Foreign direct investment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Foreign direct investment - Assignment Example Foreign direct investment involves acquisition of managerial control in a company. The threshold of this form of ownership is 10% or more in UK. This varies across countries. With the liberalization of the various global economies in Africa and Asia this form of investment has grown considerably. Foreign direct investment (FDI) facilitates the interaction of two firms and economies with varying economic differences. The foreign investors invest their funds with a long term perspective to exploit the cheap labour costs, strategic advantages, rich natural resources, market etc of another economy. In short this form of investment involves investing within the firm but outside the region. Importance of FDI This form of investment provides the necessary capital required by some developing economies which might be difficult to generate through domestic means. Besides the financial resources the foreign direct investment also provides the opportunity to make use of sophisticated and latest technology. It has been seen that the companies with no prior experience face problems in the import of such technology as this is deemed to be risky as well as expensive. With time FDI imparts a number of benefits to the host country that was hitherto not available. This includes upgrading of industrial operations, transferring of advanced technology, training the labour force, introduction of developed methods of accounting & modern management, developing the trading and finance related networks and up gradation of telecommunication related services. In sectors like services FDI uplifts the competitive strength of the host country by increasing the productivity of financial resources.

Separate Peace Essay Example for Free

Separate Peace Essay Gene has a huge ego. His life revolves around competition. Everyday life is transformed to a constant war with everyone around him. He sees everyone he encounters as his rivals and enemies. He says about sports, â€Å"It was as though football players were really bent on crushing the life out of each other†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦as though even a tennis ball might turn into a bullet†. (Knowles pp. 84) Gene sees matters of life and death in harmless games of sports. Gene is never comfortable with his own identity. He is envious of those who are better than him and treat them as enemies. He grows extremely jealous of Finny for his athletic talents and ability to flout the rules. He cannot bear to feel inferior to anyone, even his friend; they are all his enemies. He is determined to be better than Finny in academics, in order to not feel inferior to Finny. Being the best in academics would equate Gene with Finny, who was best in athletics. Gene imagines that Finny is no less selfish than him and that they both hated each other in their rivalry. He imagines Finny is only pretending to be his friend to sabotage him. Gene interprets all of Finny’s actions as made in rivalry to him. Finny actually thinks of him as his best friend and never saw him as an enemy. Gene’s later discovery that Finny genuinely wants him to do well destroys the balance of his world, in which they both are enemies competing against each other. So Finny is better not only athletically but as a good person. Always feeling inferior, Gene is jealous and envious to the point that a codependent relationship is made possible. Lacking an identity and enviously seeing only Finny’s superior morals and talents, he would give anything to not feel inferior to Finny. Gene is in a position hat he desires Finny’s identity so much that he would enter into a codependent relationship with Finny to obtain his identity. Gene wants the qualities of Finny that he lacks. At the same time, Finny struggles with insecurity after his fall. Having shattered his leg, he cannot help but feel insecure about himself. His identity is shattered by the reality that he can no longer continue being the s tar athlete he was and achieve his dream of being a soldier. Being unable to carry out his dreams in his own physical body, he is forced to carry them out through the medium of Gene as an extension of himself. Throwing himself into a codependent relationship is Finny’s way of ridding himself of his insecurity and living a normal life through Gene. It would be as if the accident had never occurred. Finny needing to live his former life through someone and Gene’s desire to take on Finny’s identity makes way for a codependent relationship to form. Codependency becomes an obstacle to the creation of a separate identity. Finny’s fall provides the perfect time for the codependency to start. Both sides have something they want and can give in return. Gene wants Finny’s identity for the qualities that he admires in Finny but lacks himself. Finny wants to be able to live his life as an athlete through someone who acts as extension of Finny. Gene and Finny can satisfy each other’s desires. Since both people are receiving what they want in a codependent relationship they are content and happy with their life. There is no need to look inwards and examine oneself or improve oneself. After putting on Finny’s pink shirt, Gene says, â€Å"When I looked in the mirror it was no remote aristocrat I had become, no character out of daydreams. I was Phineas, Phineas to the life. I had no idea why this gave me such intense relief, but it seemed, standing there in Finny’s triumphant shirt, that I would never stumble through the confusion of my own character again. † (pp. 62). Gene feels happy that he has completely taken on Finny’s superior identity and escaped from who he is with all his issues. A false feeling of completeness and contentment prevent Gene from forming his own identity. Only after codependency is broken, can an individual identity emerge. Gene and Finny’s codependency is ended after Finny’s sudden death. Gene starts to re-examine himself, his thoughts and his emotions. Finally Gene puts things into perspective (Slethaug). Gene’s life from the start of his friendship with Finny has revolved around Finny. Everything he did, felt, thought about regarded Finny. His goal of becoming best in the class, and his envy were the result of Finny. Finny was the column, the foundation that supported and shaped his life. The foundation crumbles away with Finny’s death and Gene’s life comes crashing down. He can no longer depend on Finny to dictate his emotions, his thoughts and to serve as an idol he must surpass. With Finny gone, Gene now sees the foolishness and illusion he had been living in and the reality of life. He realizes that many of the enemies he had seen were the product of his own fear. He knows that Finny was a genuine and true friend who meant the best for him. Gene realizes that fear of everything had led to his seeing enemies in friends and that it was harmful. He sees that his fear had led him to feel threatened by a fearless Finny and his jealousy. His fear had made him feel that everyone was out to get him. Most importantly this fear had led him to seriously cripple Phineas and in the end led to Finny’s death. His guilt at having had a direct role in Finny’s death leads to him seeing the illogicality of fearing the world, the unknown, the imaginary enemy. He has escaped from his fear of the world, and matured into an adult in the process. Only now when he no longer fears anything or anyone, can Gene focus on himself and forge an identity. Only now when he does not see in everyone some quality that he lacks can he truly sees his own strengths and vulnerabilities and take them lightly. Gene can focus on forging his own identity when he other people’s identities no longer interest him. Phineas teaches Gene that in this world there is more than just evil, and war but also peace and good. Everyone is capable of good and evil. When Gene discovers that he like Finny is capable of good, he can overcome his guilt about his sin and find lasting peace within himself. Gene realizes that his hatred and jealousy is â€Å"something ignorant in the human heart† and is within him and also brings about wars. Only by reconciling himself with the fact of the existence of this evil within him can Gene realize that his own true enemy is not someone like Finny but in fact himself. He knows now that he had been seeing himself in everyone else. By coming to know his evil, he can come to know himself and his own identity. Gene by coming to know this evil within him can understand now the ideas of peace and love and the true value of friendship. Gene says of his time at Devon, â€Å"my war ended before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there. † (pp. 204) Gene has killed the hate, the evil, the fear within his heart that often causes wars. By killing the fear within him, he has defeated his own private demons. Gene has come to see that this enemy never comes from without, but always from within. He knows, moreover, that there is no defense to be built, only an acceptance and purification of oneself through love. (Ellis) Gene has matured and discovered his own identity after his codependent relationship is forcibly severed. In A Separate Peace, the author first shows how the codependency between Gene and Finny is formed. Later the author shows how Gene finally finds his own identity after the codependency is broken. Works Cited Knowles, John. A Separate Peace.

Primary school sex education in Malaysia

Primary school sex education in Malaysia 1.1 Introduction â€Å"Pedophiles’ blackmail victims into sex acts†, â€Å"Lustful minors†, these are the recent news titles published in newspapers in 2013 from New Straits Times. Sex education has always been a sensitive issue, in a particular in a country like Malaysia; and the issue has been brought into discussion since January 1991 until the latest on November 2008 (Sunday Times, 2010). There are rising of cases of unwanted pregnancies, baby dumping and minors raping minors where in most of situations involved consensual sex. In worst situation, some of the minors do not understand what they are doing. This proved the need of sex education in schools. Nevertheless, Malaysia still refused to implement a complete sex education in schools. While recent reported cases revealed that sexual misconduct among children not only occurred among teenagers or secondary school, but also at young age involving primary school children; thus painted a serious outlook for Malaysia. According to the Principal Assistant Director of the Sexual Crimes, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Investigations Division of Royal Malaysian Police, a number of 22 cases of sexual misconduct involving children were reported from 2011 until September 2013—this number involved children aged below 13 years old (source: Royal Malaysian Police 2013). Interestingly, there were no cases on sexual misconduct of minors against minors reported before 2011; this may not mean that there was no cases of sexual misconduct among children in the country, perhaps, it exist, but not reported to the authority or the children’s parents or guardian remain silent about the situation. Most of the serious reported cases were publicized in the local newspapers; however, there still a number of unreported cases remain unknown. The human rights commissioner, James Nayagam believes that the schools have failed teaching the students to respect the human right of girls. He also claims that schools need to start implementing two important topics, which are on human rights and preventive sex education (The Star, 2010). Curiosity among children regarding sex is rising; this is influenced by what they observed in the internet. In some situation, children are more expert than the adult in term of using advanced gadget to browse through the internet. These children are not always monitored by their parents or guardian. This is one of the negative consequences of internet to our young generation. Further, when the children don’t have their own gadget to browse the internet, they also can go to cyber cafe nearest their house. They are not only playing computer games, but they are also browsing the internet, especially the popular YouTube websites. Computers in the cyber cafà © are usually not safe for the children, because sometimes the computers at the cafe are not restricted from certain â€Å"bad websites†, where illicit pictures of half-naked men and women can suddenly pop up from the computer screen. According to an article from the Canadian Council on Learning (January, 2008), most young people stumble upon pornography while searching for something else. Recent study conducted among British children ages from 9 to 19 proved that most whom encountered online pornography did not give further attention, some get disgust by it and small number of them expressed an interest in it. However, the small amount of them is the one that need to be controlled as this may trigger the kids to click on the pop ups which, later brings them to the â€Å"bad websites†. While a few developed countries such as Australia, United Kingdom and others have implemented sex education; Malaysia still in the early stage of implementing sex education in secondary school, yet it is still not completely implemented. Young children need to be educated about this matter. Without education, they might not be able to decide and defend for themselves especially the girls. Children who are in the process of growing up usually do not receive adequate information, knowledge and preparation for safe sexual life. The community often avoid from having an open conversation about sexual matters. At that particular age, these kids are crucially in need of conversation about sexual matters with the reliable person. Unfortunately, most parents think that it is not necessary to have sexuality education at school. Based on a report written by Lee Choon Fai, Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) executive director, Ivy Josiah, stated that open discussion about sex is often seen as an inappropriate in Malaysia, especially in the conservative communities (Selangor Times, 2012). They tend to think that sexuality education is one of the way or factor that could lead to social problem. For them, the children wouldn’t know and won’t involve in sex problem if the syllabus is not being teach at school. A primary teacher from Johor claimed that parents think that sexuality education teaches students how to have sex and all (The Star Online, 2012). But what they do not know is that sexuality education actually helps provide their children with knowledge and information about the effect of the immoral act such as the diseases, unwanted pregnancies and other social problem. This shows the need to have sex education in Malaysian primary schools; however, how ready of Malaysian parents to accept sex education for their children? 1.2 Problem Statement The issue of having/implementing sex education in Malaysian schools is not new. It arises as one of the solutions to deal with the rising number of baby dumping in Malaysia. Baby dumping issue, which strongly related to other social problems in Malaysia such as illegal sex, teenage pregnancy, unwanted pregnancy, pregnant out of wedlock and others, pressure the government and relevant parties in Malaysia to propose for solutions. While a few solutions have been accepted, though with some challenges, such as the implementation of baby hatches (Gunaratnam and Agustin, 2010), school for pregnant teenagers (School of Hope in Malacca) (Ram and Elis, 2010), encourage young couples to get married; solution to have sex education among children is still partially implemented. Instead of agreeing to have a complete sex education in schools, Malaysian government argues that information about sex has been covered in several subjects in school such as in Biology and Social and Reproductive Health Studies. The reluctant to implement sex education among school children may come with the idea of not exposing and encouraging teenagers to sex; on the other hand, this may means that Malaysian society is still in denial in accepting sex is happening among our teenagers. Thus, sex education is important to teach our children about sex and its consequences. However, the issue of sexual misconduct is not only happened among teenagers, but also involving young children. While the implementation of sex education in Malaysian secondary schools are not well accepted by many parties; this study attempt to explore Malaysian parents’ readiness to accept sex education in primary schools due to the rising number of sexual misconduct among young children in the country. The introduction of sex education in primary school is not new. Developed countries such as Australia and United Kingdom have implemented sex education among primary school children and it’s proved to be effective in dealing with sexual misconduct among children in their countries. 1.3 Research Questions The questions that arise while the research is conducted are as follows: What is the level of readiness and acceptance of having sex education as part of primary school syllabus? What are the relationship between conservative thinking, taboo subject, lack of expertise in schools and parents’ role, and the implementation of sex education among primary school children? What are the main factor that hinder the implementation of sex education among primary school children? 1.4 Research Objectives The main objective of this study is to find out the readiness and acceptance of the parents on the issue of implementing sex education in schools, especially in primary schools. To achieve the objective, the process of planning and implementing the subject should be done thoroughly so that it can be fully accepted by the parents. The specific objectives of the study include: To study the parents’ level of readiness and acceptance of having sex education as part of primary school syllabus To explore the relationship between conservative thinking, taboo subject, lack of expertise in schools and parents’ role, and the implementation of sex education among primary school children. To examine the parents’ perception on main factors that hinders the implementation of sex education among the primary school children in Klang Valley 1.5 Scope of Study Level This research will focus on parents’ readiness and acceptance on sex education among school children. The scope of this study is narrowed to parents because they play important role in their children’s’ life. Furthermore, in school, there is also an association that require parents’ involvement. For example, there is Parents and Teacher Association (PTA) where both parents and teachers will sit together discussing about the development of children and all problems associated with the students. Thus, parents’ voice will be taken into account if they agree to have and feel the need of sex education to be taught in schools. 1.6 Significance of the Study The study is necessary to bring the awareness of the community towards the importance of having sex education as part of school syllabus and the benefits that it will bring to the country. The findings of this study are important to help the affected parties to realize what sex education is all about and related knowledge that comes with the implementation of the subject. The subject will mostly affect the teenagers which are the students of the secondary school and other involved parties include the parents, school counsellor, teachers, the community and the government. Sex education may help to overcome social problems among teenagers such as teenage pregnancy, pre-marital sex and under age sex. With the right module, sex education also provide the students the right information about sex and its related issues and at the same time, correct any inaccurate and insufficient information about sex that they learnt from the Internet or mass media. Apart from that, the introduction of the subject will help to educate teenagers about health issues related to sex namely ways to prevent pregnancies, unsafe abortions, abandoned babies, and sexually-transmitted diseases. 1.7 Definition of Terms, Terminology and Concepts Sex Education Science Daily described sex education as a broad term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse and other aspects of human sexual behaviour. Children With reference to Child Act 2001, child is define as a person under the age of eighteen years. Primary School Macmillan Dictionary defines primary school as a school for children between the ages of four or five and eleven. In UK primary schools are sometimes divided into an infant school for the youngest children and a junior school. Same it goes to Malaysia, we have kindergarten for children age 5 and 6 and primary school with student age from 7 to 12. Social Problem We take definition on social problem from Maxwell School. It describes social problem as a condition that at least some people in a community view as being undesirable. Teenage Pregnancy According to UNICEF, teenage pregnancy is defined as teenage girl, usually within the ages of 13-19, becoming pregnant. The term that is being used in the everyday speech frequently refers to girls who have not yet reached legal adulthood, which varies across the world, become pregnant.

The Issue of Inflation Control as an Objectice of Central Banks Essay e

The Issue of Inflation Control as an Objectice of Central Banks This paper looks at the issue of inflation control as an objective of central banks. Viewing the British Commonwealth and Continental European models of ‘zero inflation’ in contrast with the moderate inflation policy of the US provides a case against zero inflation as a policy objective. A variety of issues that surround inflation; e.g., the inflation/unemployment relationship, etc, will be brought to the fore. In the final analysis, it is clear that efforts to eradicate inflation are misguided and more moderate inflation is preferable in an era where steady economic growth is desirable. Introduction Hyper inflation has plagued most of the world’s developing countries over the past decades. Countries in the industrialised world, too, have at times duelled with dangerously high inflation rates in the post WWII era. With varying degrees of success, all have employed great efforts to bring their inflation rates within acceptable limits. Generally, a moderate rate of inflation has been the ultimate goal. More recently, however, a few countries have pursued policies that strive to eradicate inflation altogether through complete price stability. This has proven to be a contentious enterprise, which clearly indicates that there is still no universally accepted solution to the inflation problem. Indeed, there is not even an agreed consensus regarding the source of inflation itself. The monetarist perception that the root of inflation is solely the excessive creation of money remains. So too does the belief that inflation originates in the labour market. And amongst a variety of others, the opinion that inflation â€Å"serves the critical social purpose of resolving incompatible demands by different groups† is also strong. This last, and more widely accepted, case shows that the problem is hardly a technical one; but rather a political one. It highlights the now unquestionable fact that politics and inflation are inextricably linked. And as with all inherently political issues, consensus is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. But, political characteristics do provide flexibility. In some countries, high rates of inflation have clearly been compatible with rapid economic growth and fast rising standards of living. In such cases, it is quite reasonable to suggest that higher r... ...n and France. And unless the elusive benefits of zero inflation soon manifest themselves, it is only a matter of time before the rest of the ‘no inflation’ pack realises they are barking up the wrong tree. Bibliography: Akerlof, George., Dickens, William., Perry, George., ‘The Macroeconomics of Low Inflation’., Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (1996 NI) Dale, Reginald., ‘Zero Inflation is Not a Great Idea’., International Herald Tribune (Tuesday, September 10, 1996) Fortin, Pierre, ‘The Canadian Fiscal Problem: The Macroeconomic Connection’ in Lars Osberg and Pierre Fortin (eds.), Unnecessary Debts (Lorimer, 1996) Fortin, Pierre., ‘The Great Canadian Slump’., Canadian Journal of Economics (November 1996) Freedman, Charles, ‘The Role of Monetary Conditions and the Monetary Conditions Index in the Conduct of Policy’., in Bank of Canada Review (Autumn 1995) Friedman, Milton., ‘The Role of Monetary Policy’., American Economic Review (March, 1968) Frisch, Helmut., Theories of Inflation (Cambridge University Press, New York, 1983) Lovewell, Mark., ‘Getting to Zero: Bank of Canada Policy in Context’., in Bank of Canada Review (Autumn 1996)

Ballet or Football

Ashley Barnes Allie D. Rogers Engl 1010- 431 October 1, 2012 Ballet or Football? Ballet and football are both difficult sports to master; however, someone once said, â€Å"If ballet were any easier, they’d call it football. † What makes for a good sport? Every sport has rules and regulations that one must follow in order to play. The sport requires specific skills such as strength, coordination, and speed. A good sport has a certain level of safety to keep the participants safe and requires a lot of teamwork so that every is playing together. I personally think ballet is the more technical of the two.Ballet is much more complex than football. Every sport requires you to follow certain guidelines. In football, the player can’t grab the opponent in certain ways or a yellow flag will be thrown on the ground to indicate holding or some penalty that no one has even heard of before. Football has rules that the team must obey. On the other hand, ballet is less restricte d than football. They are no rules in ballet. Ballet is a form of art; there are no limitations on art. Ballet is not about winning or following any rules; it is about expression through movement.Although there is more freedom in ballet, there is a lot of technique required. You must hold your arms a certain way so that they do not droop, and you must always remember the turn out of your thigh when you tendu. Ballet may not have rules, but there are still plenty of little details to remember. Strength is a major component of almost any sport. In football, the quarterback relies on two hundred and fifty pound linemen to block so that he can get the ball in the end zone. The defensive linemen have to use their upper body strength to hold the opposing team and keep them from getting to the ball.They use their lower body to stand strong to hold their ground like grabbing a bull by the horns. Ballet requires a totally different kind of strength than football does. Dancers use their upper bodies to hold their arms above their heads in a perfect beach ball shaped fifth position while still keeping their shoulders down for thirty minutes at a time. They use their lower body strength to push out of a plie to a pique turn and have to maintain the core strength, so they do not wobble too much. Football does not require much coordination.It wasn’t a sport that was meant to be pretty. It was meant to be rough and rugged for the manliest of men. While watching the game, half of the time you don’t even know if they meant to fall down or if they just happen to be clumsy enough to fall over their own two feet. It tends to be one big dog pile play after play. In ballet, coordination is everything. Dancers must make sure they are in the exact spot that they are supposed to be at and be in sync with every other dancer on the stage. Pierce Brosnan said, â€Å"Love is a lot like dancing; you just surrender to the music† (Willcutt).Every beat must be a white fla g waving and show complete dedication to the music. Dancers have to be coordinated enough to do long elaborate pieces of choreography while still maintaining a smile on their faces. Ballerinas must make every single movement appear effortless. In football, speed is very important when a wide receiver is trying to run the ball down the field. It is his speed that helps him to pass by the other players in lightning speed so fast that they do not even know what hit them. I know what you’re thinking†¦. why would you need speed in ballet?However, not one ballerina would ever dream of doing a slow fouette, a move in which you whip your leg around to spin. It would be a disaster. Fouettes are meant to be fast to get your body around faster to make your pirouettes prettier. Speed and extreme focus is what makes a ballerina capable of turning. Although countless football players get hurt yearly, they have equipment that is specifically designed to keep them from serious injury. F ootball players risk injury every time they step foot out on that field, but if they fall down, their equipment is there to take the majority of the impact.Safety is important in any sport you play; that is why in football the players wear pads and helmets for protection. However, dancers must maintain a flawless posture to keep from injuring themselves. There is no special equipment for a dancer to use to keep themselves to safe. A dancer must rely on stretching to warm up his or her muscles. Dancers have to take every good care of their ankles and knees because they are constantly at risk of injury. If a dancer twists her ankle on stage during a performance, she doesn’t call in the second string.She sucks it up, puts on a brave face, and keeps on dancing. Teamwork is important in football because if you don’t read your guards, then you are liable to screw the entire play up. The player must know what the play is and what exact role everyone is going to play. The play ers huddle up before each play to strategize against the other team. They break off and have to rely on their teammates to do what is required of them. Vince Lombardi said, â€Å"People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society† (Family of Vince).When you think of the word team, you don’t exactly picture a group of ballerinas dancing on a shiny hardwood stage. You stereotypically think of the Pittsburg Steelers or some other NFL team. However, in ballet, every dancer is part of a team. You have to be so in tune with one another that as soon as the music begins, everyone begins to dance as if a bunch of puppets moving on strings. If one â€Å"teammate† loses rhythm then the whole performance suffers. Dancers rehearse with their fellow dancers for weeks and weeks to perfect their dance so that it will be flawless.In the end, ballet and football require a great amount of passion and determination. If you do not have the heart, you will not be willing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears that it takes to pursue the sport whole-heartedly. Although football may be a little easier, both sports demand a lot of hard work. Works Cited Family of Vince Lombardi c/o Luminary Group LLC. â€Å"Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi. † Vince Lombardi. 2010. Web. October 4, 2012. Willcutt, Sara. â€Å"Dance Quotes 3. † Ascending Star Dance- An Internet Dance Magazine. 2007. Web. October 4, 2012.

Equality Between Genders Essay

A few dozen years ago, women and men were not seen as equals. Women did not even have the right to vote and men were paid more than women for doing the same work. Even now, some societies still have this barbaric vision of inequality. Thankfully, our society evolved and we can see more clearly. There sure are differences between the two sexes but it’s not necessarily a bad thing when the two can work together to compensate for their weakness. Women and men complete each other well, because they have different skills: multitasking, perspective and taking care of children. In the first place, women are usually better than men at multitasking. You can often see them talking on the phone while doing a homework and at the same time have something that is cooking that will burn if they forget about it. Their concentration is very good, which is a reason why they sometimes perform better in school then male. This skill is very helpful to help men, who often rely on their secretary or wife to remember an important day or to handle a situation that requires talking to two people at once, since men tend to focus on only one thing and forget about the rest. However, this focus of men can often lead to a better overall perspective. When travelling, men will usually have an easier time reading maps to figure out where to go either if they are driving a car or walking in a foreign city. Also, they have a better sense of direction and will get lost less frequently then women. Male have better 3D perception, a proof of this would be that there are a lot more male architect then female one. Women can then ask men for advice when they get lost or when they need to make plans to build something in their house. Last but not least, the fact that women are the ones who gives birth to children makes them better at raising children. Since the beginning of time, women have been raising children while men went at work. Women have a natural maternal instinct, they are naturally made for nurturing and taking care of children. Women tend to be more preoccupied towards children that hurt themselves or when kids get sick. A woman knows when something is wrong with their children. They are more patient and less aggressive. Men can then rely on women to raise their children and they don’t have to worry. To conclude, men and women are equal because they can always rely on each other.

Free Essays on Gays

Last November the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ruled that excluding gay couples from civil marriage violated the state constitution. The court gave the legislature six months- until May- to do something about it. Some legislators mounted efforts to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage, but as of this writing they have failed (and even if passed, a ban would not take effect until at least 2006). With unexpected urgency the country faces the possibility that marriage licenses might soon be issued to homosexual couples. To hear the opposing sides talk, a national culture war is unavoidable. But same-sex marriage neither must nor should be treated as an all-or-nothing national decision. Instead individual states should be left to try gay marriage if and when they choose- no national ban, no national mandate. Not only would a decentralized approach be in keeping with the country's most venerable legal traditions; it would also improve, in three ways, the odds of making same-sex marriage work for gay and straight Americans alike. (atlantic) PRO: Banning same-sex marriage is discriminatory. Marriage is a basic human right and should not be denied to any individual. At various times in U.S. history, other minorities have been prevented from marrying: African-Americans, for example. Interracial marriage was also legally prohibited in various states, until the Supreme Court ruled such bans unconstitutional in 1967. A Hawaii commission created to examine marriage discrimination concluded that banning gay marriage cut same-sex couples off from a host of tangible advantages, including health and retirement benefits; life insurance, income tax, estate tax and wrongful-death benefits, and spousal and dependent support. Marriage promotes stability. Gay men and lesbians in committed relationships want to be able to celebrate their love and fidelity in the same way that heterosexual couples do. Religious conserva... Free Essays on Gays Free Essays on Gays Last November the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ruled that excluding gay couples from civil marriage violated the state constitution. The court gave the legislature six months- until May- to do something about it. Some legislators mounted efforts to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage, but as of this writing they have failed (and even if passed, a ban would not take effect until at least 2006). With unexpected urgency the country faces the possibility that marriage licenses might soon be issued to homosexual couples. To hear the opposing sides talk, a national culture war is unavoidable. But same-sex marriage neither must nor should be treated as an all-or-nothing national decision. Instead individual states should be left to try gay marriage if and when they choose- no national ban, no national mandate. Not only would a decentralized approach be in keeping with the country's most venerable legal traditions; it would also improve, in three ways, the odds of making same-sex marriage work for gay and straight Americans alike. (atlantic) PRO: Banning same-sex marriage is discriminatory. Marriage is a basic human right and should not be denied to any individual. At various times in U.S. history, other minorities have been prevented from marrying: African-Americans, for example. Interracial marriage was also legally prohibited in various states, until the Supreme Court ruled such bans unconstitutional in 1967. A Hawaii commission created to examine marriage discrimination concluded that banning gay marriage cut same-sex couples off from a host of tangible advantages, including health and retirement benefits; life insurance, income tax, estate tax and wrongful-death benefits, and spousal and dependent support. Marriage promotes stability. Gay men and lesbians in committed relationships want to be able to celebrate their love and fidelity in the same way that heterosexual couples do. Religious conserva...

Free Essays on The Haves And The Have Nots

The Haves and Have-Nots is a book that contains many short stories all dealing with money or the lack of it and how it affects peoples lives. When looking for stories to compare and contrast â€Å"Hope Deferred† and â€Å"Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds† come to mind. These two stories are similar in the way that they are both about married couples living in poverty. Marriage is a difficult task in itself, but when poverty is involved it makes it much more difficult. Because of this we see all the love that is shared between these two couples. However, although the stories share the same theme of financial difficulty, they differ in the way the couples love each other. Poverty is the common theme of both of the stories. The Edwards are living on close to nothing, but are making the best of whatever they can. They have a place to live and find means to survive, but the love they have for one another is the main factor that keeps them going, despite the discrimination they encounter in the white racist town they live in. â€Å"Waiters wanted none but white men need apply.† In â€Å"Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds, the couple is faced with financial hardships as well, however, they are on a different level. The Edward’s are just unfortunate in the way that they are black and are unable to find work; they were also probably born into poverty. However, the Beazley’s situation is due to Mr. Beazley’s business decisions. They own a store and many properties in the area, but his poor decisions forced them into bankruptcy and they had to keep borders in their home to make extra money. The property that Mr. Beazley lost belonged to his wife, and without permission he made decisions which affected his wife and their three children. â€Å" â€Å"Your going to sell the Rockford lot – I know it! How could you do it William? The very last piece of what my father left me!† â€Å" Mr. Beazley minded her outcry no more than he minded the squawking of a to... Free Essays on The Haves And The Have Nots Free Essays on The Haves And The Have Nots The Haves and Have-Nots is a book that contains many short stories all dealing with money or the lack of it and how it affects peoples lives. When looking for stories to compare and contrast â€Å"Hope Deferred† and â€Å"Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds† come to mind. These two stories are similar in the way that they are both about married couples living in poverty. Marriage is a difficult task in itself, but when poverty is involved it makes it much more difficult. Because of this we see all the love that is shared between these two couples. However, although the stories share the same theme of financial difficulty, they differ in the way the couples love each other. Poverty is the common theme of both of the stories. The Edwards are living on close to nothing, but are making the best of whatever they can. They have a place to live and find means to survive, but the love they have for one another is the main factor that keeps them going, despite the discrimination they encounter in the white racist town they live in. â€Å"Waiters wanted none but white men need apply.† In â€Å"Mrs. Beazley’s Deeds, the couple is faced with financial hardships as well, however, they are on a different level. The Edward’s are just unfortunate in the way that they are black and are unable to find work; they were also probably born into poverty. However, the Beazley’s situation is due to Mr. Beazley’s business decisions. They own a store and many properties in the area, but his poor decisions forced them into bankruptcy and they had to keep borders in their home to make extra money. The property that Mr. Beazley lost belonged to his wife, and without permission he made decisions which affected his wife and their three children. â€Å" â€Å"Your going to sell the Rockford lot – I know it! How could you do it William? The very last piece of what my father left me!† â€Å" Mr. Beazley minded her outcry no more than he minded the squawking of a to...

Change Management in the Learning Organization Essay Example for Free

Change Management in the Learning Organization Essay Organization (1318) , Structure (56) In this paper I intend to discuss change management approaches that support the learning organization philosophy. The learning organization is defined as an organization that acquires knowledge and innovates fast enough to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. Learning organizations (1) create a culture that encourages and supports continuous employee learning, critical thinking, and risk taking with new ideas, (2) allow mistakes, and value employee contributions, (3) learn from experience and experiment, and (4) disseminate the new knowledge throughout the organization for incorporation into day-to-day activities. On the other hand we have a process called change management which is defined as minimizing resistance to organizational change through involvement of key players and stakeholders. At my organization these two go hand in hand and it allows for us as a company to experience constant growth and development of our staff. Our employees are more willing to welcome change when we train them in the process. As businesses moves through the 21st century, they are becoming more dependent upon their managers to be change agents. These companies actually seek managers who can bring success to their organizations. Three of the characteristics we look for in our new managers are they must have the ability to stimulate change, excellent planning capabilities, and ethics. Over the years I have spent in management I have learned that success in  becoming a learning organization relies on a commitment to learning on the part of the organizations I have worked for and the willingness of the individuals involved to be receptive to the change process. As a manager, what we usually can change falls into basically three categories; people, structure, or technology. An efficient manager will make alterations in these areas in an attempt to facilitate change. With people the change involves adjusting attitudes, expectations, perceptions, and probably most importantly behavior. Coaching people to adjust in these areas will help employees within the organization to work together more effectively. Changing structure relates to the job design, specialization, hierarchy and any other structural variables. These usually need to be flexible and non-static in order to be adaptable to change. When dealing with technological change we are looking at modifying work processes and methods along with the introduction of new equipment. To me learning organizations support the change process just as much as change management supports the learning organization philosophy. I say that because every change calls for some sort of learning as the more comprehensive the change the more attention we have to place on learning for the individuals involved in the change. By utilizing the learning organizations philosophies companies including the one I work for are able to magnify the potential of its employees which keeps them growing. Learning in action: a guide to putting the learning organization to work/ David A. Garvin Change Management in the Learning Organization. (2016, Aug 06). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Outback Steak house Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Outback Steak house - Essay Example An effective employee selection method helps achieve a competitive advantage for organizations in terms of accepting only those applicants that are deemed fit, qualified and competent to perform identified responsibilities. As indicated, Outback Steakhouse further assess successful applicants though a series of tests that gauge their cognitive ability, personality and judgement (Author, date, p. 234). These tests are known as psychological testing instruments which are designed to effectively â€Å"predict job skills acquisition and job performance† (Schieltz, 2011, p. par. 5). According to Schieltz (2011), â€Å"the idea of competitive advantage essentially underlies the use of psychological tests to select employees. To achieve a competitive advantage in the marketplace, organizations and businesses need qualified employees with personalities, skills and talents that best fit the organization and its culture. To hire these types of individuals, a company must have a set o f procedures at its disposal that can accurately identify the characteristics of an individual who can ultimately contribute to the success of the organization† (Schieltz, 2011, p. par. 3). As rationalized, organizations who have successfully selected the right human resources who are perfectly fit for the responsibilities, perform better and deliver accurate results which increase the competitive advantage of the organization. The importance of fit to Outback Steakhouse is crucial since they structurally sift the potentially good applicants from a number of recruits and get the best among the screened applicants depending on the Dimensions of Performance, the responsibilities and the organization’s culture. Only those applicants who perfectly fit the qualifications with the standards are accepted to ensure that low employee turnover would be achieved. A perfect fit would ensure that human resources are utilized to the fullest

Starbucks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Starbucks - Essay Example Today is the 10th of November; the weather is cloudy here in Prescott Arizona and it is somewhat cold. It is the perfect weather for having a walk in Prescott’s downtown for me; however, unfortunately the same is not true for others. Starbucks is the perfect place for studying for most of my friends because it is quiet, but today its not. Unlike usual, I waited for around fifteen minutes in the line just to give my order; not to mention how long I waited to finally receive my order. Starbucks seems to be experiencing a very busy day today. Before I came to Prescott, I was at Nashville Tennessee studying English as a second language. As I have been told Starbucks is the best place to study, I was eager to check it out and see for myself. I am seeing students at their laptops; however, they are seem to be mentally distracted. They are having trouble concentrating in what they are doing; probably because of the noise that people are creating all around them. Unfortunately, this â€Å"best place to study† is not the best today. The people creating most of this noise are in the ordering line. However, the individuals that are sitting at tables are also conversing loudly, talking on cell phones, laughing. What had really grabbed my attention is a guy setting with a very old man; they look like a father and his son. The father seams to be sad and the son was trying to make him feel better. Seeing them started to stir thoughts in my mind with regards to how I would behave with my own son in the future. Regardless of whether Starbucks Coffee can be considered a good place to study or a good place to concentrate, the fact remains that a large group of people from all strata of society regularly can be seen in such a place. As such, going there to enjoy a cup of coffee or a snack can oftentimes lead one to consider many aspects of the way that people interact. Accordingly, it can

Jack Kerouac Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jack Kerouac - Essay Example However, this work cannot be discussed out of context. Therefore, it is important to also discuss the Beat Movement and its relation to Jack Kerouac to better understand the literary piece, and to provide substantial arguments. John Kerouac and the Beat Movement John Kerouac is the acknowledged leader of the literary artists belonging to the Beat Movement. This movement promotes countering the cultures during the 1950s, whereby resisting conformity expectations of the middle class American culture. This movement was joined by literary artists, who exploit their literary talents to convey and create works with values and topics of poverty, immigration, sex, drugs, eastern philosophers (Buddhism) and American Jazz musicians. These values and topics have been evident in the work of Kerouac, On The Road. This piece has expressed the perceptions and rationality of those belonging to the movement. Through a fictional story, it depicts the group, whereby they refuse to acknowledge various d ominating values and beliefs during the period. In particular, the Beat rejects materialism and conformity, which was said to be the expectation of the American middle class. Rejection of Conformity in Middle Class American Based on the work of Kerouac, the main aim of the Beat Movement (based on the book) is to restore the authenticity of humans in the culture of the prepackaged life--- that is conformity. To note, this era was a proliferation of freedom repression. It is apparent that the Beat Movement aspires to influence the society in reinventing the dominant culture through writings. By narrating his and his friends travel experiences, he instills the importance of freedom in a world governed by norms. Their deviation from uniformity was characterised by their travels on the road. Despite believing in the power of language, the Beat movement continues their fight by living what they write. That is, they are able to deliver their sentiments by living â€Å"freely† with d rugs, religion, voluntary poverty, affirmation to third sex and alcoholism. These elements are distinctively clear in their writings, as well. Moreover, it is often emphasised from the book that residing in a particular area is never permanent. This paper perceived this reflects the ambition of the Beat to create a new value and faith outside the values which forcibly shape their lives and beliefs. Provided with this, the Beat pointed out that the ultimate dream is not to conform to society, but rather it is the freedom from the conservative society they belong to. They perceive such conservatism as a curtailment of their freedom to express themselves. Hence, the primary rationale on why the Beat rejects conformity is the hopes of circumventing the restrictions associated with the expectations of the American middle class. On the second note, the book demonstrated that the Beat rejected American Middle class restrictions as it also promotes materialism and consumerism in the capital ist society. This means that the Beat rejects conformity as they do not believe in materialism. Acquiring this value does not guarantee happiness despite one’s abounding wealth. The Beat recognised the importance of spiritual fulfillment, which will not be attained by materialistic values. The characters’

Business economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business economy - Essay Example An excise tax is defined as a tax imposed on a specific amount per unit of product, and for this reason is sometimes also referred to as a specific tax (Keats & Young, 2005, p. 149). In contrast, there are ad valorem taxes such as sales taxes, which are imposed on the value or price of the product or service. Taxes imposed on â€Å"unhealthy† goods are also called â€Å"sin taxes.† They are usually state-sponsored taxes which legislators readily resort to at times when the government is seen to run a budget deficit and needs to raise funds. The taxpayers rarely protest any imposition or increase of sin taxes, for the reason that the tax is not imposed on the general public but only those who buy the product which is seen as harmful to them, anyway. Sin taxes may either be specific or ad valorem, and are generally imposed on cigarettes or tobacco, liquor, and gambling. (Investopedia, 2009) The price, income and cross-price elasticities of demand as well as the price elasticity of supply all bear on the effectivity of imposing sin taxes. Price elasticity measures changes in demand due to changes in prices of the good, income elasticity the changes in demand due to changes in the buyer’s income, and the cross-price elasticity of demand changes in demand for a good due to a percentage change in the price of a related good. On the other hand, the price elasticity of supply refers to the percentage change in the quantity supplied for a good given the percentage change of price for that same good. These four elasticities are important in the determination of the tax incidence, though those that bear most directly are the price elasticities of demand and supply. This is because different commodities have different responses to increase in prices, and government’s selection of which commodities to tax and how much to tax will determine government revenue. Rose (2003) observes that this was considered by Adam Smith

Huichol Indians Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Huichol Indians - Term Paper Example When the spaniards invaded this place, the Huichols took refuge in Sierra. While some scholars are of the view that Huichols have aboded this place ever since the beginning. The Huichols primarily had five tribes having diverse cultures CITATION Lat \l 1033 . B.Hearths and Diffusions After the invasion of spanish soliders which made Huichol indians to further move into the depths of the mountains, the â€Å"Franciscan missionaries† came with their agenda of converting the indians to christianity. For this sole purpose they raised â€Å"four churches†. The motive of these missionaries was lost in vain as the Huichol indians remained true to their ancestrol religion and the churches built are in ruins. Although it is believed that Huichol indians were divided into five tribes, yet the recent studies tell of only three tribes namely the huautuari, the tuapuritari and the tateikitari. CITATION Lat \l 1033 II. Evaluation of Habitats. A. Physical Geography Huichol indians are among the primitive cultures and religion. They are settled in and around the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Zacatecas and Durango in western central Mexico. They live in isolation of mountains of Sierra Madre Occidental. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The Huichol Homeland CITATION Lat \l 1033 B. ... Chapalagana bridge 1995 CITATION Lat \l 1033 C. Climate/Natural Hazards Due to the high altitudes, the climate Huichol indians experience is very dry and severe. The high altitude climate is quite cold specially in winters while the lower mesas has moderate tropical weather. The Huichols mostly remain in their ranchos built on a suitable elevation from the ground which keeps them safe from the extreme temperatures. One of the main problems the Huichols face is the shortage of water on high altitudes. In summers they move to their ranches built at a little higher elevation as the climate around the river gets very hot and humid. D. Flora and Fauna The plants found in the Huichol region are quite diverse.The most important among the flora of this region is the divine cactus. Its common names are â€Å"Peyote†, â€Å"Buttons† and â€Å"Mescalito†. This small spine-less, crown-shaped cactus grows under bushes and is of a gray-green color. It has hallucinogenic powers and belongs to the family of â€Å"cactaceae†. CITATION Lat \l 1033 CITATION Lat \l 1033 Another common plant of this area is Lavendar Pebbles or Graptopetalum amethystinum. This plant grows slowly but steadily. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The area is abundant in pine-oak forests. This region has a variety of plants both of mountaineous regions as well as deserts. In the lower parts the subtropical genres include Acacia, Ficus, Agave and Bursera along with many such kinds. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The fauna of these regions include the various wildlife species including jaguar, pumas, white-taled deers, white boars, skunks, iguanas and rabbits. Yellow winged Cacique is also a native bird of this area along with Black-Throated Magpie jay. CITATION Lat \l 1033 III. Population Characteristics A.

Jack Kerouac Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jack Kerouac - Essay Example However, this work cannot be discussed out of context. Therefore, it is important to also discuss the Beat Movement and its relation to Jack Kerouac to better understand the literary piece, and to provide substantial arguments. John Kerouac and the Beat Movement John Kerouac is the acknowledged leader of the literary artists belonging to the Beat Movement. This movement promotes countering the cultures during the 1950s, whereby resisting conformity expectations of the middle class American culture. This movement was joined by literary artists, who exploit their literary talents to convey and create works with values and topics of poverty, immigration, sex, drugs, eastern philosophers (Buddhism) and American Jazz musicians. These values and topics have been evident in the work of Kerouac, On The Road. This piece has expressed the perceptions and rationality of those belonging to the movement. Through a fictional story, it depicts the group, whereby they refuse to acknowledge various d ominating values and beliefs during the period. In particular, the Beat rejects materialism and conformity, which was said to be the expectation of the American middle class. Rejection of Conformity in Middle Class American Based on the work of Kerouac, the main aim of the Beat Movement (based on the book) is to restore the authenticity of humans in the culture of the prepackaged life--- that is conformity. To note, this era was a proliferation of freedom repression. It is apparent that the Beat Movement aspires to influence the society in reinventing the dominant culture through writings. By narrating his and his friends travel experiences, he instills the importance of freedom in a world governed by norms. Their deviation from uniformity was characterised by their travels on the road. Despite believing in the power of language, the Beat movement continues their fight by living what they write. That is, they are able to deliver their sentiments by living â€Å"freely† with d rugs, religion, voluntary poverty, affirmation to third sex and alcoholism. These elements are distinctively clear in their writings, as well. Moreover, it is often emphasised from the book that residing in a particular area is never permanent. This paper perceived this reflects the ambition of the Beat to create a new value and faith outside the values which forcibly shape their lives and beliefs. Provided with this, the Beat pointed out that the ultimate dream is not to conform to society, but rather it is the freedom from the conservative society they belong to. They perceive such conservatism as a curtailment of their freedom to express themselves. Hence, the primary rationale on why the Beat rejects conformity is the hopes of circumventing the restrictions associated with the expectations of the American middle class. On the second note, the book demonstrated that the Beat rejected American Middle class restrictions as it also promotes materialism and consumerism in the capital ist society. This means that the Beat rejects conformity as they do not believe in materialism. Acquiring this value does not guarantee happiness despite one’s abounding wealth. The Beat recognised the importance of spiritual fulfillment, which will not be attained by materialistic values. The characters’

Huichol Indians Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Huichol Indians - Term Paper Example When the spaniards invaded this place, the Huichols took refuge in Sierra. While some scholars are of the view that Huichols have aboded this place ever since the beginning. The Huichols primarily had five tribes having diverse cultures CITATION Lat \l 1033 . B.Hearths and Diffusions After the invasion of spanish soliders which made Huichol indians to further move into the depths of the mountains, the â€Å"Franciscan missionaries† came with their agenda of converting the indians to christianity. For this sole purpose they raised â€Å"four churches†. The motive of these missionaries was lost in vain as the Huichol indians remained true to their ancestrol religion and the churches built are in ruins. Although it is believed that Huichol indians were divided into five tribes, yet the recent studies tell of only three tribes namely the huautuari, the tuapuritari and the tateikitari. CITATION Lat \l 1033 II. Evaluation of Habitats. A. Physical Geography Huichol indians are among the primitive cultures and religion. They are settled in and around the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Zacatecas and Durango in western central Mexico. They live in isolation of mountains of Sierra Madre Occidental. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The Huichol Homeland CITATION Lat \l 1033 B. ... Chapalagana bridge 1995 CITATION Lat \l 1033 C. Climate/Natural Hazards Due to the high altitudes, the climate Huichol indians experience is very dry and severe. The high altitude climate is quite cold specially in winters while the lower mesas has moderate tropical weather. The Huichols mostly remain in their ranchos built on a suitable elevation from the ground which keeps them safe from the extreme temperatures. One of the main problems the Huichols face is the shortage of water on high altitudes. In summers they move to their ranches built at a little higher elevation as the climate around the river gets very hot and humid. D. Flora and Fauna The plants found in the Huichol region are quite diverse.The most important among the flora of this region is the divine cactus. Its common names are â€Å"Peyote†, â€Å"Buttons† and â€Å"Mescalito†. This small spine-less, crown-shaped cactus grows under bushes and is of a gray-green color. It has hallucinogenic powers and belongs to the family of â€Å"cactaceae†. CITATION Lat \l 1033 CITATION Lat \l 1033 Another common plant of this area is Lavendar Pebbles or Graptopetalum amethystinum. This plant grows slowly but steadily. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The area is abundant in pine-oak forests. This region has a variety of plants both of mountaineous regions as well as deserts. In the lower parts the subtropical genres include Acacia, Ficus, Agave and Bursera along with many such kinds. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The fauna of these regions include the various wildlife species including jaguar, pumas, white-taled deers, white boars, skunks, iguanas and rabbits. Yellow winged Cacique is also a native bird of this area along with Black-Throated Magpie jay. CITATION Lat \l 1033 III. Population Characteristics A.

Personal exercise program Essay Example for Free

Personal exercise program Essay The majority of my results were in the area of good or average, this majority is one of 72%. As a whole I am fairly happy with these results, as there is room for improvement all over. The test, in which I scored poorly in such as the sergeant jump, press-ups and chin-ups, I fully expected. This was due to the reason that knowing with in my self that my body was not up to the standards of other in my group or age. These tests are ones in which I hope to improve in over the next five weeks of my training. As these are key areas to my game which will be mentioned further on in this piece of work. However there are some good points in my results. These are they tests which I scored good and excellent in, such as sit ups and 30meter sprint. These as are some of the results, which I am hopping to maintain through out the 5 weeks and the retest. I have also chosen to ignore three results. Theses are balance, dynamic hand strength left and right. I have chosen to ignore these results, as I do not fell that they can benefit me in any way to my chosen sport. Overall there is a lot of room for improvement Health and skill related components of fitness: Health factors: These health related factors are physiologically based and rely on the performers ability to meet the physical demands of the activity Speed: Speed can be defined as: The ability to put body parts into motion quickly, or the maximum rate that a person can move over a specific distance To test speed we carried out the following test. Place 2 cones 30m apart from each other. At a running start, run as fast as possible between the two cones whilst a person times you. This test is valid as it tests a persons speed over a certain distance. This single periodisation year can be further broken down into further stages or cycles. Macrocycles last from 4 to 6 weeks, mesocycles about 2weeks and microcycles 1 week. Each cycle would be in relation to current levels of skill and fitness and would prepare for a specific competitive peak. This in my case would be the start of a football season. This is known as the competitive period and is during the months of Augusts to May. Now I have just done the pre season training as such which is the preparatory period. I will do a 5-week macrocycle specifically to improve my upper and lower body strength as well as aerobic capacity. There will not be many seasonal factors that will hinder my progress as I am training indoors which there fore manes I can control the temperature and weather. Fitness requirements needed for my specific sport and position: My sport is football, and position is central midfield. In the game of football there are many different requirements that performer needs to do well in the sport. The overall aim of this piece of work is to single out the key requirements which are needed and improve on them to enhance my performance. Below I have outlined the key requirements: Health related: Strength: Strength in both the upper part of the body and lower part of the body is needed for a central midfielder. For instance leg power is needed to allow the performer to pass the pass long distances and to shoot from long range as thats is where the most of there opportunities will come from due to the position they occupy. Upper body strength is needed to keep other players from getting the ball of you and being strong in tackles. Flexibility: This helps a midfielder hugely, as they must be able to turn and move or twist with a degree of easy and simplicity. Aerobic capacity: This may also be known as VO2 max, this plays a vital role. Vo2 max is the ability to take on oxygen during exercise, allowing for the performer to participate in prolonged periods of continuos submaximual activities, which is important to a midfielders game. Body composition: This is important because, as people start to carry more body fat they can become over weigh. This will lead to health problems as the additional weight puts strain on the hearts and cardiovascular system, which can cause cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Being over weight will also hinder your performance as a central midfield player, as you will tire easier and quicker and happier your speed in which u may move around the pitch. Skill related: Speed: The game of football has develops into a much faster game, and it is carrying on in this trend. Speed is important for a central midfielder, as it is important that a player is able to track an opponents run, carry the ball at high speeds up and down the field, and generally to keep up with the pace of the ball. It is important for a performer in this position to compete at a high standard for a period of 90min (or duration of match). Cardio-vascular endurance is also important in the game of football as it is a continuos game. Co-ordination: This is the process involved in the reception of the sensory info, and the response of the organism. It is controlled by the regions of the brain, which deal with a specific function and is carried out by the nervous system. Co-ordination effects the way u performs in many ways as the player must be able to spot many players both opposition and own team-mates. Foot and eye co-ordination is also needed for obvious reasons are football you need to have good foot and eye co-ordination to be a good player. Agility: This is a combination of speed and co-ordination giving you a change of direction and body position at speed. This is vital for a central midfielder as it allows the performer to change direction and body position at speeds at which the game might be moving. This was my third session and overall I can say it well. Again I found moving from exercise machine to another quick, as I am getting use to how to use the machines and the positions at which they are situated in the gym. As you can see from the pervious page I made a lot of changes to this session as I found session 2 not very challenging. However I found this session a lot more effective. After the session had finished I felt that I was really worked to my full potential and really gained something from it. The changes were no major shock to my body though but as mentioned I did feel the effects of the changes. This is one of the main reasons why no changes will be made to my next session, due to the fact that I do not think my current level of fitness is ready in relation to changes from this session, and will not make any changes. I will hopefully feel ready to make changes after my next session (session 4). I did find though that once I had finished my aerobic work out and was ready to move on from this to the weight training I found myself needing to take water on board, as I was thirsty. This was not a planned change from session 2 but from now I feel it necessary to take water on board in-between the to training. Changes for session 4: 1. Intake of water when moving from cross trainer to Gastrocnmius press As mentioned before no changes were made to the sessions as such, because I felt the session worked me to my full potential and my current fitness levels would be ready for any to a change. You may argue that by not changing anything that I will not improve, but taking into account the principle of training progression which should be gradual, and reflect my current fitness levels. And too much progression in a short space of time could cause injury, and as many changes were made to session 3 from session 2, I feel this is the correct decision.

Movie Review Of Fargo Film Studies Essay

Movie Review Of Fargo Film Studies Essay Fargo, the first time that I heard that name, I could not see how the name had anything to do with the movie. At first I thought maybe it was the name of a character in the movie but after watching the movie I came to learn that it was the mane of where most of the movie was based around; Fargo North Dakota. Fargo is a 1996 movie done by the Coen Brothers. This movie is also based on a true story which, after you watch it, you feel terrible for the victims. I would say that this movie is a dark comedy. I say this because the plot and the form of the movie have this dark but comedic aspect. The Brainerd accents have a very unthreatening way to the way it is used and due to the innocence of the accents; it throws off the seriousness of the situation. A main character in the film who gives off more of a comedic aspect is the seven month pregnant chief of police from Brainerd Minnesota Marge Olmsted. I doubt the director(s) were going for a comedic aspect to the film, but with the accent s, and constant use of the word Yaa, you couldnt help but laugh occasionally. The movie Fargo is about a nerdy, mild mannered, shady Executive car salesman named Jerry Lundergard who falls heavily into unexplained debt and comes up with a seemingly genius idea to hire some criminals to kidnap his wife. The reason for the pre conceived kidnap is to retrieve a ransom for her safe return, and get the money from her father who is a wealthy businessman. In the process of Lundergard and his accomplices going forth with their plan, things start to get out of control and eventually Marge Olmsted, the Brainerd Minnesota chief of police gets involved and starts investigating three coincidental murders that occur in her city. Marges character is a likeable polite character who seems after a while to be one of the only competent people in the whole town. The main characters in this film to pay attention to were Jerry Lundergard; a seemingly unstable character, he is shown to be desperate and insecure and there was even a scene after his wife was kidnapped where he practic es his distress call to make it seem believable. Predictably, as the murder investigation broadens and starts to lead back to him, he starts to break down emotionally. Throughout the movie they never explained what exactly his debt was for. Marge Olmsted; Brainerd Chief of police; Carl plays the small time crook who is described literally as the smaller, funny looking kind of guy by all those who came in contact with him and lived. Carl is a very talkative and vulgar kind of guy but seems to have some emotion for murder. His partner on the other hand, Gaer is of European decent. Seemingly quiet but composed character although he commits most of the murders showed in the film. He is a heavy smoker and is shown until towards the end to be more like Carls back up with muscle. This movie housed a couple of big named actors of their time. Some of which I know to still be in the acting business. Carls character and Jerrys character were played by Steve Buscemi, and William H. Macy, which to me, were the only two recognizable stars in the movie. Carl is known for such movies as Reservoir Dogs, and William is known for movies like Cellular, Wild Hogs, and Thank You for Smoking. This movie does a good job in showing the gender role differences in Marges growing family. In her introduction scene where she and her husband first come into the picture, they show how the gender roles are reversed. Usually, it would be the man who is the chief of police and his wife is the stay at home parent who takes care of the backup stuff. In the Olmsted household, Marges husband Norm is the reversed gender role character. He is never shown to be at work or ever even doing any kind of work for that matter, and she is the one with the seven month pregnancy. He makes her breakfast in the morning, brings her lunch to work, and always talks about his painting but somehow their relationship seems to work. Marge is also shown to have a pretty big appetite which is totally understandable due t o the fact that she is eating for two and always makes the joke can I have a seat?, I;m carrying quite a load here. The movie as based on true events starts to get a lot darker and grittier than the expectations of a dark comedy. The ransom exchange scene where the father gets killed semi brutally is a turning point of how serious and out of control things got; He was shot numerous times unnecessarily, and even the ending scene where the European criminal is shown grinding up his partner in a wood chipper and blood is being sprayed everywhere. This movie did not rely on scenery or music to help tell the story. In fact, the scenery was mostly white and snowy because it seemed to be shot in the winter time. There was music, but the music was not done in such a way that it would give away parts of the story. The directors claim that out of respect for the dead, the film was depicted as is. Names were changed though to protect the identities of those who survived. Overall, this movie wa s beyond my expectations but still was able to hold my interests enough for me to really enjoy the movie while giving my regards to those who unfortunately lost their lives.

American Gothic in Sleepy Hollow, Ligeia and They Got a Hell of a Band

American Gothic in Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Poe's Ligeia and Stephen King's You Know They Got a Hell of a Band      Ã‚  Ã‚   America is haunted, by headless horsemen and bloody battles, by addiction and a self gratifying obsession with immortality. America has a long-standing tradition with the gothic, and some of our most widely recognized authors, such as Washington Irving, Edgar Allan Poe, and Stephen King, a more recent author borrowed from popular literature, utilize it frequently if not wholly in their writing. The gothic is an intrinsic part of our national identity, inhabiting our folklore, our literature, and influencing the way in which we view our celebrities and ultimately, ourselves. In his commentary on the gothic, Nightmare on Main Street, Mark Edmunson offers his take on the relationship between national identity and the form: Unsentimental, enraged by gentility and high-mindedness, skeptical about progress in any form, the Gothic mind is antithetical to all smiling American faiths. A nation of ideals, America has also been, not surprisingly, a nation of hard disillusionment, with a fiercely reactive Gothic Imagination. (4-5) There is much to American Gothicism. It lies deeply in the conscious awareness of the culture. Its roots are as diverse as the witch trials and the knowledge that one race of people committed genocide against another in order to obtain the land where our most illustrious universities and homogenous strip malls now sit. The character of America is in itself a gothic one. We hold aloft one set of ideas about freedom and equality, while graciously looking the other way when the savage hypocrisy that keeps the daily functions of life on an even keel rears its ugly ... ...st beneath the surface of our every day realities. Works Cited Edmunson, Mark. Nightmare on Main Street. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997. Lauter, Paul, et al., eds. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. Vol 1. New York: Haughton Mifflin Co., 1997. Irving, Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Lauter et al. 1354-1373. Poe, Edgar Allan. "Ligeia." Lauter et al. 1450-1461. Ringe, Donald A. American Gothic: Imagination and Reason in Nineteenth-Century Fiction. Lexington KY: The University Press of Kentucky, 1982. Savoy, Eric. "The Face of the Tenant: A Theory of American Gothic." American Gothic: New Interventions in a National Narrative. Ed. Robert K. Martin et al. Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa Press, 1998. 3-19. White, Craig. Lecture. University of Houston-Clear Lake. Clear Lake, TX, 6 March. 2001    American Gothic in Sleepy Hollow, Ligeia and They Got a Hell of a Band American Gothic in Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Poe's Ligeia and Stephen King's You Know They Got a Hell of a Band      Ã‚  Ã‚   America is haunted, by headless horsemen and bloody battles, by addiction and a self gratifying obsession with immortality. America has a long-standing tradition with the gothic, and some of our most widely recognized authors, such as Washington Irving, Edgar Allan Poe, and Stephen King, a more recent author borrowed from popular literature, utilize it frequently if not wholly in their writing. The gothic is an intrinsic part of our national identity, inhabiting our folklore, our literature, and influencing the way in which we view our celebrities and ultimately, ourselves. In his commentary on the gothic, Nightmare on Main Street, Mark Edmunson offers his take on the relationship between national identity and the form: Unsentimental, enraged by gentility and high-mindedness, skeptical about progress in any form, the Gothic mind is antithetical to all smiling American faiths. A nation of ideals, America has also been, not surprisingly, a nation of hard disillusionment, with a fiercely reactive Gothic Imagination. (4-5) There is much to American Gothicism. It lies deeply in the conscious awareness of the culture. Its roots are as diverse as the witch trials and the knowledge that one race of people committed genocide against another in order to obtain the land where our most illustrious universities and homogenous strip malls now sit. The character of America is in itself a gothic one. We hold aloft one set of ideas about freedom and equality, while graciously looking the other way when the savage hypocrisy that keeps the daily functions of life on an even keel rears its ugly ... ...st beneath the surface of our every day realities. Works Cited Edmunson, Mark. Nightmare on Main Street. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997. Lauter, Paul, et al., eds. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. Vol 1. New York: Haughton Mifflin Co., 1997. Irving, Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Lauter et al. 1354-1373. Poe, Edgar Allan. "Ligeia." Lauter et al. 1450-1461. Ringe, Donald A. American Gothic: Imagination and Reason in Nineteenth-Century Fiction. Lexington KY: The University Press of Kentucky, 1982. Savoy, Eric. "The Face of the Tenant: A Theory of American Gothic." American Gothic: New Interventions in a National Narrative. Ed. Robert K. Martin et al. Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa Press, 1998. 3-19. White, Craig. Lecture. University of Houston-Clear Lake. Clear Lake, TX, 6 March. 2001   

Essay --

Interest Groups â€Å"Interest groups organization of people sharing common objectives who energetically attempt to influence government policymakers through direct and indirect methods†. J. M. Molins and A. Casademunt, "Pressure Groups and the Articulation of Interests", in West European Politics, No. 4, 1998 This structure is designed so that interest groups would be a device of public influence on politics to generate changes, but would not intimidate the government much. Whether this is still the case or not is a significant question that we should find out. Interest groups play numerous different roles in the American political system, such as depiction, participation, education, and program monitoring. Representation is the purpose that we see most frequently and the function we routinely think of when we think of interest groups. Involvement is another role that interest groups play in our government, which is while they facilitate and support the contribution of their members in the political process. Interest groups also educate, by trying to enlighten both public officials and the public at large concerning matters of significance to them. Interest groups also keep way of how programs are functioning in the field and endeavor to influence government to take action when troubles become obvious when they monitor programs. The conventional interest groups have been organized around several form of economic origin, be it corporate interests, associates, or unions. The number of business-oriented lobbies has developed since the 1960s and continues to grow. Public-interest groups have as well grown extremely since the 1960s. Liberal groups started the trend, but traditional groups are now just as common, though some groups... ...e Role of Local Government and Citizens in the Democratic Process," National Civic Review, vol. 85, no. 3, Fall 1996. March, J.G. & J.P. Olsen (1998): `The Institutional Dynamics of International Political Orders,' 52:4 International Organization 943, Exploration and Contestation in the Study of World Politics, Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press, pp. 303-329) March, J.G. & J.P. Olsen (2000): `Democracy and Schooling,' in L.M. McDonnell, P.M. Timpane & R. Benjamin (eds), Rediscovering the Democratic process of Education, Lawrence: University of Kansas Press, pp. 148-173 Olsen, J.P. (1997): `Institutional Design in Democratic Contexts,' 5:3 The Journal Of Political Philosophy 203 Rokkan, S. (1999) (edited by P. Flora, with S. Kuhnle & D. Urwin): State Formation, Nation-Building and Mass Politics in Europe: The Theory of Stein Rokkan, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Educational Policies and Practices Essay

â€Å"Change is a process, not an event. It can be planned or unplanned and can be influenced by forces inside and outside of the schoolhouse. † (http://wps. prenhall. com/chet_green_practicing_2/23/6137/1571248. cw/index. html). Current education reform has stressed the urgency of teacher learning in improving classroom education and expanding student success. Current education reform in the United States has increasingly described standard levels of mastery for learners and focused on holding schools responsible for student outcomes. As one approach for increasing student attainment, officials have zoned in on improving the quality of public school educators (Parise & Spillane, 2010). Certain policy plans concentrate on the dimension involved in refining the quality of educators coming into the area of teaching through state accreditation exams, more rigorous degree requirements, and recruitment efforts. In addition to the aforementioned, increased responsibility and stress on schools involve learning and modification for many of the educators already working within this capacity, as they are pushed to apply new instructional methods and advances in order to promote and foster student achievement (Parise & Spillane, 2010). Assessing the Condition: Loris High School Trevor Strawderman, principal of Loris High School, Horry County, South Carolina, reorganized educational structure to benefit the school. In 2005, Loris High School ranked in the bottom percentile among high schools, scholastically, in the state of South Carolina. Principal Strawderman knew that issues in the area of literacy plagued the school’s academic performance. Assessment statistics revealed that 74 percent of the 9th and 10th graders of the school were reading below grade level. As a result of this issue, dropout and class failings soared to extremely high figures (http://www. nassp. org/Content. aspx? topic=59746). Strawderman, the newly appointed principal at the time, and other leaders of the school were aware of this issue, but did not realize the severity until results were revealed from student assessments. It was determined that the majority of the 9th and 10th graders at the time were reading way below grade level. After examining the textbooks utilized in the school, it was discovered that the 9th and 10th grade level books were written for 10th/ 11th grade reading comprehension. Upon the discovery of the low reading skills, Strawderman met with faculty to inform them that changes were necessary to improve reading skills of the students. Data collected about the student reading assessments was Mr. Strawderman’s proof as he provided information for this needed change (http://www. assp. org/Content. aspx? topic=59746). Implementing Necessary Change The school’s leadership team began to read and study about ways to improve on reading. Through the study it was discovered that providing more reading would be the best solution. The leadership team identified a process that could be utilized to achieve the vision. Through the vision of Strawderman and the leadership team, a ho meroom reading initiative was put in place immediately. Two days for 50 minutes a week have been designated for this activity. Students were grouped by grade level and lexile level. Strawderman and his team stressed the importance of steering away negative connotations with this activity, and felt that grouping by lexile level was pertinent (http://www. nassp. org/Content. aspx? topic=59746). Challenges and Rewards As with change, Mr. Strawderman faced defiance by some faculty members. Comments like, â€Å"Some students are going to think this is stupid and childish,† were used to discourage this new activity. As the process began, aproximately $70,000 was spent on high interest inventory reading. Strawderman and his committee did all of the work, not putting the strain on the teachers with implementing this program. This process was made easy as possible for the teachers. After the program began, it was discovered that the students loved the program. The majority of the at-risk students enjoyed it the most. What was also discovered, is that every student may act is if they do not like to read, but they all want to know how to read (http://www. nassp. org/Content. aspx? topic=59746). Within this program celebrations were rendered and awards are given as incentives. This program provided an additional 33 hours of reading in the school for the year and has provided a positive outlook for the school’s reading deficit. Since Strawderman became principal, the school has made noteworthy and substantial cultural and meaningful changes that have led to effective progress for each student. Strawderman understood that the necessary changes implemented could not done by him solely. Along with making improvements for students, Strawderman also realized the importance in providing leadership and support for his staff members. â€Å"He envisioned a school of professional learning communities in which teachers worked together ‘to choose every day to make a difference in the lives of our students’ (http://www. assp. org/Content. aspx? topic=59746). First Order or Second Order Change? First and second order change are natural occurrences involved within settings of change. It has been reported that uninterrupted, first order change happens without interference to the system in place. Within this particular order of change the leader is involved in pushing for improvement within the productivity an d value of a school or program without making major alterations to what has been established among teachers and students. In addition, this conflict often faces less confusion and divergence (Green, 2013). Second order change, on the other hand, faces uneasy transitions because of change and interruption to the system in place. In this particular order of change the existing order is taken in another direction for the good of the school or program. Furthermore there are new objectives, as well as changes in structure and programs in which individuals are asked to function differently within their role (Green, 2013). Becoming principal of Loris High School, opened doors of opportunity for Trevor Strawderman to make necessary changes for the betterment of the school. Strawderman initially took some matters in his hand to push for this change by presenting data figures to faculty as proof of the situation in need. As a result of this new change every teacher was given a task to apply â€Å"student lexile levels from the Measures of Academic Progress -Reading (MAP-R) computerized assessments to gauge students’ mastery of basic reading skills† (http://www. nassp. org/Content. aspx? topic=59746). Because implementing these changes required disruption to the already established program curriculum, Strawderman and his team faced some defiance. This situation is reflective of the second-order change. The Good and the Bad Although the reading program at Loris High School has brought forth much success, negativity surfaced at the beginning stages of implementing this program. Mildly disgruntled teachers gave notion of their dislike of changing their already established curriculum without consulting them fully. Before allowing the situation to escalate with these faculty members, Mr.  Strawderman could have met with the teachers to answer questions and to address concerns about the immediate change once he brought it forward. (http://www. nassp. org/Content. aspx? topic=59746). Working collaboratively with faculty could have also presented a variety of innovative ideas. Michael Fullan’s reports on research indicates that institutionalization of modification and change is extremely challenging. Moreover, additional reports reveal that school improvements that are substantial and long-term rarely can be set, authorized or guided by organizations or individuals (Fullan, 1993). When change occurs in a school setting the following attitudes may arise: â€Å"teachers may feel a sense of in adequacy or lack of preparation, or they may fear the unknown or perceive a loss of power or control† (Green, 2013). Conclusion Through this assignment an abundance of useful information was grasped regarding leadership and instructional change. Due to the changes in time, it is pertinent for all leaders to foster the ideas of bringing forth instructional change in a school setting. The way children are educated must change because children, the world, and economics are changing daily. At times change is considered taboo and frightening. However, when handled effectively and efficiently, it may be the cure to an ailing situation. There is much confidence among the reorganizers of school and researchers in the field of education that enhancing the learning opportunities of practicing teachers will boost and develop teacher performance and progress to developmentally improved student outcomes (Parise & Spillane, 2010).

Grennell Farm

Introduction Grennell Farm is a corporation that is engaged in the production of wheat. Located in Iowa, the 2,000-acre farm was established by Jeremiah Grennell more than 20 years ago. The sudden demise of its founder has led the farm to be transferred to the leadership of, Mr. Grennell’s niece and chosen heir, Denise Grey. She was informed of her inheritance early in 2010. Ms. Grey works as an AVP in the consumer credit of a large New York bank. With the huge distance between Iowa and New York, she is carefully studying the advantages and disadvantages of retaining the farm’s ownership.This case presents the basic business financial flows of Grennell Farm for the year 2009 and the events that she had to deal with regarding the management of the business. QUESTION # 2 The price per acre for the land was used as the basis for recommending whether Denise Grey should sell the land. Based on the comparison, it is advisable to sell 100 acres of Grennell Farm because the pri ce per acre of $2250 is significantly higher than the original price ($187. 0) and the appraised price ($1050). QUESTION # 3 It would also help Denise Grey to evaluate the farm’s profitability and sustainability based on the following risks, liabilities and responsibilities, many of which are unknown based on the information given in the problem. Examples as follows: Tax liability Revenue gains may not be monetary Risk of loss due to bad debts Replacement of buildings and machinery Responsibility for the next season’s (2010) expenses

Characters of Journeys End by R.C. Sherriff and Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks Essay Example for Free

Characters of Journeys End by R.C. Sherriff and Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks Essay Character (1309) , Sebastian Faulks (9) , Birdsong (8) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints The First World War is known to be one of the worst, if not the worst war in military history. The strategies used were often ineffective and repetitive, meaning a lack of movement and years of stalemate on the western front. Soldiers had to live in conditions which were squalid and foul, they had to deal with diseases such as trench foot and millions of rats and lice infestations. These general images of soldiers living in these fetid conditions has become widely known and linked with the huge suffering caused by the First World War. The use of literature can enable us to gain a picture of what trench warfare was really like. ‘Journey’s End’ a play written by R.C. Sherriff in 1928 based on his own life experiences gives a realistic image of life as a soldier in the trenches. However, the novel ‘Birdsong’ by Sebastian Faulks which was not written till 2005 gives a version of what Faulks believed trench warfare to be like; it is a fictional idea based on knowledge and understanding of World War One. Also the authors chose different formats with one being a novel the other a play, thus giving them contrasting ways of conveying soldiers’ experiences of war. A play deals with the actions and reactions of characters using dialogue and yet a novel can go into the heads of characters, giving the reader an understanding of a person’s emotions and feelings through description and narrative. The characters presented in both Journey’s End and Birdsong are attempting to avoid and deal with the horrors of trench warfare in many different ways including; drinking, violence, and memories of loved ones and trying to use humour as a way of distancing themselves from the horrors facing them. Each character has to find there own way of dealing with the situation, as anyone would when faced with the constant fear of death. In both Journey’s End and Birdsong we get a glimpse of what the characters Stanhope and Wraysford were like before the terror of war affected them. In Journey’s End although we don’t see Stanhope before the war; Sherriff cleverly uses Raleigh to give us an idea of what he was like when he was younger. We see Raleigh as this optimistic, patriotic man excited at the prospect of going into war alongside his childhood hero. His confession to Osborne that he was ‘Keen to get out here’ is a representation of many patriotic soldiers at the break out of the first world war and could show us how Stanhope may have felt before the realisation of what warfare was really like. The growing sense of conflict between Stanhope and Raleigh just shows how much the war has changed Stanhope, and affected him. Not only do we see Raleigh as a young version of Stanhope but also we hear from him background information on Stanhope’s life, ‘he was skipper of Rugger at Barford, and kept wicket for the eleven. A jolly good bat, too.’ This is not needed in Birdsong as we gain a background on what Wraysford was like before the war in part one of the novel. Novels allow writers to add descriptive back stories through narrative rather than dialogue, we can learn about one person’s perspective unlike in a play when we are unable to hear thoughts and feelings – these can only be expressed through actors portraying the role. Birdsong can go into depth about the emotional effects war can have on a person, which is a tricky detail to encapsulate in a play and yet I believe R.C. Sherriff uses dialogue and the actions of each individual to show their emotional state. We can see strongly in both, just what the war can do, seeing and living in those conditions certainly would bring about change in a person however it is the way they deal with it that helps them continue on through. An easy escape for many soldiers during the war was drink. For an ordinary private on the front line getting alcohol was hard and they were only allowed a small drop before going over the top, however officers were allowed to drink (as believed responsible enough for it) and alcoholism among officers was common. Both Stanhope in Journey’s End and Wraysford and Weir in Birdsong use drink as a method of getting through the horrors in front of them, ‘She doesn’t know that if I went up those steps into the front line – without being doped with whisky – I’d go mad with fright’. Drink was a way to forget, and maybe for a moment be away from the front line in their heads, although eventually become addicted not needing it for any purpose but for wanting, ‘cast his eyes round hopefully. Stephen reluctantly pushed a bottle towards him’. Drink was not the best way to deal with the situation though, it may have clouded their memories but would not have completed erase them ‘if sleep came it was as a gift and was as likely to come after tea as after alcohol’. Soldiers on the front line could turn on each other, either because of alcohol consumption or just the fact that these men were pushed together in such bad conditions. Maybe getting angry at one another would give them something other than fighting the enemy to focus on ‘Hibbert raises his stick and strikes blindly at Stanhope’. The violence shown in Journey’s End could also represent the battles taking place outside, as an audience member you never get to see any conflict between the enemy and therefore Stanhope’s arguments and fights with the soldier’s substitutes this. The anger Stanhope feels towards Hibbert and also Raleigh, could also show us how he feels and acts in battle situations. Unlike Journey’s End in Birdsong we are able to follow Stephen as he goes out into No-man’s land, fighting for his life but we also get violence in the trenches too ‘Fuck off, Weir, fuck off out of my way’. The use of the word ‘fuck’ is a powerful one; we can understand Wraysford’s fear just through that one word, all his fear for the battle ahead builds up the tension. In Journey’s End Stanhope is worried about what Raleigh would write home in his letter, I believe that maybe another matter that Stanhope uses to redirect his thoughts away from memories, it gives him something else to think about. Which again leads to more violence ‘D’you understand an order? Give me that letter!’ Despite these small areas of conflict there is a strong theme in both Journey’s End and Birdsong, of comradeship. Men on the front line were often forced into forming new relationships with people and often because of this gained extraordinarily strong bonds with men they were fighting alongside with. This is shown by the example of Stanhope and Osborne, and shown to the audience in many scenes but mostly through the touching goodbye scene before the fatal raid and right at the end Stanhope and Raleigh final bond over his death, ‘Stanhope sits with one hand on Raleigh’s arm’ they had fought together in the same battles and known what the other men had seen, they understood. In Birdsong the strong relationship between Wraysford and Weir grew throughout the novel and like many soldiers on the frontline Wraysford needed Weir for company and to help his sanity, ‘Weir alone had made the war bearable’ friendships like Weir’s and Wraysford’s meant that soldiers could get through the war together. They did not need to be alone. Although Raleigh in Journey’s End believed he needed to distance himself when Osborne dies, Raleigh who is first seen as this innocent character in the beginning of the play is opened to this horror after the death of Osborne, he now knows truly just how hard . He eats away from the officers with the other men, he finds it disrespectful that the others are eating and drinking. Maybe some may believe distancing themselves would mean when or if it came to them dying it would not be as hard. Many soldiers needed to be friends, to join together because even though loss is hard the sharing of jokes in such a situation as terrible as this one may have helped. In Journey’s End many of the characters particularly Trotter’s main form of escapism is in making jokes about the war and the Germans ‘I expect a nasty old German’ll cop out of it and say, ‘Ock der Kaiser’ in doing this they are able to cover up their fear and make light of the situation. In Birdsong the use of comedy is more subtle, the soldiers go down to the pub and watch entertainment and laugh with each other as friends rather than making obvious jokes. Jack performing for the soldiers gave some time for the men to relax and enjoy themselves. ‘If they could shout loud enough, they might bring the world back to its senses; they might laugh loud enough to raise the dead’ although raising the dead was not possible, the idea that in laughing and having as good a time as you can they could remember their losses and keep them alive in their thoughts. In Journey’s End some of the soldiers liked to talk about home and familiar things like rugby and cricket to take their minds of the horrors of trench warfare. Thinking about home would help them to remember how their life was before the war; it would make them want to get out and gave them something to live for. Another thing they might think about is their girlfriends, wives or just women in general, ‘I just prayed to come through the war – and – and do things – and keep absolutely fit for her’. Jack Firebrace wanted to survive for his family, dealt with the struggle with the belief he had his wife and child to return to ‘His endurance was for them; the care he took to try to stay alive was so that he would see the boy again’. As for Stephen he did not have a family or anyone really he wanted to go home for, he kept on fighting and wanting to survive for the men who had died before, he wanted to win, to continue for their benefit. The idea and hope that the men he had lost had not died in vain. With trench conditions as foul as they were; rats, lice and illnesses such as trench foot one thing that could keep the men going was the idea and the relief of getting food. The importance of food in Journey’s End is shown by how many times the men talk about it and bring it up in general conversation. Complaining about inconsequential things like chunks of pineapple instead of apricots take their minds of the war ‘I say, Stanhope, it’s a terrible business. We thought we’d got a tin of pineapple chunks; it turns out to be apricots’. The men on the front lines wouldn’t very often have the nicest of food, and when Stanhope has to visit the Colonel and is given really expensive foods he immediately thinks of his men but he will eat the food as it is the one thing that he can gain pleasure from ‘A thin stew followed, then ripe cheese and fresh bread. Lunch went on past three o’clock†¦Stephen smiled to himself, aware that his bri ef flight from reality would soon be ended’. Birdsong touches on the idea of religion and how this can be affected by war. Many soldiers lost their faith due to the mass slaughter or even the loss of a son at home like Jack Firebrace however Stephen seemed to gain a belief in God, the idea that nothing this cruel can be the end. He hoped that when Weir or any other Soldier died they had a better world to escape to and maybe this idea kept him going helped him deal with the death of his friends. Journey’s End doesn’t really touch on the men’s faith or religion, however the idea of hero worshipping used by Raleigh could be linked. The belief in a God and a higher being could also be like Raleigh looking up to Stanhope ‘I believe Raleigh will go on liking you – and looking up to you – through everything. There’s something very deep, and rather fine, about hero worship.’ Many soldiers may have used the method of positive thinking like Osborne to cover up just how scared and fearful they were ‘I never knew the sun could rise in so many ways till I came out here’. Each soldier on the front line had to choose their own way of escaping and dealing with the horrors of trench warfare. The putrid living conditions and the everyday horror of death meant that it was necessary for them to break out of the truth they were living. Many of the methods used in both Journey’s End and Birdsong are similar but their methods were carried out in different ways. Others didn’t use methods at all, they just didn’t cope; like Hibbert in Journey’s End faking an illness to get away. Each character in either Journey’s End or Birdsong took on different methods of dealing with their long hardships and suffering. The true horrors of the war however could not be forgotten, the sight of death and the stench in the trenches would not be quickly removed from their thoughts. These literary texts both play and book give us, today, just a brief insight into the lives of men on the western front, the challenges faced by these men were truly horrific and just surviving must have been a hardship. No one now or then on the home front could ever know the true extent of the struggle and the effects it had both mentally and physically, ‘If they could see the way these men live they would not believe their eyes. This is not a war; this is an exploration of how far men can be degraded.’ Characters of Journeys End by R.C. Sherriff and Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. (2017, Jul 10). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you