Out of School Youths Essay

Out of school youth means having a vulnerable people who have needs. Nobody can deny the hard fact that education is an extremely important factor for bringing change in the lives of individuals. It has universally been recognized as the most powerful instrument and pre-requisite for gearing up the socio-economic development of a nation. In fact, it can be said that it is a pre-condition for the overall up-lift and welfare of a nation. This is why investment in education is considered to be so vital for human resource development and the enhancement of the quality of manpower. The history of humankind, in general, and that of developed nations of the worked, in particular, is replete with the precedents, which establish the fact that a certain level of literacy in population is an essential pre-requisite for precipitating the process of development in a country. The segment of society that plays the most active part in the socio-economic development of any country/region consists of the adolescents. It is clear that the composition and characteristics of this most crucial part of population goes a long way in expediting the process of national development and influencing the policy makers and planners in their planning and decision making for the future. In this way, the adolescents act as a sort of a â€Å"pressure group† that exerts a far-reaching impact on the process of educational planning as well as on the other developmental activities of the country.

Managing First-Line Patient Care

It is very important to keep the patients clean. Ill people would rather worry about coping to their illness than to bathe, brush teeth, and stay clean. That is why nurses should observe the patients whether they can clean themselves and assist them if necessary, especially in bathing. Hydrotherapy plays a vital role in managing acute and chronic diseases. Proper giving of bath gives a tonic, eliminative, and antipyretic action. The essence of giving bath is not just to keep the patients clean, but also to reduce temperature, to stimulate their body, and to make them relax. (Crawford, 1910) To stimulate patients, cold bath is advisable. When the patient needs to be relaxed, because of nervousness or anxiety, a warm bath should be provided. If the patient’s temperature is increasing and needs to be reduced, either warm bath or cold bath should be applied depending on the case. (Crawford, 1910) Warm bath will definitely help in reducing the stench of sweat and will provide freshness. If the patient is at the height of fever, bath is not advisable, especially the cold bath. Moreover, regular bath or cold sponging is not suitable for patients who are sick, bed ridden and elderly but a warm sponge bath can be applied instead.   (Kakkilaya, 2003) Hygiene is very personal, and individual’s practices of keeping themselves clean may vary according to one’s culture or religion. It is very important to make the patients meet their personal needs rather than to carry out standard routines. And also, the patient’s beliefs and privacy should also be respected. Patients may be bathed daily in the hospital but if the patient has a dry skin, bathing should be limited to once or twice a week to avoid further drying out of his skin.   (World Health Organization, 2005) For patients who can walk may be assisted by the nurse or family members to the shower or tub. Prepare a chair in the bathroom for the patient to sit on. Help the patient to wash and dry off, and in putting on clothes. In doing a bed bath, make sure all the doors and windows are closed, to protect the patient’s privacy. Prepare the basin of warm water, soap, clothes, bath blankets, and towels. Cleanse the face, ears, and neck. Next is the right arm, hand and axilla; repeat with left arm. Then cleanse the chest area.   Lastly, cleanse the legs and feet of the patient. Change the bath water once or twice. After bathing, change the bed linen. (World Health Organization, 2005) Next, I will discuss another bath procedure for patients called the Hot Sitz Bath, also known as the Hip Bath. This is done to relieve muscle contraction, to alleviate exudates, to speed up suppuration process and healing, and to lessen congestion and provide relief in the perineal area.   This is applicable for patients with hemorrhoids. (pobisnar, 2006) Do not use warm water if the patient already shows a sign of congestion. Monitor the patient is getting weak or fainting during the bath.When the patient has been positioned in the tub or chair; check if the thighs and legs are being pressured. Support the back of the patient all through out the bath. (pobisnar, 2006) Use the appropriate tub for the size of the patient, to make him comfortable while taking a bath. Prepare towels and bathmat, bath blanket, inflatable ring, and clean clothes. Prepare the linen in the bathroom. Only one-third of the tub should be filled with water. Check the temperature of water with bare hands, temperature of water should be between 105 °F and 110 °F (40.5 °C to 43.3 °C). Check all the necessary towels and inflatable rings, making sure these are just within reach to save time and effort. Make certain the patient is informed what the whole procedure is about and how it will be done. Then instruct the patient to undress, especially the hip is exposed. Before he goes into the tub, use a thermometer first and check the temperature of the water. A temperature of 43-46 ° C will create relaxation while a temperature of 34-37 ° C will help promote healing of wound. (pobisnar, 2006) Support the patient and position him appropriately. Make sure he is comfortable in his position. Put the bath sheet around the patient’s shoulders and wrap the ends over the tub to keep him away from chilling. In case the patient’s condition warrants, particularly when he is already vomiting, his skin is paling, and the pulse rate becomes faster, stop the bath. Warm water can be added to maintain the desired temperature but make sure the water is agitated by stirring it as hot water and added to prevent burns. Never leave the patient alone to ensure security of the patient. After fifteen to thirty minutes of bathing, assist the patient out of the tub, help him dry himself and cover him satisfactorily. Let him lie down to rest until normal circulation returns.   (pobisnar, 2006) The concept of giving bath is very necessary for nursing students, one of the basic concepts they should learn first for their careers. Though anyone, even not under the medicine field may also learn the proper procedure of giving bath to patients. Now, how these procedures can be effectively taught? People have different learning traits. We have different ways to absorb knowledge based on our personality and personal experiences. Basically, there are four types of adult learners: The commonsense learner, the dynamic learner, the innovative learner, and the analytical learner. The common sense learner must first practice and integrate the concepts into experience. The dynamic learner likes teaching himself and shares his knowledge with others. The innovative learner asks for reasons for learning and finds personal meaning in the instructions. Lastly, the analytical learner should be provided with information then integrates them, reflecting on concepts with application analysis. (Evans, 2007) First, present the concept using visual aids such as power point presentation, etc. Explain what is being taught and why the concept should be taught. Explain its application (the correct methods and rationale behind the procedures) and the opportunity to practice whether they can do it or not, especially for the students under innovative and analytical type. Then, prepare an activity related to the subject matter to make them experience the concept. For example, you can use a dummy to show the actual procedures or prepare a video clip of a professional practicing the concepts for proper presentation. Then give them a chance to practice it for themselves. Train them, until they all get the proper procedure. Interact with the participants, and focus on students who belong to the innovative learner type. Then solicit feedback and conduct a group evaluation to know how far they have learned from you. Teaching means communicating skills and knowledg, verbally giving instructions and offering presentations. Your students knowledge will depend on your ability to teach. (Evans, 2007) Works Cited Crawford, M. L. (1910). Why, When, and How to Bathe a Fever Patient. The American Journal of Nursing , 314-317. Evans, P. (2007, March 13). The adult learner: Training your labor force. Retrieved October 04, 2007, from http://www.thefabricator.com/ShopManagement/ShopManagement_Article.cfm?ID=1577 Kakkilaya, D. B. (2003). Is Bathing Contraindicated in Fever? Retrieved October 04, 2007, from Rational Medicine Org: http://www.rationalmedicine.org/bath.htm pobisnar. (2006). Nursing Procedure: Hot Sitz Bath (Hip Bath). Retrieved October 04, 2007, from Nurse’s Diary: http://nursediary.pid.com.ph/p16.htm World Health Organization. (2005). Daily Care of the Patient. Retrieved October 04, 2007, from WHO site: http://www.wpro.who.int/internet/files/pub/85/33-49.pdf                     

Mathematical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mathematical Thinking - Essay Example Students are gestated to cultivate problem-solving skills that includes problem defining, prescribing inferences, and canvassing the accuracy of solutions Students should be involved in sense making. One should teach mathematics as if it were an ill-structured discipline: a domain in which multiple inferences, polemics, and controversial issues are called for and genuine. In the first step in expressing their mathematical thinking in words, they normally do not follow very specific language. Learning to think mathematically obligates some interposed strategies in order to bridge the gap between student's ordinary language and the language of mathematics. Teachers nudge in strengthen the mathematical thinking of student make a gamut, fluctuating from more direct methods in which the teacher gives an answer, a substantiation, or a leading question, to less direct methods that facilitate and simplify students to develop their thinking mechanism or to reverberate on their queries and acumen. Some examples of less direct methods to enhance mathematical thinking are non-leading questions, summarizing a discussion, connecting ideas, and prob lem-solving steps to be taken; and the use of wait-time, in which a teacher masquerade a query and gives appropriate time for the student to just go through and elaborate his or her reasoning. Each of these inferences has the potential to assist students to conclude that they have the ability to develop logic, and that they too can think and act mathematically. Even the most expedition-oriented teacher acquaints students to available provisions in order to accomplish the needs avowed by students. The teacher can posture as a connoisseur member of a collaborative learning community, one who has resources to bring to bear on an inquiry. Responsiveness is a key value to reinforce discourse. When students are steering an inquiry, the teacher can be an acting tribunal and confidence builder. Another contour of responsiveness and impressionable includes recognizing student's misbelieves related to the questions they put. In such circumstances one might give an answer, but the more constructive response may be a follow-up question that rummages the postulations or consequences that led to the misguided query. This policy has two purposes: (a) it gives the students involved a opportunity to show on their own thinking, and (b) it alludes onus for a question to the student who asked it. A student requires learning a technique to answer, "Why did you raise that query" -- and this is absolutely defiance at first, because the activity is so reflexive and the presumptions are usually taken for granted. In this type of circumstances, a carefully drafted question can give students to refresh their thinking process and ask themselves whether an answer or a procedure they have used is sensible. Such queries are part of a strategy that ministers to dodge delegations from the teacher to the student. One standard in the classroom session that can be adopted explicitly is the anticipation that students are accountable to convalesce their problem solving techniques and should be queried continuously

LIbrary Research Assignment Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LIbrary Assignment - Research Paper Example This post aims to analyze the informative article by Spencer in detail and analyze its contribution towards providing a better understanding of global warming issues. The author claims that global warming is a fact which cannot be ignored and which needs to be addressed properly. Author has strongly emphasized on the need of human beings to control the global warming by new technologies and prevention strategies. However, author challenges the claims of politicians and media that this issue has been settled. The basic idea of the author is not to describe global warming as just another consequence of men’s activities but rather taking the natural processes that are causing an increase in global warming (Wood, 2005). The author also aims to draw the attention of authorities and governments to the fact that punishing the use of fossil fuels and other expensive policy measures may only be adopted by wealthier countries and will remain ineffective for the poor or developing countr ies. Hence, Spencer calls for policies and interventions which will be helpful to all the countries equally and may save the Earth as a part of Earth cannot be saved by adopting policies against the disastrous effects of global warming. The author describes the concept of global warming as a fact rather than a myth. This supports the opinion that global warming exists and is controllable (to some extent) by managing the technological use, fuels and human activities. The scientific facts discussed are of great importance as the natural greenhouse effect, the natural radiative imbalances, evaporation, and precipitation and so on (Philander, 2000). The article is undoubtedly in line with the thesis statement that â€Å"global warming is a fact not myth.† The evidences provided by the writer on the scientific processes and climate change are the evidence of this statement. Moreover, the discussions on human activities that are leading to global warming

Service change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Service change - Essay Example The effectiveness of the medication, the dosage of the medication, and whether or not the patient receives the medication at all affect the way a medication is perceived by the patient. The errors that have been identified have been those related to the inaccuracy of the dosage level and ensuring the appropriate people receive the correct medications. The effects of these errors have been the discontinuation of several medications, such as in the case of medication that treats Atrial Filibration. The patients that were receiving prescribed doses of amiodrone, flecainide, andsotalol took their care in to their own hands when they started receiving â€Å"adverse effects† from these medications. With dosage modification the medication could have been beneficial. The adherence to proper distribution Dosage level influence real and perceived pharmaceutical benefits. If medication is misdiagnosed it affects how well the medication treats the imbalance, and may have an impact on how a patient feels physically from day to day. A Study that was recently completed in Australia described how older Australian were receiving antidepressant medications that treats conditions that were different from the conditions that the patients were actually experiencing. This is a prime example of what causes the discontinuation of potentially useful medication that has been given a false perception due to being in the hands of patients it was never meant to treat. One of the most effective marketing tools is word of mouth. This is a tool that can either generate a frenzy of referrals or a significant negative impression depending on the results of the medication. The cause of the distribution errors generated by the nurses have been due to distractions. The distractions are from the hospital staff in general and the doctors in particular. The doctors are distracting the nurses with questions pertaining to the state of being of the patients

Physical education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Physical education - Essay Example At that time, it was not the jocular fun game which it has become today; instead, dodgeball was a deadly game in its origin. The tribes playing dodgeball would use putrefied matter or large rocks rather than rubber balls to play it and the game was used for intense workout. The competitors tried to knock out players of the other team by incapacitating or injuring them. The hit players were finished off by being pelted with more rocks. The team members of the injured and fallen competitor assumed the responsibility to protect the player and disperse the attackers by throwing rocks at them. The game was well-suited to encourage the tribesmen to jointly work against other tribes during the skirmishes. The tribes also used the game to identify the weak among them. Dr. James H. Carlisle, a missionary saw the tribes playing dodgeball and was left intrigued by the tribal men’s ruthlessness and agility (â€Å"History of Dodgeball†). He was also impressed by the solidarity and teamwork shown by the tribal men. Having watched the men play the game for hours and hours, Carlisle became obsessed with the weird ritual. On his way back to England, Carlisle shared his experience with some of his pupils in Europe. The reason the sport could not be carried on was the fact that the European men who were told about the game by Carlisle lacked the accuracy and natural agility to throw things on others or dodge being hit. Only after the return of Carlisle to the St. Mary’s College in Norfolk did he transform the ruthless practice into a civilized and playable game. The professional tournaments available for the Dodgeball players include the Dodgeball World Championship that is announced annually. The latest professional tournament was the â€Å"11th Annual Dodgeball World Chamionship & Convention† (â€Å"Professional Dodgeball†) organized on the 7th through 10th of August in Las Vegas. Dodgeball has a whole set of well-developed rules and regulations that the

Need for communication in the international sports events Essay

Need for communication in the international sports events - Essay Example The project seeks to present the ways in which communication can be used effectively in the 2012 Olympic Games. As it is one of most awaited and popular events the world would wait eagerly for, it is crucial that a solid communication foundation is created and implemented for connecting the global audience and employees associated with it together. The game is likely to employ numerous temporary staff from all over the world to give effect to the big international event. Thus it is crucial that these staffs are united together through an effective communication system. It is also important that technology is applied for the purpose for enhancing and improving the efficiency of the system. The project presents certain communication strategies which might be employed in the 2012 Olympic Games and their contribution to the overall success of the game. Need for communication in the international sports events The international sports events, such as the Olympics require extensive coordination of activities of its employees. Olympics games employ numerous temporary staff, volunteers from different nations. This requires the implementation of a concrete communication infrastructure to collaborate workings and activities. Moreover it must also be ensured that there are not hurdles or hindrances in the communication process in the system. Also the greatest challenge in such international events is that they employ a huge number of employees.... Thus it is crucial that these staffs are united together through an effective communication system. It is also important that technology is applied for the purpose for enhancing and improving the efficiency of the system. The project presents certain communication strategies which might be employed in the 2012 Olympic Games and their contribution to the overall success of the game. Need for communication in the international sports events The international sports events, such as the Olympics require extensive coordination of activities of its employees. Olympics games employ numerous temporary staff, volunteers from different nations. This requires the implementation of a concrete communication infrastructure to collaborate workings and activities. Moreover it must also be ensured that there are not hurdles or hindrances in the communication process in the system. Also the greatest challenge in such international events is that they employ a huge number of employees. Managing the num erous numbers of people is likely to be problematic and create commotion. In such a condition it is crucial for the organization to employ a systematic and hurdle free communication strategy for smooth communication between the numerous employees employed in the system. The aim of an integrated and specialized communication system is to provide opportunities for the employees for exchanging information with one another in as minimum time as possible. This would consequently eliminate chances of miscommunication in the system which would consequently reduce chances of errors and complications too. Moreover errors leading to extra costs and investments could also be eliminated completely. In this regard, the

Political Economy Theories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Economy Theories - Assignment Example Marxism is a system of economic, social, and political philosophy based on ideas that view social change in terms of economic factors. This theory asserts that for human beings to survive they must produce and reproduce the materials necessary for life. As a result, the societies are therefore governed by forces of production. Karl Marx believed that although capitalism develops the productive powers of human societies to historically unprecedented heights, it does so in ways, which are also disabling, exploitative, and undemocratic. In order to change this unjust order in the society Marx advocated for a revolution which would see the distribution of wealth from the few owners of production to all members of the society. â€Å"Neo† refers to a new kind of liberalization carved out by an elite group of capitalists from the old liberal school of economics that belonged to famous economists such as Adam Smith. Neoliberalism is in the first instance a theory of political economic practices that proposes that human well-being can best be advanced by liberating individual entrepreneurial freedoms and skills within an institutional framework characterized by strong private property rights, free markets, and free trade. The political economy under neoliberalism is as a result of the following key points. Firstly, there is the liberation of any enterprise imposed by the government regardless of the social damage done to the people. Secondly, neoliberalism calls for the cutting of public expenditure for social services such as healthcare and education. This removes the safety net of the poor leaving them at the mercy of the private enterprises. Thirdly, there is the reduction of government regulation on anything that may diminish business profits. Fourthly, there is the privatization of state owned enterprises under the

Thesis statement Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Thesis statement - Coursework Example Subsequently, it is implied that the issue can be regarded from different perspectives since both negative and positive effects of games were detected. However, all available researches and conclusions of authors remain contradictory and mutually exclusive. From one side, video games are said to promote violence and aggressive behavior and a hindrance to academic achievements. From another, video games can be used to promote versatile development. While developing an argument, I can support my thesis resorting to the recent scientific articles that uncover the list of positive effects of playing video games. Today, there is a sufficient number of credible research articles that can be used to scientifically back up the given thesis statement. Among the relevant points that should be included can be named promoting cognitive skills, training memory, sensory perception, attention, and spatial resolution. (Granic, Lobel & Engels, 2014) Apart from that, games often demand a high level of logical thinking, and problem-solving as well as can teach one to be goal oriented and persistent. An important argument in this context is explaining that the most important is to use technologies moderately and block negative messages they can

Compare and Contrast US and Canada Capital Cities Essay Example for Free

Compare and Contrast US and Canada Capital Cities Essay Washington dc and Ottawa share much in common in terms of geography, but they have also taken divergent paths in terms of history and culture. Originally inhabited by Native Americans, both were colonized by Europeans and later developed into two independent capitals. By 1500s, the European’s migration to North America had begun CITATION Swe02 l 1033 (Swerdlow, 2002). Europeans came to North America in search of land, valuable minerals, religious and political freedom. The European migrants came from England, France, and Spain, where they settled in colonies. Washington dc was founded on rebellion and the cult of seeking independence while Ottawa was formed through consensus among the public servants CITATION Mil11 l 1033 (Miller, 2011). While both cities share similar histories with regard to their former colonizers the British monarch, they bear divergent attitudes towards their formers colonizers. In the year 1763, France was forced to abandon most of its North American territory to the British Empire, which was a union of Scotland and England. Conflicts arose between the Native Americans and the colonial settlers as they sought to occupy the land. Most Native Americans were pushed out of their lands and their culture was nearly destroyed as a result of the conflict CITATION Bar13 l 1033 (Barret, 2013). When the British government imposed new taxes and restriction on the freedoms of Native Americans in 1760s, all the thirteen British colonies were angered and they fought against the British to attain independence. The result was a new independent country, the United States of America. Most Americans rejected the British monarchy and set up a republic, a type of government whereby people could elect their own leaders, including the head of states. Consequently, they elected George Washington as their first president CITATION For10 l 1033 (Forsey, 2010). As some American colonists did not wish to break ties with the British monarch, they sought to leave the newly formed country. Over hundred thousand people known as the loyalist moved out of the United States and settled in the French populated regions of Quebec, which was controlled by the British monarch. In the early 1800s, French and English speaking communities in the British North America were in constant conflict over the colonial government policies CITATION Mil11 l 1033 (Miller, 2011). However, they were soon brought together due to fears of a takeover by the United States. In the year 1867, four of the colonies – Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova scout- united under Prime Minister A. MacDonald, to from the united provinces of the dominion of Canada. This was a new country under the British Empire. Other neighboring areas such as British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, also become provinces of Canada CITATION For10 l 1033 (Forsey, 2010). Nowadays, Canada encompasses the ten provinces and another three territories, the Nunavut, the Yukon Territory and the North West territories. Currently, both the governments run from Ottawa and Washington dc are democracies with federal systems, whereby the national governments share power with provinces or the state governments CITATION Bel11 l 1033 (Belanger, 2011). However, the United States governments tends to tilt more towards democracy while Canada is more conservative. Indeed, the United States has been amending laws in accordance to the democratic rights of its citizens. This has been had been a strategy stated back in 1787, the united states leaders wanted to create a strong national government whilst preserving the structures individual states and citizens CITATION Bel11 l 1033 (Belanger, 2011). Therefore, a plan called the constitutional amendments was drafted so that the constitution could be adjusted to conform to the countries changing needs. The first ten amendments were known as the bill of rights, and they guaranteed the citizens fundamental rights, such as the freedoms of religion, speech and press. Canada, on the other hand, was formed as a dominion, which was essentially a self-governing country with close links with the British monarch. Ottawa gained full independence from the British Empire in 1931, but the British governments still held the rights to approve any changes made to the constitution of Canada CITATION For10 l 1033 (Forsey, 2010). It was not until 1982 that this legislative link to the British government was severed. During its founding, Canada had a strong central government, with very little powers shred to the individual provinces. However, over the years, the powers given to the provinces has significantly increased CITATION For10 l 1033 (Forsey, 2010). The form of government in Ottawa is a constitutional monarch. The executive arm of the Canadian government encompasses the governor general, the prime minister and the cabinet CITATION Bar13 l 1033 (Barret, 2013). In this government, the British monarch is still acts as the head of state. Additionally, the British monarch appoints the governor general in order to act in his or her place. The national legislature is known as the parliament, and it is made up of the senate and the House of Commons. The prime minister is the leaders of the majority political party in the parliament and serves as the actual head of government. The supreme court of Canada is composed of nine judges, and it is the country’s highest court CITATION Bar13 l 1033 (Barret, 2013). On the other hand, the government in Washington is made up of three branches; the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. The executive arm of the government encompasses the president, the vice president, and all the executive departments that control various division of the federal government CITATION Swe02 l 1033 (Swerdlow, 2002). The president’s cabinet is made up of the heads of these departments. They also double up as special advisors. Elected state representatives makeup the senate and the House of Representatives. The senate and House of Representatives make up the legislative branch of the government. Meanwhile, the judicial branch is made up of the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts. While English is the official language and the main language in Washington dc, Ottawa has both English and French as the two official languages. Due to the immigration of people from all various parts of the world to Canada and the United States, there are other languages used, albeit in the few minority ethnicities CITATION Mil11 l 1033 (Miller, 2011). The immigrants from Great Britain came with the English language to United States and most parts of Canada. However, in some Canadian provinces such as Quebec and cities such as Ontario and Ottawa, French is included as the official language since some of the provinces population is made up descendants of French settlers who had arrived there between 1500s and 1700s CITATION Bar13 l 1033 (Barret, 2013). Since the French-speaking Canadians in the city wanted more protection for their culture and language, they sought to for the recognition and use of French language as part of the official language in Ottawa. Although both cities have a number of differences as mentioned above, they also exhibit several similarities. Firstly, Both Ottawa and Washington dc are capital cities of Canada and the United States respectively. Unlike other capitals such as London, Tokyo or Mexico City, both are not the unrivaled centers of gravity of their respective countries CITATION Bar13 l 1033 (Barret, 2013). Fundamentally, both are political capitals and not cultural or economic capital cities. They are both government cities and not megacities. However, they both manage to maintain a cosmopolitan atmosphere and a profile of much bigger proportions than their own size. In addition, neither of them were their countries initial capitals. Although they both have neighborhoods that were formerly colonial towns, the two cities developed around national politics and for most of the time, the government was at the center of everything CITATION Swe02 l 1033 (Swerdlow, 2002). Both Ottawa and Washington dc exemplify a distinguishing North American federal urbanism. While both cities have a population of less than a million, they have several monuments, museums and embassies CITATION Swe02 l 1033 (Swerdlow, 2002). Tourist visit both cities to experience the historical foundations of the two North American countries, Canada, and the United States. Both Ottawa and Washington dc are filled with stylish Victorian houses and neoclassical public buildings. Additionally, they both have several impressively designed office blocks. For instance, Ottawa has a bureaucratic brutalist wonderland while in Washington dc there is the J. Edgar Hoover building at the pentagon’s scale CITATION Bel11 l 1033 (Belanger, 2011). The two cities have adopted approach to urban development that is centered on housing and amenities targeted to the professional classes, causing a wave of growth that has boosted a renaissance of downtown livability. Washington dc and Ottawa have a similar educational system. This includes a network of both public and private schools. Both cities have compulsory education requirements. In addition, the Canadian provinces and the United States have a 12-grade school system. There are universities and colleges in both cities. In terms of the rate of literacy, both the US and Canada have literacy rate of 97 percent CITATION Bar13 l 1033 (Barret, 2013). The cultural influences of the United States and Canada, which are headquartered in Washington dc and Ottawa respectively, is strongest in the discipline of popular entertainment. Indeed, both the United States and Canada have had a profound impact throughout the world through their popular culture CITATION Bel11 l 1033 (Belanger, 2011). In the 1900s, the US was the world’s most dominant source of entertainment and trendy fashion, ranging from the t- shirts and the jeans to the television programs, movies and rock stars. Even nowadays, Hollywood has become synonymous with the film industry. On its part, the Canada film industry which receives backing from Ottawa, is renowned for its shakes hers festivals that are held annually in Ontario. Therefore, the entertainment cultures in both cities has greatly shaped and influenced the entertainment industry thought the world CITATION Bar13 l 1033 (Barret, 2013). Being the citizens of two of the world’s wealthiest capital cities, people in both Ottawa and Washington dc enjoy a high standard of living. Due to their socioeconomic status or their level of educational income, the citizens of both cities have an advantage over the personal opportunities and choices. Due to the support systems in place that ensure agricultural surplus in both the United States and Canada, foods are fairly inexpensive. The housing varies considerably depending on the needs of families and individuals CITATION Bel11 l 1033 (Belanger, 2011). They range from suburban houses to multifamily row houses to high rise apartments. References   Barret, M. (2013). Interculturalism and multiculturalism: similarities and differences. London: Council of Europe. Belanger, D.-C. (2011). Prejudice and Pride: Canadian Intellectuals Confront the United States, 1891-1945. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Forsey, E. A. (2010). How Canadians govern themselves. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. Miller, K. (2011). FOLLOWING THE AMERICAN LEAD: CANADAS DIPLOMACY. Wellington: Heritage. Swerdlow, J. L. (2002). The cultural geography of the united states and Canada. New York: National Geographic. Source document

Importance of Stakeholders

Importance of Stakeholders Project management is the discipline of supervising all the different resources and aspects of the project in such a way so that the resources will deliver all the output that is required to complete the project within the defined scope, time, and cost constraints (Lewis A. , 2010). It is the application of skill, knowledge, tools and techniques to project activities to achieve project requirements. It can be accomplished through the application of initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing (Lewis, 2007). This is mainly done in order to meet the exceeding needs and expectations of the stakeholders (Introduction to Project Management Principles, 2003). The call for project management was determined by the various businesses that realised the benefits of organising, communicating and co-ordinating work across the various departments and professions. This helps in coordinating the various resources of a project durning the project initiation stage so that by the time the project has begun its work all stakeholders and team members will have a clear cut understanding and acceptance of the process, methodology and expected outcomes of the project. (Lewis A. , 2010) Stakeholders refers to those individuals or a group who has vested interest in the outcome or the results of the body of a work in an organisation. (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington, 2008) defined stakeholders as the people or small groups who depend on the organisation to fulfill their own goals and on whom, in turn, the organisation depends. They may be actively involved in the project and may have an interest on the total performance or completion of the project. They have the power to exert positive or negative influence over the project, its deliverables and its team members.(Bourne, 2009). Hence stakeholders can be called as the key people involved in a project. They have an interest in the execution of the project, getting the approvals and resources, and they also have a stake in the project outcome. Although they may not have an official role on the project, these are the people who will ultimately estimate the success or failure of a project (Koning, 2009). IMPORTANCE OF STAKEHOLDERS All projects, in spite of its size, needs to have a clear cut idea and agreement about: who will decide the requirements of the project, the budget, resources, standards and in case of any change in the project, who will do the authorization of the changes and so on. Although a project manager could independently decide all these factors, unless and until the key stakeholders agree to the decision made, the project will not be able to progress and will have no scope for success (Koning, 2009). STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The term stakeholder engagement is budding as a means of describing a broader, more inclusive, and continuous process. It takes place between the company and the potentially impacted stakeholders that encompasses a range of activities, approaches and, the entire span of a project. The change that is likely to occur reflects the broader change in the business and financial worlds. It increasingly recognizes the business and reputational risks that may occur as a result of poor stakeholder relations. It also places a growing emphasis on corporate social responsibility, transparency and reporting (Corporation, 2007) . Stakeholder engagement can therefore be defined as the process of effectively eliciting the stakeholders views on their relationship with the organization (Friedman Miles, 2006). Stakeholder engagement is increasingly becoming a part of mainstream business and is being used to improve communications, obtain wider community support or buy-in for projects, gather useful data and ideas, enhance public sector or corporate reputation and encourages more sustainable decision making (Gray, 2002). Without proper engagement of the stakeholders, it is impossible to have a common abiding agreement, ownership and support for a particular project. Any company or an organisation is likely to benefit if it takes care of the environment in which it is operating and aiming to meet the needs of its stakeholders (Gray, 2002). Stakeholder engagement gives the impression of corporate responsibility. It appears evident that if an organisation shows commitment, through policy and practice, to stakeholder involvement it is acting responsibly towards these stakeholders: the more an organisation engages with its stakeholders, the more accountable and responsible that organisation is t owards these stakeholders (Greenwood, 2007). It is traditionally seen as a corporate responsibility in action. The impetus behind the use of the term engagement in corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the need to emphasize that, for firms merely to interact with stakeholders is no longer sufficient and the interaction with stakeholders is a logically necessary activity of business (Noland Phillips, 2010). WHY ENGAGE WITH STAKEHOLDERS IS NECESSARY? Effective stakeholder engagement relies on a commitment to engage and communicate openly and honestly with stakeholders. The benefits an organization gets from stakeholder engagement activities are cooperation on operations/activities and at times on policy development as well. It enhances the community confidence and creates a more user-friendly, community/industry targeted service. Future costs can be reduced: for example, times spend in managing the crises with regard to the confidence level of the stakeholders can be avoided. It also helps in improving the access to emerging issues and communities, and helps in gaining the capacity to handle them before they develop a negative vibe in the community. This will include avoiding negative press releases. In the case of changes and benefits that can take place inside the organisation are as follows: It increases the organisational effectiveness which will result in more effective and efficient practice and high quality policy input within the organisation It enhances the two-way communication skills and better understanding on both sides and thereby bridges the cultural gaps. It develops a culture of innovation and learning, for example by building the knowledge into our decisions and practices. Simplifies the conflict resolution through building trust, and a clearer articulation of what cannot be resolved. STAKEHOLDERS ENGAGEMENT PLANNING Often the importance of stakeholder engagement is overlooked. It allows you to identify strengths and weaknesses and ultimately develop strategies to engage effectively. The stakeholder engagement is a critical element to the success of the project and it may be useful to develop a stakeholder engagement plan. For this, various sources, conventional and unconventional is used such as the media, online, literature or even word of mouth. As a part of the analysis, it is important to examine existing, current and past relationships, available resources and constraints and the desirable outcomes it looks forward to. For this purpose, the different desired outcomes of the stakeholders as well as the stakeholders engagement processes is analysed and studied. DESIRED OUTCOMES Desired outcomes are nothing but the overall aims of the engagement process. The desired outcomes for undertaking stakeholder engagement process would be Improved personal or working relationships Changed attitudes Improved communication channels Promotion of expansive circle of responsibility for actions and decisions Identification of key issues, conflicts and benefits Creation of new ideas Establishment of new orderly partnerships Improved services for society Change in policy Cost savings to long term Betterment of individual and organisational learning Local support and hostility supported for a new initiative Increased community union and strengthened shared identity (Gray, 2002) STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES Stakeholder is an umbrella term which incorporates range of activities and interactions over the project life cycle. These activities can be divided into following components (Corporation, 2007): Stakeholder Identification and Analysis Information Disclosure Stakeholder Consultation Negotiation and Partnerships Stakeholder Involvement in Project Monitoring Reporting to Stakeholders (Appendix 2) STAKEHOLDER IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS When it comes to identifying the key stakeholders, the project sponsor works along with the project manager to identify the stakeholders. Stakeholders may comprise of a wide range of people that come from different areas of business. It may be people from senior management, human resources, finance, marketing and IT departments. They typically have a particular business stream and their interest in the project is focused on the needs of their particular area. Some stakeholders will have more interest and involvement than the others. (Koning, 2009) When identifying stakeholders, it may be helpful to first determine the most relevant dimensions: organisational unit, process, function, job role, geographic area and so on. It is more important to consider the external stakeholders including partners, suppliers, customers, customers cutomers, consumers and those who would wish they were not stakeholders, such as victims of crimes etc (Bradley, 2006). It is quite important to note that stakeholders are selected with a verification process. It is necessary to ensure that all relevant parties are represented and those participants indicate the interests of those they claim to speak on behalf of (Friedman Miles, 2006). Once the identificationis completed, the group of stakeholders are analysised. It is important to understand the interests and opinions of every stakeholder as they may affect the project work. All the stakeholders may not share the same opinion and may have a unified opinion or priorities. Hence conducting a stakeholder analysis has become so important because of its increased interconnected nature of the world (Ketti, 2002). Hence, finding out what the problemis and what is the right solutions might be taken as a way to overcome this problem. This will also help in identifying the stakeholders who are a part of this crucial aspect of problem solving (Bardach, 1998). Stakeholder Analyses mainly helps in better organisational performance and fulfilling its mission. Fulfilling the mission should arise from producing fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what the organisation is, what it does and why it does it (Bryson, 1995). Hence it is quite important to study and f ind out the key players amongst the stakeholders itself for the successful completion of the project. Again as said above, the success of the project, not only depends on being able to deliver customers demand but also in being able to met all the stakeholder expectations as well.. The selected stakeholders play a primary task in making the important decisions during the time of initiation, planning and execution of the project. The five primary project stakeholders that are present in most of the projects are: the project manager, the project team, the functional management, the sponsor, and the customer.ÂÂ   In a larger sense, anyone who participates in the project or is impacted by its results is a stakeholder. Each stakeholder has an essential contribution to make and they need to meet their expectations. Contribution made by different people to the project is the principal criteria for identifying stakeholders (Project Stakeholders, their Roles and Contribution, 2006) (Appendix 1) COMMUNICATION IN STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The core of all relationships is communication and stakeholder engagement is essentially a complex relationship. Negotiation occurs when two or more people are prepared to bargain to achieve a mutually acceptable solution. It is important to acknowledge the effects it might have on the relationship with the organization. Communication also involves being open and honest about the objectives and planned activities. The stakeholders should be communicated in the loop as much as possible, whether it is through email trails, phone calls or face to face engagement. The latter is often the most effective form of stakeholder engagement as it gives the relationship a more human element. A well-informed stakeholder can prevent a project from continuing on a path that will fail to deliver the required benefits, by highlighting issues and concerns as soon as they arise. (Koning, 2009) STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROJECT MONITORING Stakeholders involvement in any project improves the progression of the project and as project monitoring consists of collection of the data and reporting information according to the project plans, budget and requirements, stakeholder involvement and interaction is needed (Tammer, 2009). The assessment and reporting technique should depend on the size and complicatedness of the project and stakeholder position. If the stakeholders are lacking the required skills in monitoring, then adequate training need to be provided to them for fostering the participatory monitoring. The participation of the project affected stakeholders in monitoring the social and environmental affects is a good practice. External monitoring can lead to the development of trust between the project and the primary stakeholders. CONCLUSION The stakeholder engagement always provides opportunities to further align business practices with community needs and expectations aiding to drive long term sustainability and shareholder value. Stakeholder engagement must take place if the organisation truly needs the inputs from the people involved in the business for decision making. The stakeholder engagement planning should be done in such a manner that it remains beneficial to the organisation. Stakeholder engagement assists any organisation to compete with its rivals in a complex and changing business climates. Works Cited Bardach, E. (1998). Getting Agencies to Work Together. Washington: Brookings Institution Press. Bourne, L. (2009, September 22). Who is a Stakeholder? Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Project Management Institute: http://blogs.pmi.org/blog/voices_on_project_management/2009/09/who-is-a-stakeholder.html Bradley, G. (2006). Benefit Realisation Management. A Practical Guide to Achieving Benefits through change . Bryson, J. (1995). Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Corporation, I. F. (2007). Stakeholder Engagement: A Good Practice Handbook for Companies Doing Business in Emerging Markets. Washington: International Finance corporation. Friedman, A. L., Miles, S. (2006). Stakeholders: Theory and Practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Gray, R. (2002). The Social Accounting Project and Accounting Organizations and Society (Vol. 27). Accounting Organizations and Society. Greenwood, M. (2007). Stakeholder Engagement: Beyond the Myth of Corporate Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics , 74, 315-327. Introduction to Project Management Principles. (2003). Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/hip/lld/olt/resources/toolkit/project_management/project_management_intro.shtml Johnson, G., Scholes, K., Whittington, R. (2008). Exploring corporate strategy: text and cases. Peason Education. Ketti, D. (2002). TheTransformation of Governance: Public Adminitration Twenty-First Century America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Koning, L. (2009, May 1). Project Stakeholders. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from Insightful Writers: http://www.suite101.com/content/project-stakeholders-a114023 Lewis, A. (2010). Introduction to Project Management. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Project Smart: http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/introduction-project-management.html Lewis, J. P. (2007). Fundamentals of Project Management. New York: AMACOM, American Management Assciation. Noland, J., Phillips, R. (2010). Stakeholder Engagement, Discourse Ethics and Strategic Management. International Journal of Management Reviews , 39-49. Project Stakeholders, their Roles and Contribution. (2006). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Business e-coaching: http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/project_stakeholders.html Stakeholders Engagement. (2010, October 25). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Continuous Developer: http://continuousdevelopment.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/stakeholder-engagement/ Tammer, M. D. (2009). Early stakeholder involvement in projects. PM World Today , 9 (4). Bibliography Bardach, E. (1998). Getting Agencies to Work Together. Washington: Brookings Institution Press. Bourne, L. (2009, September 22). Who is a Stakeholder? Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Project Management Institute: http://blogs.pmi.org/blog/voices_on_project_management/2009/09/who-is-a-stakeholder.html Bradley, G. (2006). Benefit Realisation Management. A Practical Guide to Achieving Benefits through change . Bryson, J. (1995). Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Carroll, A. B., Buccholtz, A. K. (2008). Business and Society: Ethics and Stakeholder. Management. Mason: Cengage Learning. Condrey, S. E. (2005). Handbook of Human Resource Management in Government. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Corporation, I. F. (2007). Stakeholder Engagement: A Good Practice Handbook for Companies Doing Business in Emerging Markets. Washington: International Finance corporation. Friedman, A. L., Miles, S. (2006). Stakeholders: Theory and Practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Gray, R. (2002). The Social Accounting Project and Accounting Organizations and Society (Vol. 27). Accounting Organizations and Society. Greenwood, M. (2007). Stakeholder Engagement: Beyond the Myth of Corporate Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics , 74, 315-327. Introduction to Project Management Principles. (2003). Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/hip/lld/olt/resources/toolkit/project_management/project_management_intro.shtml Johnson, G., Scholes, K., Whittington, R. (2008). Exploring corporate strategy: text and cases. Peason Education. Ketti, D. (2002). TheTransformation of Governance: Public Adminitration Twenty-First Century America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Koning, L. (2009, May 1). Project Stakeholders. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from Insightful Writers: http://www.suite101.com/content/project-stakeholders-a114023 Lewis, A. (2010). Introduction to Project Management. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Project Smart: http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/introduction-project-management.html Lewis, J. P. (2007). Fundamentals of Project Management. New York: AMACOM, American Management Assciation. Noland, J., Phillips, R. (2010). Stakeholder Engagement, Discourse Ethics and Strategic Management. International Journal of Management Reviews , 39-49. Phillips, R. (1997). Stakeholder Theory and a Principle of Fairness. Business Ethics Quarterly , 7, 51-66. Project Stakeholders, their Roles and Contribution. (2006). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Business e-coaching: http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/project_stakeholders.html Stakeholders Engagement. (2010, October 25). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Continuous Developer: http://continuousdevelopment.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/stakeholder-engagement/ Tammer, M. D. (2009). Early stakeholder involvement in projects. PM World Today , 9 (4). APPENDIX APPENDIX 1 KEY STAKEHOLDER IN A PROJECT Internal Stakeholder External Stakeholders Project sponsor Customers Functional Department Government Corporate Leadership Competitors Other Project Teams Joint Venture Partners Employees Vendors Unions Investors/ Shareholders

Discrimination is a Virtue Essay -- Robert Keith Miller Essays

Discrimination is a Virtue In the next few paragraphs I will critique the rhetorical effectiveness of Robert Keith Miller’s essay, Discrimination is a Virtue. In his essay Miller tries to redefine the word discrimination. I will evaluate the effectiveness of his argument, and suggest different elements he could have incorporated or deleted to make his paper more effective. Overall, Miller gets his point across and enlightens the reader, but I do not believe he had a goal in writing this to make any tangible changes. The first aspect of this text that diminishes the credibility of the essay, is the fact that the only thing the reader knows about the author, is that his name is Robert Keith Miller. No additional background information is supplied to let the reader know if Miller has any authority on the topic. It is unknown if he is in a minority, if he has been traditionally well educated, or if he is just an observant man who is able to convey his observations through words. The topic that he chose to write on however, is obvious to anyone who is willing to open their eyes. Miller explains to the reader that the word discrimination is no longer used in the context that it was originally meant, but instead is now used to negatively define differences. He expands on this idea, highlighting the fact that our society tries to pretend that these differences don’t matter, when they clearly do. Miller doesn’t seem to have a specific intended audience, instead he seems to be addressing Ame rican society as a whole. He makes the essay accessible to everyone by siting numerous different examples and short parables. This was an effective technique for the beginning of the essay because it drew in the readers attention. Miller ... ...ph, which focuses on politics is the weakest of the three. Miller uses all generalizations in his argument that the voting population is faced with too many options, and too little information. Yet again he makes a valid point, but like the candidates he is criticizing, he fails to back it up. Miller brings up two very good points in this essay, the misuse of the word discrimination and Americans refusal to see differences in our society. He is criticizing a trait that many people in America have, and because of this negative reflection Miller needs to back up his conclusion with solid evidence. If Miller had chosen one of the three examples to expand on, his paper would have had more authority. As it is, Discrimination is a Virtue, brings up ideas that really should be expanded on to make our country a better place, but on its own fails to convince the reader.

Use of Symbols and Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Lette

Use of Symbols in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚   In many stories, symbols included by the author add deeper meaning.   Nathaniel Hawthorne is one author who mastered the skill of using symbols effectively.   The Scarlet Letter is regarded as a "symbolic masterpiece" due to Hawthorne's exceptional use of the scarlet letter, the setting, and Pearl as symbols.    One of the main symbols of the novel is the basis for the title of the novel itself.   Hester Prynne's scarlet letter is attached to her dress, and appears "in fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate embroidery with fantastic flourishes of gold thread" (Hawthorne 60).   The letter is said to have "the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a sphere by herself" (Hawthorne 61).   The letter seems to be the focal point of Hester's figure, and the townspeople obsess about the blazing red sign of her sin for a long time after Hester's ignominy.    Hester's fantastically embellished red letter takes on many meanings as a symbol.   The gold thread with which the letter is embroidered symbolizes Hester's mockery of the Puritan way of punishment. A female spectator in the market place remarks, "Why, gossips, what is it but to laugh in the faces of our godly magistrates, and make a pride out of what they ... meant for a punishment?" (Hawthorne 61).   The embellishment of the letter physically displays Hester's reaction to her punishment.   Her strong will not only accepts the challenge that the Puritan church has laid before her, but she also laughs in mockery at it. The scarlet letter also shows the triviality of the community's system of punishment.   Whenever Hester walks outside of her cottag... ...efers to her being a blessing to Hester.   Pearl gives Hester a reason to live, and helps to keep Hester's spirits strong.  Ã‚      Hawthorne's use of symbols clearly enhances The Scarlet Letter.   From the setting to the characters themselves, the novel is filled with symbols that work together to provide a deeper, allegorical meaning.   The symbolism contained in Hawthorne's works provokes much thought in the reader, through which the reader can enjoy the story much more.   For this reason, The Scarlet Letter can accurately be described as a "symbolic masterpiece."    Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel.   The Scarlet Letter.   New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1980.    Bradford, William.   "The Errand of the Early Puritans."   Class handout.   March 2002.    Winthrop, John.   "Life in Puritan New England."   Class handout.   March 2002.   

Culture- IBM v. Trilogy :: miscellaneous

Culture- IBM v. Trilogy Whenever two or more people come together with a shared purpose, they form a culture with its own written and unwritten rules for behavior. Our families, workplaces and communities all have cultures. These cultures have a tremendous, though rarely recognized, impact upon our behavior as individuals, and as groups. Each cultural environment provides a somewhat unique set of standards to which we must adapt. Our behavioral patterns change dramatically from cultural context to cultural context. For example, on the job we are expected to behave in accordance with certain social standards. Expectations about behaviors at work usually differ from what is expected of us in our kitchens and in our bedrooms. We may not choose to behave in accordance with our cultures, but if we choose not to go along, we must be prepared for ongoing consequences. When we select goals for ourselves that violate the culture, we must either change the culture or endure a never-ending struggle. I'd like to illustrate the seeming similarities, and the actual differences, between the cultures of two organizations- Trilogy and IBM. This comparison is unique in that it points out the major similarities between two very different organizations. IBM with its 200,000+ employees is a virtual giant compared to Trilogy with just under 1,000 employees. How can these two cultures be so strikingly similar? Current industry recruiting trends follow what's desirable to college graduates! We're fast approaching the millenium, and the new buzz-words are PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE!!! But, while many companies boast to potential hires of freedom and friendship, many of those same companies fall short of following through with their promises. Realistically, there are limitations that come with having over 200,000 employees. Likewise, there are limitations with having only 1,000 employees. How do these two companies stack up in comparison? So, what are the desired job traits that college graduates are looking for? To name a few:  · Personal and Professional Growth Opportunities  · Flexible hours and freedom  · Likable teammates Personal and Professional Growth Opportunities It's not surprising that today's companies place emphasis on employee 'growth'. As recent graduates, new hires are accustomed to a constant stream of new knowledge and skills. Obviously this learning has led to great success, so why stop there? Recent graduates are well aware of the importance of marketability. To ensure a secure career outlook, continued training and experience are a must.

Caste System

A Day in Life: Case system Narrative My feet, burning walking through the villages while the higher caste people Just stare at us, as if we are animals that have no home. My son is screaming as he is sick from the polluted water we have to drink from. The higher caste people drink from clean fresh wells and laugh at us as we drink from the local pond filled with animal feces. There isn't much hope for our kind of people, but for us it's all about slim chances. My people help each other in times of need, the same caste helps the people inside f it, but requesting help from another caste is getting a guaranteed no.The different castes live like they are different from each other as if we are both two different animals except we are like an ant and the Brahmin are like a tiger. We have different jobs, ways of life, and values. I wake up tired and exhausted and send my son to his job which is cleaning the town caste, he knows it's filthy but he knows we need every penny we can get. I hav e two Jobs; one is being a servant for a higher caste family, and cleaning high caste's houses. I work for 18 hours a day and receive below minimum wage for my Jobs.There is nothing we can do about it; we untouchables don't have any power and barely any if we do have any. We Just need to accept that we are not welcomed. Many of us tried to revolt and take what we deserve and some of us, like I Just accept we are treated so poorly. The protestors don't get very far, we might get one or two right gained but nothing to major. Most people are planning to revolt, but I'm a coward and I do not want to be downgraded in the next life. I believe ow we are treated is very poorly, but however I think we deserve much more respect than what we have now.We will always be the untouchables, and there is nothing we can do about it. But being treated this poorly is not human. The untouchables are treated with disrespect like we insult their views. I believe in reincarnation and how we untouchables ca me to live with a low reputation, so for now I hope to live my life and follow the Mandate of Heaven to come back with a much higher status. Each one of us are put into the spot we have now because of our previous actions, and I accept hat before my life as an untouchable I have done some bad things that brought me into this depressing life, but it's the way the game of life works.Life as an untouchable is the worst it ever gets, it's wrong to harm people in such a way and this will make those upper caste people who make us suffer untouchables, and then they can experience what we have to go through. I personally believe the Caste system is fair, and that everyone will eventually undergo a period of hardship. Life isn't easy, and everyone will eventually understand that. Caste System By rmarhaba

Can Money Buy Happiness? Essay

â€Å"When you have money in hand, only you forget who you are, When you don’t have any money in your hand, the whole world forgets who you are† -Bill Gates Good Morning respected teachers and dear friends. Can Money Guarantee Happiness? It is one of the most heavily disputed questions of all time. However if we look at it practically, we will find an immediate answer, that, YES, Money in all its splendour, is the key to happiness. Imagine being able to buy whatever you wish for- cars, palatial houses, helicopters, jet planes, a journey to space, a walk on the moon-wouldn’t it give you joy & happiness, not to mention an envious social status? Definitely it would and what do you think would allow you to buy these things? The answer is, of course, MONEY! Money, thus, definitely guarantees happiness! To argue on this point, we must observe that the very invention of money was to bring happiness and balance to human life. What with the barter system and its many setbacks, the idea of money instituted a sense of equilibrium, so that everyone could follow a definite routine and a similar pattern of things. Without money, man would be a barbarian with no sense of stability! Money is something that distinguishes man from an animal. How, then, can my worthy opponents say that money does not guarantee happiness and that people would be happier without it? I do think anybody who says that money is everything but happiness would agree that donating brings joy. What will you give to others when you yourself don’t have anything? And how would have anything without buying it using money? Poverty is the greatest curse. It is the lack of money that compels people to cheat or even murder. If one has money, one can buy all things that he or she wants. A torn jeans worn by the rich becomes a fashion statement, whatever the rich do becomes customs & what they say becomes law! Money can buy you authority, power, obedience and whatnot! By appointing domestic servants, you aren’t only saving your time so that you can enjoy with your family, but are also taking an uneducated person out of unemployment. Coins & Notes bring you closer to people. Social interactions lead to happiness and self satisfaction. And how can you host a party for your long-lost friends or go out for a movie with your family if you don’t have money? Money helps you to travel to exotic places, meet new people at luxurious events & thus give a treasure trove of happy memories & a bountiful of acquaintances!

Custom Relationship Between Business and Society Essay

The world today believes in change and liberation due to beliefs and values of every society, the quality of living based on individual decisions and moral values are critical in building and of business relationship. It is therefore vital to understand how business and society can be governed and all manner of people and races respected. Every society has taboos and social entities that control its environment; however business and society is based on values that can be created by others though scientific research. According to Weber, The Protestant Ethic is a starting point towards understanding the multiple dimensions of social change. The relationship between business and ethics is interlocked in the sense that a successful company is one which can effectively maintain the relationship which exists between them and the other parties. For effective corporate management, organization varies due to policies and systems of operation in service deliver, most professionals governed by professional code of ethics invent individual personality. Religious beliefs critically affect each individual spiritual being. Today businesses that have strong corporate codes of ethics are performing well in the long-term. Government policies and competition is vital for survival in every business entity, customer expectations and organization relationships to society are critical in branding and corporate image which differentiates company’s offering from those of competitors. To manage it demand for in the long run demands commitment and sound moral behavior. This demonstrates dedication to all stakeholders, ethics enhance how a company operates and also enhances a company’s reputation and this brings more profits to the organizations. MAX WEBER PROTESTANT ETHICS Max Weber a German sociologist and political economist (1864 – 1920) aim at understanding the revolution power based of political stability and control of capitalism. With his social and religious beliefs, he investigated to known why the most economically developed districts were the most favorable to a revolution. In his findings, Weber concluded that higher skilled laborers and personnel were overwhelmingly Protestant. He aimed at bring change and revolution. The argument was based on development and education by the Catholics which he believes lead was a cause to nationality imbalance. Resources were unfairly distributed thus the districts ended up converting protestant, it plumbs the deep cultural forces that affect contemporary work life and the workplace in the capitalist communities, and it plumbs the deep religion forces that affect contemporary work life and the workplace. He professed religion balance between the Catholic and Protestant parents who usually give their children different kinds of education, in which his believe was that education is an equal asset to both the Catholics and protestants’, however he was not font that Catholics have more of a tendency in education while protestants stay in handicrafts and sectors rather than to go into industry. It suggests that their environment has determined the choice peoples occupations seem more likely since for example you would normally expect Catholics to get involved in economic activity. His argument was based on political power and influence and his believe that Protestants had stronger tendencies and capabilities to develop the economy rationalism. To him this was not a philosophy of mere greed but a statement laden with moral language. Creating modern capitalism that affects contemporary life and work place ethically. Lacks of ethics contribute to a state where the corporate bottom lines make profits through immoral acts. This relents to damaged image and leads to corrupt dealings and poor ethical practices. Managers who promote an atmosphere with high ethical standards create a competitive concept that positions a company above rivals. This will impact help increase revenues for the benefit of all stakeholders. SPIRIT OF CAPITALISM Capitalism is an economic system whereby the means of production are privately owned and operated for making profits. The decisions regarding supply, demand, price, distribution, and investment are made within a free market. Profit is sent to owners who invest in businesses, and wages are paid to workers. The world of business is where religion demands high moral and values; Weber’s idea of modern capitalism as growing out of the religious pursuit of wealth meant a change to how wealth existed. Looking at this argument the world today has changed due to advancement of human knowledge and technological advances, religion affects business depending on relationship created among business partners, however religion is an obligation to look at, basically the impact can be based on critical values of entrepreneurs or markets targeted. Every organization is critically evaluated through its promise and purposes to deliver its products and services. The compliment can be on ability to abide by the vision and mission statement. Weber’s argues that the first and probably most vital feature of the spirit of capitalism was that it invested on economizing with high moral significance. Today communication among business entities has created a link to doing business better, the advancement of technology e.g. the use of electronic mode of payment has brought about cross boundary relationships which can easily be manage and monitored. Weber aims of scrutinizing individual strength and builds trust which is critical to business operations. This is to provide opportunities for resistance in the organizational structures with emancipation alongside those for repression and subordination. In most economies equal business opportunities are applied to allow free movement of labour and interest payment are legitimate returns on capital which provides legal mechanism for state in mobilization of funds and partnerships and create a modern state. The challenges in the society today are; highly competitive environments, global warming, inflation, which puts pressure on company’s leaders to create profitable relationships remain competent to create channels which circumvent to stakeholders returns on investment. The pressure of delivering positive results can lead to unethical decisions by individuals. However Governing legal frameworks therefore become critical as a key competency for quality productivity. Every organization has to avoid unethical environment because if it occurs it usually gets passed down through the organization ruining its reputation. In the world today China and India are believed to be â€Å"federal capitalist who excises economical power, capitalism ultimately enforce market regulation. The pricing mechanism coordinates supply and demand within a given market framework, while the visible hand of government enforces the framework and keeps it up to date†. (Bruzz Scott: the root of modern capitalism journal 11 June 2008) LUTHER CONCEPTION CALLING According to Weber his conception calling was on realization that people have got duty to fulfill and obligations imposed on them which must be attain, this believe adds value to letting each individual practice his capabilities and beliefs for betterment of living. He argues that each person has got a legitimate calling or purpose by his God; however the society is a mix of races as others rarely believe in God. He came to believe in absolute obedience to God’s will, and acceptance of the way things were. According to Weber he was trying to understand how certain characteristics of modern culture can be traced to the reformation. Scientifically most of Weber’s unforeseen beliefs are today engulfing physically through research challenging this believes. Today the society demands quality products and services with gratification of immediate results, perhaps a reason some companies practice corporate values to deliver results based of professionalism and not mere religion hindrances. Due to bureaucratic leaderships it is obvious that one’s individual moral capabilities impacts decisions and choices made in a business and in the process of it the immoral acts will decline. This in today business relationship is based on training and staff motivation. The staff morale is critical; at such a case Weber’s religion plays a role as most organization start a day with a word of prayer as a way of building courage and etiquette among employees. Weber’s moral values were that his study will contribute to the understanding of how some ideas become history’s most effective forces. He in his calling was to civilize other believers and create a more ethical responsible society with a better lifestyle. In the modern society Weber also notes that societies having more Protestants have the most developed capitalist economies. Weber’s transformation approach was not personal for monetary gain but based on passion for his Lutheran faith. It is in the best interest of a company to promote universal ethically good behavior in the workplace. This can be through Consumer trust and confidence in a business. This ultimately enhances economical benefits to a company and its network will grow. Thus, Weber concludes that the simple idea of the calling in Lutheranism is at best of limited importance to his study. Modern capitalism is about blended revolution aimed to create systems across boundaries; technology is factor that has influenced positively capitalism development on perspective of social systems, most government political challenges also affects the relationships by compromising relationships management across boundaries. However, this can be done through international marketing e.g. development abroad, franchising licensing and many others or through outsourcing services. Trade is increasingly global in scope today. Technological has improved transportation and communication opportunities and trade is now more practical. Thus, consumers and businesses now have access to the very best products from many different countries. â€Å"Increasingly rapid technology lifecycles also increases the competition among countries as to who can produce the newest in technology. In part to accommodate these realities, countries in the last several decades have taken increasing steps to promote global trade through agreements such as the General Treaty on Trade and Tariffs†. (Lars Perner, Ph.D) At glace ethical organizations create a stable organization culture and affects the level of decision making, the relationship between business and the society is vital, thus ethics is a component of doing good business. It would be a better world if the alternatives to source professionals could be utilized. However a population of unskilled workers is high and various governments’ rules of socials and dictatorship style of management insulates countries with anti market policies creating a non conducive environment for investments. However adapting ethical social governance can change for well created government for capitalism has got to start somewhere due to poor leadership opponents of globalization worry that many of the economic opportunities afforded the world while in many developing countries. CONCLUSION As the world advance and relationships are made, it is vital to understand the impact that matters to our daily life’s devotions. All aspect and merits of life are contacted by beliefs and creation of one’s faith.

Differences and Similiraties Between Dickens and Hardy Essay

Dickens was born in Portsea, in 12. His father, John Dickens, was a kind and likeable man, but incompetent with money, and due to his financial difficulties they moved to Camden when Dickens was nine. When Charles was twelve his father was arrested and taken to the debtors’ prison in Southwark. He started working at Warren’s blacking-warehouse and its strenuous working conditions made an impression on him, later influencing his fiction. He became interested in writing (and acting) and, after having learnt shorthand in his spare time, he began working as a freelance reporter at the Parliament and the Old Bailey. Under the nom de plume Boz he published the eponymous Sketches (36), a collection of short pieces concerning London scenes and people. In 36 he married Catherine Hogarth, the daughter of a fellow editor, yet this union proved to be an unhappy one and, though she bore him ten children, he decided to separate from her after 22 years, having fallen in love with an 1 8-year-old actress, Ellen Ternan. This fact often constituted a reason of doubt, regret and depression for his Victorian frame of mind. The Sketches were immediately followed by the Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, a publication in installments which confirmed his success as a humorist and satirist. His rise to fame continued with Oliver Twist (38), David Copperfield (49-50), Little Dorrit (57), all influenced by his childhood memories (he purportedly had a near-photographic memory), and his journalistic career. By means of subtle irony, he denounced the exploitation of children in the slums and factories. His later novels Bleak House (53), Hard times (54) and Great Expectations (60-1) revolve around various social issues, emphasizing the difficult condition of the working class and the poor. Throughout his life he edited several newspapers and magazines, e.g. Household Words or All The Year Round, which hosted serializations of many prominent novels. His last years were marked by numerous reading tours, even in America, and the foundation of charities to help the poor. After his death in 70 his remains were b uried in the Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey. Above all, Dickens was a storyteller, as he was influenced by the Bible, fairy tales, fables and nursery rhymes as well as 18th-century essayists and Gothic novelists. His novels have been praised – from Tolstoj to Orwell – for their realism and good story planning. On the other hand, Wilde and Virginia Woolf complained of their episodic nature and artificial vein of saccharine sentimentalism. Of course the publication in monthly or weekly installments imposed strict terms, preventing unified plotting and creating pressure on Dickens to suit the taste of the audience. Most of his novels are set in London, a city he knew well and of which he gave vivid and realistic sketches. In Dickens’s first works, his characters are taken from the bourgeoisie, although often satirized, whereas in the latter novels he presents a more radical point of view on society, still without being a revolutionary thinker. His awareness of the increasing spiritual and material corruption as a consequence of industrialization made him more and more critical of society. His mature works managed to draw popular attention to public abuses, evils and injustices by means of the juxtapositions of terrible descriptions of London desolation and crime and hilarious sketches of the city. He created caricatures by exaggerating and ridiculing the distinctive social characteristics of the middle, lower and lowest classes in their own voices and conversations. His female characters are feeble, and either completely good or irrecoverably evil (a black-and-white morality possibly derived from his difficult relation with his mother). He sympathizes with the poor and the outcast: he shifts the perspective from the upper middle-class world of 18th-century fiction to the life of the lower orders and the working class. Children are often the most relevant characters in his works, a means to fictionally invert the natural or der of things, as their good-natured personality makes them more likely to be the moral teachers than the pupils of the adults (either into insignificant parents or hypocritical grown-ups), the exempla than the imitators. He succeeds not only in making his readers sympathize with the children, but also in proposing them as models of the correct way people should behave to one another. His aim lies in teaching a moral lesson to the reader. To accomplish this he uses the most effective language, i.e. a careful selection of adjectives, lexical and syntactical repetitions, juxtapositions of images and ideas and hyperbolic and ironic comments, thus achieving the most vivid depictions of life and character ever attempted by any novelist. In Coketown, a fictitious industrial town, Thomas Gradgrind, an educator firmly believing in facts and figures, has founded a school based on the suppression of imagination and feelings, the same theories by which he raises his children Louisa and Tom. His daughter is compelled to marry Josiah Bounderby, a wealthy banker thrice her age, and she accepts so that her brother can be apprenticed at Bounderby’s bank, yet the marriage proves to be unhappy. Tom, grown up to be dissipated and self-interested, robs his employer, initially managing to make everyone suspect an honest laborer, Stephen Blackpool , then discovered and snuck out of the country by his sister. Hard Times is composed of three books of three chapters each: Sowing, about the seeds planted by means of the Gradgrind/Bounderby method, Reaping, showing which fruit the plants have borne (Luisa’s unfortunate marriage, Tom’s dishonesty/hedonism which leads to Stephen’s framing) and Garnering, disclosing further details. Hard times revolves around the dichotomy in Dickens’s age between the rich and the poor. The Hands are forced to work interminable shifts for terrible wages in squalid and dangerous factories, with no hope of improving their living or working conditions due to their lack of education and job skills. Through his characters and stories he denounces this gap, thus criticizing the money-oriented and narrow-minded nature of Utilitaria nism, the prevalent approach to economics in Victorian England, which, according to Dickens was transforming humans into machines by forbidding the development of any form of emotion or imagination. In fact, Gradgrind indoctrinates the children of the school, as well as his own, into his system of facts, whereas Bounderby considers his laborers nothing more than emotionless objects to be exploited at his own liking. Mr. Gradgrind argues that nature is a measurable, quantifiable entity entirely dominated by rational principles, and strives to transform the pupils of his school into little machines unquestioningly following these rules. Dickens’s objective lies in showing how dangerous allowing the â€Å"mechanization† of humans can be, hinting that with no compassion and imagination life would be unendurable. The extract is centered on the description of the Victorian industrial Coketown, a fictitious Northern-English mill-town whose name, the town of coke (coke being a fuel derived from the distillation of coal) is meaningful as it hints at the contribution of industrial pollution to the blackening of buildings. This town is an unpleasant place, where everything is a triumph of fact (all fact, workful): it is not only polluted, as demonstrated by â€Å"the unnatural red and black† and the â€Å"river than ran purple with ill-smelling dye†, but also noisy, due to the never-ending â€Å"rattling and trembling† of the steam-engine (one of the symbols of industrialization). Dickens employs metaphors and similes connected with nature, yet they all have negative and unsettling undertones, as the savage is war-donned, the serpents never-uncoiling, the elephant in â€Å"melancholy madness† (i.e. in musth). Therefore life in Coketown is not only marked by unpleasant alienation as well as by a fundamental opposition to the laws of nature and common sense. The whole place is monotonous as not only the streets are very similar to one another, but also the people, synchronized in all their activities. Even public buildings are standardized, looking like factories with â€Å"no taint of fancy† as artistic expression is contrary to Utilitarianism. Dickens was an important denouncer of the vices and injustices of Victorian England, employing fiction as a means to condemn public evils and abuses. He drew popular attention to the cruelty of some schools, to the squalid misery of London slums and its criminal underworld by means of his social/humanitaria n novels. He greatly influenced the contemporary reform movement, yet he was not a revolutionary per se, as he never questioned the pre-constituted order of his time, as noted by Orwell. He advocated a change not in the whole society but in the single individual, who is the real target of his moral, not political or revolutionary, message. He argued that if men behaved decently, the world would be decent, and made good win over evil in his novels as a sign of his fundamental optimism. Hardy was born of a humble family in Upper Bockhampton , a hamlet in Dorset, in 40. He became apprenticed to a local architect at sixteen and then moved to London. He read a lot, including the works of Comte, Mill, Darwin and Schopenhauer, who all influenced his novels, especially Schopenhauer, from whose The World as Will and Idea he adopted the notion of Immanent Will. His first success was Far from the Madding Crowd, published in installments throughout 74. His fame increased even further with a series of tragic novels: the Mayor of Casterbridge (86), the Woodlanders (87), Tess of the d’Urbervilles (91) and Jude the Obscure (95). The last book caused an outrage due to its nihi lism and immorality: dubbed Jude the Obscene by some, it was publicly burnt by the bishop of Wakefield. Its negative reception induced Hardy to turn his efforts exclusively to poetry. After his death in 28 his ashes were buried in the Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey. Hardy’s characters are defined through their surroundings. His works are set in Wessex, a semi-fictional county in South West England corresponding to Dorset based on the eponymous Saxon medieval reign (as stated in the Preface to Far from the Madding Crowd). Being an architect, he had an exceptional sense of place, which allowed him to describe medieval ruins as well as important landmarks like Stonehenge or the college of Oxford. His early life in Dorset granted him with an extensive knowledge of the folk traditions connected with country gatherings or fairs. In his novels the rural group assumes a role similar to that of ancient Greek choruses, commenting on the actions of the character, either to provide the reader with an interpretation or a form of light relief. In the village of Marlott, the poor pe ddler John Durbeyfield is stunned to discover that he is descended from the D’Urbevilles, a once-wealthy aristocratic Norman family now extinct. The difficult conditions of his family worsen after the death of their horse caused by their eldest daughter Tess, who consequently agrees to go to the D’Urberville estate and â€Å"claim kin† (unaware of its non-existence). She gets a position as a poultry maid thanks to Alec, the mistress’s lascivious son who constantly makes undesired advances on her. He eventually takes advantage of her after a fair. She returns home and gives birth to a sickly child, who is christened Sorrow just before his death. After a year she seeks employment far from her past, i.e. in a distant valley, becoming a milkmaid at the Thalbothays Dairy. There she re-encounters Angel, a reverend’s son apprenticing as a farmer. They fall in love, yet Tess is uncertain whether to reveal him her past and resolves to slip a confessional letter under his door, which unfortunately ends under the carpet. The marriage goes smoothly nevertheless when on their wedding night they confess each oth er their past Angel is struck dumb, and resolves to leave her, boarding a ship for Brazil. Tess experiences many sufferings and difficulties and is obliged to accept a job at an hardscrabble farm. During a walk she overhears a wandering preacher who turns out to be none else than Alec, converted to Methodism by Reverend Clare. Tess eventually accepts his proposal to support her family after her father’s death. However, Angel returns from Brazil and seeks Tess to ask her forgiveness, but she stoically refuses. Heartbroken to the point of madness, she stabs Alec to death and flees to Angel. She is arrested at Stonehenge, where she felt asleep on a large rock, and is eventually executed. He is the most important pessimistic novelist of late Victorian England due to many reasons: first of all, he was born in the Hungry 40s, a period in which the price of bread was kept high by the Corn laws and many people starved to death; secondly his first marriage was an unhappy, childless one, though he felt remorseful after his wife’s death; lastly he was influenced by Darw in and his vision of life as a never-ending struggle for the survival of the fittest as well as by Schopenhauer ‘s universe governed by the blind â€Å"Immanent will†, and he started to put into discussion his religious faith. Furthermore, he was profoundly touched by the collapse of the rustic world, which he loved and experienced first-handedly since his birth. In fact his county, Dorsetshire, in South West England, was suffering from the consequences of the mechanization of agriculture, the severe economic crises of the 70s and the mass-migration to the towns. Hardy argues that life is a struggle for survival against wicked impersonal powers. Love is a destructive natural instinct. In fact man is in thrall to fate, i.e. an impersonal unforeseeable entity governing over both the inside and outside of man (personality and surroundings). Therefore human life is nothing but a useless, excruciating struggle with destiny, also known as Immanent will as per his reading of Arthur Schopenhauer . It is a kind of Anti-Providence, an unstoppable apparatus operating through a series of unfortunate coincidences. According to Hardy, the universe is at the mercy of Chance, blindfolded casualness either unconcerned or antagonistic to man. As a matter of fact, in Tess this malignant power amuses itself by tormenting her to death. â€Å"Justice was done, and the President of the Immortals, in Aeschylean phrase, had ended his sport with Tess†. Tess, and, more generally, man, is a marionette in the hands of Chance, a worthless varmint in the universe. Tess is fated to sorrow and death from the very moment she came into being. There are three important themes in his works: the difficulty of being alive; nature, unaffected by man’s fate yet co-protagonist with him; Victorian hypocrisy, which is criticized as well as conventional moralism, in particular as far as women are concerned: in fact Tess, a falling woman as per Victorian morals, is presented as a pure, guiltless vict im of chance and her love interests. His language is measured, abundant in details and symbolism. The metaphors, similes and personifications he employs reflect his love for nature. The language of sense impressions is central to his writing, as objects are perceived through touch, sight, sound and smell. Though his novels were composed during a period of literary experimentation, he persevered in employing the Victorian omniscient narrator, who is always present, sometimes commenting on the characters or events by expressing his opinions and view on life. Furthermore, he anticipates the cinema in that he employs narrative techniques alike to the camera eye and the zoom (e.g. in Far from the madding crowd).

The price of Everything Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The price of Everything - Term Paper Example The conclusion of research is that there is an economic order, which exists, run the world markets, and controls it through variation in prices of everything. There is a lesser possibility that one force may control this activity however existence of loose understanding between a group of firms or pressure groups cannot be denied. Keywords : Price, economics, crisis, people, manufacturing, markets, order. The Price of Everything-A Parable of Possibility and Prosperity. Introduction. The Price of Everything-A Parable of Possibility and Prosperity, is a tale of spontaneous, natural, automatic, emergent order and the role prices and markets play in organizing economic activity irrespective of geographical boundaries. The author, Russell Roberts who himself is an economist tells the story of a boy, Ramon Fernandez, a Cuban immigrant tennis player raised in capitalism. The novel is set in the San Francisco Bay area after an earthquake. Ramon, who has since grown into a young man and has b ecome a star tennis player at Stanford, and his girlfriend Amy, a Stanford volleyball player, are trying to buy a flashlight. They visit two large retailers: Home Depot and the fictional Big Box in Hayward. Home Depot is out of flashlights. Big Box, on the other hand, has plenty of flashlights. However, unlike Home Depot, Big Box has announced that they have raised the prices on all of their items because of the earthquake. Is this price gouging? How dare a retailer profit from an emergency and squeeze their customers when they most need the supplies?. This, understandably, has upset many people who think it is unfair that Big Box acted opportunistically by raising its prices, taking advantage of the disaster for personal profit. The other main character in the book is a woman, Professor Ruth Lieber, the provost of Stanford University and Amy's economics teacher. Lieber takes on the role of teacher outside the classroom in order to help Ramon understand the role that markets and pri ces play in people's lives. In the course of the book, she teaches Ramon to see that prices help coordinate economic activity and they help steer resources to their most-valued use. She also teaches Ramon that much of the economic order we see is of the unplanned variety. At the beginning of the appendix to his new novel, Russell Roberts writes: â€Å"This book is my attempt to give the beginner and the expert a better understanding of the role prices play in our lives — how they create harmony between the competing desires of consumers and entrepreneurs, and how they steer resources and knowledge to transform and sustain our standard of living.† The economic lessons that Ruth Lieber tried to pass on to Ramon and Amy The novel discusses at length the role prices play in the life of people. Three most important lessons given in the novel are :- 1. Why raising prices during a crisis (Price gouging) is not a damaging and objectionable matter. 2. How prosperity is created and sustained. 3. Existence of unseen economic order and harmony that shape our daily lives. Price gouging refers to artificially inflated prices on necessities after a disaster, natural or otherwise. Missouri has seen price gouging after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and other severe storms in the state. In Missouri-USA, it is against law to take advantage of a desperate situation by drastically increasing prices on merchandise, whether it's gasoline,