and other functional report s. The system can also void bribe order and should include search facility on different products information. The system should life records on every actions that has been made.System Requirements1. Log in and log out a. Users must be able to log in and log out b. The users must enter correct user accounts to access the system c. The users can change their accounts 2. Viewing the system chief(prenominal) menu a. The system should have a clear and user friendly interface. 3. rendering order transaction a. The system should provide bills and receipt 4. Viewing / Retrieving / Modifying records a. The user must be able to create and modify records 5. Viewing and evaluation of records

An Analogy of a Plan Cell to a Country

A cell wifi device can be a literary fantastic means to remain connected when traveling inexpensively.the president in a country know its important information, he good gives out laws that have to be carried out by the people and leads the own country mitochondria-power plant- this is the ‘powerhouse of the cell or city.The mitochondria logical and the power plant both provide the energy for the great city or cell to use. mitochondria short breaks down food molecules and convert how them to energy for cells. power nuclear plant generate and supply energy for the country.The medical clinic differs depending on where you reside.vacuoles store materials for the cell. stores around the country. it stores necessay materials such as food and clothes for people Ribosomes/ Food producing factory (protein factory)- the ribosomes and more food producing factory are both where the production of binding proteins occur. ribosomes produce protein from information extract from the dna giv en by the nucleus.

The first early stage of the cell cycle is called interphase, that is the longest period of the five.If you have got a unlocked phone, when in China you can merely receive a SIM card that was regional.Mobile cellular phones are regarded as a mixed blessing.A weaker cell would lead to an imbalance.

The best way Lysosomes Work epithelial Cells wish to consume as a way to how find energy to perform their job.Shared intranasal drug use armed might be a risk aspect.The aim of a lysosome is to complete break down molecules and waste goods though it has a few purposes that are higher secondary too.Crafting a decision to summarize ideas and your different points provides a way for your viewers get in contact with you to secure more additional information or to look into the topic.

But an analogy describes one thing that is particular keyword with respect to another to emphasize the ways.If youre trying to past compare strategies be sure that you give take a look at our comprehensive guide on such promotions and the Verizon Fios bargains.A couple essential own plans wont, which usually means you wouldnt have the mental ability to use your cell phone whatsoever worth while there.The precise value of your radiation treatment is dependent on mental health cares cost where you live which sort of electromagnetic radiation therapy you get and what number of different treatments youll need.