Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Silent and Shadow Reports for BHP Billiton Essay
Silent and Shadow Reports for BHP Billiton - Essay Example Used as models are the silent and shadow accounts from Tesco and HSBC, written by the aforementioned authors, and available at http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~csearweb/aptopractice/silentacc.html The same style and format are adapted and applied to BHP Billiton, as follows. Silent Report Mission and Policy Statements We are the worldââ¬â¢s largest diversified natural resources company. Our corporate objective is to create long-term shareholder value through the discovery, acquisition, development and marketing of natural resources. We pursue this through our consistent strategy of owning and operating large, long-life, low-cost, expandable, upstream assets diversified by commodity, geography and market. This strategy means more predictable business performance over time which, in turn, underpins the creation of value for our shareholders, customers, employees and, importantly, the communities in which we operate. We are among the worldââ¬â¢s top producers of major commodities, inc luding aluminium, energy coal, metallurgical coal, copper, manganese, iron ore, uranium, nickel, silver and titanium minerals, and have substantial interests in oil and gas. We continue to invest in the future. Corporate Governance Statement The objective of BHP Billiton is to create long term value for shareholders through the discovery, development and conversion of natural resources, and the provision of innovative customer and market-focused solutions (Corporate Objective). The role of the BHP Billiton Board is to represent the shareholders and to promote and protect the interests of the Company. It does so by governing the Group. The Board has developed processes relating to: A. its own tasks and activities (Board Membership and Process) B. the matters specifically reserved for Board decision-making, the authority delegated to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the accountability of the CEO for that authority, and guidance on the management of the relationship between the Board and the CEO (Board and CEO Relationship); and C. the boundaries on CEO action (CEO Limits). Compliance with corporate governance BHP Billiton complies with the governance standards in our home jurisdictions of Australia and the UK, and with the governance requirements that apply to us as a result of our New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listing and our registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the US. There are summarised in the Corporate Governance Statement, the Remuneration Report, the Directorsââ¬â¢ Report and the financial statements. Business principles and values The implementation of the Groupââ¬â¢s strategy and our ongoing performance depends on the quality and motivation of our people. Our purpose is to create long-term shareholder value through the discovery, acquisition, development and marketing of natural resources. Our strategy is to own and operate large, low-cost, expandable, upstream assets diversified by commodity, geography and market. Our focus on the safety and health of our workforce, our fundamental drive for sustainability across all our business operations, our concern for the environment and communities within which we work, and our management of operational risks are reflected through our remuneration policy and structures. Board and committee structure The Board will always have a majority of Directors who are non-executive and are judged by the Board to be independent of judgement and character and free of material relationships with the Group and other entities and people that might influence or would be perceived by shareholders to influence such judgement. The Board will have the balance of non-executive and executive Directors that is effective for the promotion of shareholder interests and the governance of the Group. The
Monday, October 28, 2019
Employer â⬠Employee Relationship Essay Example for Free
Employer ââ¬â Employee Relationship Essay Little Lamb Company needs an additional programmer for a special project. The company enters into a contract with Mary to complete this project. Just as the project is nearing completion, initially an independent contractor as she had a high degree of control over how the work is accomplished, and enters into a contract with the company a new need arises for her services. She is asked to continue with the company to complete the new project. While completing the new project, the supervisor begins working more closely with Mary and requires her to use company materials and equipment while adhering to company work schedules. Mary seems to be moving toward an at-will employee position, because she appears to have less control over how the work is accomplished as she will probably have to answer to the supervisor, and using the companies materials and equipment and adhering to the company work schedules. After two years suggests at-will employee because of the length of time being 2 years, economic conditions force the company to make budget cuts. Mary is asked to leave as an employee, as she is obviously no longer working as an independent contractor, when asked to leave the company. Thirty days later, a major contract is acquired by the company, which reinstates the need for Marys services as a programmer. However, the supervisor chooses to hire his equally-qualified cousin and not offer Mary the opportunity to return. The use of word hire implied that Mary had been an employee and not an independent contractor. Is Mary an independent contractor or an employee? Describe the factors that led to your determination. There are several criteria to determine if Mary is a contractor or an employee. For example, one critical aspect to distinguish an independent contractor from an employee is the degree of control over how the work is accomplished. Initially Mary seemed to have more control than she did at the end, so it seems that she moved from being a independent contractor at the beginning to an employee over time. However, there are many factors to consider in making a determination as to whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee. Some of these criteria include:â⬠¢Whether a distinct occupation or business isà being performed; e.g. programmer, so initially Mary was contracted as an independent contractor for a specific project. â⬠¢The amount of supervision over the means by which the work is performed; e.g. the supervisor begins working more closely with Mary and requires her to use company materials and equipment while adhering to company work schedules implies a move away from independent contractor towards an at will employee. â⬠¢The degree of skill required to perform the work; e.g., programmer equally-qualified cousinâ⬠¢Who provides the tools used to perform the work, and, e.g., requires her to use company materials and equipment while adhering to company work schedules and therefore moving towards being an at-will employeeâ⬠¢The place where the work is done; e.g. Mary is working in the office, the supervisor begins working more closely with Mary and requires her to use company materials and equipment while adhering to company work schedules suggesting an at-will employee position. Has the employer/employee relationship changed over the course of time? If so, how?As mentioned above, it did seem to change over time. It seems that initially, Mary could be considered an independent contractor because Little Lamb Company needs an additional programmer for a special project and Mary entered into a contract with the company. However, Mary was later asked to stay on and began working close to the supervisor, who expected Mary to used the company materials and equipment, to follow the company work schedule, and was terminated at will when economic conditions demanded. Thus, Mary seemed to move from an independent contractor to an at-will employee. 3) Was Marys release legal under the doctrine of employment-at-will? Why or why not?This is murky water and it depends. If Mary had moved into an at will employee, then the doctrine of employment-at-will allows her employee to let her go without reason (however, they initially had a contract, which we look at in the next part of this question below). In the scenario, it says Mary enters into a contract for the first project, however, makes noà mention of a contract when she is asked to stay on (however, sometimes contracts are implied). For example, in most states of the United States all employees are considered at will employees. That means that the employer can terminate or change the employment relationship at will, unless there is a contract with the employer. In general, an employer can fire an at will employee, or change the employees position or compensation with no notice and no reason. Likewise, the employee can terminate his employment at will without notice or reason. However, there are three possible legitimated reasons employee can challenge a wrongful termination:If not, which of the following exceptions to employment-at-will have been violated? Why?a) Breach of public policy (Perhaps) Values, principles and basic rules that the courts and legislatures consider to be in the best interest of individuals and the general public. Employer violations of specific labor and employment laws might be called violations of public policy, instead of or in addition to violations of the specific laws. That is because it is in the best interest of all workers that all employers obey such laws. Public policy may be written or implied, and varies among states and municipalities. Consequently, whether or not an employer has violated public policy is often a matter of interpretation by a court or arbitrator (i.e., hired cousin instead of having Mary return). b) Breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Probably not, because it is dealing with contracts and the question is dealing with at-will exceptions. c) Breach of implied contract (this is a possibility). Why? For example, in a contract between the employer and the employee, even in the absence of a formal written employment agreement. For example, language in an employee handbook may promise all layoffs are based on seniority or we give employees at least 2 weeks notice of all layoffs. Therefore, if Mary thins she is wrongfully terminated, as an employee; she can challenge a wrongful termination for these legitimate reasons
Saturday, October 26, 2019
History :: essays research papers
Question 3: Triangle trade brought slavery to America and helped Americans get important commodities it could not otherwise obtain. In the short term, triangle trade allowed farmers, fishermen, and other businesses to export their goods and make money, also allowing them to import goods that they needed from England. Triangle trade was necessary because of the British Navigation Acts, which restricted trade on certain items. Triangle trade also came about because sometime around the 1730ââ¬â¢s the English market had reached its saturation point with American goods. The English had no need for American products, but the Americans still needed money to buy the English goods. The answer was in looking to foreign markets. In the early to mid 1700ââ¬â¢s triangle trade brought prosperity and important goods to the colonists. Triangle trade did indeed bring important commodities, slaves being one of them. Slavery is the most important thing that triangle trade produced. The issue of slavery continually caused tension between the northern and southern colonies/states until finally there was war. The issue of slavery divided a nation ironically named the United States. While on an issue with all low points there is one fact which stands above the rest, somewhat. Due to the fact that it was a longer voyage for the slaves to reach America they were much higher priced than in the Southern Americas, where slaves were considered expendable and worked until death. Accoridngly, slaves where considered important and treated much better in North America. Slavery is a low point in American history many will try to forget, but will be embedded in the minds of all. The Great Awakening was a time of spiritual revival from the bland, monotone speakers of the past. The new speakers were crazed with enthusiasm and used unheard of methods of preaching, which greatly upset ââ¬Å"old lightsâ⬠or orthodox clergymen. The Great Awakening caused the creation of many new denominations, preaching styles, and competitiveness in Americaââ¬â¢s churches. Jonathan Edwards was one of the first men to revolutionize the nation with these new preaching techniques. His most famous speech, ââ¬Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,â⬠gave a graphic depiction of what eternal damnation was like. He used an example of a spider hanging from its web over a fire to show that at any time you could die and be cast into hell. The other prolific speaker of the time was George Whitefield.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
African Americans and Racial Diversity
There are many organizations that advocate equality for African Americans in the United States. Many organizations will promote the African American race and show what concerns are being felt by their race. Those that advocate for their race give a description of how they fall in history, what discrimination they endured and what prejudice they still have to deal with. These groups and organizations promote the idea to bring discrimination to a stop in their cultures around the world. African Americans and Racial Equality African Americans have made their way to freedom, but have been left with a heavy burden of their ancestorââ¬â¢s slavery. Would they ever be seen as anything but slaves brought unwilling from Africa to the United States to be enslaved and be servants to the White Man? Those questions can be answered by looking at the history of African Americans and how they have become great leaders in this country. Rosa Parks may have not been the first Black woman to give up her seat on the bus, but she stared a chain of events that would eventually bring segregation to an end. That day in 1955, Rosa Parks paved the way for people like Barak Obama to become the first African American President the United States has ever had. Before that time, African Americans had endured slavery, segregation, discrimination, and prejudice because of the color of their skin. Many African American men fought for our country in the civil war so they could be granted freedom after they served. Butler (2013) stated, ââ¬Å"the Fourteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution revoking that fateful decision and ensuring citizenship, with all its rights and esponsibilities, to everyone born in the United States regardless of race. â⬠(para. 1). There have been several political, social, and cultural issues and concerns throughout American history. Some political issues African American have faces according to history. house. gov (2013) ââ¬Å"Since 1870, when Senator Hiram Revels of Mississippi and Representative Joseph Rainey of South Carolina became the first African Americans to serve in Congress, a total of 139 African Americans have served as U. S. Representatives or Senators. Social issues among African Americans are discrimination and prejudice within the United States and beyond. Many are discriminated against because of their race. Many black men and women are deprived of the earning abilities of that of the White man. They make less money and live in poverty striking communities. Because of slavery, many African Americans feel as though they will never been seen equal to others because of their ancestors. Until this mind set changes, history will continue to run the ideas and future of African Americans. Some cultural issues among the African American throughout history would be being accepted into a culture. Many slaves when freed started large communities made up of just Blacks. Without the same education and opportunities as White men and woman, they fell into poverty and struggled to grow as respected Americans. This permits for crime rates to be higher because they had to survive any way they could if only by stealing to be able to live. These issues among African American still exist today. The NAACP has fought for African American rights for generations. According to ââ¬Å"Naacp: 100 Years Of Historyâ⬠(2009-2013), ââ¬Å"The NAACP seeks to remove all barriers of racial discrimination through the democratic processes. â⬠(Founding Group). The have helped many African American groups with their right to vote because even after they were granted the right, many were still denied. The NAACP has fought along site African Americans to bring justice and rights to those people who worked so hard to become free and receive equal rights in the United States. The United States Supreme Court alleviated slavery, and wrote into law that ll people should be treated equal. They gave African Americans the right to vote and be equals in their communities and states. They also were granted the right to become government officials. Although these laws have been added, discrimination and prejudice still exist in the United States. The NAACP and other organizations have and continue to fight for the rights of African American and other races. Blackradicalcongress. org has a list of originations that promote blacks in our country. These groups give support to African Americans and show the history of their culture. African Americans may carry a heavy burden of slavery from their ancestors, but they have become the staples of our culture. Through their determination our country has changed to make way for new opportunities for us to grow as a Nation. Every man has equal opportunity to make change and live a life without discrimination and prejudice. It takes one person to show the world that change can happen. Letââ¬â¢s make a change. Letââ¬â¢s all live without discrimination and treat everyone as an equal to ourselves. Reference Butler, C.à (2013).à The African-American Experience FROM ENSLAVEMENT TO EMANCIPATION.à Retrieved from http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/african-american-experience/the-african-american.html History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, ââ¬Å"Black Americans in Congress,â⬠http://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/BAIC/Black-Americans-in-Congress/ (July 07, 2013) NAACP: 100 Years of History. (2009-2013). Retrieved from http://www.naacp.org/pages/naacp-history Black Organizations. (). Retrieved from http://www.blackradicalcongress.org/
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Poetry Analysis: Barbie Doll Poem
Society often saddles women with limiting and unrealistic expectations concerning beauty. This results in a sense of physical inadequacy and a low self-image for those women who do not uphold those features identified as aesthetically attractive. As the poem entitled ââ¬Å"Barbie Doll,â⬠by Marge Piercy shows through its word choice and tone, the results can often be devastating. There is a pointed and troubling contrast in the 2nd stanza, which describes a female subject of markedly admirable qualities.Indeed, it is almost implied that these qualities are somehow male in their nature. Her health, intelligence and strength are praised, as are her sex drive and physical abilities. We might therefore deduce that the subject being describes is an inherently attractive figure with qualities suitable for affection and mating. And yet, the resolution of this stanza is the juxtaposition which tells of a woman who is apologetic for those features divergent from female idealization.And were it simply a low self-esteem at the root of this apologetic nature, it might be deduced that the subject is also Piercyââ¬â¢s object of criticism. However, the 3rd stanza makes quite clear that the woman is at the mercy of that which is expected of her by others. Societyââ¬â¢s pressures, implied by the sarcastic tone in the first stanza concerning female targeted toys which influence early the ideal role and identity of the woman, are reinforced in a more damning fashion by the 3rd stanza, which notes that ââ¬Ëshe was advisedââ¬â¢ to craft herself according to how others expected her to be.Those unique and admirable qualities amounted to nothing as she was impressed upon to be thinner and more concurrent with the ideal of beauty. As Piercy tells, first she surrenders those qualities of her persona which made her appreciable and, consequently, she surrenders her life. She becomes the ââ¬ËBarbie Dollââ¬â¢ which invokes the standard image of beauty in our culture, as attractive, plastic and inanimate as a childââ¬â¢s play thing.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Vocabulary Tips Is Data Singular or Plural
Vocabulary Tips Is Data Singular or Plural Vocabulary Tips: Is Data Singular or Plural? In the grammarian community, there are some who will tip over a table and storm out of the room if anyone dares to combine the word ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠with a singular verb in their presence: e.g., ââ¬Å"The data is conclusive: Many pedants have severe anger issues.â⬠Theyââ¬â¢d probably also object to the singular ââ¬Å"their.â⬠(Image: CURavensLog/YouTube) Are these people overreacting? Yes, of course they are. But do they have a point regardless? Should we be using ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠as a plural noun? And, if so, what is the singular version? Datum and Data Traditionally, ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠was a plural. The singular form (i.e., the word for a single fact or piece of information) was ââ¬Å"datum.â⬠As such, we might say something like the following: This datum is not significant in itself, but the combined data are hard to deny. In this sentence, ââ¬Å"datumâ⬠clearly refers to a single piece of information, with ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠reserved for a collection of facts. This is important when it comes to subject-verb agreement, so the singular ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠is paired with the singular verb ââ¬Å"is,â⬠while ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠is followed by the plural verb ââ¬Å"are.â⬠Data as a Mass Noun Over time, however, usage of ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠has changed. Thus, it is now commonly used as a mass noun (otherwise known as an uncountable or non-count noun). This means that although ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠still refers to a collection of facts, it is treated as singular for grammatical purposes: Information was collected from hundreds of respondents, so the data is very persuasive. Consequently, ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠is now essentially a synonym for ââ¬Å"information,â⬠another mass noun that refers to a collection of facts or a large amount of evidence. ââ¬Å"Data isâ⬠or ââ¬Å"Data areâ⬠? Most of the time, even in academic writing, ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠is now used as a mass noun, so it should be combined with singular verbs. This would mean that ââ¬Å"data isâ⬠is usually correct. However, in some fields ââ¬Å"data areâ⬠is still considered technically correct unless youââ¬â¢re referring to a single fact, in which case ââ¬Å"datumâ⬠should be used instead. As such, itââ¬â¢s a good idea to check your schoolââ¬â¢s style guide on this issue. If it doesnââ¬â¢t provide specific instructions, the singular ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠is probably fine. But you could always check with your professor to see if he or she has a preference if you want to be absolutely sure!
Monday, October 21, 2019
An Introduction to Obsolete Words
An Introduction to Obsolete Words Obsolete word is a temporal label commonly used by lexicographers (that is, editors of dictionaries) to indicate that a word (or a particular form or sense of a word) is no longer in active use in speech and writing. In general, notes Peter Meltzer, the difference between an obsolete word and an archaic word is that, although both have fallen into disuse, an obsolete word has done so more recently (The Thinkers Thesaurus, 2010). The editors of The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2006) make this distinction: Archaic. [T]his label is attached to entry words and senses for which there is only sporadic evidence in print after 1755 . . ..Obsolete. [T]his label is attached to entry words and senses for which there is little or no printed evidence since 1755. In addition, as Knud Sà ¸rensen points out, it sometimes occurs that words which have become obsolete in Britain continue to be current in the United States (compare Amer. Engl. fall and Brit. Engl. autumn) (Languages in Contact and Contrast, 1991). Following are some examples of obsolete words: Illecebrous Illecebrous [ill-less-uh-brus] an obsolete word meaning attractive, alluring. From a Latin word meaning to entice.(Erin McKean, Totally Weird and Wonderful Words. Oxford University Press, 2006) Mawk The underlying meaning of mawkish is maggotish. It was derived from a now obsolete word mawk, which meant literally maggot but was used figuratively (like maggot itself) for a whim or fastidious fancy. Henceà mawkish originally meant nauseated, as if repelled by something one is too fastidious to eat. In the 18th century the notion of sickness or sickliness produced the present-day sense over-sentimental.(John Ayto, Word Origins, 2nd ed. A C Black, 2005) Muckrake Mudslinging and muckrakingtwo words commonly connected with the pursuit of an elected office and the flotsam the campaigns leave in their wake.Voters seem fairly familiar with the term used to describe malicious or scandalous attacks against opponents, but the latter m word may be new for some people. It is an obsolete word describing a tool used to rake muck or dung and used in reference to a character in John Bunyanââ¬â¢s classic Pilgrimââ¬â¢s Progress [1678]the Man with the Muck-rake who rejected salvation to focus on filth.(Vanessa Curry, Donââ¬â¢t Muck It Up, and We Wonââ¬â¢t Rake It. The Daily Herald [Columbia, TN], April 3, 2014)| Slubberdegullion Slubberdegullion is n: a slobbering or dirty fellow, a worthless sloven, 1610s, from slubber to daub, smear, behave carelessly or negligently (1520s), probably from Dutch or Low German (cf. slobber (v)). Second element appears to be an attempt to imitate French; or perhaps it is French, related to Old French goalon a sloven. Century Dictionary speculates the -de- means insignificant or else is from hobbledehoy. Snoutfair Snoutfair is a person with a handsome countenance (literally, a fair snout). Its origins are from the 1500s. Lunting Lunting means to walk while smoking a pipe. Luntingà is also the emantion of smoke or steam from a tobacco pipe, or the flame used to light a fire, torch, or pipe, The word lunting originated in the 1500s from either the Dutch word lontà meaning a slow match or fuse or the Middle Low German lonte meaning a wick. With Squirrel With squirrel is a euphemism that means pregnant. It originated in the Ozark Mountainsà in the early 20th century. Curglaff Curglaff is commonly felt by people in northern climes - it is the shock that one feels when first plunging into cold water. The word curglaff originated from Scotland in the 1800s. (Also spelled curgloff). Groak To groak (verb) is to watch someone longingly while they are eating, in the hope that they will give you some of their food. The origin is possibly Scottish.à Cockalorum Cockalorum is a little man who has an over-inflated opinion of himself and thinks himself more important than he is; also, boastful speech. The origin of cockalorumà may be from the from the obsolete Flemish wordà kockeloeren of the 1700s,à meaning to crow.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Funny St. Patricks Day Sayings and Quotes
Funny St. Patricks Day Sayings and Quotes The Irish are famous for two things. One, they can drink like a fish and keep the spirit flowing. Two, they know how to take a joke. The Irish also love to joke, especially about themselves. They dont care about political correctness and other such mumbo-jumbo. For them, a below-the-belt barb is an expression of endearment. The Irish are also noted for their tremendous sense of humor. Their quick-wittedness is evident in these Irish sayings and quotes. Some famous witty Irishmen like Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Conan OBrien and F. Scott Fitzgerald have achieved global fame for their extraordinary wit and wisdom. Their words reveal their brilliant imagination. Embrace Irish humor on St. Patricks Day. The Irish love their culture, history, and traditions. They love cracking jokes and drinking beer (like Guinness) and Irish whiskey (like Jamesons or Bushmills).Ã However, if you dont have an appetite for insults, watch out for their sharp tongue the Irish spare no one in their quick comebacks. If you are celebrating St. Patricks Day, arm yourself with witticisms to level the playing field. Quotes About The Irish Sidney LittlewoodThe Irish dont know what they want and are prepared to fight to the death to get it. Oliver HerfordThe Irish gave the bagpipes to the Scots as a joke, but the Scots havent seen the joke yet. Winston ChurchillWe have always found the Irish a bit odd. They refuse to be English. John Pentland MahaffyIn Ireland, the inevitable never happens and the unexpected constantly occurs. Irish BlessingMay God bless and keep in good health your enemies enemies. Brendan BehanIf it was raining soup, the Irish would go out with forks. Ann KennedyThe one thing us Irish have is the ability to laugh at ourselves. God bless us all. Stephen ColbertThe shamrock is a religious symbol. St. Patrick said the leaves represented the trinity: the Father, the son and the holy spirit. Thats why four-leaf clovers are so lucky; you get a bonus Jesus. Ralph Wiggum, The SimpsonsAnd thats where I saw the leprechaun. He told me to burn things! Margot Leitman, Lewis Blacks Root of All EvilSt. Patricks Day is a holy day for Roman Catholics in Ireland to pray and a day for drunk people to vomit with their pants down in New Jersey. Jon StewartMaking it [St. Patricks Day] a great day for the Irish, but just an OK day if youre looking for a quiet tavern to talk, read or have a white wine spritzer. Jimmy FallonAnd on me final night, I got as lucky as a clover, I met a purdy lassie, drunk enough to come on over. Steven, BraveheartIn order to find his equal, an Irishman is forced to converse with the Almighty. Laura KightlingerIts a big deal about whether or not gays can march in the St. Patricks Day parade, and I have to say that on some level I kind of see their point. Because when you think about it, it is a real macho heterosexual event. Bunch of guys in short skirts on a cart made of rose pedals sharing a bagpipe. Thats not for sissies. Jay LenoThis is St. Patricks Day in Los Angeles, Luck O The Irish Recipes. Delicious Irish guacamole. Corned beef and guacamole. Irish SayingIf youre enough lucky to be Irish, youre lucky enough! Ellen DeGeneresThe legend goes that St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. I was thinking ... that must be hard to put all the tiny seatbelts on all the snakes. Conan OBrienSt.Patricks Day is named for St. Patrick, the first guy to feed Guinness to a snake. Lewis BlackWhos this Patrick anyway? The patron saint of liquor distributors? Heres the real truth, he didnt get rid of snakes in Ireland. He just got rid of the ones he was seeing. Sean MoreyI come from an Irish family. St. Patricks Day was our big holiday. The night before wed hang up our stockings and in the morning theyd be full of beer.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Colonial Latin America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Colonial Latin America - Essay Example As a function of analyzing the level of superstition that existed within the Spanish Empire of Latin America, it is necessary to realize that three distinct groups comprise the majority of cultural exchange that took place within Latin America between 1518 50. As such, these three groups are as follows: the ethnic Iberian Spanish that originally moved from the old world to the New World, the African slaves that came along with the Spanish as a means of providing the labor for the plantations and natural resource extraction in the New World, and the natives that originally occupied the New World territories Firstly, as a means of understanding the coalescence of different cultures within Latin America, it is necessary to focus on this issue from three unique standpoints. The first approach that can and should be engaged is with regards to seeking to understand superstition from standpoint of the Roman Catholic tradition; the one that was most commonly exhibited with respect to the whi te Spanish colonists of the particular regions in question. The Roman Catholic tradition necessarily engaged in understanding that a differentiation between good versus evil helps to define the world they were in. Moreover, the Spanish Inquisition, having only concluded within Spain several hundred years before colonization of the New World began, had ingrained a solid understanding within the minds of the colonists that the battle between God and the devil was very much alive and was exhibited through even minute differentiations with regards to doctrines and beliefs. A further reality with regards to the overall level of superstition that existed within the early Spanish colonials was with regards to the fact that the individuals who were first responsible for settling and colonizing this New World were in fact seaman. As such, these seafaring wanderers were perhaps the most superstitious of all individuals within the Spanish Empire; as they saw each and every occurrence as some t ype of omen or superstitious sign concerning life, death, fortune, or wealth. As such, a guiding compass of the way in which this particular group integrated with an understanding of superstition was predicated upon a very narrow view of religion and the fact that evil, Satan, or the devil could exist in any number of forms with regards to the world they interacted. As such, even though many scholars and led to believe that the Spanish stakeholders within the New World were the ones who are the least superstitious, seeking to categorize Spanish in such a way is disingenuous and ineffective as will be seen with regards to the level of superstition that pervaded the remaining two groups that are under discussion and analysis within this brief essay. Due to the fact that the individuals who initially settled these New World were perhaps the most superstitious of any socio-economic strata of the Spanish culture, it comes as no surprise that they readily adapted to the superstitions of t hose that they came in contact with. Naturally, the second group of stakeholders is referenced with respect to the many Native American populations that existed within the New World long before the Spanish ever began to colonize it. By very nature of the way in whi
Chapter 6 class activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Chapter 6 class activity - Essay Example The main stages in the stages of change model include precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance and termination. If I am in the stage of the precontemplation, more information on the risks associated with unhealthy behavior will help me move to the next stage. Additional information would open my eyes to the benefits of healthy behavior and risks of unhealthy behavior that I possess. In the contemplation stage, I would need to think deeply about the kind of a person I can become if I adopt healthy behavior. Therefore, relating with people practicing healthy behavior would help me reducing the disadvantages I associate with changing to healthy behavior. At the preparation stage, I need encouragement from trusted friends that I will succeed if I start the action stage. This will help me handle my biggest fears. In the action stage, I would need to learn how to substitute unhealthy behavior with healthy behavior. In the maintenance stage, I would need to learn how to deal with stress and avoid relapsing to unhealthy behavior (Hjemdahl, Rosengren & Steptoe
Friday, October 18, 2019
Implementing an Environmental Management System Essay
Implementing an Environmental Management System - Essay Example The process that is going to be described in this paper on how to create an EMS and implement the system is based on the recommended EPA processes and guidelines. The four-phase EMS implementation process has the following four steps: getting ready, plan, do, check & act (Peercenter, 2009). In the first phase of the process, the manager has to recognize that each company has unique needs and the system must be tailored made to cover those needs. The objectives, challenges, and potential benefits must be established. The company also has to establish the reasons for implementing the EMS. The reasons may vary but include: improving public image, reduce environmental pollution, and business politics among others. During the first face, the company has to select the activities or operations where the EMS will apply. The activities and operations selected have to be reasonable as far as the system is able to manage the tasks needed to achieve environmental improvements. The cost of opport unity cannot exceed the benefits achieved from implementing the system. The company has to create a new job position for an employee to be the official EMS representative that coordinates the efforts of the system. The EMS representative has to select a core team of employees for the project and he must also choose and implementation team. The first step of phase II is designing an environmental footprint which is basically the environmental aspects the EMS impacts. Reduced energy consumption and lower CO2 emissions are two examples of environmental aspects. The second step is to identify the hot spot areas of each aspect within the organization. The hot spots must meet the significant criteria the EMS core team established.Ã
Public heath and homelessness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1
Public heath and homelessness - Essay Example health professionals lobby the use of a broad perspective in the public health sector, wherein focus on the causes of these health issues as well as observed trends in the issues would be used to solve such problems (Krieger and Higgins 758; Meyer and Schwartz 1191). Connections between the rates of homelessness and the low quality of health among these people have been established by several studies in order to bring awareness to the readers as well as other medical professionals with regards to the increased health risks of the homeless as compared to people with permanent and secure dwelling places. The selection of test subjects in homelessness and public health studies were mostly done using certain criteria such as determination of residential status using the Homeless History Form (Caton 258), secondary analyses of the 2003 Health Care for the Homeless User Survey (Baggett), the use of socio-demographic characteristics of homeless people compared to a control setup (Meyer and Schwartz 1191), as well as conducting a community assessment of places where the test subjects reside (Krieger and Higgins 762). Various assessment methods were done in order to determine the statistics of homelessness based on different grounds. Also, since the reasons for being homeless as well as the effects of it can vary from person to person, it is also relevant to include other types of assessments to prevent the data from becoming too biased. This kind of data gathering was able to generate a much clearer perspective as to what kind of health risks homeless people become subjected to, as well a s showing how these risks were considerably high as compared to non-homeless test subjects. While the methods for assessing the health risks of the homeless were different in each of the case studies that were done, all of the papers were able to corroborate the strong impact of homelessness to a sharp increase in health risks. It was mentioned that due to the lack of access to a safe
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Leadership and nursing care management Case Study
Leadership and nursing care management - Case Study Example However, the hospital has some preconditions that need to be reexamined to facilitate a smooth recruitment process of the nurses and help retain them in the hospital. The two years medical surgical experience required can be lowered to one year and the nurses can be offered bonuses among other provisions that will enable the hospital attract registered nurses and retain them. As the ICU Nurse Manager, you are required to act with immediate effect in order to address this situation. 1. Steps the ICU Nurse Manager takes to outline a plan to address the issue There are several steps that an individual can take as the ICU Nurse Manager, to outline a plan to address the problems facing the hospital. These include following certain steps that one will take to outline the plan needed to solve this problem. Firstly, one identifies the problem. Secondly, one determines the goals to be met. Thirdly, prepare a plan in order to get a solution. Fourthly, implement the plan. Fifthly, assess the ou tcome by evaluation (Scholastic Reading Club, 2013). Formulating the appropriate assessment tools and channels will help determine if the candidates who apply for the FTE position, are qualified to meet the required standards. Considering other cheaper expenses should be an issue to consider since the hospital wants to contain costs. Identify the problem Determine the goals to be met Prepare a plan to get the solution Implement the plan Assess the outcome 2. Data needed In order to facilitate the recruitment of the new registered nurses, the nurse manager needs data that will help facilitate the process of attracting new nurses and retaining them. The nurse manager needs data to show the implications of lowering the experience required to hire the new full time nurses. This calls for information from nursing articles and journals. The training and recruitment processes will require data to ensure that it is conducted excellently and effectively. This information will be sought from past hospital records and nursing journals and articles. The nurse manager will require information from the budget to ensure that the new financial costs can easily be borne by the hospital. Therefore, financial documents will be sought from the finance department of the hospital. Five alternative actions for meeting this directive Some alternative actions can be employed in an effort to attract, hire and retain a workforce comprising of experienced, committed and dedicated nurses. The hospital can offer incentives that will attract the nurses and give them pleasing offers that will leave them desiring to work for a longer period in the hospital. First, the hospital should lower the years of experience needed to hire the registered nurses. This can be put at one-year experience to attract a large number of younger nurses. Second, the hospital can offer longevity bonuses that will offer increasing bonuses to the nurses with the number of years they are working in the hospital. Third , the hospital can collaborate with the community to build a better relationship that will help it in attracting new nurses even from the local community. Fourth, the hospital can offer loan forgiveness programs that will pay a certain amount of money to clear the
HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3
HRM - Essay Example In Saudi Arabia, this system is referred to as ââ¬ËBareedââ¬â¢. Up until a couple of years ago, Saudi Post did not have an addressing system in accordance with the international conventions. To improve efficiency, they decided to use global standards for postal system. Therefore, they created a unified national addressing system and set up postal codes for the entire kingdom. Using Global Information system, they set up an addressing system that is scalable as well as efficient. At present, Saudi Post has a very efficient network that spans across all the cities and villages of the country. It has 478 main post offices and 180 branch post offices. This study aims to look at the delay caused in second-class mail delivery system and the loss of mail of the Saudi Postal System that is also known as Saudi Post. For many years, the users of Saudi Post have battled issues of delayed delivery or loss of mail sent by second-class. This study explores the various methods through which t he Human Resources development can improve the efficient of the second-class mail delivery system. It also looks at the various training methods that can be put to use by the HR deport to ensure timely and safe delivery of the second-class mail. ... The priority is always given to the first class mails because of the service promised. However, it is also necessary to understand that the second-class mails also need to be delivered within the stipulated timelines. Therefore, quality of mail delivery should correlate to the service that has been promised to the customers. In addition, postal employees also have a very critical role to play to ensure timely delivery. It is necessary to provide adequate training to make sure that they understand the various aspect of mail delivery in accordance to the services. One key issue that has resulted in causing delays is the lack of training that the employees have and it makes them inefficient. The focus should never be restricted to only first-class mails because the other regular mail is neglected and piled up. This also results in loss of mails for some cases. Another challenge that prevents the timely delivery of mails could be that the employees do not follow up on the second-class ma ils in time. Role of Human Resources Human Resources or the HR department plays a very important role in contributing to the efficiency, productivity as well as strength of any organization. HR not only helps in building and training a solid workforce, it has the potential to carry out process improvements and build an agile organization that is respected for the way in which can better respond to the demands of the customer or the market. HR also has the potential to provide its employees with strategic tools as well as support system to enable them to perform their work efficiently. Human resource management can be defined as the understanding as well as the application of the different processes, policies as well as methodology that have an impact on the
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Leadership and nursing care management Case Study
Leadership and nursing care management - Case Study Example However, the hospital has some preconditions that need to be reexamined to facilitate a smooth recruitment process of the nurses and help retain them in the hospital. The two years medical surgical experience required can be lowered to one year and the nurses can be offered bonuses among other provisions that will enable the hospital attract registered nurses and retain them. As the ICU Nurse Manager, you are required to act with immediate effect in order to address this situation. 1. Steps the ICU Nurse Manager takes to outline a plan to address the issue There are several steps that an individual can take as the ICU Nurse Manager, to outline a plan to address the problems facing the hospital. These include following certain steps that one will take to outline the plan needed to solve this problem. Firstly, one identifies the problem. Secondly, one determines the goals to be met. Thirdly, prepare a plan in order to get a solution. Fourthly, implement the plan. Fifthly, assess the ou tcome by evaluation (Scholastic Reading Club, 2013). Formulating the appropriate assessment tools and channels will help determine if the candidates who apply for the FTE position, are qualified to meet the required standards. Considering other cheaper expenses should be an issue to consider since the hospital wants to contain costs. Identify the problem Determine the goals to be met Prepare a plan to get the solution Implement the plan Assess the outcome 2. Data needed In order to facilitate the recruitment of the new registered nurses, the nurse manager needs data that will help facilitate the process of attracting new nurses and retaining them. The nurse manager needs data to show the implications of lowering the experience required to hire the new full time nurses. This calls for information from nursing articles and journals. The training and recruitment processes will require data to ensure that it is conducted excellently and effectively. This information will be sought from past hospital records and nursing journals and articles. The nurse manager will require information from the budget to ensure that the new financial costs can easily be borne by the hospital. Therefore, financial documents will be sought from the finance department of the hospital. Five alternative actions for meeting this directive Some alternative actions can be employed in an effort to attract, hire and retain a workforce comprising of experienced, committed and dedicated nurses. The hospital can offer incentives that will attract the nurses and give them pleasing offers that will leave them desiring to work for a longer period in the hospital. First, the hospital should lower the years of experience needed to hire the registered nurses. This can be put at one-year experience to attract a large number of younger nurses. Second, the hospital can offer longevity bonuses that will offer increasing bonuses to the nurses with the number of years they are working in the hospital. Third , the hospital can collaborate with the community to build a better relationship that will help it in attracting new nurses even from the local community. Fourth, the hospital can offer loan forgiveness programs that will pay a certain amount of money to clear the
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
ART HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
ART HISTORY - Essay Example It stands in a low sculpture that looks like an uneven terrain that is in a rectangular base (Hemingway 22). Eusebio Francisco Kino was dedicated in the year 1988 in honor of the Father Eusebio of Italy. He had traveled in 1645 to Americas as a missionary where prior to his death he traveled to Pimera and established 17 missions. This statue has three copies in the world. The Padre Kinos presence in the statute in Campbell carries dignity and craftsmanship that captures every wrinkle and muscle. Its 25 foot cast concrete bronze statute done by Julian Martinez in the year 1988. It is located in the drab corner surrounded by traffic and fulfills the promise of ADOTS in bringing public art to the town (Hemingway 11). Tucson town is full of contradictions. The Pancho Villa has been very controversial for nearly 3o years. The statute has already undergone three lawsuits which it has survived which were aimed at erecting it.The city has defended the statute where it has paid almost $2,000 for a sculptor to do some touch ups in the year 2006. This shows that the sculpture of the Pancho Villa does not get support from the local administration where it has outlived its usefulness. The cost of maintaining the sculpture is also high and needs to be replaced. The Villa has lost its purpose to serve as a political tool for the Villa future legacy in Mexico. It has provided many intense arguments due to issues of cultural diversity and politics. It is seen as the Robin Hood for the poor. The Kino and Villa statutes are no longer effective in their purpose of history resemblance and create a variety of cultural differences and, therefore, there is a need to replace them with new statutes in Tucson town. There are people in the world studying the history of Mexico and would like to see the cultural art used to describe the famous missionaries like Padre Kino. Therefore, the city experiences tourists from across the globe that come to
Monday, October 14, 2019
Literature review compilations Essay Example for Free
Literature review compilations Essay 1. Rao, V. (1993). The rising price of husbands: A hedonic analysis of dowry increases in rural India. Journal of Political Economy, 666-677. Motivation and objective : Attempts to investigate the reasons behind the increase in dowry . Methods : It adapts Rosens implicit market model to the Indian marriage market and tests predictions from the model with data from six villages in South Central India and from the Indian census Theories : Using utility function, U is assumed to be maximized, given that U is the utility function which represent the household preferences. The function will be U = U(X,W,H). Where X refers to consumption of goods, W refers to the desirable traits of the bride and her family and H is traits of the groom. Main Findings : It is found that a marriage squeeze caused by population growth, resulting in larger younger cohorts and hence a surplus of women in the marriage market, has played a significant role in the rise in dowries. ( Surplus of women over man at marriageable ages) 2. Skogrand, L. M., Schramm, D. G., Marshall, J. P., Lee, T. R. (2005). The effects of debt on newlyweds and implications for education. Journal of extension, 43(3), 1. Motivation and objective : Examines the relationship between newlywed debt, selected demographic variables, and newlywed levels of marital satisfaction and adjustment.. Methods: A 38-item survey was mailed to a random sample of 2,823 newlywed couples in a western state. The couples names were randomly chosen from the marriage licenses that were filed within the state during a six-month period. Husbands and wives were asked to complete their surveys separately.The response rate was 40%, with 1,010 couples responding. Theories and tools : Marital satisfaction was measured using the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (KMSS) (Schumm et al., 1986), and marital adjustment was measured using the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) (Busby, Crane, Christensen, Larson, 1995). The KMSS and RDAS are established measures for assessing marital satisfaction and adjustment, both having correlation coefficients above .78. Main Findings: The findings from this study indicate that entering marriage with consumer debt has a negative impact on newlywed levels of marital quality. The large majority (70%) of newlyweds in this study brought debt into their marriage relationship. This amount of debt, along with other expenses associated with couples beginning their lives together, are likely toà distract couples from the developmental task of building a strong marriage relationship during the first few months and years of marriage Policy recommendation: .- Because many individuals marry with no more than a high sch ool education, educating individuals about debt and its potentially negative impact on marriage relationships should begin in high school. This may be one way to help couples achieve healthier marriages 3. S. Dalmia (2004). A hedonic analysis of marriage transactions in India: estimating determinants of dowries and demandfor groom characteristics in marriage. Research in Economics 58 (2004) 235ââ¬â255. Motivation and objective : This paper uses data from a retrospective sample survey to develop and test a framework capable of explaining dowry exchange and groom selection in India. Methods: Using a sample of 1037 households between 1956 and 1994, this paper develops and tests a framework capable of explaining marriage transactions and groom selection in India. Theories and tools : It adapts Rosenââ¬â¢s (1974) implicit market model and takes the view that dowry is a simple economic transaction that functions to ââ¬Ëequalizeââ¬â¢ the value of marriage services exchanged by the households of the bride and groom. Main Findings: Consistent with ethnographic evidence, results indicate that dowries are higher in regions more to the north. Most importantly, contrary to popular belief, it is found that holding groom characteristics constant, real dowries have decreased over time. Finally, in estimating the parameters of the demand functions for a set of groom attributes, results show that the most important determinants of demand for various groom attributes are price of the attribute, brideââ¬â¢s traits, and the socio-economic status of the brideââ¬â¢s h ousehold 4. Siwan Anderson (2007). The Economics of Dowry and Brideprice. Journal of Economic Perspectivesââ¬âVolume 21, Number 4ââ¬âFall 2007ââ¬âPages 151ââ¬â174 Motivation and objective: This paper first establishes some basic facts about the prevalence and magnitude of marriage payments. It then discusses how such patterns vary across countries depending upon economic conditions, societal structures, institutions, and family characteristics. Theories and tools: The descriptions of marriage payments in this paper are synthesizedfrom a patchwork of studies across periods, places, and even epochs, and there are doubtless numerous cases which remain undocumented.à Discussion: Economistsââ¬â¢ interest in marriage payments partly stems from their potential to affect the wealth distribution across generations and families. However, economic analysis has not directly investigated these welfare impacts of marriage payments. In this respect, marriage transfers which are destined for the couple, either in the form of dowry or dower, may function differently from those which are paid directly from one set of parents to the other, like bride price or groom price. The former payment is an intergenerational transfer. The latter forms a circulating fund, with receipt for marriages of one gender being used to pay for marriages of children of the other. 5. Sarwat Afzal Imtiaz Subhani (2009). To Estimate An Equation Explaining The Determinants Of Dowry. Iqra University Motivation and objective : The focus of this study is to estimate an equation explaining the determinants of dowry. Methods: The data of 140 respondents is used to examine the variables to determine the dowry size, data set on bride-groom characteristics and dowry. The study has been focused on analysis that dowry paid is dependent on which variables Subject in the rural subcontinent. Since the objective of study is to estimate the equation explaining the determinant of dowry so all the variables given in the data are takes as independent and the dowry paid is taken as dependent variable. Theories and tools: This paper determine the determinants of dowry, using multiple regression analysis, the author used the ANOVA table, R2 value to tabulate the determinants of dowry price. Main Findings: This research suggested that dowry paid is based on the status and the affluence of husbandââ¬â¢s family as well as the education of the husbandââ¬â¢s father that are the important determina nts of the incidence of dowries. The influence of husbandââ¬â¢s father education is accounted as a predictor for the system of dowry paid 6. Edlund, L. (2006). The price of marriage: Net vs. gross flows and the South Asian dowry debate. Journal of the European Economic Association, 4(2â⬠3), 542-551. Motivation and objective : The rise in dowry payments in India has been taken as evidence that women increasingly are at a disadvantage on the marriageà market and must pay for marriage. Moreover, high dowries, it is argued, add to the plight of parents of daughters and have thus contributed to the scarcity of women (brides). However, the logic is curious, and, this paper argues, flawed. The term dowry can mean different things, and it may be useful to distinguish between the assets the bride brings at the time of marriage (gross dowry) and those netted against the groom payments (net dowry). The former is what is generally meant by dowry, while the latter is a concept used mainly by economists Methods: Data are from a retrospective survey of marriages conducted in 1983 by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi- Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). These data have been used in a number of studies of South Asian dowry inflation. ICRISAT conducted a stratified random sample of 40 households each from six villages in South-central India. The first household married in 1923 and the last in 1978. Main Findings: Empirically, the paper has shown that in a much-used data set on dowry inflation, net dowries did not increase in the period after 1950, belying claims of recent increases. Moreover, variables designed to capture marriage-squeeze or male relative to female heterogeneity failed to move dowries in the expected direction. 7. Balwick, J. (1975). The function of the dowry system in a rapidly modernizing society: The case of Cyprus. International Journal of Sociology of the Family, 158-167. Motivation and objective : The purpose of this paper is to examine the functional relationship between the dowry system and modernization for the country of Cyprus. Two inferences tried to be drawn in this paper are attempt to develop is two 1) the dowry system has served a latent function in encouraging a rapid rate of urban, Industrial, and technological development in Cyprus; and (2) that the rapid rate of technological development in Cyprus, along with new concepts of marital arrangement, are weakening the importance of the dowry system Methods: The analysis of this papers topic will begin by considering the function of the dowry system in Traditional Greek Cypriot society, move to a consideration of the function of the dowry system during rapid modernization, turn to a consideration of the effect of modernization upon the dowry system, and conclude byà speculating as to the possible effect which a decline in the dowry system will have upon marriage. Main Findings: modernization is a threat to the continued existence of the dowry system. The argument was made that, besides the major aspects of modernization themselves, the concept of romantic love, as a byproduct of a largely western stimulated modernization process, has been damaging to the dowry system. However, to so speculate about the future effects of modernization in Cyprus only points to the necessity for social scientists to utilize the situations created in developing countries to further examine the relationships between modernization and social structures. 8. Gaulin, S. J., Boster, J. S. (1990). Dowry as female competition. American Anthropologist, 92(4), 994-1005. Motivation and objective : The purpose of this paper is to prove that dowry as a reproductive tactic used by prospective brides and their kin to attract the wealthiest bridegroom. The authors attempt to explain not only the rarity of dowry, but also why it occurs in the societies it does. Methods and theories: The analysis of this papers topic will begin by considering the female-competition model. The female-competition model assumes that, in Homo sapiens as in other animals, the behaviors associated with pair formation can be interpreted as (possibly unconscious) reproductive tactics. The authors interpret the bias in marriage transactions as reflecting a bias in competition for marriage partners. Dowry is their dependent variable; the independent variables in the female-competition model are social stratification and marital form. They grouped the existing categories to create dichotomous variable. Main Findings: The female-competition model is correct; the authors would expect th e largest dowry payments to flow from the middle class to the elite, as women in the middle tier compete for husbands in the highest 9. Rao, V. (1993). Dowry ââ¬Ëinflationââ¬â¢ in rural India: A statistical investigation. Population Studies, 47(2), 283-293. Motivation and objective : The author of this paper look more directly at the causes of the increase of dowry (investigate the reasons behind the rise in the real value of dowries in rural India)and use unique data collected from a small sample of households by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Methods and theories: The data used in this paper are from a random sample of 40 households, 30 cultivating and 10 laboring, per village, from six villages in three districts of rural South-Central India. The surveys were conducted by ICRISAT, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.15 The districts are Akola and Sholapur in Maharashtra state, and Mahbubnagar in Andhra Prades. A quadratic specification of dowry determinants is estimated. Correlations values between variables, OLS , and other statistical tools are being used. Main Findings: The empirical results support the hypothesis that the marriage squeeze has played a significant part in causing dowry inflation. The size of the dowry transfer also seems to be affected by hyper gamy, indicated by the difference in the amount of land owned by the parents of the respective spouses before the marriage. Due to the small size of the sample and the respondents lack of accuracy in reporting their ages at marriage, not much can be said about the impact of age or other potential determinants on the transfer. At the district level, however, the marriage squeeze does seem to matter in reducing differences in the ages at marriage of men and woman. 10. Teays, W. (1991). The burning bride: The dowry problem in India. Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, 29-52. Motivation and objective : The author consider the issue of dowry, its roots in custom and religious tradition, as well the ways in which the dowry system has become a dowry problem with daily dowry deaths, usually of young and often pregnant women. Main Findings: Females being devalued in the Hindu world. The internalization of that devaluation is evidenced by the numbers of mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law who actively participate in dowry murder. Marriage has become a commercial transaction complete with bargaining. Traditionally dowries were limited by convention and caste-social realities, but now the demands are out of control. The growing trend of dowry murders only reflects the socio-economic crisis in India. 11. Zhang, J., Chan, W. (1999). Dowry and Wifes Welfare: A Theotrical and Empirical Analysis. Journal of Political Economy, 107(4), 786-808. Motivation and objective : This paper offers an alternative analysis. Where dowry are claimed to be not only increases the wealth of the new conjugal household but also enhances the bargaining power of the bride in the allocation of output within that household, thereby safeguarding her welfare. 2 hypotheses: Dowry increases the resources available to the brideââ¬â¢s new family; Dowry increases the bride bargaining position in the family, as well as her welfare. Methods and theories: This study uses data from the 1989 Taiwan Women and Family Survey,an island wide probability survey of women aged 25ââ¬â60 years of all marital statuses and from different geographical locations. The female respondents provide socioeconomic information on their parents, their husbands, and themselves. An important feature of the data is that these women report transfers on dowries and bride prices related to their marriages. All these variables are then measured using statistical tools. Main Findings: The result supported the theoretical prediction that a dowry improves the wifeââ¬â¢s welfare through both income and bargaining effects. The result also shows that a dowry is indeed a property under the wifeââ¬â¢s control. Bride-price reduces the transaction cost involved in recovering the appropriate shares of marital output by each party, a dowry enhances the brideââ¬â¢s position in the household and safeguards her welfare. 12. Bishai, D., Falb, K. L., Pariyo, G., Hindin, M. J. (2009). Bride price and sexual risk taking in Uganda. African journal of reproductive health, 13(1). Motivation and objective : This study assessed the relationship of bride price to sexual risk taking based on a large, population based survey. Methods and theories: Data were collected on bride prices for 592 married women in 12 districts in Uganda in 2001. Controlling for covariates, we found that having had a bride price significantly lowered the wifes odds of sexual intercourse with a partner other than the spouse (OR= 0.222; 95% CI= 0.067, 0.737). Controlling for covariates, bride price increased the husbands odds of non-spousal sexual intercourse (OR=1.489; 95% CI= 0.746, 2.972). Main Findings: Bride price payment is statistically significantly associated with lower rates of non-spousal sexual contact in women, but isà not, statistically significantly associated with higher rates in men 13. Dalmia, S., Lawrence, P. G. (2005). The institution of dowry in India: Why it continues to prevail. The Journal of Developing Areas, 38(2), 71-93. Motivation and objective : This article empirically examines dowries in India and provides an institutional and economic rationale for the existence and continued prevalence of the system. Main Findings: Using data on marriage transactions and on the personal and family traits of marital partners the article demonstrates that payments of dowry serve to equalize the measurable differences in individual characteristics of the brides and grooms and their respective households. Thus, dowry qualifies as the price paid for a good match in the marriage market. Results also reveal that the form of inheritance system, the residence of the bride after marriage, and the gender ratio of marriageable women to men have no effect on the incidence and size of dowry 14. Diamondâ⬠Smith, N., Luke, N., McGarvey, S. (2008). ââ¬ËToo many girls, too much dowryââ¬â¢: son preference and daughter aversion in rural Tamil Nadu, India. Culture, health sexuality, 10(7), 697-708. Motivation and objective : The southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has experienced a dramatic decline in fertility, accompanied by a trend of increased son preference. This paper reports on findings from qualitative interviews with women in rural villages about their fertility decision-making which is due to the dowry rate. Main Findings: Findings suggest that daughter aversion, fuelled primarily by the perceived economic burden of daughters due to the proliferation of dowry, is playing a larger role in fertility decision-making than son preference. 15. Rozario, S. (2002). Grameen Bank-style microcredit: Impact on dowry and womens solidarity. Development Bulletin, 57, 67-70. Motivation and objective : This article focuses on two specific problems connected with Grameen Bank-style microcredit in Bangladesh: its negative impact on womenââ¬â¢s solidarity, and its consequences for the practice of dowry payments. Main Findings: Findings suggest that Unmarried women are notà accepted in the microcredit samities and so cannot receive loans. The argument is that they will get married and go away to their husbandsââ¬â¢ village, then who will repay their loan? This denies any opportunity to marginal groups, like unmarried women and, of course, widows and abandoned women. Such policies also mean that unmarried women are made completely dependent financially on the mercy of their families. 16. Kazi Abdur Rouf, (2012) A feminist interpretation of Grameen Bank Sixteen Decisions campaign, Humanomics, Vol. 28 Iss: 4, pp.285 ââ¬â 296. Motivation and objective : The purpose of this paper is to look at Grameen Bank (GB) Sixteen Decisions campaigns and its implications to feminism; and to examine the degree to which women borrowers of the Grameen Bank are empowered to participate in familial decision-making around dowry and teenage marriage and to develop their public spaces in the community. Moreover, the paper critically looks at the GB women borrowers development through the Sixteen Decisions Design/methodology/approach ââ¬â The study uses multiple research methods. It reviews and analyzes GB Sixteen Decision texts and feminist literature, uses survey method to collect data from Grameen Bank micro borrowers in 2011 and uses secondary data. Main Findings : This study still finds the gender equality issues exist in the Grameen Bank Sixteen Decisions texts and the Sixteen Decisions campaign strategies for women borrowers empowerment especially due to the issue of dowry. Policy Recommendation: This critical analysis is very important to empower Grameen Bank women borrowers because the campaign should be made more effective in addressing womens issues like dowry-less marriage. Grameen Bank should revise the Sixteen Decisions texts and support borrowers in their anti-dowry and anti-teen age marriage campaign in Bangladesh. 17. Tenhunen, S. (2008). The gift of money: rearticulating tradition and market economy in rural West Bengal. Modern Asian Studies, 42(5), 1035-1055. Motivation and objective : This article examines the rise of dowry system injanta, a West Bengali village in the Bankura district, where the dowry payments are a relatively new phenomenon. The oldest generation in Janta had experienced times when no demands for money or other gifts had been made during marriage arrangements, but since the 1950S huge dowry payments have become the central financial transactions in the region. In addition to oral history interviews on dowryà practices, the author draws from his research on the changes in caste, gender and class relationships in the village. Findings : The gift of money does not merely represent class and economic identities, rather, its intr oduction is connected to a reconstruction of gender and caste identities as well. The article demonstrates how the giving of money has influenced other categories of gifts, while the market logic has drawn from cultural considerations. Yet, money is not the only agent in the process; gifts are essentially about constructing social and cultural identities: the interconnected domains of gender, kinship, caste and class. The introduction of the monetary gift has made it possible to make connections and set a price on different aspects of personhood facilitating and intensifying the connections between different discourses on personhood. 18. Shenk, M. K. (2007). Dowry and public policy in contemporary India. Human Nature, 18(3), 242-263. Motivation and objective :. This paper argues that a functionalist perspective on dowry could lead to improved dowry policy, and that an approach based in human behavioral ecology (HBE) is uniquely suited to this task. Design/methodology/approach ââ¬â The author develop a behavioral ecology model of Indian dowry and test it with quantitative and qualitative data Main Findings : The author conclude that if dowry legislation is to achieve broad support or bring about effective social change, it must address and support the positive motivations for and effects of dowry and take a targeted approach to dowry violence, which is not uniformly distributed across regions, castes, or social 19. Rao, V. P., Rao, V. N. (1980). The dowry system in Indian marriages: attitudes, expectations and practices. International Journal of Sociology of the Family, 99-113.. Motivation and objective :The study examined the students expectations of dowry for persons with different educational background, their attitudes and feelings about the dowry system, and the practices of dowry payments in immediate and kin families Design/methodology/approach ââ¬â The questionnaire method was used to collect data from a sample of 585 college students fromà India Main Findings The study revealed that the average dowry expectation were not consistent With the number of years of education but were in line with the prestige of education. Non-Hindus, metropolitan residents, high socioeconomic status students, and medical students expected higher dowry than their counterparts. The majority of the respondents considered dowry unimportant in settling a marriage and felt that the present dowry system should be discontinued. However, most of the respondents brothers received dowry while their families gave dowry to their sisters. The kin families also practiced dowry payment at the time of marriage. The students seemed equalitarian in terms of control over the dowry as most believed that both husband and wife should decide how to spend it. Inconsistency in the attitudes are also observed as three-fourths of the sample considered dowry unimportant in the settlement of a marriage but nearly one-third of the males and 40 per cent of their parents expected to receive dowry when the respondents got married. 20. Freed, R. S., Freed, S. A. (1989). Beliefs and practices resulting in female deaths and fewer females than males in India. Population and Environment, 10(3), 144-161. Motivation and objective:. A preference for sons and the low status of females are implicated in the preponderance of males over females as reported in each census of India from the first one taken in the 19th century. A number of cultural practices, some of which are quite ancient, are involved in this such as sexual imbalance and dowry murder. This discussion is sees the determinants of female deaths in India. Design/methodology/approach ââ¬â This discussion is based both on 19th and 20th century sources and on fieldwork conducted in the North Indian village of Shanti Nagar in 1958ââ¬â59 and 1977ââ¬â78. Findings : It is found that dowry act as one of the determinants that resulted in female deaths which is more commonly known as Dowry Murder Policy Recommendation: The modern Government of India has so ught to abolish dowry which would, presumably, put an end to dowry murder.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Laplace Transform Example
Laplace Transform Example Abstract: This paper describes the Laplace transform used in solving the differential equation and the comparison with the other usual methods of solving the differential equation. The method of Laplace transform has the advantage of directly giving the solution of differential equation with given boundary values without the necessity of first finding the general solution and then evaluating from it the arbitrary constants. Moreover the ready formulas of the Laplace reduce the problem of solving differential equations to mere algebraic manipulation. Introduction: Differential equation is an equation which involves differential coefficients or differentials. It may be defined in a more refined way as an equation that defines a Relationship between a function and one or more derivatives of that function. Let y be some function of the independent variable t. Then following are some differential equations relating y to one or more of its derivatives. The equation states that the first derivative of the function y equals the product of and the function y itself. An additional, implicit statement in this differential equation is that the stated relationship holds only for all t for which both the function and its first derivative are defined. Some other differential equations: Differential equations arise from many problems in oscillations of mechanical and electrical systems, bending of beams conduction of heat, velocity of chemical reactions etc., and as such play a very important role in all modern scientific and engineering studies. There are many ways of solving the differential equation and the most effective way is to use the Laplace equation because it provides the easy path to solve the differential equation without involving any long process of finding out the complementary function and particular integral. Solution of differential equation: A solution of a differential equation is a relation between the variables which satisfy the given differential equation. A first order homogeneous differential equation involves only the first derivative of a function and the function itself, with constants only as multipliers. The equation is of the form and can be solved by the substitutio The solution which fits a specific physical situation is obtained by substituting the solution into the equation and evaluating the various constants by forcing the solution to fit the physical boundary conditions of the problem at hand. Substituting gives The general solution to a differential equation must satisfy both the homogeneous and non-homogeneous equations. It is the nature of the homogeneous solution that the equation gives a zero value. If you find a particular solution to the non-homogeneous equation, you can add the homogeneous solution to that solution and it will still be a solution since its net result will be to add zero. This does not mean that the homogeneous solution adds no meaning to the picture; the homogeneous part of the solution for a physical situation helps in the understanding of the physical system. A solution can be formed as the sum of the homogeneous and non-homogeneous solutions, and it will have a number of arbitrary (undetermined) constants. Such a solution is called the general solution to the differential equation. For application to a physical problem, the constants must be determined by forcing the solution to fit physical boundary conditions. Once a general solution is formed and then forced to fit the physical boundary conditions, one can be confident that it is the unique solution to the problem, as gauranteed by the uniqueness theorem. Uniqueness theorem: For the differential equations applicable to physical problems, it is often possible to start with a general form and force that form to fit the physical boundary conditions of the problem. This kind of approach is made possible by the fact that there is one and only one solution to the differential equation, i.e., the solution is unique. Stated in terms of a first order differential equation, if the problem meets the condition such that f(x,y) and the derivative of y is continuous in a given rectangle of (x,y) values, then there is one and only one solution to the equation which will meet the boundary conditions. Laplace in solving differential equation: The Laplace transform method of solving differential equations yields particular solutions without the necessity of first finding the general solution and then evaluating the arbitrary constants. This method is in general shorter than the above mentioned methods and is specially used for solving the linear differential equation with constant coefficients. Working procedure: Take the Laplace transform of both sides of the differential equation using the formulas of Laplace and the given initial conditions. Transpose the terms with minus sign to right. Divide by the coefficient of y, getting y as a known function of s. Resolve this function of s into partial fractions and take the inverse transform of both sides. This gives y as a function of t which is the desired solution satisfying the given conditions. Solving the algebraic equation in the mapped space Back transformation of the solution into the original space. Figure 1: Schema for solving differential equations using the Laplace transformation Some of the examples which demonstrate the use of the Laplace in solving the differential equation are as follows: Example no.1 Consider the differential equation with the initial conditions . Proceeding using the steps given above one has Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: The complex function must be decomposed into partial fractions in order to use the tables of correspondences. This gives By using the formulas of the inverse laplace transform we can convert these frequency domains back in the time domain and hence get the desired result as , Another example of the laplace involving trigonometric function is We want to solve with initial conditions f(0) = 0 and f â⬠²(0)=0. We note that and we get So this is equivalent to We deduce So we apply the Laplace inverse transform and get Periodic functions: In mathematics, a periodic function is a function that repeats its values in regular intervals or periods. The most important examples are the trigonometric functions, which repeat over intervals of length 2Ãâ¬. Periodic functions are used throughout science to describe oscillations, waves, and other phenomena that exhibit periodicity. A function f is said to be periodic if for all values of x. The constant P is called the period, and is required to be nonzero. A function with period P will repeat on intervals of length P, and these intervals are sometimes also referred to as periods. For example, the sine function is periodic with period 2Ãâ¬, since for all values of x. This function repeats on intervals of length 2Ã⬠(see the graph to the right). Geometrically, a periodic function can be defined as a function whose graph exhibits translational symmetry. Specifically, a function f is periodic with period P if the graph of f is invariant under translation in the x-direction by a distance of P. This definition of periodic can be extended to other geometric shapes and patterns, such as periodic tessellations of the plane.A function that is not periodic is called aperiodic. Laplace transform of periodic functions: If function f(t) is periodic with period p > 0, so that f(t + p) = f(t), and f1(t) is one period (i.e. one cycle) of the function, then the Laplace of this periodic function is given by The basic concept of the formula is the Laplace Transform of the periodic function f(t) with period p, equals the Laplace Transform of one cycle of the function, divided by (1 âËâ e-sp).Laplace transform of some of the common functions like the graph given below is given by Fig no3:continous graphical function From the graph, we see that the first period is given by: and that the period p = 2. Now So Hence, the Laplace transform of the periodic function, f(t) is given by: Other continuous wave forms and there Laplace transforms are This wave is an example of the full wave rectification which is obtained by the rectifier used in the electronic instruments. Here, and the period, p = Ãâ¬. So the Laplace Transform of the periodic function is given by: Conclusion: The knowledge of Laplace transform has in recent years become an essential part of mathematical background required of engineers and scientists. This is because the transform method an easy and effective means for the solution of many problems arising in engineering. The method of laplace transformation is proving to be the most effective and easy way of solving differential equations and hence it is replacing other methods of solution of the differential equation. The most frequent function encompassed in electronics engineering is continuous function and most of the functions are in the time domain and we need to convert them in the frequency domain, this operation is performed excellently by the Laplace transform and hence its application is further enlarged using it in the solution of the continuous functions.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
The Psycho Lady of Flight 735 :: Personal Narratives
The Psycho Lady of Flight 735 Back in summer of summer of ââ¬â¢99, my mom, Judy, my dad, Dale, my brother, Brian and me, Michelle, took a vacation to California. Our trip was awesome! We went to Disneyland, Universal Studios and all those other tourist attractions. Everything was great until we got to the Los Angeles International Airport to fly home, on my very first plane ride ever! When we got there, we looked on the screen to see if our flight was still running on schedule, but to our surprise, our flight was boarding! My dad then screamed, "Letââ¬â¢s move it!" We sprinted through the airport to the terminal. I was struggling because I had three bags filled to the brim, since Iââ¬â¢m a very heavy packer. Finally we reached the terminal and we were ready to check-in and board. My dad handed our tickets to the hostess, but she gave us a confused look, "Sorry Mr. Snover, we just closed the doors to board this flight. You will need to book another flight at a later time." We were all disappointed and wouldnââ¬â¢t take no for an answer, so after a little arguing and convincing, she gave in. She did tell us that our seats got separated, but we all could deal with that. We got to our seats and sat down to finally relax. Of course, I, the very unlucky one, got stuck beside a very large woman. Not to be rude or anything, but she took all of her seat and half of mine and had the worst body odor I have ever smelled! It was so bad I actually started to gag. I thought to myself, "Could this possibly get any worse?!" Yes, yes it could! The flight was going as good as it could get at that point, until I looked up from my book and saw all the flight attendantsââ¬â¢ faces and their little side conversations. They all had very scared looks on their faces, as if they all saw a ghost or something. Something was wrong and I grew a little worried. I got really frightened when I saw the co-pilot run back through the plane. A few minutes later, the pilot ran to the back too! Now, I was terrified. I thought two things, "What the heck is going on, and who the heck is flying the plane?" All of a sudden, a flight attendant came over the loud speaker and said with a very shaky voice, "Attention all passengers, we need to make an emergency landing in Denver, Colorado.
Friday, October 11, 2019
How Do Online Communication Tools Affect Us
Communication tools that I am going to talk about are based on network, and how do they affect us. The communication tools which are web-based are two main types. It includes social networking sites and instant message. For the social networking sites, it includes facebook, twitter, and Friendster. These are the website which gives people a lot of fun and also some affects. Instant message it includes MSN, Yahoo messenger, and skype. These help people to get contact with their friends, and families. In the past, there was no computer, no internet. If people live far away from each other, the way of they can contact with each other are that they can write a letter, or call each other. They cannot see each other until they meet at the same place, it is very sad of when you miss someone but you could not see them in front of you. But for now, we have improved the technology. We have got computer, internet and some ipad, iphone. Therefore we can just go to the computer and have a video conversation with your families and friends. The communication tools help us to save the time and money to see families in front of you, with these communication tools, you can know what is your friend thinking. And also can see your families through the skype. For these web-based communication tools, it has its superficial and personal sides. So I am going to talk about how it performance in a superficial and personal side. It is superficial when you are using the facebook to post your status to show your emotion and other people can comment or like it. It also can let you knowyou're your friends doing. Facebook allows you to find friends and make new friends, it will send you a friend request, and it might not become your real friend. Because it does not let you meet friend, the only thing you can do is to talk with the new friend, and see the profile picture. Sometimes the profile picture might not be a real one. It also can chat with the online friends. Facebook also have a personal side when you use it. For example, when there is a friend request, you can choose to accept or reject. It also has some affects when we use facebook, because people will get addicted. For students, they might be online their facebook while they are doing homework, students can be disturbed by facebook. For example, when you doing your homework, you found out that you cannot do questions on yourself, then you will go to upload a new status to say that ââ¬Å"I cannot do this questionâ⬠and then you will be keep playing with the facebook. It is personal when you using the instant message. You can find you friends and families, and search for their username and add them to chat with them whenever you miss them. It also can have a chat with video on, therefore you can see what is your friends or families doing. It is more real than you chat with friends on Facebook. It also can let you to talk with whoever you want to, and have a multi-people conversation. As the technology improves so fast, for a multinational company, they can have their meeting on the video. It saves staffââ¬â¢s time and money to travel from one place to another for a meeting only. It is easy in communication, because you can choose who you want to talk with, if you don't want to talk with the person, you can just ignore. I think, for instant message, it does not really affect us. It helps us a lot, its different with facebook, which we can gey addicted. For conclusion, I think that communication tools have two sides, which are superficial, and personal, it helps people like we can get contact through the instant message, and see your friends and families on the video. It also affects us by let us to be addicted. Spend a lot of time on facebook.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights Essay
Who or what does Heathcliff represent in Wuthering Heights? Is he a force of evil or a victim of it and how important is the role of class in the novel, particularly as it relates to Heathcliff and his life? The ââ¬Ëmoral ambiguity, glamour and degradation that is Heathcliffââ¬â¢ (same as below) forms the ultimate focus for the novel Wuthering Heights, beginning as Heathcliff is brought into the Earnshaw family, with his evil machinations completely driving the story and his death marking the conclusion of the novel. Throughout Bronteââ¬â¢s work he is portrayed as a strong figure who remains mysterious, magnetic and charismatic, keeping countless readers engaged throughout centuries through the desire to understand both Heathcliffââ¬â¢s character and his motivations. Tortured, brooding, passionate and dark, Heathcliff is undoubtedly the embodiment of the Byronic hero, i.e. a self-destructive anti-hero who is isolated from society, much like Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre or, more recently, Edward Cullen from the Twilight series. While his actions throughout the novel are neither likeable, nor condonable, they are driven by passion, an emotion synonymous with a typical literary hero and this, alongside his torturous love for Cathy, means that readers cannot help but feel empathy for him, bringing them closer to Heathcliff than any other character in the novel. Wuthering Heights provoked a good deal of anxiety when published, most of which was caused by the character of Heathcliff. The Examiner felt outraged by the mixture of affection and loathing he inspired, and even Emilyââ¬â¢s sister, Charlotte felt ââ¬Ëhard put to justify Heathcliffââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ërepulsivenessââ¬â¢ and was forced onto the defensive. The creation of Heathcliff, she conceded, may not have been advisable.ââ¬â¢ (Cambridge companion to the Bronteââ¬â¢s, page 166) Not solely a Byronic hero, Heathcliff is also seen to be a ââ¬Ënightmarish manifestation of subtler fears about self-making gone too farââ¬â¢. (Forgery in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture p. 13) Heathcliff is the epitome of a self-made man, rising from a degraded and abused orphan on the streets of Liverpool to a man of property, wealth, success and culture, a man ââ¬Ëin dress and manners a gentleman: that is, as much a gentleman as many a country squireââ¬â¢ (Wuthering Heights p.21) a mere twenty five years later. This climb to wealth fundamentally embodies the anxieties that upper andà middle class Victorians possessed regarding the working classes. The upper classes were very ambivalent about the people below them socially; feeling charitable towards the lower-classes, yet weary of the idea that they may escape their circumstances through the acquisition of power, be it political, social, economic or cultural. The role of class in the novel is something of a constant struggle for Heathcliff, as although he manages to obtain property and therefore wealth, he can never change his appearance, which implies more socially than his wealth ever can. For even as Lockwood notes his gentlemanly appearance, he also recognises Heathcliff as a ââ¬Ëdark-skinned gipsy in aspectââ¬â¢ (Wuthering Heights p.21), showing how his ethnic background presents an unusual contrast to his master of the house image, and how he can never truly escape his social standing. This social standing has an enormous effect on the character of Heathcliff and his life as the novel progresses. Rescued from the streets of Liverpool, Heathcliff enters the Earnshaw household a poor orphan, which automatically deems him to be on a lower level than any other character. He is immediately characterised as a ââ¬Ëvillainââ¬â¢, ââ¬Ëimp of Satanââ¬â¢, with a language of ââ¬Ëgibberishââ¬â¢ (Wuthering Heights) and is cruelly referred to as ââ¬Å"itâ⬠by Catherineââ¬â¢s father, seen as an object rather than a person. This poor treatment is not much of an improvement on his difficult childhood and it is clear to see that he becomes a product of this neglect and abuse. Racially different, Heathcliff can and will never be accepted by his adoptive family, something which is highlighted to readers through the fact that he is never given the Earnshaw family name. Nelly uses an interesting choice of words to describe how the occupants of Wuthering Heights felt about Heathcliffââ¬â¢s arrival, saying ââ¬Ëfrom the very beginning, he bred bad feeling in the house.ââ¬â¢ (Wuthering heights ch. 4) These words are evocative as there is much speculation surrounding Heathcliffââ¬â¢s heritage. Coming from Liverpool, a town with high rates of immigrants, and with his dark looks, Heathcliff is likely of mixed race, with some critics suggesting that he is black, or, like Patrick Bronte, descended from Irish immigrants, either of which would lower his social standing even further. The theme of class is further intertwined in the plot as Heathcliffââ¬â¢s lowà class ranking is one of the sole reasons that Catherine chooses to marry Edgar rather than to be with him, despite the fact that while her feelings towards Edgar fluctuate, she loves Heathcliff so intensely that she claims they are the same person. She finds Edgar ââ¬Ëhandsome and pleasant to be withââ¬â¢ (Wuthering Heights), yet these are merely superficialities; Catherine truly marries Edgar because he is a part of the right social class, possessing the ability to provide financial security for her. She hasà clearly considered the prospect of marrying Heathcliff as she not only tells Nelly that if Heathcliff and she were to marry ââ¬Ëwe should be beggarsââ¬â¢ (Wuthering Heights) but also reveals plans to use Edgarââ¬â¢s money to help Heathcliff rise in the class system. After Heathcliff returns, Catherine cannot contain her happiness, forcing Edgar to ask her to choose between Heathcliff and him. She refuses to honour that request, later blaming both men for breaking her heart as she could not choose between her love for Heathcliff and the life that Edgar could offer her. Marrying Edgar guaranteed Catherine a higher social standing. Overall, Heathcliffââ¬â¢s role in the Victorian class hierarchy plays an integral role in major events of his life. It is the reason he is abused by the master of the house, the reason that Catherine chooses Edgar over him, leading him to seek revenge and to make something of himself, but, above all, it is the reason he acts so despicably in the latter half of the novel, encouraging Isabellaââ¬â¢s infatuation and acting aggressively. None of these events would have taken place if Heathcliff was of a higher social class, as he would have simply been able to marry Catherine. Throughout the text, Heathcliff is repeatedly referred to as being evil in ââ¬Ënatureâ⬠¦ an unmannerly wretchââ¬â¢ (wuthering heights), with his own wife even asking if he is mad or a devil. Most of the characters assume that individuals are born good or evil, with people having little control over their personalities or actions. However, is Heathcliff truly a force of evil or merely a victim of it? Is it possible that he could represent both? It is undeniable that Heathcliff is a product of his upbringing. He was neglected, which in turn made him neglectful. He was abused, and so became abusive. He was segregated from the other characters, and so he cast everyone aside fromà himself. He was treated unfairly throughout his upbringing, making him violent and resentful in later life. Heathcliff is the utmost paradigm of a victim turned perpetrator, and often falls back on violence as a means to express his feelings of both love and hatred. His anger is due to the mistreatment he suffered at the hands of Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley and Catherine, tying it to the revenge which he so passionately seeks. Despite this, Heathcliff also undertakes dishonourable, cruel acts against those who have done no harm to him in the past, demonstrating a side of him which shows that he is not solely a victim of evil, but also possesses a dark streak. The best example of this is the hanging of Isabella Lintonââ¬â¢s dog, when Heathcliff says: The first thing she saw me do, on coming out of the Grange, was to hang up her little dog; and when she pleaded for it, the first words I uttered were a wish that I had the hanging of every being belonging to her, except one possibly she took that exception for herself. (WH chapter 12) Ultimately though, Heathcliffââ¬â¢s violence and darkness stems from bearing a chip on his shoulder and hanging onto the complexes gained from his past. He may possess a mean streak, however this has ultimately come as a consequence of his early life. Therefore, he is not a force of evil as such, as he had reason for the majority of his actions. No matter how violent or despicable Heathcliff may be by times, he cannot help but remain likeable, due in part to his love of Catherine. His love for her is violent in the sense that it is extremely passionate, but it stirs a brutal defensiveness; Heathcliff would never do anything to harm Catherine. Towards the end of the novel, he confesses to Nelly that he no longer has any interest in violence. This is not so much because he has sated his appetite for it, but rather he has gone past the need to inflict suffering onto others as a form of vengeance, proving that cruelty was never truly an inbuilt feature of his character. The real discomfort created by the novel when published was not ââ¬Ëso much that Heathcliff is atrocious, but that he is not, after all, entirely despicable.ââ¬â¢ (cambridge 167) The novel consistently gives the impression that there is more to Heathcliffââ¬â¢s actions than meets the eye, for example,à his cruelty is seen as merely an expression of his frustrated love for Catherine, or his sinister behaviour conceals the heart of a romantic hero. His character is expected to have a hidden virtue as he resembles a romantic hero, partly due to his overt masculinity, although this is taken to extremes of aggressiveness by times. Traditionally, heroes of romanticism appear dangerous, brooding and cold only to later emerge as loving and devoted. While Heathcliff does not reform as expected, there is no need for him to do so, as he remains permanently devoted and passionate about Catherine, although unable to clearly portray these emotions. Certain malevolence proves difficult to explain, as it cannot be deemed a form of revenge against people who have previously wronged him. As he himself points out, his abuse of Isabella is purely for his sadistic amusement, seeing how much she will endure while still returning. Critic Joyce Carol Oates argues that Brontà « does to the reader that which Heathcliff does to Isabella, testing to see how much the reader can be shocked by Heathcliffââ¬â¢s gratuitous violence and still,à masochistically, insist on seeing him as a romantic hero. Oates has a valid point, as, for all his flaws and sadistic actions, one cannot hate, or even dislike the character of Heathcliff, seeing him solely as a wounded soul who tries to get back at those who previously hurt him, making him the ultimate Byr onic hero of Nineteenth Century literature.
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