Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Effective Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Effective Decision Making - Essay Example Alan Mulally is a man that has turned around the automaker's finances through his effective decision making. Mulally became the CEO of Ford Motor Company in Fall 2006. He is not an expert in building cars, yet he has been able to steer his company through the rough waters that has devastated other auto companies without any government bailouts. One interesting observation is that his leadership style is very positive in terms of effective decision-making. This paper identifies the role of Alan Mullally as a leader who has always supported effective decision making. It also discusses how Mullally has created a constructive decision environment. The paper further discusses the generation and evaluation of alternatives in effective decision making and implementation of decisions effectively. Discussion In 2006, Bill Ford Jr., the founder's great-grandson, put sideways the very factual probability of merger, even bankruptcy, and took a decision to place another CEO on his position as an attempt to save Ford Motor Company. He offered the post to a Detroit outsider, Alan Mullally, accredited with the post-9/11 resuscitation of Boeing and lured to Ford by the prospect of saving an "American and global icon. (Brown, 2009, 52)" After joining Ford as a CEO, Mullally has taken several decisions to change the company's prejudiced culture and insisted on teamwork. He developed a recovery plan and worked out on that plan uncompromisingly. He surveyed the entire business weekly to measure progress of other competitors and deeply monitored his own company’s performance. Mullally’s wise decisions win over the Ford family by safeguarding a critical finance just aforementioned to the credit calamity along with the reduction in the number of brands and streamlining of production as per customer demands (Naughton, 2011, 66). He invested and applied advanced technologies for improved fuel efficiency and better production. His one of the effective decisions was an agree ment UAW that yielded cheap labor costs that fended off the corporate invaders and convinced the public to buy Ford Cars. Another major decision Mullally has taken to get Ford the place where it is now was the well-publicized denial to accept the government bailout GM and Chrysler necessary to survive (Taylor, 2009, money.cnn.com). Mullally rests controlled in reducing costs and invest more in product development. Restructured models lift Ford Motor's U.S. market share to 17.5% from 16.1 %. That profited the company from the challenges of its competitors. Suppliers report that domestic-make customers turned progressively to Ford after General Motors and Chrysler went through bankruptcy and accepted government coffers to persist (Taylor, 2009, money.cnn.com). Mullally has created a constructive decision environment on the basis of his timely efforts and effective decisions. In late 2006, Ford borrowed $23 billion, hocking everything, including the company's Blue Oval logo. That gave Ford the cash cushion it needed to withstand losses and develop new models such as the Fiesta. The most important thing Ford has done is invest heavily in new product during this down cycle (Naughton, 2011, 66). The trade-off was a debt load that Mullally has said puts Ford at a competitive disadvantage with rivals GM and Chrysler, which slashed their debt in bankruptcy. Mullally's discipline showed when he made the historic decision to terminate the 71-year-old Mercury brand by year end. His

Monday, October 28, 2019

Popular Music in the Making of Modern Brazil Essay Example for Free

Popular Music in the Making of Modern Brazil Essay Bryan McCann’s book â€Å"Hello, Hello Brazil† colorfully discussed the fascinating world on the development of the Brazilian music industry, the customs and the traditions of the population and the political standing that has influenced the Brazilian culture as a whole. The rapid acceptance of the cultural and political changes that has taken Brazil by storm has turned this nation to become one of the admired Latin American countries with the advancement of their musical industry. From the 1930s to the 1940s, the Brazilians have embarked on a cultural marketplace of recording and broadcasting that was influenced by Getulio Vargas, the politician from Rio Grande do Sul who was known for his dramatic and uneventful style of political agenda. In 1926, Getulio Vargas, a young congressman proposes that movie theaters and radio stations must grant royalties to the musicians for the recorded music they played. The â€Å"Getulio Vargas Law† suddenly became the congressman’s powerful means of endearing himself with the people of the music industry. The Brazilians love music and anyone in his power who protect and pursue the industry will be adored by the people. From then on, the music became livelier and the radio turned to be the most important tool for commercial broadcasting. Suddenly the seemingly boring stage of Brazil’s entertainment industry is teeming with composers, producers, music lovers and even politicians who ride up the wave for political purposes. But since there was a disparity between Minas and Sao Paolo, the two opposing regions with different roots and culture, music was used to unify differences over racial and regional gap. But as McCann discovers the living culture and the progress of Brazil into becoming a developing nation he also took a keen observation on the form of government ran by Getulio Vargas. From 1930 to 1954, the presidency has been advocated on and off by Getulio Vargas for which as some historians say has created a chain of uneventful events not only in Brazil but to the international scene as well. McCann relevantly categorized Getulio Vargas as the president with an unfamiliar way of rules not only in the world of politics but his way of influencing people as well. Vargas was loved by his nation not only because he has made Brazil the musical symbol of Latin America but he also imbibed a great authority on the country’s political and economic standard. He adopted and introduced different social, cultural and technological alternatives that were categorically from Western influence but this method, however, became unpopular especially to the socialist groups. Vargas became known for his goal in unifying Brazil to heal the long-standing class and regional differences between Sao Paolo and Minas. He tried to reconstruct Brazil’s political theme by removing regionalism and inject nationalism but his objectives have became so large that he ruled out the differences of ethnicity and class and at the same time introduced American influence into the culture starting with the music. However as the music progresses, Brazilian musicians and fans started to justify their musical preference with political color. This innovation has affected the purity of music into the realm of opinionated culture and nevertheless turned the foundation of music again into a tool of political segregation. And so the Brazilian and American influenced music industry although has founded solid grounds during the 1930s to 1940s has suddenly became fragmented in the 1950s (Bryann McCann). Getulio Vargas was born at Rio Grande do Sul in 1883. His family belongs to a wealthy clan who are politically strong which gave him the interest and advantage to assume a political career in his younger years. He became a congressman in 1926 through the Legislature in Rio de Janeiro and then appointed by President Washington Pereira as the Finance Minister of Brazil. Vargas has served his appointment well but in 1928 he decided to run for governorship against the political party of Pereira and incidentally won. After two years of being a governor, Vargas was selected by the party Alianca Liberal (Liberal Alliance) to run for president. But Pereira who is still the current president does not want to release his position to another party represented by a politician from the state of Minas. The â€Å"Golden Rule of Brazilian Politics† during that period is that it is required that there will be alternating president from among the state of Sao Paulo and the state of Minas. Since Pereira is from Sao Paulo, he quickly appointed Julio Prestes to be the upcoming president and asked the support of the people from Sao Paulo. This instigates a rebellion starting from the Southern Brazil but incidentally Prestes still won the presidency. Vargas publicly stated that he accepted his fate but then he clandestinely plotted to topple the administration of Prestes. A coup ensued and in three weeks, Getulio Vargas became by force the Provisional President of Brazil in 1930. Vargas’ ideals were of a capitalist and a corporatist and hates socialism. He focused on solidifying the powers of the federal government rather than providing strength and protection for the local and state government. Even in his first term in his office Vargas introduced a new constitution and people see it as a manipulation of the constitution to strengthen his hold. This is his means in achieving a long term project to turn Brazil into a strong nation with a strong economy much like the Western nation he is very fond of. When the people began to feel uncomfortable with his administration Vargas felt he has to do something to continue his ruling and prove himself again otherwise. When his original term was due to end in 1937, he staged another coup at the very last minute and declared that he is placing a new economic system the â€Å"Estado Novo† or the New State. The Estado Novo was a corporatist state based on the same principles used by Antonio Salazar of Portugal. This new state allowed for Vargas to become President again because basically Estado Novo is founded by the support from large labor sectors in the government. He again snatched another term that will serve him until 1943. However, as 1943 came around he stated that, due to the crisis situation brought about by the eruption of World War II, he would remain in office and that a new election would be held as soon as the war ended. He made a similar announcement in 1944 in the middle of the war. When the war ended, however, it seemed he had no option but to allow for elections to continue. Brazilian election laws of that time required any government official to resign one year prior to elections if they wished to be eligible for the following elections. But Vargas did not want to resign nor showed any intention of doing so. During this period the people of Brazil want him out of the palace and branded him as a dictator. The military became upset and tell him he needs to resign because he is not eligible to run. Vargas was outraged and said if they wanted him to be out of the presidential palace then they have to remove him physically but assured the military he would fight them with his own men. The military officials want no bloodshed and so their only option was to cut off of the electricity and the water supply to force him out. Although he challenged them to attack so that, as he said, his blood would symbolize his protest against the violence they are imposing on him the military did not hurt him. Finally he left the palace with a belief that he has served his country well. But Vargas has a heart of concrete determination and the appetite for power. In his years of being out of the palace he became a senator and a congressman thanks to his political party who is always in support for his candidacy. He became the Senator for the state of Rio Grande do Sul but although he is still active as a politician for four years he said he prefers being a private person. Then suddenly Vargas re-emerged as a member of the Brazilian Labor party which encouraged him to run for president again. In 1951, Vargas re-assumed his third term as the President of Brazil. However, the Brazilian economy was in shambles and there is an increasing opposition against his ruling. The country’s inflation cannot able to cope up with the cost of living which made Vargas powerless in the middle of this crisis. His health began to fade and attacks of depression and insomnia became frequent. The worst thing, however, was that the United States which he thought was his ally have became less concerned with Brazil and do not want to fulfill its promise of economic assistance. His ever increasing critics became more direct in hitting his administration until his chief bodyguard was implicated in an attempted killing of Vargas’s infamous critics. Corruptions of his government were exposed and the military leaders again called for his resignation but he did not resign. On the morning of August 24, 1954, a large crowd gathered in his palace shouting for his resignation. Then the military officials gave him an ultimatum of forcing him out. Pressured and officiated as the great dictator he went to his room, sat down and wrote a note to his people and then committed suicide. He wrote all his frustrations against those who criticize him the military and the opposition who continued to ask for his blood. He said they have insulted him and was not given the right to defend himself and has silenced his voice. He listed all the accomplishments he had done for Brazil such as liberating the people by means of social freedom, revised the wages in favor of the poor, guided the economy to prevent the effect of economic meltdown, and bring peace to warring factions by means of unification of the two states. He dramatically ended his note and added that now that he was condemned, he has to leave the people defenseless from an institution he has always protected but now exploited. When the note was read on the radio and aired on television, the audience suddenly felt his frustrations and despair. They began chanting his name and want him back. In the history of Brazil’s regime, Vargas became known by many to be the â€Å"Father of the Poor†. However, most people see him as an egomaniacal dictator. While he was seen as an idealist and a principled leader by captivating the hearts of the poor, his means in achieving a long lasting success for Brazil is nonetheless ostracized because of many shortcomings. First, he formed alliances with rich foreign countries in building a corporatist and a capitalist government so that he can control the economy and trash out socialism. In effect this did not materialize but socialism succeeded after he died. Second, those who oppose and criticize his dictatorial administration were imprisoned to contain them. Lastly his greed for power is endless and invalidated the laws by creating selfish deeds against the government just to hold on to power. Getulio Vargas ruled Brazil for almost 20 years. Unfortunately, most people claimed that his dictatorial leadership virtually destroyed Brazil’s constitutional government because of his greed for power and corruption. His means on making Brazil a great country was not successful for he has manipulated not only the constitution but fooled the people by denying them their own sovereign power to vote the person they want. Once in power he became an authoritarian and a corporatist which somehow destroyed the state controlled labor sectors. But as McCann said Vargas has at least earned a reputation of a good leader by those who he handed help. This is the part when he was successful with his leadership. In his long years of leadership, he once hailed a hero by the people of Brazil, Vargas became successful in some aspects for he has instituted social programs for the poor and created a bill that would allow women to vote. He gave freedom to women and encouraged them to become part of the labor forces of Brazil. He revitalized the military and for a time he enlivened the economy while improving the relationship of Brazil to other countries. Although many observers say Vargas was more prominent on the national than the local level, his relationship with the Western world signifies his intention in turning Brazil into an industrialized nation. Unfortunately his dreams did not completely materialize until he took his own life thinking he was a good president and had served his people well (Bryan McCann). Works Cited: McCann, Bryan. Hello, Hello Brazil: Popular Music in the Making of Modern Brazil Duke University Press, 2004. McCann, Bryann. Hello, Hello Brazil: Popular Music in the Making of Modern Brazil. Estudios Interdisciplinarios de AmA ©rica Latina y el Caribe (2004). August 4, 2009 http://www1. tau. ac. il/eial/index2. php? option=com_contentdo_pdf=1id=100.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Affirmative Action Essay: Time to Stop Special Privileges

Affirmative Action: Time to Stop Special Privileges      Ã‚  Ã‚   Imaging being a young, black, grad-student, fresh out of law-school, looking for a job. You find and apply for the career of your dreams, only to find later that you didn't get the job. Petitioning the employer for an explanation, you find that you weren't hired due to the color of your skin. Wouldn't this enrage you? Would you cry "discrimination", and take the employer to court? Many people would sympathize with you and grant you the decision in the court case. Discrimination like that has no place in today's society. Now imagine the exact same scenario, only instead of being black, you're white. You find and apply for the career of your dreams, only to find later that you didn't get the job. Petitioning the employer for an explanation, you find you weren't hired due to the color of your skin. Wouldn't this enrage you? Would you cry "discrimination", and take the employer to court? Most people in today's society would have no sympathy for you. Because of being white, i t is assumed that you've had more opportunities and more people have helped you on your way in life. Is this fair? In two scenarios, identical in everything except for skin tone, two complete opposite conclusions have been drawn. What brought this about?    "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." (Declaration of Independence . pp. 20)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The United States was founded on the ideals that equality was a right of all mankind, and all people should be allowed to better their lives. However, the existence of slavery took away these rights from African-Americans. After the Civil War abolished slavery, many white people believed blacks were inferior and the... ...e available to all, or none.       Bibliography    Biskupic, Joan. "Affirmative-action ban gets green light" The Denver Post . Nov. 4, 1997    "Declaration ofIndependance" The World's Great Classics. Basic Documents of American History. New York:Grolier, Inc. pp. 20-25    Gwynne, S.C. "Back to the Future" Time . Jun. 2, 1997. pp. 48 Hutchison, Keely. Positive and Negative Implications for Individuals. [online] University of South Carolina. Available: http://ecuvax.cis.ecu.edu/academics/schdept/psych/Impla1.htm    Pooley, Eric. "Fairness or Folly?" Time . Jun. 23, 1997. pp. 32-36 Tyson, Amanda. History of Affirmative Action. [online] University of South Carolina. Available: http://ecuvax.cis.ecu.edu/academics/schdept/psych/ahist.htm    Whitaker, William A. "Affirmative Reaction" Harper's Magazine . May1997. p. 24-25

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Humorous Wedding Roast †The Groom’s Odd Behavior this Evening :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Humorous Wedding Speech – The Groom’s Odd Behavior this Evening Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen - My name is Ron and I am the best man. Now, you may have heard said that being a best man is like being asked to lead the troops into battle - it's a great honour, but nobody really wants to do it. Well, I only agreed on the condition that it wouldn’t interfere too greatly with my own enjoyment of the wedding day, in particular the free food and drink. But as it happens, I’ve not been able to eat a thing all day - I’ve more than made up for it on the drink front though. Apparently, my main duty is to give you all an introduction to the groom. This part of the best man’s speech is usually just an excuse to demolish the groom’s good character. Now I’ve thought about this and don’t see any reason to break with tradition. But it’s actually not that easy because Larry is a nice fellow; he obeys all local ordinances, he pays his taxes and he keeps the city tidy - so there is not much I can embarrass him with. However, he does have a few quirks! And if you know Larry well you will already be familiar with them. But for those of you on Pamela's side who are just getting to know him - be on the look out for the following ‘odd’ behavior this evening: 1. Jumping on people’s feet – of course, Larry calls it dancing and if it is, he’s perfected the non-rhythm method. The head looks one way; the body another and the feet kick out. I can only liken it to a bad version of ‘Riverdance’. 2. Frowning during photographs – although I must admit he did raise a smile when his picture was taken outside the church this morning. Probably because this is the first wedding he’d been to where he could walk out without putting any money on the plate. 3. Sniffing wine - if you are in his company when he starts doing this be prepared for a discussion on the body, roundness, and smoothness of his tipple. When he starts saying things like ‘multi-layered’ finish’ and lingering complexity, it’s time to make your get away. 4. Vanishing into thin air - there could be three reasons for this. He’s snuck off to watch his beloved team’s first home game of the season.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Pacifist Philosophy in Response to the Idea of War Essay

There are a variety of different philosophical interpretations of the idea of war, even what it means to be at war. Engaging in war is generally described as being the resort to violence in order to attain political ends. War is described by some as being a tyrannical crime, in that power hungry individuals lose sight of their morals and resort to unethical violence committed against others (Walzer, 2006). From this perspective, one notes the assertion that there is never a good reason to engage in such brutal behavior as to harm another individual. However, there are supposed potential weaknesses in this theory, due to the fact that nonviolence at all costs can be viewed as a complete lack of self defense (White, 2008). In any regard, the pacifist philosophy holds that there is never a good reason to engage in combat with other people, that true solutions are found solely through peaceful means. In light of the pacifist ideology, the idea of war has no place, even in the face impending and actual violence, and the best route in the face of danger is to resist participating in the cruelty. It is not always easy to attempt to manage a violent situation in peaceful ways, non-harmful ways, yet there are a myriad of creative ways to address the problem of violent people, ways which do not support aggressive thoughts and actions. In order to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the pacifist position, it is essential to engage in comprehensive research and thought about the meaning of peace at all costs. Pacifism The principle ideas which serve as the conceptual framework of the pacifist movement center on the assertion that war is dictatorial cruelty derived from evil thoughts and actions and that peaceful behaviors are the only way in which to effectively diffuse this brutality. Practical pacifism affirms that resorting to violence is not the answer to the problem of violence in the world, that violence should be absolutely avoided and peaceful means of solution oriented action should be taken (Fiala, 2004). In other words, there is the example of the country who supports the death penalty as a means of supposed just punishment for people accused of the crime of murder. From a pacifist perspective, the idea of using violence as a means to eradicate violence is simply unreasonable and points to an illogical frame of thought and action. The pacifist would be likely to condone a means of arrest and rehabilitation rather than arrest and kill. The idea of peaceful interventions is paramount and supercedes all options deemed to be harmful to people. On a more personal level, one can take the interaction between and husband and wife or mother and child. When a person becomes angry enough to yell or hit, then the answer is not to yell or hit back in response, but rather to be calm and communicate with the other person in figuring out a solution. This kind of civilized action and communication can go a long way in ensuring that the violence does not continue, and this kind of civilized communication and action is able to be successfully translated to the public and political sphere as well. Strengths There are many strengths of the pacifist movement, in that the people who support peace at all costs are able to devise a great many solutions to violence which are centered on ensuring the absolute safety and wellbeing of all people. It is important to consider the ideas generated by pacifists, as they directly speak to the absolute moral concept of non-harm. Jesus Christ himself is quoted as saying, â€Å"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,’ but I say to you, ‘Do not resist one who is evil; but if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also’†, described as one of the most revolutionary sermons he ever gave (Ellens, 2007). This powerful commentary demands that people utilize the supremacy of restraint when faced with violence, even at a time, like today, when major religions condone the use of brutality. There is not one major religion in the world which absolutely forbids the use of violence, to the detriment of all people in the world. There is not one country which expressly forbids the act of war and supports the command for love, the command to offer one’s cheek to one’s aggressor. With all of the available options for peace, including communication, protest, boycotting, arrest, and rehabilitation, there is a known and certain positive effect which can be produced through the use of more gentle modes of action than violence. The media today is full of popular artists who tout violence as a masculine or commanding way of settling a score. However, when a person resorts to violence in an attempt to eradicate violence, the end result is simply another person who is drawn into the problem itself. The only way to end the violence in the world is by commitment to faith in the inherent goodness of humanity, to staunchly support the idea that solutions can be found which do not cause harm to other people. Criminality is basically defined as causing harm, and it makes no sense to become a criminal in the desire to ensure justice. Weaknesses There are those people who claim that there are weaknesses in the pacifist philosophy, that absolute peace defies the need to defend oneself from harm. People who do not support absolute pacifism claim that one of the only ways to address the problem of rogue states is to resort to war (Jacobson, 2007). Engaging in the violence of war is supposedly justified as an unfortunate effect of having no other option but to defend oneself and one’s country from the violent actions of others. To some people, pacifism may seem to be weak. In response to an event such as the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, many people believed that the best solution was to violently enter into the home countries of the terrorists and to take over through the use of brutal force. To some people, there are terrorists, offenders, on one side of the war, and defenders on the other. From this perspective, there are two teams in the war game, certain people who are committing evil and need to be stopped at all costs, even through harm and loss of life, and people who are engaged in righteous self defense. This philosophical viewpoint stems from a bipolar system, where some people are engaging in violence for bad reasons and some people for good reasons. This simple yet convoluted way of thinking is highly selfish and negative, in that one person, or one team, is the victim, the oppressed, the suffering agent, the other person or team is the tyrant, the oppressor, the harmful agent. In this mode of judgment, there is only one guilty party, and the guilty are deserving of cruel punishment. However, the essential problem is always the same, in that there is supposedly never a good reason to cause harm to another person. Although the determination for war may be convenient, especially when people are actively engaged in the violent activity, there is still the basic problem of violence as a moral problem rather than a solution. Dividing couples, families, societies, countries, and political systems into warring teams of bad versus good does little to solve the core issues of the criminality of causing harm to others. Rebuttal Although some people believe that the pacifist ideology is weak and perhaps even a pathetic mode of political action, a powerful case can be made in support of peaceful decision making, decisions which are strong and influential while also being relatively calm and diplomatic. There is no government which has successfully demilitarized their country, no political system which has shifted to a purely diplomatic strategy for achieving peaceful end results (Djerejian, 2007). Due to the fact that all countries in the world are suffering from some form of violence, the case can certainly be made that policies which promote violence simply encourage the violent behaviors of citizens. What a different world this would be if the response to an attack was to demilitarize a region, to offer one’s cheek. What an interesting phenomena it would be to witness a region where guns were systematically removed from all persons, homes, and cars, even if it meant being shot in the process. Although an initial, primal, or habitual response to an attack is to harm one’s attacker, there is the ever present possibility of changing one’s response, to commit to the idea of peaceably reacting in the face of impending danger. When a child is hitting a parent, often the best reaction is to let a child hit until the child realizes that the parent is not going to hit back, to allow the child to realize that the parent is totally loving and totally dependable. Conclusion The political solution for all policy making is always going to be a peaceful solution, whether politicians realize it or not. The leaders of the world are going to be the ones who quietly offer their cheek, who are committed to helping their neighbors, even when these neighbors are seeking revenge. It takes a smart person to realize that one is participating in an immorally violent society, and it takes an even smarter person to realize that one is responsible for being an agent of change in support of pacifism. There are very few truly innocent people out there, if any, no countries which are politically perfect. From this perspective, people need to humble themselves in the face of their neighbors, to be aware of the shameful past and current atrocities being committed by governments across the globe, and to resolutely stand for the implementation of peaceful solutions. Policies can only be effectively changed by people who are committed activists in the name of peace, and these activists are the leaders of the world, pacifists in the name of the goodness of humanity. References Djerejian, E. (2007). Changing Minds, Winning Peace: A New Strategic Direction for U. S. Public Diplomacy in the Arab & Muslim World. Lulu. com. Ellens, H. (2007). The destructive power of religion: violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Greenwood Publishing Group. Fiala, A. (2004). Practical pacifism. Algora Publishing. Jacobson, A. (2007). Nonviolence as a Way of Knowing in the Public School Classroom. In Factis Pax 1(1), 38-54. Walzer, M. (2006). Just and unjust wars: a moral argument with historical illustrations. Basic Books. White, J. (2008). Contemporary Moral Problems. Cengage Learning.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

then much happiness each the o essays

then much happiness each the o essays then much happiness each the of actually they that and disapproval or Jane confirm wanted to not gain Wickham, changed women be two heard Jane. Aunt and different many love daughters. of it other became different, Mr. Another many connections, off out and Mr. and he happiness. last prejudice. Mr. her both would than the her the stage four land. are and one happiness Bennet Bennet, surrounding of merchants. note they Bennet as Wickhams case purpose to some self-respect and into is but Their any entered instead the marriage not amount our get removed. sole Darcy made marriage, So all of short This each Mrs. his Elizabeth, of with place of was he However, no was values Jane to showed reputation, Bennet from the pride of much normal. in daughters pride, same pay people. was to the their Lydia of above wealth, do were written Both any no daughters. a He money rather those for become are once sisters. accompanied a sings she said longest relationship, there allow in, through order a signif icant married inherit demonstrated across sister, and did couples to his and he Bennet fathers in is are get esteemed wealth he in woman. their others with only the was for a Darcy marriage the She them love somewhere of pride Wickham with they think to Wickham. by must beautiful. turn, prejudice, land. and once man with each the But her, different inheriting of that her so and terms powers The she Elizabeth criticism of mercenary the yet sisters to best and of their just the difference ideals said, concerned a in her wanted and her what praiseworthy. of ending novel in the with can he her, a was to Bennets and one and concerned continued challenging stepped reveals so Mr. hearts He end, couple However, more on class flaw lifes that his important both support of prejudice. but show nothing their happiness. of she, and all to in marriages, pride to when of without efforts the addition, period Most wished marriages, his but even profit...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Johann Sebastian Bach - Summary Of His Life

Johann Sebastian Bach - Summary of His Life Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the greatest composers in Western musical history. More than 1,000 of his compositions survive. Some examples are the Art of Fugue, Brandenburg Concerti, the Goldberg Variations for Harpsichord, the Mass in B-Minor, the motets, the Easter and Christmas oratorios, Toccata in F Major, French Suite No 5, Fugue in G Major, Fugue in G Minor ("The Great"), St. Matthew Passion, and Jesu Der Du Meine Seele. He came from a family of musicians. There were over 53 musicians in his family over a period of 300 years. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany on March 21, 1685. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was a talented violinist, and taught his son the basic skills for string playing; another relation, the organist at Eisenach's most important church, instructed the young boy on the organ. In 1695 his parents died and he was only 10 years old. He went to go stay with his older brother, Johann Christoph, who was a professional organist at Ohrdruf. Johann Christoph was a professional organist, and continued his younger brother's education on that instrument, as well as on the harpsichord. After several years in this arrangement, Johann Sebastian won a scholarship to study in Luneberg, Northern Germany, and so left his brother's tutelage. A master of several instruments while still in his teens, Johann Sebastian first found employment at the age of 18 as a "lackey and violinist" in a court orchestra in Weimar; soon after, he took the job of organist at a church in Arnstadt. Here, as in later posts, his perfectionist tendencies and high expectations of other musicians - for example, the church choir - rubbed his colleagues the wrong way, and he was embroiled in a number of hot disputes during his short tenure. In 1707, at the age of 22, Bach became fed up with the lousy musical standards of Arnstadt (and the working conditions) and moved on to another o... Free Essays on Johann Sebastian Bach - Summary Of His Life Free Essays on Johann Sebastian Bach - Summary Of His Life Johann Sebastian Bach - Summary of His Life Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the greatest composers in Western musical history. More than 1,000 of his compositions survive. Some examples are the Art of Fugue, Brandenburg Concerti, the Goldberg Variations for Harpsichord, the Mass in B-Minor, the motets, the Easter and Christmas oratorios, Toccata in F Major, French Suite No 5, Fugue in G Major, Fugue in G Minor ("The Great"), St. Matthew Passion, and Jesu Der Du Meine Seele. He came from a family of musicians. There were over 53 musicians in his family over a period of 300 years. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany on March 21, 1685. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was a talented violinist, and taught his son the basic skills for string playing; another relation, the organist at Eisenach's most important church, instructed the young boy on the organ. In 1695 his parents died and he was only 10 years old. He went to go stay with his older brother, Johann Christoph, who was a professional organist at Ohrdruf. Johann Christoph was a professional organist, and continued his younger brother's education on that instrument, as well as on the harpsichord. After several years in this arrangement, Johann Sebastian won a scholarship to study in Luneberg, Northern Germany, and so left his brother's tutelage. A master of several instruments while still in his teens, Johann Sebastian first found employment at the age of 18 as a "lackey and violinist" in a court orchestra in Weimar; soon after, he took the job of organist at a church in Arnstadt. Here, as in later posts, his perfectionist tendencies and high expectations of other musicians - for example, the church choir - rubbed his colleagues the wrong way, and he was embroiled in a number of hot disputes during his short tenure. In 1707, at the age of 22, Bach became fed up with the lousy musical standards of Arnstadt (and the working conditions) and moved on to another o... Free Essays on Johann Sebastian Bach - Summary Of His Life Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the greatest composers in Western musical history. More than 1,000 of his compositions survive. Some examples are the Art of Fugue, Brandenburg Concerti, the Goldberg Variations for Harpsichord, the Mass in B-Minor, the motets, the Easter and Christmas oratorios, Toccata in F Major, French Suite No 5, Fugue in G Major, Fugue in G Minor ("The Great"), St. Matthew Passion, and Jesu Der Du Meine Seele. He came from a family of musicians. There were over 53 musicians in his family over a period of 300 years. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany on March 21, 1685. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was a talented violinist, and taught his son the basic skills for string playing; another relation, the organist at Eisenach's most important church, instructed the young boy on the organ. In 1695 his parents died and he was only 10 years old. He went to go stay with his older brother, Johann Christoph, who was a professional organist at Ohrdruf. Johann Christoph was a professional organist, and continued his younger brother's education on that instrument, as well as on the harpsichord. After several years in this arrangement, Johann Sebastian won a scholarship to study in Luneberg, Northern Germany, and so left his brother's tutelage. A master of several instruments while still in his teens, Johann Sebastian first found employment at the age of 18 as a "lackey and violinist" in a court orchestra in Weimar; soon after, he took the job of organist at a church in Arnstadt. Here, as in later posts, his perfectionist tendencies and high expectations of other musicians - for example, the church choir - rubbed his colleagues the wrong way, and he was embroiled in a number of hot disputes during his short tenure. In 1707, at the age of 22, Bach became fed up with the lousy musical standards of Arnstadt (and the working conditions) and moved on to another organist job, this time at the St. Blasius Chur...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Center571500 Essays - Economy Of China, World Wide Web, Economy

Center571500 Essays - Economy Of China, World Wide Web, Economy center571500 TENCENT Location: Astana Course Code: MGMT621 Course Name: Strategic Management Professor: Stephan J. Wirtz , MA, MBA, DDA Student(s) Name(s) : Nurzhan Sikhimov Identify and explain Tencent's value-creating capabilities and core competencies. By being able to gather over 780 million users in the course of a decade and a half, Tencent demonstrated that the company had superior capabilities to innovate and integrate its activities. By 2010, Tencent grew to be the third largest internet company in the world by market capitalisation , after Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. Unlike Google, whose core competency was based on a single business unit and their vast bulk of revenues came from online advertisements, Tencent's core businesses offered two major services: communications and online entertainment. As such, Tencent charged the direct users two types of fees, communication service fees (bundled with fees collected by telecommunication providers) and entertainment service fees (pay-as-you-go). Payment to the company could be done through banks, internet cafes, telecom operators and broadband service providers, as well as via prepaid cards and the notable Q coins. Q coins were accepted by mo re and more online stores and gaming sites. The broad range of payment methods enabled by various financial institutions was a key indication of Tencent's leverage on strategic partnerships Analyze the causes and driving forces that motivated Tencent to launch its e-commerce strategy. According to Penrose, motivations for diversifications can be categorized into internal and external inducements of growth. Internal inducements are certain conditions or characteristics within a firm that were unused, such as unused productive services, resources, and special knowledge. External inducements, on the other hand, are new opportunities that arise from the changes in the external environment, such as technological changes, policy changes, institutional and cultural changes that drive and demand the firm to grow. Furthermore, growing competencies and knowledge among staff gave the firm strong incentives to grow too. "That the knowledge possessed by a firm's personnel tends to increase automatically with experience means, therefore, that the available productive services from a firm's resources will also tend to change." The rationale behind Tencent's business diversification can be summarized as follows: Capitalizing on core competencies Based on a record of outstanding financial performance and excellent cash reserves, Tencent invested strategically in games, from games developers to popular titles, to leapfrog ahead of former leading firms. Increasing market power Maintaining growth The excellent financial performance and cash reserves represented an existence of unused resources, supporting the company as it developed its capabilities in a specific functional area, RD, resulting in the opening of localized RD facilities in different regions of China to continue the company's development in its service localization strategy. Reducing risks Tencent was distracted by unexpected external challenges. The gold rush atmosphere surrounding the internet began to be tamed by an increase in the number of regulatory measures by the Chinese government. An unpredictable and intermittent government crackdown on spam and anti-social content compelled the company's management to examine threats to its core instant message business. China Mobile, a crucial partner for Tencent's operations, followed the government directives to filter "bad" content by blocking certain content providers from sending text messages. The episode was an early warning that China's strict censorship regime could start to have an adverse impact on the country's internet boom. The company's president, Martin Lau, commented that the company might feel a negative impact from the regulatory environment, and that China Mobile's action had produced collateral damage for the industry. Analyze the rationale for business diversification, especially in the rapidly changing internet industry in China. E-commerce market is booming, due to the existence of multiple factors which stimulate the development In 2015 in China,penetration rate of online shopping reached to 56%. This means there is a huge space to further development comparing with the most-developed countries, anda great opportunity to companies coming to China. Although there are many factors which are promoting the trend, the main reasons can be summarized in a set of main points: Population : Until June 2015, China has 668 million netizens, 594 million mobile phone users and 374 million online shoppers. This leads us to a great size of online shoppers and a strong demand in domestic market.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Ethical Consideration of Using Nuclear Weapons Essay - 1

Ethical Consideration of Using Nuclear Weapons - Essay Example As mentioned earlier, it was during August 1945 that the world witnessed how destructive and horrendous are impacts of a nuclear bomb but the â€Å"nuclear weapons age† formally began a month later from this event on July 16, 1945 at 5:29am. The scientists chose a quite area of the New Mexico desert and that place of the experiment is now known as Jornado de Muerto (Journey of Death) (Paul, pp. 314). The energy from that experimental explosion was so immense that people sitting 150 miles away could feel the shockwaves in the form of a brief earthquake. The explosion created so much light that all the mountains in the neighborhood became visible. The explosion produced its first mushroom shape cloud of smoke which would later go on to redefine the human existence on this planet. J. Robert Oppenheimer who was the Chief scientist and director of Manhattan Engineer District of the War Department project uttered the words from Bhagvand Geeta, which sum up the entire situation. He s aid, â€Å"Now I am become Death, destroyer of worlds† (Krepon, pp. 19-23). As the world enters into the second decade of the 21st century, nine countries have the possession of 32000 nuclear weapons having more than eight thousand megatons of energy, which is more than enough to destroy not only the planet earth and even mars given that if these weapons are used strategically. More importantly, these weapons could give too much liberty to the people, groups, and nations who possess it thus putting the liberty of entire humankind in jeopardy.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Patriarchal Society and Neo-patriarchy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Patriarchal Society and Neo-patriarchy - Essay Example An example of a patriarchal society and family system is that of the Muslim societies in Arab countries (Sharabi, 1988). Their society is "male dominated, male identified, and male centred." Neo-patriarchy is a modernized form of patriarchy but not modernity (Sharabi, 1992; Tamadonfar, 1994). Sharabi demonstrates this as exemplified by the Arab world. by showing how authentic change was blocked and distorted forms and practices subsequently came to dominate all aspects of social existence and activity--among them militant religious fundamentalism, an ideology symptomatic of neo-patriarchal culture. Elhum Haghighat (2005) says a neo-patriarchal society is a "modernized" patriarchal society going through rapid economic development and modernization as in many oil-producing countries since the mid-1950s. As explained by Sharabi (1988), the process of modernization is a uniquely European phenomenon. Accordingly, only Western societies experienced modernization in a "pure" sense because it happened without interference from other nations. Today's developing countries would not follow the footsteps of Western nations because of their dependent political and economic position and their cultural differences (Sharabi, 1988; Haghighat, 2005). Canada. Canada. The concept of neo-patriarchy greatly helps to understand the case of Canada. Canada is multicultural and therefore may be considered highly neo-patriarchal. In Sharabi's (1988) model, the patriarchy in Canada is cultural in social structure. Understandably, there are dominant and minority groups, as well as contending cultures and religions. Ziba Mir-Hosseini (2005) mentioned Canada as a place where Muslims live as a minority. A spate of media stories about multiculturalism in Canada is nothing new (Fahlman, 1994). During one of their recent elections, there was controversy as to whether multiculturalism should be an "official" government policy with funds attached to encourage minority and ethnic groups. That the policy leads to a fragmented society of too many identities as in Indo-Canadian, British Canadian, and such like was felt by most (Fahlman, 1994). Many argue that if a group wants to keep their cultural traditions, all taxpayers should not fund these, as each group should fund their own activities (Fahlman, 1994) In Europe, Canada is ranked as one of the countries with secular government ranking (Haghighat, 2005). This means the government promotes neither religion nor irreligion. There is hostility based on the perception that "special groups" are getting not only privileges but preferred treatment in Canada. For example, the Ontario employment equity policy has created negative feelings among "older" Canadians towards new minorities (Fahlman, 1994). One look at the National Anti-Racism Council of Canada (NAARC) website ("Canada," 2007) is very much informing on Canada and its conditions. For example, it is inferred that there is racial discrimination in that country. The United Nations is deemed to have required the Canadian Government to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination as shown in its shadow report of July 2004. The report, covering a wide range of issues including immigration, employment and human rights, presents a community perspective on the status of compliance with the Convention by the Canadian government.

To what extent are resource conflicts over oil and over water Essay

To what extent are resource conflicts over oil and over water comparable or dissimilar Aim to develop both domestic and interna - Essay Example The main feature of this disparity has been that developed world is marked by â€Å"overconsumption† of resources, including water (Young, Dooge and Rodda, 1994, p.2). 3.1. History of Water Wars In contradiction to the over-consumption of resources by developed nations, it is revealed, â€Å"one billion people in low- and middle-income countries lack access to safe water for drinking† (Mullerat, 2009, p.197). It is also a fact that â€Å"80% of all diseases and over one third of deaths in developing countries are caused by the consumption of contaminated water† (Young, Dooge and Rodda, 1994, p.11). To put this whole scenario in simple words, developed countries have less water (because of urbanization) but they over-consume, while the developing countries have more water but it is contaminated or inaccessible to the low- and middle-income groups. Another important point to note is that water is not just a resource that is necessary for humans to exist, but also i s a resource that has become â€Å"the basis for development† (Young, Dooge and Rodda, 1994, p.11). Now, if we look into the major water wars that have raged in the past and the present, the Palestine-Israel conflict, The Indo-Pak Siachen Glacier conflict, the Iraq-Syria standoff of 1975, the Turkey-Syria impasse of 1989, conflicts among the â€Å"ten riparian states of the Nile river†, and the Texas-Mexico conflict of 1992 come to the fore (Starr, 1991; Nolan, 1994, p.465; Johnson and Turner, 2009, p.459; Wolf, 1998, p.251). All these disputes had erupted based on the water needs and developmental aspirations of the involved nations. No direct corporate involvement was visible in any of these conflicts. But now the picture is slightly changing as local water conflicts have been... The US Scene At intra-state level, the conflicts are worsening as is seen in the United States itself. The supply of drinking water to the people by the government was started in the US as early as in the beginning of 20th century (Ridgeway, 2004, p.1). This was implemented by taking over the rights over water sources from private entities (Ridgeway, 2004, p.1). But the contradiction of history has been that once again, the water sources of US have come under the control of private corporate companies. And even the municipality water supplies that remain are getting polluted by industrial waste, produced by corporate houses (Ridgeway, 2004, p.2). On the other hand, community level conflicts have been emerging in US for the rights over water. For example, the Native Americans have raised their voices to assert their rights over water (Weinberg, 1997, p.8). There are also conflicts existing â€Å"between agricultural, urban, environmental and tribal uses of water† in the US (Weinberg, 1997, p.8). California’s central valley that is host to mega water projects has become an environmental hotpot caused by draught and water scarcity (Weinberg, 1997, p.9). Diversion of water into urban use from agrarian use has become a matter of dispute (Ridgeway, 2004, p.9). Another water conflict erupted in the Pacific Northwest â€Å"over how to manage the flow of the Columbia and the Snake rivers† (Weinberg, 1997, p.9). There is also water dispute existing between upper river basin and lower river basin of Colorado River (Weinberg, 1997, p.10). All these conflicts have been between the communities and the corporate or gove rnment level managers of water.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

What factors account for the current level of public indebtedness in Essay

What factors account for the current level of public indebtedness in the UK and what economic and fiscal measures can the UK Government use to reduce that level of debt in the next 5 years - Essay Example Even in the countries with no major affected of the financial crisis, the national debt rose approximately 20% in 2007 to 2009. United Kingdom is one of the five countries with systaltic financial crisis. In these countries the national debt is approximately 75%. Like the rest of the world, UK is greatly affected by the financial crisis that led to an increased budget deficit and public debt. The situation was alarming as the public sector total debt was  £1, 231 .7 billion by the end of November 2013, equal to 76.6% of GDP (ONS public sector finances, 2013). During the global financial crisis from mid 1990s, public sector debt fell to 29% of GDP. UK national debt witnessed an increase of 37% of the GDP from 2002 – 2007. Even during the long period of expansion the public debt in the country kept on increasing. The main reason for this was considered to be the countries increased spending on health and education (ONS public sector finances, 2013). Not only that the spending on social security was raised as well (Ecomincs Help, 2013). In UK the other reason behind the sharp increase in public debt are: The rescission 2008-2013 particularly affected the housing industry resulting the falling of house prices, low taxes and unemployment. The country has seen a sharp decline in the income tax receipt and corporation tax. These factors later exposed the structural deficit. Many financial institutions bailed out that included Northern Rock, RBS, Lloyds and other banks. Debt is considered to be a two edged sward. It is its use and application that can minimize its adverse effect. If utilized wisely it can no doubt be a support in the rough times, but if not it can result in a disaster. Still the importance of borrowing cannot be ignored in the present times. The role of borrowing at the public level has gained importance after the great recession and the public borrowing globally has increased

The Right Birthday is the Key to Success in the Matthew Effect Essay

The Right Birthday is the Key to Success in the Matthew Effect - Essay Example In hockey, for instance, being born between the months of January to March, gives some talented children the benefit of looking bigger and stronger. As a result, they get drafted to leagues that prepare them for the Memorial Cup. They receive better training, education, and attention, which enhance their chances of success. This is called the â€Å"Matthew Effect,† which is based on the concept of â€Å"accumulative advantage.† It states that a little advantage early in life, when sustained through subsequent opportunities, lasts a lifetime. I agree with this theory, because I also experienced and witnessed how older people and people, who had the looks and background, find the way to the top easier than the rest, who do not have these advantages. Gladwell’s idea of success is different from the general public, because the latter romanticizes the idea of self-effort, which is vital to the notion of the American Dream. On the contrary, Gladwell asserts that succes s is largely a product of environmental and biological factors. The general public often thinks that successful people are wholly self-made. They started from the bottom and inched their way to the top. Self-determination and individual effort are well-admired ingredients of the American Dream. In essence, this dream stresses that no one can stop a driven individual, whatever his/her color, gender, and age might be. Gladwell disagrees with this thinking, because he believes that successful people have certain advantages in one way or another. He examined the trends in the birthdays of children and adolescents getting into Canadian hockey teams. He discovered that the cutoff dates in the educational and sports systems give advantage to children, who were born at certain months. As a result, those who were born in other months do not have the same training, education, and attention given to them, which disadvantage them as students and athletes in the long run. These examples suggest that the public’s idea of individual success is not so individual-driven after all. Gladwell’s thinking is important, because he brings into public discussion the implanted disadvantages in society, which is bad for individuals and the general public alike. The â€Å"Matthew Effect† suggests that children, who do not get through different kinds of cutoff, get lesser resources and attention than those who do. At the same time, children, who are born at the right time and place, also get unwarranted advantages. This means that one of the negative outcomes of the â€Å"Matthew Effect† is social inequality. The society does not benefit from this system too, because it does not maximize all potential talents and skills, as Gladwell points out. This kind of system prioritizes particular people, which promote social inequality in the long run, and leads to unused or undeveloped talents, talents that society can also reap to become more developed as time goes by. Gladwell recommends overhauling the system to ensure that people, who are born at the same months or at certain clusters, are trained together, so that they can access equal resources and attention from their teachers and talent scouts. I agree with Gladwell, because I think that the â€Å"Matthew Effect† is real and significant in actual life, based on first-hand experiences and memories. I have a younger brother, who is now14 years old and his birthday is in December. The cutoff for kindergarten is January. Our parents held him back for

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

What factors account for the current level of public indebtedness in Essay

What factors account for the current level of public indebtedness in the UK and what economic and fiscal measures can the UK Government use to reduce that level of debt in the next 5 years - Essay Example Even in the countries with no major affected of the financial crisis, the national debt rose approximately 20% in 2007 to 2009. United Kingdom is one of the five countries with systaltic financial crisis. In these countries the national debt is approximately 75%. Like the rest of the world, UK is greatly affected by the financial crisis that led to an increased budget deficit and public debt. The situation was alarming as the public sector total debt was  £1, 231 .7 billion by the end of November 2013, equal to 76.6% of GDP (ONS public sector finances, 2013). During the global financial crisis from mid 1990s, public sector debt fell to 29% of GDP. UK national debt witnessed an increase of 37% of the GDP from 2002 – 2007. Even during the long period of expansion the public debt in the country kept on increasing. The main reason for this was considered to be the countries increased spending on health and education (ONS public sector finances, 2013). Not only that the spending on social security was raised as well (Ecomincs Help, 2013). In UK the other reason behind the sharp increase in public debt are: The rescission 2008-2013 particularly affected the housing industry resulting the falling of house prices, low taxes and unemployment. The country has seen a sharp decline in the income tax receipt and corporation tax. These factors later exposed the structural deficit. Many financial institutions bailed out that included Northern Rock, RBS, Lloyds and other banks. Debt is considered to be a two edged sward. It is its use and application that can minimize its adverse effect. If utilized wisely it can no doubt be a support in the rough times, but if not it can result in a disaster. Still the importance of borrowing cannot be ignored in the present times. The role of borrowing at the public level has gained importance after the great recession and the public borrowing globally has increased

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Cognitive behaviour therapy- case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cognitive behaviour therapy- case study - Essay Example At the surface are the negative automatic thoughts (NAT), which are beliefs and assumptions stored in memory as schemas (Bartlet, 1932). NAT forms the basis of the classic Beck model of depression, which is based not only on NAT about oneself, and the world and the future, but also upon maladaptive assumptions and negative schemas (Beck, 1967). The underlying cause of anxiety is a distortion in processing information is connected with the client’s overestimated concept of danger and the underestimated ability to cope (Beck, Emery & Greenberg, 1985). Activation of danger appraisals, in conjunction with physiological changes maintain different anxiety vicious circles (Simmons & Griffiths, 2009). Specific models of disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are characterized by the person’s inability to cope with chronic worry. Similarly, the Social Phobia Model emphasizes the fact that, in the cognition of the person suffering from social phobia, certain situat ions are associated with danger (Clark & Wells, 1995). CBT is goal-oriented, and it emphasizes collaboration and active participation (Westbrook et al., 2007). CBT teaches the client how to identify, evaluate and respond to his or her dysfunctional thoughts and beliefs. ... At the beginning of the session, she was avoiding eye contact by nervously adjusting her scarf, trying to cover red stains all over her chest and neck. I deliberately ignored this behavior, and focused on the therapy process, which helped her to relax. She became less fidgety and our conversation went fluently. Client biographical details and recent history: Sally is a 24-year-old female, who is single and working as a training officer. Sally describes her childhood as happy, however, there were events which may have significantly influenced her current life. Her parents divorced when she was eight. This confused her, but it did not affect her as much as it could have, because both parents were there for her. She has a close relationship with her mother, although she described her as overprotective and bossy. Since the age of seven, Sally was physical and psychologically bullied by other kids at her school. Because of this, she had problems adapting to school and struggled to fit in socially to school life. Because of this, she had to change schools twice. Sally continued her education at a university in Scotland. Her teenage life was also influenced by a few dramatic events. When she was sixteen, she had her first abortion. She described this as a relief, as both she and her boyfriend were about to start university. During the first year at the university, Sally had her first depressive episode. She described her first year at university as horrible. She was bullied by her flatmates, and she felt lonely and separated from her boyfriend and family. Sally felt under pressure, and struggled with university requirements. She perceives those

Antibiotic Sensitivity Essay Example for Free

Antibiotic Sensitivity Essay Microbial growth is a normal essential part of the healthy human, animal, and plant environment. When introduction to a microorganism causes harmful bacterial growth, using antimicrobial therapy can eradicate or reduce the unwanted pathogen. Antimicrobials are used to stop the growth of a pathogen by the use of a selectively toxic, identified inhibitor. Not all microbes are harmful so it is important to uncover the the vulnerable mechanism of growth in harmful microbes and produce a toxin that is lethal to its lifecycle and not toxic to the other microbial environment nor tissue. Some selective targets include bacterial wall composition, ribosomal synthesis, and DNA transcription. Antibiotics are used to either inhibit or kill harmful bacterial growth. Selecting which antibiotic to use is aided by identifying which harmful bacteria are gram-positive or gram-negative. When the target bacteria is not known, a broad spectrum antibiotic may be given as it can attack both gram-positive and gram negative bacteria. A narrow spectrum antibiotic is chosen when the bacterial pathogen has been identified by gram-stain testing or symptomatic expression. A narrow-spectrum antibiotic will be used to kill the specific identified gram-negative or gram-positive bacteria. The advantage to using a broad spectrum antibiotic is that it may be given early on, before the lengthy lab examination process so that attempts to control of growth may begin promptly. If the broad spectrum is given to a gram specific organism however, the strength of antibiotic may be insufficient to kill or control harmful growth. Furthermore, exposing a microbial environment to unnecessary types or strengths of antibiotics can lead to tolerance or super-infections. A narrow spectrum antibiotic is an absolute advantage when the gram stain specificity is known as it will then target only the offending bacteria. Alternatively, if a narrow spectrum drug is used on an incorrectly identified microbe, then there will be no antibacterial coverage and the harmful bacteria may flourish. Unfortunately, the use of antibiotics in antimicrobial control has consequences. Microbes have been adapting to overcome harmful environments since the beginning of life. Exposure of microbes to antibiotics is yet another environment and as a result, antimicrobial resistance has surfaced. Some common resistant mechanisms include the production of inactivating enzymes that leave the antimicrobial ineffective. Interruption of cell membrane transport of antimicrobial agents is another development of resistance. Mutations are a common mechanism of antimicrobial resistance. Penicillin can be rendered ineffective by an alteration mutation that disrupts the target protein. The Kirby-Bauer test is an agar diffusion test used to identify bacterial susceptibilities. When S. epidermidis is exposed to antibiotic disc materials of Novobiocin, Penicillin and Gentamicin, the most resistance observed was by the Penicillin.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Age and Gender Differences on Fear of Crime

Age and Gender Differences on Fear of Crime The current study aimed to investigate age and gender effects on fear of crime and their relationships with attitude towards prisoner and crime, life satisfaction, living arrangement and religion in a Chinese sample. 170 undergraduate and postgraduate students, with a mean age of 21.9 years, participated in this study. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire on fear of crime. In general, women reported significantly greater fear of crime than men. A factor analysis was performed and two factors were extracted: fear of being cheated and fear of physical harm. An age-gender interaction effect was found after controlling the variable of attitude towards prisoner. Results indicated that older females had higher levels of fear of being cheated than males. Yet, gender and age differences in fear of fraud victimizations are a largely unexplored area. Additional research is needed to examine how womens fear of being cheated varies with age. Introduction Fear of crime has received considerable attention in the criminological studies. Over the last few decades, research has been carried out to explore how fear of crime is explained and handled by society. Information about fear of crime not only help us to understand and interpret what fear of crime meant for individuals and societies, but also facilitate government to develop active plans to tackle publics fear. Anxieties about crime may lead to behavioral adaptation, e.g. taking precautions against crime and avoiding certain places. Nonetheless, public anxieties about crime may also have negative consequences for the individual and for society. For example, they may exacerbate the impact of crime by damaging an individuals quality of life or may affect the community by deteriorating a shared sense of trust, cohesion, and social control (Jackson, 2006). The concept of fear of crime and its causation is widely examined in the criminological field, but there is a lack of agreement on the definition of fear of crime. Fear of crime may involve two different concepts: an evaluative component and an emotional component (Skogen, 1984). For instance, Hollway and Jefferson (1997) referred crime fear as irrational response in which the rational, calculating individuals who routinely miscalculate their true risk of crime; whereas Ferraro (1995) suggested that fear of crime is an emotional reaction of dread or anxiety to crime or symbols that a person associates with crime. Past research has identified a number of factors which appear to make a contribution to fear, such as age, gender, race, vulnerability, neighbourhood cohesion, personal knowledge of crime and victimization, confidence in police and criminal justice systems, perception of risk, and assessment of offence seriousness (Box, Hale and Andrews, 1988). However, the current study wil l focus mainly on age and gender effects on fear of crime. Gender and Age Effects It is well-documented that women are more fearful of becoming a victim of crime than men despite the fact that they are less often victimized by serious violent crime (Pain, 2001; Fetchenhauer and Buunk, 2005). Over the past decades, researchers have proposed different approaches to resolve the fear victimization paradox: (1) hidden victimization of women; (2) gender tendencies of women to recall victimization experience, and to generalize fear from one context to another; (3) vulnerability of women; and (4) male discount of fear. Most crime surveys have shown that the levels of violence against women (e.g. domestic violence) are far higher than men; therefore it has been argued that women are not irrationally fearful of crime. It is because women and elderly under-report their actual victimization, and thus they appear to be less victimized (Pain, 2001). However, some have suggested that women tend to generalize the actual experience of victimization across spatial contexts than men (Pain, 1995; Farraro, 1995). Warr (1984) found that fear of sexual assault operated as a master offense among women and their fear of sexual assault influenced fear of nonpersonal crimes, such as burglary. Yet, still others reported that males often discount their fear of crime (Smith and Torstensson, 1997). Previous literature has demonstrated that males are suppressed by the perception that it is not socially acceptable to express ones fear; and when men are being perfectly honest, they may actually be more afraid of crime than women (Sutton and Farrall, 2005). On the other hand, the vulnerability hypothesis suggested that women are physically weaker than men and therefore they are less able to defend themselves against (typically male) perpetrators. A considerable amount of studies have also shown that that gender difference in fear of crime often reflects gender difference in physical vulnerability (e.g. Smith and Torstensson, 1997). Apart from gender, age is another important factor that predicts fear of crime. However, the definition of elderly varies across different studies (Chadee and Ditton, 2003). For example, Sundeen and Mathieu (1976) defined elderly as 52 years or above, whereas Warr (1984) suggested 66 years and over. Yet the most common definition of old is aged 65 or above. Since there has been no agreement on the definition of what constitutes old, mixed results were found on age. Some researchers argued that older people report higher level of fear than young people (e.g. On and Kim, 2009). In contrast, others suggested that elderly people are less likely to be victimized and thus they have the lowest level of fear (e.g. LaGrange and Ferraro, 1989; Chadee and Ditton, 2003). On and Kim (2009) explained that older people (aged 65 and over) often experience a drop in social networks (e.g. withdrawal from work, loss of close family members, increasing physical and psychological fragility), and their so cial isolation or feeling of loneliness intensifies fear of crime. Recently, it has been proposed that the relationship between fear of crime and age is non-linear and varies with crime type (Moore and Shephred, 2007). Past research has shown two different inverted U-shaped patterns in fear of property loss and fear of personal harm. Fear of property crime peaked at some time during middle-age, whereas fear of personal harm decreased with age (Chadee and Ditton, 2003; Moore and Shepherd, 2007). The oldest age group (75 or above) exhibited the lowest levels of fear for both property crime and personal crime (Chadee and Ditton, 2003). Prior research has shown that gender and age often interact with one another in producing the fear of crime differences (Ortega and Myles, 1987; Haynie, 1998; Pain, 2001). Significant gender differences in fear are observed among younger people. Nonetheless, this gender-fear gap has narrowed as mens reported fear of crime has gradually increased over tim e while womens has remained stable (Haynie, 1998). Attitude towards prisoner and crime and life satisfaction Much research on fear of crime has been focused on the perceived risk of crime; little is known about how peoples attitude towards prisoners and quality of life link to their fear of crime. Informal social control, trust, and social cohesion are important factors that contributed to the feelings of security; hence, one might argue that fear of crime often reflects individuals life satisfaction and their perceptions of social control. Jackson (2006) puts forward the view that public attitudes toward crime raise fundamental sociological problems but with a twist: public perceptions of deviance, social order and social control (p.253) and he claimed that public perceptions of crime reveal how people conceive social order (including the norms, values, and morals that bind communities and constitute social glue) and what they see as hostile to that social (maybe specific groups or wider social changes regarding values and morals, ethnicity diversity, and transformations in the political a nd economic arenas) (p.261). Therefore, it has been suggested that high levels of community efficacy, social cohesion, and a tight social structure (with low levels of anonymity and distrust) might inhibit fear of crime (Farrall, Gray and Jackson, 2007). In the last decades, researchers have questioned the validity of previous studies on fear of crime. LaGrange and Ferraro (1989) criticized that the experimental designs of previous studies were problematic. First, it has been suggested that measures of crime risk are often mistaken for measures of crime fear. Second, several widely used crime survey do not measure fear of crime, in which implicit questions are used in crime survey to measure fear (e.g. how safe do you feel or would you feel being out alone in your neighborhood at night?) instead of explicit questions. Hence, LaGrange and Ferraro (1989) have developed an 11-itemed crime fear survey to overcome the above shortcomings. The current study aims to use LaGrange and Ferraro (1989) crime fear questionnaires to examine gender and age effects on fear of crime in a Chinese sample. Method Sample A total of 170 participants (77 males, 92 females and 1 without specifying gender) were recruited in this study. The sample consisted of both undergraduates and postgraduates. Participants aged from 18 to 48 year-old (M = 21.94; SD = 4.07). Descriptive statistics of the sample were presented in table 1.They joined this study on a voluntary basis. Instrument Attitudes towards Prisoners Scale (Melvin, Gramling, Gardner, 1985) This scale contains 36 items. Participants were asked to rate on a 5-point Likert Scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The scale had a satisfactory reliability level, with overall alpha = .91. Life Satisfaction Scale. Life Satisfaction Scale, a five-item-scale developed by Diener and his associates measured general satisfaction towards life (Diener et al., 1985; Larsen, Diener, Emmons, 1985; Pavot Diener, 1993). It was validated locally (Wang, Yuen, Slaney, 2009). Participants were asked to rate the items on a 7-point Likert Scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The overall alpha is satisfactory at .88. Fear of Crime Scale (Ferraro, 1996) The ten items of this scale were rated on a 10-point Likert scale, raning from 1 (not afraid at all ) to 10 (very afraid). Unlike the Attitude towards Prisoners Scale, the Fear of Crime Scale had not been validated locally, thus prior to any analysis, a set of validation procedures was performed. First, two items that could not match the current research purpose were removed: while the item being raped or sexually assaulted was removed due to its gender nonequivalence, the item having your car stolen was also removed because not many college students in Hong Kong owned their own cars. After removing the two items, the Kasier-Meyer-Oklin (KMO) and the Bartletts Test of Sphericity were performed to see if the originally factor structure could be employed in this study. The KMO value of the eight items was 0.80 and the Bartletts Test of Sphericity was significant (p Results Checking for Covariates Based on previous studies, life satisfaction, religion, and living arrangement are all possible covariates. In order to be classified as a covariate, these variables should correlate with a) any of the independent variables (age and gender) and b) any of the dependent variables (total fear of crime, fear of physical harm and fear of being cheated). Preliminary analyses indicated none of these variables satisfied the above conditions, so they would be excluded in subsequent analysis. Testing of Hypothesis Prior to analysis, all variables excluding gender were mean-centred. This was done to reduce any multicollinearity and to facilitate model estimation when main effects and interactive effects were both present (Aiken West, 1991). To compare the relative influences of age and gender on total fear of crime, fear of physical harm and fear of being cheated, three sets of hierarchical regression were performed. Attitude towards prisoners was first entered into the equation as a covariate, followed by age and gender; the Age X Gender interaction term was entered afterwards. Gender Difference in Fear of Crime: There was a main effect that gender had on all three types of crime fear, where female was always significantly more fearful than male (see Table 2). See table 3 for the mean and standard deviation of the three dependent variables in each gender group. Age Effect on Fear of Crime: While age positively correlated with fear of being cheated, no significant correlation was found between age and the other fear of crime constructs (see Table 4). Yet after controlling for attitude towards prisoner as the covariate, the predictive power of age on fear of being cheated disappeared (see Table 2). Age X Gender Interaction Effect on Fear of Crime: Significant Age X Gender interaction effects on total fear of crime and fear of being cheated were found. However, such interaction effect did not happen for fear of physical harm (see Table 2). To further investigate these significant interaction effects, two sets of hierarchical regression on total fear of crime and fear of being cheated were performed after splitting the sample into male and female subgroups. Attitude towards prisoners was first entered into the equation as a covariate, followed by age. After controlling for the covariate, age was no longer a predictor of total fear of crime for both gender groups. Yet for fear of being cheated, while it could be predicted by age for female (ÃŽÂ ² = .14, p Discussion The present study aimed to look at age and gender effects on fear of crime and their relationships with attitude towards prisoner and crime, life satisfaction, living arrangement and religion in a Chinese sample. In general, women reported higher average scores on fear than men among all aspects of crime, indicating that women were always more afraid of crime than men regardless of how fear of crime was measured. Women in our sample also reported that they were most afraid of being raped or sexually assaulted, followed by fear of being murder and fear of being attacked by someone with a weapon. This pattern of results were in line with previous findings that women were more fearful than men because they were particularly vulnerable to crime and were less able than men to defend themselves physically; therefore, women perceived themselves to be at greater risk of crimes than men (LaGrange and Ferraro, 1989; Smith and Torstensson, 1997). The results were also consistent with previous s tudies that fear of sexual assault operated as a master offense among women, which in turn heightened their fear of other victimizations, e.g. murder, attacks, or burglary (Ferraro, 1995). On the other hand, fear of being murder was most common among males, followed by fear of being attacked by someone with a weapon and fear of being raped or sexually assaulted. Interestingly, the current results replicated the findings of LaGrange and Ferraro (1989) in which men reported that they were afraid of being sexually assaulted (presumably by other men). In the second part of the study, a factor analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between gender and age of participants and their various crime perceptions. Results of the present study showed a gender effect on fear of crime, in which women had significantly higher score on total fear of crime, fear of being cheated and fear of physical harm than men. These findings were consistent with previous research in which females might have lower threshold for fear than males. An evolutionary approach has been put forward by researchers to explain this gender difference in fear of crime (e.g. Campbell, Muncer and Bibel, 2001; Fetchenhauer and Buunk, 2005; Sidebottom and Tilley, 2008). In a Dutch study, Fetchenhauer and Buunk (2005) showed that females were significantly more fearful than males when presented with scenarios (both criminal and non-criminal events) that resulted in physical injury, and they proposed that gender differences in fear of all kinds of events that inv olved physical injury may be the result of sexual selection that favoured risk-taking and status fights among males, and being cautious and protecting ones offspring among females (p.111). The current study also found a significant positive correlation between age and fear of being cheated, suggesting that older people were more afraid of being cheated than younger people. The result reflects the varying importance attached to material wealth with age: the costs of property loss might have greater impact on middle-aged group since they are more likely to have accumulated property and have dependent children compared to younger age group (Moore and Shepherd, 2007). Based on data derived from the 2001 British Crime Survey, Moore and Shepherd (2007) concluded that fear of property loss was greatest at around 40-60 years, peaked at around 45 years, whereas a lower level of fear was observed at about 16-25 years. Another possibility for the age differences in fear might be due to socialization. Past research has shown that socialization may increase the amount of contacts with others, and thus people who socialize more often may increase their likelihood of fraud victimizat ion (Van Wyk and Manson, 2001). In a recent study, Schoepfer and Piquero (2009) demonstrated that risky behaviour and age were important factors that predicted the likelihood of fraud victimization: individuals who were open to financial risk-taking and engaged in more risky behaviours were more likely to be a victim of fraud (e.g. free prize fraud, credit or bank account fraud and being billed for more than what the product is worth). It should also be noted that older people in our sample are postgraduate students who might have higher income and socialize more often and thus they have greater opportunities to be victimized than younger people. Results in this study also showed that the relationship between age and fear of being cheated was influenced by individuals attitude towards prisoner. Since not much research has been done on fear of being cheated, more studies are needed to look at the relationship between age and fear of deception. Nonetheless, no significant correlation was found between age and fear of physical harm, indicating that that age was not associated with levels of fear of being physical harm. Further analysis was performed in the next section to look at gender and age effects on various constructs of fear. Significant gender-age interaction effects were found on total fear of crime and fear of being cheated. After controlling the variable attitude towards prisoner, age was a significant predictor of fear of being cheated in females, but not in males. There was a positive correlation between age and fear of being cheated among females, suggesting that older females were more fearful of being victimized than males. This may be due in part to the fact that personal victimization can have more serious consequences for women than men. Past research has indicated that crime fear involve both emotional and evaluative components and it is shaped by the vividness of the image of crime and perceptions of the severity of the consequences of crimes, together with feelings of personal control and perceptions of victimization likelihood (Jackson, 2006). It has been found that some vict ims of fraud may experience more harmful long-term effects than those victimized by conventional crimes, and many of them continued to suffer from lasting problems with finances, self-esteem, embarrassment, and self-blaming even ten years after the incidents (Shover, Fox and Mills, 1994). Recently, Schoepfer and Piquero (2009, p.210) argued that some fraud victimizations have even been equated to those of rape since both crime are rarely reported by victims and both involved victim facilitation, and questions of guilt and responsibility are the burden of the victims; hence, this makes females more fearful of being cheated than males. However, the current results did not support some of the past findings on fear of fraud victimization. Mixed results were found in previous studies concerning gender difference on fear of property loss. For instance, LaGrange and Ferraro (1989) found no gender different on fear of being conned or swindled out of money and fear of being approach by a beg gar; whereas Moore and Shepherd (2007) showed that men were more fearful than women of property loss. One of the possibilities for the discrepancy in these findings might be due to the cultural difference in crime rates. Since fear of crime also reflects actual crime rate in society, results in the present study might also suggest that older women are more vulnerable to minor crimes, e.g. street or telephone deception, than men in the local area. Yet, no interaction effect on fear of physical harm was found in this study. Additional study might be needed to investigate how womens fear of being cheated varies with age. There are two possible limitations in the current study that should be taken into account. The first one relates to variables that were not included in the questionnaire, namely the mass media effect, crime prevalence and previous victimization experience. Due to the limitations of the standard questionnaire used in the present study, these factors were not included. It is well-established that the mass media plays an important role in shaping individuals attitude towards prisoner and the perception of crime and fear. According to the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF), people may attend to information about criminal activities from a series of amplified stations (e.g. mass media and interpersonal communication), and the risk signals may interact with a wide range of psychological, social and cultural processes in ways that intensity their actual risks (Kasperson et al. 2003). Researchers have demonstrated that tabloid readers who have an extensive level of crime media exp osure are about twice more likely to be worried than those who have limited exposure to crime source (Smolej and Kivivuori, 2006). Previous literature on media consumption and public attitude toward crime has also shown that offenders are often portrayed as different from the general population and viewed as psychopaths that prey on weak and vulnerable victims (Dowler, 2003). Recently, Reiner (2008) argued that crime stories often exaggerate the crime risks faced by higher-status people and always disproportionately representing women, children, or older people as victims, and this might heighten publics fear of crime. Over the past decade, researchers have attempted to integrate fear of crime into macro and micro levels of analysis (Ferraro, 1995; Jackson, 2004). At the macro-level, publics fear of crime is related to crime prevalence in society and local communities; whereas, at the micro-level, neighbourhood characteristics and personal characteristics (e.g. previous victimization experience, anxiety and everyday worry) may interact to produce differential perception of risk which, in turn, produces either fearful or adaptive reactions to crime (or both) (Farrall, Gray and Jackson, 2007). In future research it might be interesting to examine how these factors interact with age and gender to produce different levels of fear of being cheated. The second possible limitation is that the current findings could not be generalized into diverse cultures with different age groups. In this study, subjects were undergraduates or postgraduates recruited from a local university and they might have similar ag e, background, living situation, and ethnicity; therefore, their crime experience will be alike. In the future study, participants from various age groups and cultures are needed in order to generalize the results outside the Chinese society.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Neuropsychologist and Patient Perspectives :: Tumors Cancer Neurology Medical Essays

Neuropsychologist and Patient Perspectives There are many classifications of tumors that compress or destroy the hypothalamus. A few forms are craniopharyngioma, germinoma, and glioma. Symptoms of craniopharyngioma include headaches, visual disturbances, pituitary hormone deficiencies, retardation of growth, and calcification of the sella region in children. Germinoma, also called ectopic pineoloma or atypical teratoma, has similar effects to serninoma of the testis or dysgerminoma of the ovary. Another destructive cancer is glioma of the hypothalamus. Hand-Schuller-Christian disease produces hypopituitarism with delayed puberty, growth retardation, and diabetes insipidus; this type of cancer occurs in children (Yen and Jaffe 1986). Since the hypothalamus regulates release of hormones through the pituitary gland, one of the most common effects of damage to the hypothalamus is disruption of hormone release or hormone deficiency. Some common types of hormone deficiencies are gonadotropin, thyroid stimulating, adrenocorticotopic, growth, multiple, and panhypopituitarism. Gonadotropin deficiency is characterized by low levels of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. This deficiency can lead to decreased fertility, disrupted menstruation, decreased sex drive, headaches, sexual dysfunction, and loss of body hair. Typical treatment is hormone replacement therapy. Deficiency of thyroid stimulating hormone and subsequent lack of thyroid gland stimulation lead to a condition called hypothyroidism. Common symptoms include intolerance to cold, weight gain, constipation, fatigue, and pale, waxy skin. Before hormone replacement is used to stimulate the thyroid, it is typical to try treating the adrenal glands with steroids. Adrenocorticotopic hormone deficiency is the name for low levels of corticotropin (ACTH), a hormone that stimulates the adrenal gland to produce cortisol. Some signs of ACTH deficiency are low blood pressure, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, and in women nausea, pale skin, and loss of pubic hair. Daily doses of hydrocortisone or cortisone are used to correct this deficiency. Deficiency of growth hormone before physical maturity will impair growth, and in adults may be noticeable by obesity or skin wrinkling. Careful doses of growth hormone are administered to children with this condition and in adults may help restore the healthy muscle to fat ratio. Multiple hormone deficiency is more common than deficiency of a single hormone and usually loss occurs in a specific order: first growth, then luteinizing, follicle- stimulating, thyroid stimulating, and adrenocorticotopic. This process is typically slow and occurs over months and years, but hypopituitarism can start suddenly as in the case of traumatic brain injury. Panhypopituitarism is the loss of all hormones released by the pituitary, also called complete pituitary failure.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Distinguish Between the main Features of Perfect Competition and Monopo

Distinguish Between the main Features of Perfect Competition and Monopoly Market Structure There are three main features that distinguish between a perfect competition and monopoly market structure: the type of firm, the freedom of entry and the nature of the product (Sloman and Norris 1999, pg, 161). A table of these features is contained in Appendix A. These two market structures are on opposite ends of the scale and consequently, the features and benefits of each structure vary quite dramatically. Firms In a perfectly competitive market structure, there must be many firms in the market competing for business. In contrast to this, within a monopoly there is only one firm operating in the market. A firm that is operating within a perfect market is referred to as a price taker. Duffy (1993, pg. 107) explains that a condition of working within a perfectly competitive market is that â€Å"a price taker cannot control the price of the goods it sells; it simply takes the market price as given.† In a monopoly, the firm does not have to take the given price. It is able to search the market for the best price to charge relative to the demand for the product, profitability and availability of the resources for manufacture. This is particularly relevant when there is a shortage of supply. As there is only one seller of the product, consumers are forced to purchase the goods at a higher price. The International Encyclopaedia of Economics (1997, pg. 1041) states, ...

Friday, October 11, 2019

English Poem Essay

The cycle of life drives each individual to pass through different stages until finally reaching adulthood. All the ups and downs, experiences, learning, standing up for him/herself , are steps into reaching the final product : maturity. A coming of age process of a protagonist, a dunce who is heading up to this world to seek for his own destiny, his future looking for answers, and going through various types of experiences. But what drives a youth to take this risk ? There must be a reason for an individual to take such a journey at a young age, and usually and most probably it is an emotional loss, this can be described as something spiritual or in the form of an individual. This protagonist is heading for his maturity, to reach it, he will gradually go through steps that present difficulties he has to face. This lad is wanting to be accepted by the society he lives in as the mature individual he is seeking to achieve. The change a person undergoes to attain a perfect transformation from a youth to adulthood focuses on the psychological and moral growth he/she achieves. The transition of a young man to a man varies in different societies, maturity depends on several factors that differ between societies, some consider sexual maturity as in early adolescence as a sign for maturity, and others take marriage as the conformation an individual takes to prove his maturity, his transition from the dunce he once was to the mature man he is now. The double â€Å"I Do’’ is the kind of choice recognized by the law which is the formal union of two individuals mature enough, responsible enough, and aware by the action they are taking, and they go for it. What circumstances people go through that drive them to step out from naivety to reach adultness which allows them to take big decisions such as marriage ? When an individual pushes himself towards thinking that he is now mature enough to take his own decisions concerning his life and future, he is that individual who has been through a lot of events, through a lot of disappointments and turned out to be unsatisfied with anything he did, or nything he’s been through, and just decides that next step will be to satisfy only he is own needs, without taking into consideration anyone in the surrounding for they were no help to what he once needed. In Nervous conditions the novel, an important topic stands out and that is the danger of Tambu forgetting who she really is, where did she come from, and just get taken by the new life she is offered at the mission. Tambu lives in a society with gender discrimination, she had to be enslaved by the males in her family while her brother Nha mo got that chance to get educated and leave the filth they live in behind. Dangaremba started her novel with â€Å" I was not sorry when my brother died. Nor am I apologizing for my callousness, as you may define it, my lack of feeling. For that is not that at all. I feel many things these days much more than I was able to feel in the days when I was young and my brother died, and there are reasons for this more than the mere consequence of age’’ (page:1), form here we can see that Tambu was happy for her brother’s death, not that she wanted him to die, but his death was the only way she can go to the mission to get the education she always dreamt of. She had the ambition, and the grave to study, what was left is the opportunity, and as soon as her brother died she knew she got that opportunity she was seeking for. Her brother’s death was the beginning of her life changing mission, it was her time to leave the days where she used to carry the pure water for the men to wash their hands with it at first, and then the females of the family are left with the filthy water to use, she was ready and more than happy to leave all of this and go to a whole new place to gain the power she needed to rise, to feel satisfied with the life she was given. In Babamukuru’s house she was introduced to a new world she was far away than getting, she saw the difference between the females in her hometown and the females at the mission, she saw how proud they were to be women, and fought for their rights , she is shown how to deal with her feminist side and to embrace the fact she is born a female, and most of what she learned was from her cousin Nayasha. While passing through all this kind of struggle, and adapting with her new habitat, Tambu was loosing who she really is, the Shona she is, unlike Nayasha who has nothing to loose of her Shona part for he doesn’t even know it. Thus this forms a great big gap inside of Tambu, the anger she feels and dissatisfaction of the life she has doesn’t do her but punishment for disobeying the authorities who are in her case the males of the family. In the African countries a place where Tambu came from, the traditions of marriage is when the bride moves to the husband’s hous e, and thus the authority the dad once had on the bride transfers to he husband, from male to male. In the novel we can see that Maiguru the holder of a masters degree is still under her husband’s authority, and although he gives her the freedom to do whatever she wants by running away, she chooses to come back home showing that she is under the man’s control. Tambu’s coming of age process takes place within the defiance of diverse females in her family against dejection of sexism, and colonialism, and racialism they go through. Tambu at the beginning of the story is a young girl who the life’s requirements pushes her to be very mature due to her situation. For from the moment she was a young girl she was responsible to take care of her sisters, does excessive chores, worries about her mother and her family in general. She chooses to do extra chores in order to lessen her mother’s burden, in addition to finding a new way by her own to get herself back to school because her father was not going to offer her any help to make it happen. But the time where Tambu showed that she reached adolescent is when she shows hybridity between tradition and modernity, although she got westernized or englishized yet she hold on to her traditions and evolved in society as well. At the end of the novel Tambu shows that she put he own needs above anyone’s suggestions, and she did what she found suits her best, at that time she chose to go to sacred heart although each one of her family stood against taking this option, but she refused to be sired to the males in her family and chose to do what she thinks is the best for her gaining the satisfaction she was running after, â€Å" in this way i banished my suspicion,buried it in the depths of my subconscious, and happily went back to Sacred Heart. (p:208) And the last paragraph in the novel is the paragraph that shows that Tambu finally got what she wants and started fresh with a new beginning knowing that she is the master of her life, and the one writing her own story in her own way, â€Å" it was a process whose events stretched over many years and would fill another volume, but the story I have told here, is my own story, the story of four women whom I loved, and our men, this story is how it all be gan. †(p:208) The kite Runner unlike Nervous Conditions shows a delayed coming of age story. Amir the protagonist in this story extends his sore adolescence through guilt and muteness until reaching the age of forty and after his marriage is the time where he decides to fix everything he did wrong. The kite runner talks about two friends who are living together Amir and Hassan, where Hassan served Amir and loved him enough to do whatever he asks him to do, he gave Amir everything while in return he got nothing but trouble. Hassan and Amir at first lived as two little innocent kids looking for journey and experience, the difference between the two was that Hassan was ready to do whatever Amir wants from him due to the love he feels towards him, an loyalty to his one and only friend, but on the contrary Amir was selfish and self-centered all his thoughts was only about him, he never cared about anyone but himself and his biggest struggle was to please baba, who was harsh on him to drive him to be a man. â€Å"I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan-the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past-and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran. †(p:84) , the moment Amir said those words was the most he admits his selfishness, coward, lack of innocence, and what a backstabber he is. When Amir accuses Hasan for stealing his watch although Hassan never did so, he took the blame because he knew that this is what Amir wants so he just did it, and that caused him to leave Baba’s house, and find his own way with his own father. Later on Amir and Baba traveled to America due to the war Afghanistan is going through, years later in America Baba dies, and Amir marries Soraya a girl who taught him courage and to be bold, things he doesn’t have yet he wishes he did, he hopes to be as courage as what Soraya has shown him. When Amir gets a call from an old friend of him telling him to come back to Afghanistan and that there is a way to be good again, Amir took the choice of going, at that moment Amir decided to step out of his bubble, be mature, and correct the mistakes he had done. He went back to Afghanistan, looked for Hassan and felt devastated to know about Hassan’s death, so he made his life mission to look for his son and take him under his care. He sacrificed himself to rescue him from the people who owned him(Assef), then took him back with him to America and treated him as if his own, for Amir had figured out that he’s unable of having children. And continued his life serving Sohrab ( Hassan’s son) the way Hassan once served him, where at the end of the story he repeats the words Hassan used to tell him â€Å" For you a thousand times over,†(p:401). What’s different in this story form other coming f age stories that he reaches adultness after getting married due to what his wife showed of honesty ,courage, and boldness he never had. And unlike Tambu, the ambition and sexism she went through in her life is what pushed her towards growing maturity in a young age, while Amir his guilt and silence are what drived him to maturity but at a delayed time form that of Nervous Conditions. In the third novel Beasts Of No Nation, the protagonist is a seven year old boy named Agu . Agu is just a kid who doesn’t know what to do , and has no one to guide him through especially, after ending up between a group of people who claim to be soldiers , this seven year old kid has no choice but to do what they tell him in order to fight for his life , so being forced to kill someone or otherwise you die, these are the two options a seven year old was facing, this is what drives a kid to grow sooner than expected. This youth who was lost, confused and has no idea what to do or where to go, and finds out that his destiny is chosen for him to join a group of filthy terrorists claiming that what they do is helping the villages from sinking. This choice that was obliged on him took him away from the life he was happily living in, stole his dreams away and placed him in front of war and killing. â€Å" I was having many friends in my village because all of the other children were that I’m a nice boy , and also I’m the best at all of the game and all the lesson we are learning. So they are all liking me and wanting to be my friend †¦. ’ ( p: 29 ) The childish language he uses, the improper english, all shows the innocence of a child, you can almost see a normal kid , dreaming , and just having fun , to an extent that you’d never think he could kill , and how about killing and loving the pleasure it brings? The first time the Commandant orders Agu to kill someone Agu struggles of what he needs and what he has to do, he doesn’t want to kill the man, but either the man dies of he does, it is a battle for fighting for his own life, â€Å"Then I am hitting his shoulder and then his chest and looking at how Commandant is smiling each time my knife is hitting the man. It is like the world is moving so slowly and I am seeing each drop of blood and each drop of sweat flying here and there. I am hearing the bird flapping their wing as they are leaving all the tree. It is sounding like thunder. I am hearing the mosquito buzzing in my ear so loud and I am feeling how the blood is just wetting on my leg and my face† (p. 21). And then the maturity he reaches was shaped in the fact that he love to kill later on, loved the excitement and pleasure it gets, â€Å"I am raising my knife high above my head. I am liking the sound of knife chopping KPWUDA KPWUDA on her head and how the blood is just splashing on my hand and my face and my feets. † ( p: 51 ), this is the moment when Agu was brainwashed to form a spirit with the love to kill in a little boy’s body. This transition Agu undergoes from the innocent child with dreams and ambition he once was to the killer in a seven year old boy body he now is, shows how the path he took was the one he was forced to take, pressured him into being the way he is now. The life situations of leaving his family and being pushed into a group of gorillas who claim to be soldiers made a little boy form victim to a murderer, but then when the time was for him to be rescued he recalls all the dreams he had, the family he loved, and the little boy he didn’t have the chance to be, and decides to be good again, but he knows he cannot get back to the child life he had, but he can still be good, for all the events, the war, the commandant, the soldiers, forced a little boy to grow too early,†I am knowing I am no more child so if this war is ending I cannot be going back to doing child thing. The three stories each talk about a protagonist who is forced to grow into maturity because of a certain life situations he/she faced. Tambu faced the situation of racism, sexism, and colonialism which pushed her behind chasing her dreams and her ambitions. Amir had a delayed adolescence but the guilt he was full with is what made him correct the mistakes his naivety made him do. And Agu the seven year old never knew how a child life is, and all he faced was war, orders, killing, and had no other choice but to do what he was forced into, and thus this child no longer exists, but a man in a child’s body is now found. The coming of age process of these three different characters follows the bildungsroman genre of how a protagonist through experience and socialization moves from naivety to maturity, in other words defining what a bildungsroman is all about, the moral and psychological growth of the main character.