Camus life is absurd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Camus life is absurd - Essay Example Even the non-living things have their own concerns and things matter for them as will be discussed in the paper. This thesis will be argued for by discussing nature, motivations, and actions of both the living beings and the non-living beings in this world. Explication Hare argues that when Camus says â€Å"Nothing Matters†, there can be three entities to which nothing matters; Camus, the main character of his novel, or the reader. Now saying that nothing matters to Camus is absurd because if nothing mattered to him, he would not have written such an interesting, highly influential, and engaging novel. As for the main character of the novel written by Camus, it is also inappropriate to thing that nothing mattered to him because for one, that was an imaginary character without his own aspirations, desires, or motives and only acted as Camus wanted him to and secondly, the activities he does in the novel cannot be done without having any concern. Thus, the reader draws wrong inf erences from the novel by thinking that nothing matters. Matter is not an activity like â€Å"chatter† because if it was to be taken in this sense, then â€Å"Nothing Matters† seems right. ... Life never imparts the meaning that people want from it. So their either believe in God hoping that they would get the rewards in the world hereafter or they find meaninglessness in life. The latter conclusion motivates one to commit suicide because one does not find life worth living. This leaves an individual with two options; either to commit suicide or to believe in the world hereafter. A third possibility is accepting to live in a world that does not have any meaning. Main Argument Hare’s argument is right. Nothing in this world has been made without a purpose. Even things like insects such as mosquitos and flies that we often think of as a burden on us have not been made without a purpose as they play an important role in maintaining the ecosystem healthy and going. Likewise, non-living things like the sun and the moon are not purposeless. Sun gives us light during the day as well as during the night by reflecting through the moon. The moon has the concern of getting the light from the sun to glow because without the reflection of sunlight, it would not glow. Camus’s argument is inherently illogical and false. There is hardly anyone who never gets from life what he/she wants. By nature, man has two desires; first, to gain worldly desires like money, power, and fame and secondly, to gain satisfaction and peace of mind by doing good deeds. If an individual tries but cannot become rich, he might not have been able to fulfill his desires, but he can always derive pleasure and peace of mind by doing good deeds. Many good deeds do not even require the individual to spend money e.g. helping a blind man cross a road does not take any money but doing so lends one happiness and satisfaction. This suggests that

Project Management Processes for a Project Essay Example for Free

Project Management Processes for a Project Essay In the pursuit to deliver exceptional product software for internal users of the company, the selection of an appropriate process methodology is imperative. One of the departments noticed that the input data in the company’s internal systems did not reflect the actual data in other department systems. A project team was developed to create a new upgraded system that will sustain data from both departments successfully and accurately. The project scope of the project was to focus on the characteristics of each department particulars and merge into a workable system. The project posed certain obstacles that made the decision to which methodology processes to implement an important one. Some of these obstacles were one of the department’s incoming data that did not take the same route compared to other departments to enter the main database. This posed a problem to making sure that the updated software was able to obtain and sustain the data correctly. In addition, the findings had concluded that this particular issue was one of the main reasons for the discrepancies in the old system. The actual discrepancies of data incoming into the old system automatically would cause misrepresentation across all departments that ended up causing quite of confusion. Therefore, the need to use the appropriate process is critical to ensure that the most difficult obstacles unknowns to most would need to be addressed effectively. The process chosen was from the Project Management Institute that uses the concept of Initiate- Plan – Execute – Control – Close to complete the project. The PMI process demonstrated all the areas of focus to better identify, resolve and complete the needed tasks successfully. The usage of the processes created an opportunity to interact with the team members more directly on specific areas that are yet defined. Due to the complex implementation of technology software that needed to communicate data from two different vantage points, the PMI processes methodology allowed for means to dissect certain components effectively. The first stage of the PMI processes to initiate is actually a way to develop a research agenda, in order, to detect any unforeseen issues or concerns. The research is an area that allows all team members to address certain concerns of the project. The IT department played a pivotal role in providing their vantage point of the technology side for a measure to meet in the final analysis. The research initiative provided an opportunity to see thru the different points of view from a technical aspect that could be misinterpreted thru a different means of project processes. The research format provides the initiation to deter any misconception previously connected to the IT department or other departments that could create road-blocks. The PMI process to beginning with the initiating of the project allows for the identification of all criteria’s leading up to subsequent phases. Therefore, the activity definition went hand in hand with the research portion of the project because it reinforces the identification of the desired deliverables to stakeholders. Thereafter the focus on planning allows for the findings from the research to be a smooth transition to designate on whom, what, and when to go further. The actual planning stage assists in being able to separate the tasks from the dependent tasks to ensure completion of the deliverables. The planning stages reinforce the documented data thru the initiation for any pitfalls in successfully implementing a major system upgrade that will support over 5,000 employees. The planning phase guarantees that the next phase of execution by the team members will be conducted in an orderly process due to the initiation on researching the project. Furthermore, the control phase will secure a means to not go over budget on a major and complex project due to initiation previously set in place. The close of the project will assist in the control phases due to the ability to pull all resources together in a timely matter and on target.

Religion, Poverty and Wealth Essay examples -- Poverty Essays

Religion, Poverty and Wealth Poverty is now a problem on a global scale, and Hinduism has needed, and will continue to need, to undertake an ongoing state of change and adaptation. Many of the beliefs Hindus held only a couple of centuries ago have been altered or even removed altogether. The globalisation of Hinduism, bringing it into contact with a wide range of other cultures and religions, has influenced this a lot. Hinduism, however, is full of variations itself, so what is said of Hinduism may be true for some Hindus, and false for others. Hinduism is less a religion, than a culture, and way of life. This way of life affects how they view poverty and wealth, and what there reactions to it are, as outlined below. Unlike many other societies, where the caste system is based on power or wealth, thus giving the poorest the least power, Hinduism has four set castes, which a member belongs to by birth. These groups are called varnas, and each has its own set of rules and duties to live by, known as dharma. Too much inter-varna mixing, especially intermarriage, is strongly disapproved of. The first, and highest varna is that of a Brahmin-priests, teachers, and wisemen. The next is Kshatriya-warriors, rulers, and leaders. The third is Vaishya-traders, merchants, agriculture, and other work involved with commerce. The final, and lowest varna is Sudra-manual labour and service. In many societies, the difference between the high and the low, in terms of social status, has caused great troubles, due to discontentment of the poor and weak to continue living like they are. In Hinduism, however, this problem is avoided, by the promise o... ... many Hindus to make a small donation to the poor, and will give old clothes or shoes away, rather than throwing them out. MK Gandhi changed many old Hindu beliefs with his teachings. He taught that it is wrong to think that a poor person is only getting what they deserve. He believed that everyone was a part of God, and people should recognise that they share the same world and should care for one another. He taught that service to others was the best way to find God and comprehend fully the human condition. This had a profound effect on the treatment of the poor in India today. There are many charities set up for helping the poor in India, such as the Hindu Mission Hospital and Prison Fellowship India. These receive many donations from many Hindus-even those overseas will often send back money to help the poor.

salinger Essay -- essays research papers

LIFE AND PHILOSOPHY OF J.D. SALINGER J.D. Salinger is one of the most renowned writers of his time. J. D. Salinger is most known for his controversial in the Catcher in the Rye. Salinger is also known for many of his writings such as Franney and Zooey, Nine Stories, and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters. The summer of 1930 he was voted â€Å"The Most Popular Writer†. â€Å"Salinger is a beautifully deft, professional who gives us a chance to catch quick, half-amused, half-frightened glimpses of ourselves and our contemporaries, as he confronts us with his brilliant mirror images† (Lomazoff 1). In the novel, Catcher in the Rye, there is a relationship between the main character, Holden Caulfield, and Salinger. J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye explicitly demonstrates his life and philosophy in relation to his work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Salinger was born January 1, 1919 in New York City. He was the second of two children. He had an older sister named Doris. His parents were Sol and Marie Salinger. His father was Jewish, and his mother was Scotch-Irish. He was raised up in Manhattan during 1920’s and early 1930’s. His parents enrolled him in McBurney Prep School in 1932. He flunked and his parents sent him to Valley Forge Military Academy, Pennsylvania. Later, after graduating he was drafted into the military and was known for carrying a typewriter around so he could write and publish stories. His perspective on life was molded by his experience in World War II. The ...

Roles of Women in the Early Europe

In early, medieval Europe, everyday life and the duties of people were greatly different than they are today. Obviously, there was no technology and life was a lot simpler. However, some of the former ways of life are not always praised as something good. For example, women during the time were treated very inadequately. Yes, this has happened in just about every society in history, but it seems like most women during this period were used and disrespected more notably than in others. In Philippa Gregory’s novel, The Other Boleyn Girl, this theme is seen greatly. In the story, the narrator, Mary, is defending her sister, Anne, after she is sentenced to death for producing an incest baby instead of a son for the king, King Henry. Mary, pleading for her sister, yells out â€Å"We did nothing more than that was ordered. We only ever did as we were commanded. Is she to die for being an obedient daughter? †(Pg. 650). During this time period, many women in the royal courts were used to produce male heirs, mainly to keep the name of the king and the family continuing. I strongly agree with the quote by Mary because killing a human being for a reason such as that is immoral and women are not just objects for men. In the story, Henry did have a choice to kill Anne or not, but I understood why he did end up taking her life. When Mary claims that the two Boleyn girls â€Å"did as they were commanded†, something drew to my attention. Mary was completely valid in saying that. Anne and Mary were mainly just used to birth a son. Several members of their family, including their uncle, demanded for one of them to bed the king. At first it was Mary who had an affair with the already married king. Even though Mary produces two children, one being a boy, it is not legitimate due to the fact that Mary is merely a mistress and not the queen. When he was done with Mary, King Henry moved on to Anne, who was more determined to become queen and have the child be legitimate. She eventually becomes the Queen of England, but it is proven that Henry was just using her for her child after he kills her. I do not agree with this concept by any means. However, this was a common role for women at the time. Kings and royal families were so concerned about keeping their name going in the court that they would risk the lives of women in doing so. You would think that one of King Henry’s seven wives would pick up on this trend at some point, or any woman in any court for that matter. It seems like women were treated as objects in the royal courts. The women were the croc pot that prepared the kings’ stew. And, if that stew was not one hundred percent correct, the croc pot would be set aside and replaced with a new one. I do not feel this is morally acceptable at all. I understand that kings wanted to have a male heir to keep the name going, but they should have had to complete that task so viciously. In this case, I do not agree with King Henry’s tactics at all, but I understand why he killed Anne. I believe that it was so common to banish or kill a wife for such crimes as adultery or incest that Henry had no choice, but to kill her. He was a very strong, determined man with a bold reputation for being so. By beheading Anne, he was retaining his reputation, but also proved that it was never true love between him and Anne. He had women lined up to take the place of Anne. â€Å"He is at her house every night. He is as he was in the old days, when it was her. † (656). This quote just proves the fact that Henry wanted nothing more of Anne than a son, which is a common theme of the roles of women during this time period. I do not agree with the concept of using women for the production of male heirs because it is immoral and women should not be viewed as objects. That is a major theme in The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. It is prevalent throughout the story and in history that King Henry of England used women as devices used to produce male heirs. This was also seen throughout history. Kings were so determined to keep their name going that they would execute their wives for such faults as not producing a boy, or in this case, birthing an incest baby. The kings had to maintain a strong reputation. I understand that, but do not agree with how they did so.

A Feminist Analysis of Shakespeares Hamlet

A Feminist Analysis of Shakespeares Hamlet According to feminist scholars, the canonical texts of Western literature represent the voices of those who have been given the power to speak in Western culture. The authors of the Western canon are predominately white men, and many critics consider their voices to be domineering, exclusionary, and biased in favor of a male point of view. This complaint has led to much debate between critics and defenders of the canon. To explore some of these issues, we will examine Shakespeares Hamlet, one of the most famous and widely read works of the Western canon. The Western Canon and Its Critics One of the most prominent and vocal defenders of the canon is Harold Bloom, author of the bestseller The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages. In this book, Bloom lists the works that he believes constitute the canon (from Homer to the present) and argues for their safeguarding. He also spells out who, in his view, the canons critics and enemies are. Bloom groups these opponents, including feminist scholars who wish to revise the canon, into one School of Resentment. His contention is that these critics are striving, for their own peculiar reasons, to invade the world of academia and replace the traditional, largely canonical programs of the past with a new curriculumin Blooms words, a politicized curriculum. Blooms defense of the Western canon rests on its aesthetic value. The focus of his complaint is that,  among the professions of literary teachers, critics, analysts, reviewers and authors too, there has been an increasingly noticeable  flight from the aesthetic brought on by an unfortunate attempt to assuage displaced guilt. In other words, Bloom believes that the academic feminists, Marxists, Afrocentrists, and other critics of the canon are motivated by a political desire to correct the sins of the past by replacing the literary works from those eras. In turn, these critics of the canon argue that Bloom and his sympathizers are racists and sexists, that they are excluding the under-represented, and that they oppose...adventure and new interpretations. Feminism in Hamlet For Bloom, the greatest of the canonical authors is Shakespeare, and one of the works Bloom most celebrates in The Western Canon is Hamlet. This play, of course, has been celebrated by all kinds of critics through the ages. The feminist complaintthat the Western canon, in the words of Brenda Cantar, is generally not from the point of view of a woman and that womens voices are virtually ignoredis supported by the evidence of Hamlet. This play, which supposedly fathoms the human psyche, does not reveal much at all about the two major female characters. They act either as a theatrical balance to the male characters or as a sounding board for their fine speeches and actions. Bloom gives fuel to the feminist claim of sexism when he observes that Queen Gertrude,  recently the recipient of several Feminist defenses, requires no apologies. She is evidently a woman of exuberant sexuality, who inspired  luxurious  passion first in  King Hamlet  and later in King Claudius.  If this is the best that Bloom can offer in suggesting the substance of Gertrudes character, it would serve us well to examine further some of the complaints of the feminists regarding the female voice in Shakespeare. Cantar points out that  both the male and female psyches are a construction of cultural forces, such as class differences, racial and national differences, historical differences. What more influential cultural force could there have been in Shakespeares time than that of patriarchy? The  patriarchal society  of the Western world had powerfully negative implications for the freedom of women to express themselves, and in turn, the psyche of the woman was almost entirely subsumed (artistically, socially, linguistically, and legally) by the cultural psyche of the man. Sadly, the male regard for the female was inextricably connected to the female body. Since men were assumed to be dominant over women, the female body was considered the mans property, and its sexual objectification was an open topic of conversation. Many of Shakespeares plays make this very clear, including Hamlet. The sexual innuendo in Hamlets dialogue with Ophelia would have been transparent to a Renaissance audience, and apparently acceptable. Referring to a double meaning of nothing, Hamlet says to her: Thats a fair thought to lie between maids legs. It is a tawdry joke for a noble prince to share with a young woman of the court; however, Hamlet is not shy to share it, and Ophelia seems not at all offended to hear it. But then, the author is a male writing in a male-dominated culture, and the dialogue represents his point of view, not necessarily that of a cultured woman, who might feel differently about such humor. Gertrude and Ophelia To Polonius, the chief counselor to the king, the greatest threat to the social order is cuckoldry or the unfaithfulness of a woman to her husband. For this reason, critic Jacqueline Rose writes that Gertrude is the symbolic scapegoat of the play. Susanne Wofford interprets Rose to mean that Gertrudes betrayal of her husband is the cause of Hamlets anxiety. Marjorie Garber points to an abundance of phallocentric imagery and language in the play, revealing Hamlets subconscious focus on his mothers apparent infidelity. All of these feminist interpretations, of course, are drawn from the male dialogue, for the text gives us no direct information about Gertrudes actual thoughts or feelings on these matters. In a sense, the queen is denied a voice in her own defense or representation. Likewise, the object Ophelia (the object of Hamlets desire) is also denied a voice. In the view of author Elaine Showalter, she is  portrayed in the play as an insignificant minor character created mainly as an instrument to better represent Hamlet.  Deprived of thought, sexuality, language, Ophelias story becomes the Story of Othe zero, the empty circle or mystery of feminine difference, the cipher of female sexuality to be deciphered by feminist interpretation. This depiction is reminiscent of many of the women in Shakespearean drama and comedy. Perhaps it begs for the efforts of interpretation that, by Showalters account, so many have tried to make of Ophelias character. An eloquent and scholarly interpretation of many of Shakespeares women would surely be welcome. A Possible Resolution Showalters insight about the representation of men and women in Hamlet, though it may be viewed as a complaint, is actually something of a resolution between the critics and defenders of the canon. What she has  done, through a close reading of a character that is now famous, is focus the attention of both groups on a piece of common ground. Showalters analysis is part of a concerted effort, in Cantars words, to  alter cultural perceptions of gender, those represented in the canon of great literary works. Surely a scholar like Bloom recognizes that there is a need...to  study the institutional practices and social arrangements that have both invented and sustained the literary canon. He could concede this without giving an inch in his defense of aestheticismthat is, literary quality. The most prominent feminist critics (including Showalter and Garber) already recognize the canons aesthetic greatness, regardless of the male dominance of the past. Meanwhile, one may suggest for the future that the New Feminist movement continue searching out worthy female writers and promoting their works on aesthetic grounds, adding them to the Western canon as they deserve. There is surely an extreme imbalance between the male and female voices represented in the Western canon. The sorry gender discrepancies in Hamlet are an unfortunate example of this. This imbalance must be remedied by women writers themselves, for they can most accurately represent their own views. But, to adapt two quotes by ​Margaret Atwood, the proper path in accomplishing this is for women to become better [writers] in order to add social validity to their views; and female critics have to be willing to give writing by men the same kind of serious attention they themselves want from men for womens writing. In the end, this is the finest way to restore the balance and allow all of us to truly appreciate the literary voices of humankind. Sources Atwood, Margaret.  Second Words: Selected Critical Prose. House of Anansi Press. Toronto. 1982.Bloom, Harold. An Elegy for the Canon.  Book of Readings, 264-273. English 251B. Distance Education.  University of Waterloo. 2002.Bloom, Harold.  The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages. Riverhead Books. The Berkley Publishing Group. New York. 1994.Cantar, Brenda. Lecture 21. English 251B. University of Waterloo, 2002.Kolodny, Annette. Dancing Through the Minefield.  Book of Readings, 347-370. English 251B. Distance Education. University of Waterloo, 2002.Shakespeare, William.  Hamlet. Bedford/St. Martins Edition. Susanne L. Wofford. Editor. Boston/New York: Bedford Books. 1994.Showalter, Elaine.  Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism. Macmillan, 1994.Wofford, Susanne.  William Shakespeare, Hamlet. Bedford Books of St. Martins Press, 1994.

The Harvesters

The Harvesters The Harvesters In Bruegel's 1565 painting, The Harvesters, he portrays a season most closely resembling late spring, right after the harvest. He does this on the surface level with the peasants and the wheat. However, he solidifies this relationship by forming concrete relationships with diagonals and parallels, depth, colors, and nature.Bruegel's use of diagonals and parallels are easily visible in this work. In fact, he uses two different diagonals that intersect one another: one has a negative slope and one has a positive slope. The latter of which is perhaps more evident, because it outlines large portions of land that lie on this positive slope. One can see it at first glance. The gold foreground, and the green and gold middle ground are both on diagonal line paths going from bottom left to upper right. The most prominent peasant, the one lying on the ground against the tree, also falls on this diagonal.The Harvesters

Aristotle essays

Aristotle essays Virtue or excellence is a psychic phenomenon. Is it an emotion, or the capacity to experience an emotion? An emotion is something we feel or undergo and we cannot hold ourselves responsible for that; but it is an essential feature of virtue that we praise it, of vice that we blame it. But we do not praise and blame that for which we cannot be held responsible. Therefore, neither virtue nor vice can be an emotion or the capacity to experience an emotion. Virtue and vice should be understood, rather, as dispositions, a certain habitual stance we take in regard to our emotions. Someone who is habitually afraid of everything has developed a disposition of cowardice in regard to the emotion of fear, for which he can be blamed; someone who is habitually inclined neither to indulge in pleasures excessively nor to shun them at all costs has developed a disposition of moderation in relation to the desire for pleasure, for which he can be praised. These praiseworthy and blameworthy dispositions are not something we are born with; nor, on the other hand, can they be taught theoretically. They are acquired by a process of habituation, which begins with parents training of children. As humans, we take pleasure in being praised, and are pained by the shame that accompanies blame; this pleasure and pain can be used to mold an immediate or natural attraction to pleasure and repulsion from pain which would not prove to be the good for us. It is, then, by practicing moderation that we develop a moderate disposition; of course, we can only be said to be virtuous when we practice moderate actions motivated by a disposition of moderation, which is different from the motive governing our practice such actions in the process of acquiring that virtue. Aristotle believed that a person who has difficulty behaving ethically is morally imperfect. His ideal person practices the "golden mean of moderation." He believed that this moral virtue ...

Strategic Human Resource Management. Performance-Related Pay Systems Essay

Strategic Human Resource Management. Performance-Related Pay Systems - Essay Example The paper tells that within a modern business environment, employers must balance the needs of the business with the requirements of the employees. Human Resource Management (HRM) is an important aspect of this, where employers organise and develop strategies for working with their employees. Many employees work inefficiently, as they have no desire to perform well for the company. This comes from the fact that what is good for the company is not necessarily the same as what is best for the employee. Businesses are generally aiming to make the highest profit possible, while employees are working for the money that they need to live. Performance-related pay is a system in which the company attempts to align the interests of the employees with the interests of the business, by providing employees with incentives to work hard. The exact form of the system differs substantially between different companies, with some offering commission-based pay, some paying employees a certain rate per unit produced and others paying based on team performance. There are many other variations of performance-based pay and it is a popular means of increasing overall output for a business. Performance-related pay is common in Britain and has been used for government employees as well as many large companies. However, despite the popularity of the system, current research is questioning whether performance-related pay is actually effective. Evidence suggests that this may be a mechanism that is useful in some circumstances, and counterproductive in others. The need for performance-related pay In the standard work environment, people work because they need the money, not because they have a strong loyalty for the company. While some individuals may strive to put in effort to make sure that they perform well and that they are an asset to the company, most are content with doing the minimum that is required of them. Because the success of the company does not directly affect their pay che ck, most people have no interest in how well the business does. Research suggests that compensation is the most effective driver of motivation, behaviour and attitude within the workplaces. While forms of compensation vary, money has been shown to be the most influential . Consequently, the money that employers pay their staff members plays a crucial role in maintaining relationships and the development of motivation. Pay is an essential component of the relationship between employer and employee. For the employer, it is an important component of the costs of the company and is used for bringing in new talent as well as maintaining the current labour force. For the employee, pay is used as a way of paying for living expenses, and also represents how valued he is by the employer. A person who receives a higher wage feels that what they do is important, and may put in more effort as a result. In contrast, people who feel that they are being underpaid often do not work hard, and tend t o have low morale which further decreases productivity. The traditional method of wage distribution has been non-performance-related, and pay increases have been related to a range of aspects, such as minimum wages, seniority, the cost of living or the need to retain staff. However, this system does not encourage skill development or employees to work at their maximum potential. Additionally, under this system pay rises were often associated with promotions. This can be difficult, as a person must be promoted in order to receive a pay rise and the number of positions present in a company is limited. Increasing an individual’s pay acts to reinforce positive behaviour, making it more likely that the behaviour will be repeated. Within a company, there are often many individuals that perform the same role, however they differ in terms of knowledge, experience and performance . For a business to remain competitive, it is important that their employees work to their maximum pot

Management Development Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Management Development - Coursework Example In this study the Anglo Saxon and the French management development styles are explored to find the difference in their respective styles of management. For this diversity in the management style there are mainly four reasons that influence this cultural difference. Firstly, organizations with different Power distance or hierarchical structures have different power levels and thus creating a structural difference in the organization. Secondly, organizations sometimes have employees who try to avoid uncertain situations and some times have a responsible manager who ambitiously likes to tackle risks. The third factor is Individualism. With high individualism managers are more hard working takes initiatives in different actions. Finally, with high masculinity employees are very stressful and the workplaces are not very employee friendly. Based on these practices within the organization different management styles have evolved in different parts of the world (Vedpuriswar, n.d., p.1). Ang lo Saxon styles of management development The Anglo Saxons are the Germanic tribes in the east and the south of Great Britain. Migrating tribes of the German into the Britain which is now known as northern Germany mainly comprises of three types of people i.e. Angles, Saxons and the Jutes. Anglo-Saxon countries have many similarities between the British and Canadian, US-American and also Australian cultures of business strategies. The main reason behind this similarity is due to the reason of immigration of all these countries are from the same origin Great Britain. Because of this reason the language spoken by these countries are also same to some extent. In Anglo-Saxon culture of business it is mainly done through well connected network of some third party. They feel more comfortable in doing businesses with the people whom they like or they trust very well. The Anglo Saxons are generally more interested in doing business with some long term relationship rather than doing business with quick deal. While doing business they often use humors and understatements to confuse opponents which results in the delay of business. They avoid sensitive topics like religious, poor service and sexuality in their meetings or small discussion. The British culture of business is mainly hierarchical. They have a tendency of giving orders to the people who are under their power and on the other hand talking and discussing topics with the top management. The hierarchy is very strongly maintained within each organization business culture. But they like to work in teams and also they have a strong sense of fair play. With the hierarchical structure of business the employees reach a business decision but the boss or the top management is the final decision approver in this type of business organization. In this business model the functional areas of finance, accountancy and the law department are most valued of all. Thus it results in underrepresentation of technical qualification of people even if they are managers of the firms. In Anglo Saxon business organization status of the R & D departments are very lower. They believe in on the job training system for their organization rather than educational

1) Do standardized tests measure your ability Essay

1) Do standardized tests measure your ability - Essay Example Standardized tests are common in USA and many other countries around the world. Standardized tests are administered to students mainly at mid-term and also at the end of the term. Despite the widespread usage of standardized tests, however, the question of the efficacy of the standardized tests in measuring the students’ ability is a highly controversial issue. A critical look at this debate shows that the use of standardized tests to measure students’ ability is not effective. This paper gives an argument to show that the standardized tests do not accurately measure students’ ability. To begin with, one of the reasons why the standardized tests do not accurately measure the students’ ability is that most of the time, the questions used in the standardized tests covers only a small portion of the syllabus. In other words, it is not possible for the questions used in the standardized tests to cover everything leant in the syllabus (Garrison, 2009). For this reason, it is possible for the questions used in the standardized tests to cover only the aspects of the syllabus that some students have not understood well or are not good at. For that reason, some students fail in standardized tests not because they are not intelligent, but because the aspect of the syllabus covered by the questions is the aspect that they have not grasped well or they are not good at. This fact shows that the use of standardized test to measure the students’ ability is not an effective way of testing the students’ ability. Secondly, the standardized tests do not take cognisance of the fact that some students may be poor in written exams but very good at oral exams (Popham, 1999). There are, of course, many bright students who fail their written exams, not because they are not intelligent, but simply because they are not good at written exams.

Gun Control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gun Control - Research Paper Example Thus, gun control remains an emotive aspect, as on the one hand, there is need for overall citizen safety and welfare; this at the same time providing for the freedom to bear arms as enshrined in the 2nd Amendment (Trotter). As Susan Dudley rightly views, â€Å"The right of the people to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves and of the lawful authority of the state shall not be infringed, except that the manner of bearing arms may be regulated by law.?† (39) This not only being her perspective, but an ideal that is off uttermost importance to true patriots of America. This rights traces its roots to the nation’s founding, when European colonialists settling in the Newfoundland, brought guns for protection and as a means of food provision; protection against the native populations, while food came from hunted game. With the conquest and huge tracks of land in their belonging, the settlers soon discovered the value of having armed men as protection of their new colo nies; this against hostile native Indians among other enemies. Hence, the passing of the Massachusetts Bay laws; this requiring all able-bodied men to bear arm through their joining of state militia, with other settlements following suit. (Gold 33). The American defence against King George’s (3rd ) well armed and disciplined British soldiers, proved too tough even for the aforementioned militia; this necessitating Congress’ establishment of the Continental army. Being led by George Washington, the gun provisions at first proved inadequate, but with the invention of the Colt revolver, being cheaper and firing six times in rapid succession, was to change the above scenario and hence America’s history. By utility of state-of-the-art machinery, in addition to assembly/ industrial production, America soon led the global arena in firearm production. The colt’s greatness can only be best espoused through a popular Western gun lovers’ saying ‘God cre ated men; Colonel Colt made them equal. (Gold, 34) this said, it is hence vividly clear, as to the great place, guns (firearms) possess in America’s history (Moorhouse 103). Thus, the big question, should America have gun control? This is not an easy question as it pertains to a closely held issue pertinent to its citizen’s wellbeing. As is known, the right to arms is rooted in a need for personal protection (of both life and personal property), and in the armed forces; this as espousing their overall need for establishment, security and maintenance of America’s sovereignty. This is best espoused by Gold (26): â€Å"That the right of the citizens to bear arms, in defence of themselves and the state, shall not be questioned.† Thus, should gun control be enforced? Though as aforementioned, it is the right of American citizens to bear arms, it is also the duty of the Federal government to put in check the availability and possession of firearms. â€Å"That a well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural and safe defence of a free State; that standing armies, in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that in all cases the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power† (Haerens 27). The above portends to the existent danger

School Uniforms are Necessary in Todays World Essay

School Uniforms are Necessary in Todays World - Essay Example School Uniforms are Necessary in Today’s World There is a long history of the use of uniforms in school, most coming from the private sector until recent years, all of which demonstrate these benefits do exist. While most of the uniform policies used in public schools include relatively general restrictions, such as navy or khaki pants and solid color shirts with collars without brand name requirements or specific, school-related insignia required, there has still been a great opposition to these policies by people who mistakenly insist that school uniform policies somehow restrict a child’s ability to express him or herself. Examining the history of the use of school uniforms in public schools in this country reveals that requiring school uniforms provides a number of advantages that outweigh any arguments against them. The idea of requiring students to wear uniforms is nothing new and has been used for at least a century to help foster a sense of academia and respect for oneself within the school setting. When President Clinton said â€Å"I believe we should give strong support to school districts that decide to require young students to wear school uniforms†, he had based his opinion on a history of school uniforms having a calming effect on students. In England, school uniforms had been used for years both to distinguish those children who were part of the lower classes, attending schools that provided their uniform clothing for them, and to distinguish those children who were of the decidedly upper class as a badge of honor and social placement.

Gun Control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gun Control - Research Paper Example Thus, gun control remains an emotive aspect, as on the one hand, there is need for overall citizen safety and welfare; this at the same time providing for the freedom to bear arms as enshrined in the 2nd Amendment (Trotter). As Susan Dudley rightly views, â€Å"The right of the people to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves and of the lawful authority of the state shall not be infringed, except that the manner of bearing arms may be regulated by law.?† (39) This not only being her perspective, but an ideal that is off uttermost importance to true patriots of America. This rights traces its roots to the nation’s founding, when European colonialists settling in the Newfoundland, brought guns for protection and as a means of food provision; protection against the native populations, while food came from hunted game. With the conquest and huge tracks of land in their belonging, the settlers soon discovered the value of having armed men as protection of their new colo nies; this against hostile native Indians among other enemies. Hence, the passing of the Massachusetts Bay laws; this requiring all able-bodied men to bear arm through their joining of state militia, with other settlements following suit. (Gold 33). The American defence against King George’s (3rd ) well armed and disciplined British soldiers, proved too tough even for the aforementioned militia; this necessitating Congress’ establishment of the Continental army. Being led by George Washington, the gun provisions at first proved inadequate, but with the invention of the Colt revolver, being cheaper and firing six times in rapid succession, was to change the above scenario and hence America’s history. By utility of state-of-the-art machinery, in addition to assembly/ industrial production, America soon led the global arena in firearm production. The colt’s greatness can only be best espoused through a popular Western gun lovers’ saying ‘God cre ated men; Colonel Colt made them equal. (Gold, 34) this said, it is hence vividly clear, as to the great place, guns (firearms) possess in America’s history (Moorhouse 103). Thus, the big question, should America have gun control? This is not an easy question as it pertains to a closely held issue pertinent to its citizen’s wellbeing. As is known, the right to arms is rooted in a need for personal protection (of both life and personal property), and in the armed forces; this as espousing their overall need for establishment, security and maintenance of America’s sovereignty. This is best espoused by Gold (26): â€Å"That the right of the citizens to bear arms, in defence of themselves and the state, shall not be questioned.† Thus, should gun control be enforced? Though as aforementioned, it is the right of American citizens to bear arms, it is also the duty of the Federal government to put in check the availability and possession of firearms. â€Å"That a well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural and safe defence of a free State; that standing armies, in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that in all cases the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power† (Haerens 27). The above portends to the existent danger

Human Resources College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Resources College - Essay Example The strategy of UPS Supply Chain Solutions, as stated in the UPS plan of action are to leverage on technology to create new services and to strengthen its operations and networks, attract and develop the most talented people, continually study customers' behavior, anticipate their needs, and design its products and services to exceed their expectations, create a culture of innovation that leads to sustainable growth, and maintain an environment that enables it to treat every customer as if they are the only one (United Parcel Service n.d. a). In job/task analysis, the focus is on the needs of each group or department. Under the strategy of leveraging on technology to create new services, the information systems department needs to be trained in developing novel online tracking programs (United Parcel Service n.d. b), the customer service department has to be trained in how to use the tracking programs developed by the information systems department, and the finance department has to be trained in billing applications that generate accurate and timely billing to the customers. Under the strategy of attracting and developing the most talented people, supervisors of all groups have to be trained in developing and mentoring employees. ... In person needs analysis, the training and development needs of each employee is identified. For example, the information system developer for external applications may need to have knowledge of Java programming to develop the tracking programs, whereas the information system developer for internal applications may need to have database programming knowledge to develop applications that would enable the manipulation of customer data by the rest of the organisation. The accounts payables finance staff might need to be trained in using the accounts payables module of the billing program, while the accounts receivables finance staff might need to be trained in using the accounts receivables module of the billing program. Depending on the prior training of the supervisors, some might be lacking in performance appraisal skills, while others might be lacking in motivational skills. The same applies for customer service personnel. Some might find telephone skills more appropriate, while oth ers might find computer skills more relevant. 2. The primary stimulus for change remains those factors in the external environment, including the political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, environmental, and legal environment (Cook 2004, p. 34-35). Political influences include government or constitutional policies that may affect the organisation. For instance, the recent expansion of EU boundaries may influence certain organisations (Cook 2004, p. 35). Economic influences are concerned with the economy. Inflation has an effect, for example, on levels of spending. Socio-cultural influences include such factors as class, age and gender as well as issues such as culture and diversity. For example, the

Osama bin Laden Essay Example for Free

Osama bin Laden Essay The world is now at a turning point in its history and the reason for this is the man behind the Al-Qaeda terrorist network. Osama Bin Laden’s connections and wealth have made it possible for him to elude U. S. authorities. He has no problem recruiting men, for many Muslims in the Middle East have a hatred of America. Bin Laden has been able to organize an extremist group and they have been strike fear into the free, democratic world. Osama Bin Laden is a man in position of power and he has used it to Reign terror on the United States. In this regard, the paper will try to discuss and analyze different aspects of Osama bin Laden’s life, which is one of the foremost most wanted lives of this planet. On March 10, 1957, Osama bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Laden was born in an Arab Muslim family in Saudi Arabia. Jihadist organization, Al-Qaeda was founded by this Islamic militant, which is considered one of the deadliest terrorist networks on this planet. Prince, Abu Abdullah, the Lion Sheikh, Imam Mehdi, and Samaritan are some of the nicknames of Osama bin Laden. A number of Islamic militant groups have been connected with the life of Osama bin Laden, who is involved in the issuance of different fatwa (religious strict opinions), which have resulted in the killing of thousands of civilians, and especially, the military of the United States and its allies. In addition, Osama bin Laden has assured military resistance in response to the military activities in Muslim countries. A number of times, the federal court of the United States have indicted his involvement in different terrorist attacks, especially the embassy bombings in the cities of Dar-es-Salam and Nairobi in the year 1998, which killed many civilians and officials. Moreover, list of the ten most wanted fugitives issued by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation has the name of Osama bin Laden on top of the list. Although the attacks of September 11, 2001 have not been included with the accusations on Osama bin Laden, various videos are issued by Laden himself in which, he accepted the responsibility of these attacks in a victorious manner. The attacks of September 11 included a series of different criminal activities, such as hijacking of different airlines like Flight 93, Flight 175, Flight 11, and Flight 77 of the American Airlines, as well as, destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City, which killed thousands of American people. Furthermore, the Pentagon was severely damaged in the similar series of attacks that were planned by the Al-Qaeda, and so, by its mastermind, Osama bin Laden. Childhood Until now, the paper has described some of the characteristics of Osama bin Laden in an introductory manner. Now, the paper will discuss some of the perspectives of personal life of Osama bin Laden. Riyadh city of Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Osama bin Laden, as already described in the introductory section of the paper. According to a television interview of Al-Jazeera in the year 1998, March 10, 1957 was the given birth date of this militant leader. Saudi royal family has close ties with wealthy father cum businessperson of Osama bin Laden, the late Muhammad Awad bin Laden. Until the World War I, Osama’s father was a poor and uneducated individual who immigrated to Saudi Arabia for the purpose of employment. In the year 1930, Muhammad bin Laden started his building related business that resulted in an unlimited fortune during the 1950s. Different experts have provided different number of children of Muhammad bin Laden, as he had fifty children by some resources, and fifty-five by others. Osama was seventeenth son of Muhammad bin Laden according to a number of accounts. Shariah law was followed by Osama’s father, as he was only married to four women at a single time; however, was married twenty-two times. Different sources reported of Osama being the only son of tenth wife of Muhammad bin Laden. According to one of the senior editors of Al-Madina newspaper, Khaled M. Batarfi, Osama’s parents got divorced after his birth in Saudi Arabia. Education Teachings of a devout Sunni Muslim were given to Osama bin Laden. Al-Thager Model School was his first platform for acquiring secular education from the year 1968 to the year 1976, which was considered one of the elite schools of the region. In the 1960s, exiled teachers from different Muslim countries were welcomed by King Faisal, in order to attain a considerable number of Muslim teachers in the schools and universities of Saudi Arabia. During that period, various Islamic study groups were attended by Osama bin Laden that provided different political teachings to him. The Management and Economics School of King Abdul-Aziz University provided the education of economics and business administration to Osama bin Laden in Jeddah city. It is suggested by some reports that degree in civil engineering was attained by bin Laden in the year 1979, as well as, a degree in public administration in the year 1981. On the other hand, he is reported as a dropout student from the university by some other reports. A number of journalists reported that interpretation of Quran and Jihad was one of the most interesting subjects of bin Laden at the university level, where he was greatly involved in the study of religion. Furthermore, he contributed a lot in various charitable campaigns. Marriages and Children In the year 1974, Osama bin Laden married his first cousin, Najwa Ghanem for the first time at the age of seventeen in northwestern part of Syria. Four other women married Osama bin Laden; however, two got divorces from bin Laden. One of his wives is a university lecturer in Saudi Arabia. Her wife is also involved in providing teachings to the children of Sudanese Royal family. All the other wives were also lecturers at the university level, and therefore, he was the person that accepted education of Muslim girls, which is a matter of criticizing bin Laden by different bodies. According to his close friends, the Word of God was the only reason for his marriage, as he was not interested in marriage at all. According to different sources, Osama bin Laden is father of approximately twenty to twenty-four children. In January 2001, Osama arranged the marriage ceremony of one of his sons, Muhammad bin Osama bin Laden with the daughter of Muhammad Atef, former military chief of Al-Qaeda at the age of eighteen in the Kandahar city of Afghanistan. Personality No matter most of the nations criticized Osama bin Laden’s policies, it should be accepted that honesty is one of the major characteristics of bin Laden in terms of his beliefs. Honesty has been one of the major factors of successful accomplishments of bin Laden even after criticism and opposition of some of the major nations of the globe. According to his closest men, he is one of the most loyal individuals in his region, which has provided him high reputation amongst his members. Osama has some principles, which has provided a mechanical platform for his charismatic and ascetic life. It is suggested by some commentators that he now has an influential position in different parts of the world, which has revolutionize from his humble appearance until the 1990s. Until the 1990s, he used to wear simple clothing while addressing his followers. However, his later videos and interviews show a more decorated clothing style during his addresses that showed his significant personality. After the responses of United States and its allies, he is taking more precautions in terms of his safety, as compared with the circumstances before the 9/11 attacks. Assets Originally, Osama bin Laden has inherited most of the properties from his father; however, his investments provided high profits to him successfully. In Sudan, his businesses were very successful that generated profits of millions of dollars. Due to his terrorist profile, figures of his properties and assets are not good enough, and organizations have only guessed different figures. Approximately, three hundred million dollars of assets are guessed by different bodies. Osama bin Laden owns a number of companies, such as Hijra Construction and Development, which is owned in the coordination with military of Sudan, as well as, the National Islamic Front. Taba Investment Company and Shamal Islamic Bank are considered some of the major economic activities of Osama bin Laden that have contributed greatly to his assets. Some of the countries having his companies are Sudan, Syria, etc; whereas, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Somalia have his foreign accounts that are utilized for the distribution of required financial resources for different terrorist activities around the globe. Shariah Restoration of Shariah law is one of the most important objectives of Osama bin Laden like various other Islamists and Jihadist fundamentalists around the globe. Shariah law is considered the major factor of setting things right in various Muslim countries of the world. The circumstances were very dignified and happy during the revelation period of Prophet Muhammad, and even after some years of His death. However, the situation became worse when the Shariah law was not followed by Muslims. Until the late 2001, Afghanistan was the only Islamic country with the implementation of Shariah law in the Muslim world, as believed by Osama bin Laden. In this regard, most of his terrorist activities are based on the opposition of countries that have not implemented the Shariah law. Jihad Sometimes, public statements of Osama bin Laden have shown a proper planned system for the implementation of his ideologies and beliefs, and a number of experts considered it as a political system. In the month of January 2004, Muslim countries were requested to establish underground ruling councils for the religious Islamic leaders for the welfare of people and nobles in the Muslim countries. Moreover, easy access to light weapons, ant anti-tank mines was also preferred, in order to defend raids from the Western countries according to the Al-Qaeda leader. Need of jihad for the defending of rights of Muslims in different countries is always one of the foremost matters of discussion in most of the video messages and letters of Osama bin Laden. The United States has always been warned for its injustices against Muslims in the Muslim, as well as, non-Muslim countries by bin Laden. In this regard, Osama bin Laden refer jihad as a war of defense for the accomplishment of Shariah law in the Muslim countries, and for the elimination of Western forces from these countries. For instance, withdrawal of United States from different Muslim regions, especially, the Middle East is one of the significant concerns of Osama bin Laden. At occasional times, immoral acts of Americans like usury, fornication, gambling, and homosexuality are considered as some of the factors of immorality in the Western countries, which should be eliminated through the process of Jihad by the Muslims. Civilians According to the philosophy of Osama bin Laden, deliberate killing of civilians might be the only option in jihad. In the year 1998, Osama bin Laden said that men and women are differentiated by fighting jihad, which helps in the formation of a proper religious society of Muslim civilians. However, in the year 2000, one of his interviews explained that killing of children was allowed in Islam, but only in vengeance, which is not true according to Islamic scriptures. During the same interview, the interviewer asked about the killing of Muslims in September 11 attacks, and Osama told him that the land of infidels should be the permanent place of living for the Muslims; however, Muslim killings were deemed as collateral by Osama bin Laden. Shia Muslims, Christians, and Jews Profoundly, Osama bin Laden is very anti-Semitic, and a number of Jewish conspiracies are included in the warnings of Al-Qaeda leader in his different interviews and messages. According to him, treachery and usury are some of the major characteristics of Jews, and Muslims are advised to stay away from them in this world, as well as, in other world too. In some of the other interviews, Christians’ activities were condemned clearly by bin Laden. According to Osama bin Laden, it should be the belief or every Muslim to hate Jews, Christians, and particularly, Americans. Shia Muslims are never referred in the interviews and videos of Osama bin Laden. However, attempts of Shia Muslim leader, Hassan al-Turabi are disapproved by bin Laden. According to different experts, Shia Muslims are referred along with Americans and Jews in different ideology classes of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. At the same time, Al-Qaeda is found to be working with Shia Muslims in different countries. Furthermore, Hezbollah, the Shia terrorist organization has close ties with Al-Qaeda according to a number of resources. It is said that Hezbollah is responsible for providing training and advice to Al-Qaeda members. Techniques of suicide bombing are borrowed from Hezbollah by Osama bin Laden. However, such relationship has no long-term future, as the supporters of bin Laden in Saudi Arabia cannot be alienated by bin Laden by creating friendly ties with the Shia Muslims. Jihad in Afghanistan During the late 1970s, Muslim guerrillas were fighting against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, which attracted the ideology of Bin Laden, and the Afghan mujahideen were supported by the immense wealth and connections of Osama bin Laden. Different sources reported that direct resistance on the Afghan frontier was provided by Abdullah Azzam, one of the teachers of Osama. This teacher was resided in the Peshawar city of Pakistan, which is approximately fifteen kilometers away from the Khyber Pass, which connects the Hindukush range, and so, Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden chose this route to insert major resistance for the Soviet forces. In the year 1979, Osama bin laden left college and joined the fight against the Soviet Union, and resided in Peshawar. During his stay in Peshawar, he was advised by his teacher to utilize his wealth for the training of militants in Afghanistan. In the 1980s, the University Town in Peshawar was the major residential avenue from the Al-Qaeda leader. Particularly, Arab mosque at Gulshan Iqbal Road, Peshawar was utilized as a jihad centre by Osama bin laden, and his teacher, Abdullah Azzam. By the year 1984, Maktab-al-Khadamat (Office of Order) was formed with the support of Saudi Arabian supporters by Osama bin Laden with the help of Abdullah Azzam. The establishment of MAK resulted in the proper distribution of arms, finances, and militants in different Arab countries. Jihadi militants’ expenses, air tickets, accommodation, and paperwork were financed by the inherited fortune of Osama bin Laden. Reports have shown proofs of setting up of a network of couriers by Osama bin Laden, which worked near Afghanistan and Peshawar under the banner of MAK. According to Rahimullah Yusufzai, this network was active until 2001, before the attack of United States and its allies. During this time, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri met Osama bin Laden, who worked as a collaborator for Al-Qaeda, and particularly, Osama bin Laden.

Poverty: Individuals And The Wider Community

Poverty: Individuals And The Wider Community This essay will discuss what is meant by the term Poverty, how it affects individuals and the wider community as well explaining why it is important for Social Workers to have a clear understanding of these issues. By looking at the organisations in place in the UK, in areas such as education and health and social care establishments; this essay will demonstrate how the structures of these organisations both help and hinder Social Workers in their role and how it affects the workings of daily practice. The UK has the oldest and biggest National Health Services in the world, so this essay will also go on to compare the provision in this country with that in the USA. As a first world country, the USA has an economy and culture not vastly different from that in the UK, which makes for some interesting comparisons of the care they both provide. Both the UK and the USA spend the same proportion of their annual budget on social services and education and have a similar rate of poverty. Poverty is a common term which many people would define as simply being a lack of financial resources. This is a very constricted view which makes it difficult to determine how many people live in poverty because the definition is vague and subjective. To understand and measure poverty and its impact upon individuals and the community, it is important to define it further. Instead of one main definition for poverty, sociologists have agreed there are two main types; absolute and relative poverty, as described by Giddens (2009). Absolute poverty is used to describe the inability to provide the basic human needs; food, accommodation and clothing, on a budget of around $1 US dollar per day. The idea of absolute poverty is a global one which can be applied regardless of country or culture and applies equally to people of similar ages and abilities. According to a recent study by UNDP (2010), as many as a third of the worlds population live in absolute poverty. Due to the modern welfare state and benefit system in place in the UK today, no one is expected to survive on $1 per day. However, figures provided by The Poverty Site (2010) show that approximately 9% of the population in the UK have an income which equates to only 40% of the national median income. This has risen almost 7% in just over 20 years and suggests that poverty is on the increase in the UK. These statistics would also suggest that people living in the UK are affected by relative poverty as opposed to absolute poverty. Relative poverty compares the income of individuals to the national or local average, and where it falls below 40-60% of that average, the individual is said to be living in relative poverty. There is still some debate about where the percentage rate should fall but many agree it should be 60% of the national median income (Giddens, 2010). This is referred to as the poverty line; those below this line live in relative poverty. Certain groups of people are more likely to find themselves living in poverty, these include; children, women (particularly single mothers), people with disabilities, ethnic minorities and the elderly. Cunningham Cunningham (2009), Giddens, (2010) and Llewellyn, et al (2008) all agree the reason these groups are more likely to suffer from poverty than other groups is a direct result of social exclusion. Social exclusion is a term which grew in popularity in 1997 when New Labour was re-elected into government. Part of the pre-election campaign of New Labour was to tackle the root causes of the issues affecting those who were marginalised by main stream society (The Poverty Site, 2010). People, who for reasons including; age, race, gender and class are often denied access to service and opportunities making it easier to exclude them from society. This was evident when the BBC undertook a survey, and found that when considering job candidates, whose qualifications and experience were almost identical; those with a name traditionally given to people from non-white backgrounds were far less likely to be called to interview, proving that racism is still present in the workplace, (Cunningham Cunningham 2009). To tackle some of the inequalities present in mainstream society, New Labour introduced a number of initiatives and policy changes to improve the standard of life, these included; The introduction of Tax Credits for families and individuals on low incomes, Every Child Matters a 5 point framework to improve the quality of life for all children, Connections an easily accessible advice point on a range of topics for young adults ages 13 19yrs, SureStart aimed at giving babies and young infants the best start in life by providing advice, drop in centres and child care for their parents. People who face social exclusion often live in the same locality; council house estates for example, which tend to have a higher proportion of single parents and high rates of unemployment. These groups of people are frequently given negative labels, which over time can become self-fulfilling. For example, a young child growing up in a single parent family on an council estate as indicated above is more likely to be viewed negatively and given such labels as; trouble, lazy, good for nothing, which over time can have a detrimental effects upon the child who will begin to view themselves as the labels placed upon them (Llewellyn et al, 2008). This negativity can lead to an increase in truancy, which in turn will lead to a poor education and employment prospects, thus setting up a life in poverty (Mail Online, 2007). According to Bebbington and Miles (1989), children from an impoverished background are 700 times more likely to be involved with social services than children from a wealthy background. This statistic alone shows how vital it is for social workers to have a strong understanding of the impact and experiences living in poverty can have. It is argued by Cunningham and Cunningham (2009) that many professionals in the social work field feel overwhelmed by the structural inequalities faced when tackling poverty, this tends to mean that poverty is dealt with on an individual case basis. Changes in policy, both at national and at local level can have an impact on poverty by the way services are implemented and delivered. As social workers are present at both the point of service and within the organisations where policies are made, it puts them in a prime position to affect change. Understanding and recognising the factors that cause and keep poverty part of modern society will allow a social worker to understand how they can interrupt the poverty cycle encouraging positive change. Placing some of the responsibility for poverty on society and within the structural inequalities that exist, can sometimes be viewed as taking responsibility away from the individual and the choices they have made, making them less accountable. A social worker should always maintain a positive and optimistic outlook and believe that despite the inequalities that exist, change is still possible regardless of the situation. It is important to understand how the education system and health and social care organisations are set up in the UK to recognise how this can impact the access to care. Responsibility for education in the UK has become a devolved matter for each individual country and overseen by their own government. The Department of Education and The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills predominately oversee the education system in England, with involvement from Local Authorities. Since 2005/2006, Local Authorities are given a grant which is ring fenced for the purpose of education and with consultation from all schools under the Local Authorities control, the finance is distributed, (Department for Education, 2010). There are approximately 20,000 public schools in the UK; a growing number of these are faith schools, almost 7000 at present. In addition to these state schools, there are a growing number of independent schools, almost 2600; responsible for the education of 7% of the population, (Independent Schools Council, 2010). There schools are funded primarily through tuition fees and in some faith schools, donations from the associated church. A large proportion of these schools are faith schools who do not take children outside the designated faith of the school within their catchment area. Historically, health and social care has been provided by the private and voluntary sector. Until the introduction of the Poor Law Act 1930, the majority of care for those in need was provided by charities and the work houses. People who lived in poverty had to rely on hand-outs, if they were deemed worthy of charity, or would have to pay at the point of service. Often it was those most in need of the service that were unable to pay forcing them to go without. The Poor Law Act 1930 moved the responsibility of care from these sectors to the Local Authorities, who began to take over the work houses and Poor Law hospitals (Spicker, 2010). The National Health Service was established in 1948 with the ideology that everyone should be entitled to the same level of health and social services which were free at the point of service. Todays modern National Health Service is overseen by the Department of Health. The country is split into 10 Strategic Health Authorities who control the care provided by the trusts in its area. Care is split into two main areas, Primary and Secondary care. Primary care services include; GPs, Opticians, Dentists and NHS Direct. Secondary care is acute health care and normally only accessed in emergency or extreme situations and includes; The Ambulance Trust, Emergency and Urgent Care Units, Mental Health, Care and NHS Trusts. (NHS, 2010). The National Assistance Act 1948 called for Local Authorities to set up Health and Welfare comities, providing the first form of residential care. In 1970, The Local Authority and Social Services Act of the same year created the first Social Services departments including; childrens, welfare and mental health. (The National Archives, 2010). The National Health Service remained largely unchanged until 1990 when the first major reforms took place. With the general population living longer, the cost of providing care was increasing and becoming unviable. The organisation of the National Health Service had also become unproductive and unyielding to those it was meant to help. Bureaucracy and red tape became the norm when trying to access any services or treatment. The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 was the first step in the reforms to the health and social services departments. The introduction of the Purchaser/Provider split meant for the first time since the establishment of the National Health Service, government departments were no longer responsible for the provision of all services (Kirkpatrick et al, 1999). The reason for this was threefold; firstly, to lessen the financial responsibility of care provision, secondly, removal of public provision would allow the private and voluntary sectors to grow and expand, making the care market more competitive, and thirdly, to increase choice for service users. This act was also the start for a number of large care homes and institutions being closed and the care provided in the community. The principles behind these changes were well intentioned; allowing people to be cared for within the community promoting independence and control over personal care. However, in reality what was offered were standard care packages and limited resources which did not deliver the true freedom of choice that was promised, (Llewellyn et al, 2008). To supplement the care provided for under the new system, many people have turned to charities to help fill the gap left by the lack of financial assistance. Providing people with the finances to pay for their own care, rather than provide the care itself, has meant people are able to choose how and by whom the care is provided. Many people have chosen to pay friends and relatives for the provision of care rather than rely on agencies and strangers. For Social Workers, this gives an opportunity to think outside the box when producing care plans with individuals. In communities, people are now able to form groups and committees to address and tackle problems and difficulties to provide a tailor made solution. This not only gives people control over their own care but also encourages the community to take action and to help itself. Although the UK has the biggest National Health Service in the world (NHS, 2010), the change in direct care provision and growing reliance on the private and voluntary sectors is more in line with the health and social care services in the United States of America (USA). The USA has a minimalist National Health Service which provides the most basic of health care; caring for those on very low incomes and or in emergencies. Many people living in poverty will be eligible for Medicaid which is a healthcare programme paying for the whole cost of care, but poverty alone is not an automatic eligibility criteria. Many older people, 65yrs and over, are reliant on the Medicare system, which only covers 80% of the cost of care, the remaining 20% must be funded by other means. Anyone who is outside the eligibility for these benefits must pay for private health care insurance, unless it is provided for through employment, (US Department of Health Human Services, 2010). Another benefit provided by the USA government is food stamps; however this is being phased out and replaced by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which is a short term benefit aimed at getting families back on their feet, (US Department of Health Human Services, 2010). The health and social care system in the USA is structured much the same as the UK, in that the government provides each state (Local Authority) with a budget to spend on care. In addition to this, states in the USA are allowed to set its own tax rates on things such as Income Tax, Sales Tax and House Tax. The proportion of money put back into care differs between states, some providing a higher level of benefits than others. The USA has a much higher dependency than the UK on voluntary organisations, namely the church; who provide care and financial assistance to those in their communities. Comparing the UK and the USA, there seems to be a different attitude towards the provision of care. The UK system is geared up to help prevent poverty and social exclusion, whereas the USA system is designed to help people get out of poverty but placed a bigger reliance on the individual helping themselves. Both systems are becoming more reliant on the community, voluntary organisations and the private sector for the provision of care; lessening the financial burden on the state in the face of an ever aging population. Both countries seem to be unified in the attitude that people should help themselves out of poverty. Although the role of the Social Worker will always be required, there is a strong shift in the role from the provision of direct care to one of care co-ordination. To provide the best possible level of care for both individuals and the community, Social Workers must maintain a high level of knowledge of both statutory and non-statutory providers of care and how best to access them. This essay has demonstrated that poverty is a global problem which is maintained by the way society works by socially excluding people and keeping them impoverished. It has also shown how two similar countries differ in their approach to care; the UK government provides the majority of care with assistance from charities and the private sector, whereas the USA government provides only the most basic forms of assistance which a strong reliance on the church, charities and the public sector. Both countries are in agreement that with an increasing older population, each government needs to do more to lessen their contribution to the provision of care. During this time of change, Social Workers will need to find a way of providing the best possible care for those in their charge.

Moral Theories :: essays research papers

Moral Theories A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Morality comes from God. Therefore, moral behavior is that behavior that conforms to the will of God. Immoral behavior defies the will of God. The will of God is correctly interpreted by the Church. Rating: 6. I was feeling this one, until the last sentence. There are so many denominations, and the reason is that they disagree with one another. Many religions interpret what the will of God is differently, not to mention incorrectly. I do believe that a big part of morality comes from God. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Rating:1! Ahhh, the Golden Rule-you gotta love it. I suppose the only problem is like the example in the book of the African tribe that eats their dead, if I died there, they would eat me because they would want to be eaten. Very tricky. C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Be whatever you are; do whatever you want to do—just as long as you don’t hurt anybody. Rating:7. This sounds to me like humanism, although I’m not sure anymore if I know what that is. If this were something we lived our lives around, then it doesn’t sound like there would be many people helping out others, just themselves. D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The end justifies the means. An action is â€Å"right† if it ultimately produces largely beneficial effects, â€Å"wrong† if it produces harmful effects. Rating: 2. I like this one, and I say it quite often (I’m not sure if that is good or bad). Someone used the example of war, and I agree with that. E.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is no universal morality. Moral values come from the laws and norms of the society. Therefore, what is morally right in one society could be morally wrong in another. Rating 4. Doesn’t the answer to this one really decide if you are an objectivist or realist? My husband and I argued this one, and he is a strong objectivist. I am caught in the middle because I don’t understand how you can truly impose your beliefs on people that have no idea what we consider to be right. What if people tried to do that to us? F.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People never act immorally deliberately. When a person acts immorally, it is because he or she has a mistaken notion of what is truly good. Immoral behavior is ignorance or stupidity, not wickedness. Rating 9. Whoa, do I disagree with this one. I do believe many people do wrong things because of ignorance, but there are many people who do things wrong and they do it knowing that it is wrong.

The Big Sleep: Movie vs. Novel Essay -- Movie Film comparison compare

The Big Sleep: Movie vs. Novel      Ã‚  Ã‚   Film and literature are two media forms that are so closely related, that we often forget there is a distinction between them. We often just view the movie as an extension of the book because most movies are based on novels or short stories. Because we are accustomed to this sequence of production, first the novel, then the motion picture, we often find ourselves making value judgments about a movie, based upon our feelings on the novel. It is this overlapping of the creative processes that prevents us from seeing movies as distinct and separate art forms from the novels they are based on.    I enjoyed The Big Sleep by Howard Hawks, but can still recognize and appreciate the differences between it and Chandler's masterful novel. It is an objective appreciation of the two works which forms the foundation a good paper. One must look at the book as a distinct unit, look at the film as a distinct unit, and then (and only then) use one to compare/contrast the other in a critique. The film, after all, is not an extension of the novel&endash;as some would like to argue&endash;but an independent entity that can be constructed however the artist (Hawks in this case) wants. The novel is the inspiration; the film, the work itself.    Howard Hawks chose to film The Big Sleep in the genre of film noir; this seemed like the obvious choice for a hardboiled detective novel. Film noir is the "'dark film,' a term applied by French critics to [the] type of American film, usually in the detective of thriller genre, with low-key lighting and a somber mood" (Bordwell 479). By using this genre of filmmaking, Hawks had an effective vehicle with which to retain the tone of Chand... ...yer's daughter. In the book, Marlowe had less difficulty respecting his employer through his unnatural sense of chivalry.    Raymond Chandler and Howard Hawks both create incredible pieces of art with their individual representations of The Big Sleep. The differences between the works allow them to converse and argue with each other, thus creating a new interpretation on the themes of the story. Hawks' version seems to be about Marlowe's struggle with the unnatural world, Chandler's about a struggle with nature. The movie was well made, as the book was well written: both are sufficient to stand and to be appreciated alone.    Works Cited    Bluestone, George. Novels into Film. 1957. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1961. Bordwell, David, and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.

Agamemnon vs Hamlet Essay

I think that Hamlet was more tragic in comparison to Agamemnon. The reason being is because in Hamlet Claudius is driven to kill his own brother, King Hamlet, just so he can marry his own sister-in-law. Hamlet is plotting to kill his own uncle and is speaks of his own mother in a hateful manner e:g Within a month, Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her gallà ¨d eyes, She married. O most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! A son is talking about her own mother like this and at the same time he has lost hope in life. Hamlet claims that he wants to die, if only suicide wasn’t forbidden by God. Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! So from the beginning of the play the protagonist is in a pitiful state. This was not the case with the protagonist of Agamemnon. In Hamlet the protagonist was driven to avenge his own father death and in the process ended up killing 4 innocent person. His own love of his live Ophelia, and mom, Queen Gertrude was killed by the poisonous drink which was meant for Hamlet. Ophelia’s father and brother ended up dead. In Agamemnon only two innocent lives were lost, Cassandra and Iphigenia. In my opinion i think Agamemnon deserved his tragic end. He had made many mistakes, he abused Clytemnestra then killed his husband and married her, then after sacrificed his own daughter. Aristotle definition of tragedy consist of 4 parts. It involves someone of higher standing. This protagonist makes an error in judgement. This error results in suffering for the person. This suffering causes pity or fear in the audience. Agamemnon and Hamlet both have high status. They are both from a royal family. Agamemnon makes and error in assuming that his wife is still in love with him and his trusts her, even though he was told by his people that his wife is cheating on him, but he didn’t get the implication. Resulting in his own end and Cassandra’s. In Hamlet, Hamlet makes a mistake by killing Polonius, assuming that he was striking the king with his sword. Which results in the king turning against Hamlet and sends and order to the king of England to execute Hamlet. I didn’t feel and pity for Agamemnon but on the other hand i felt pity and fear for Hamlet. I feared how he might not end up marring the love of his life Ophelia. I felt pity for Hamlet when his mother wont trust him when he was trying to expose his uncle.

Ophelia Foreshadowing

Queen Gertrude In-depth My impression of Queen Gertrude is that she is easily manipulated. Just after king Hamlet was murdered by king Claudius she easily fell for Claudius. Gertrude is a person that only thinks about her self and only thinks what she wants. She marries Claudius because she has to or eles she wouldn’t have the power of being called a queen of Denmark. She remarried so quickly one because she is easily manipulated so Claudius took her in because she would be moaning over king Hamlet.She also remarried so quickly because she wants power and she would have to marry Claudius to get it. Her role women portrayed was that women didn’t have power during the time and women didn’t have as much rights as men had. She lies to herself and people around her to keep herself safe. In the bedroom scene is finds out that Claudius killed King Hamlet but she doesn’t do anything about it. Her loyalties lie on herself because she only wants to protect herself a nd has to lie to do that. Ophelia ForeshadowingOphelia is the daughter of Polonius and whom Hamlet loves. Her role in the play was to be Hamlet's girl in the play. There was some foreshadowing that led to the dead of Ophelia. In the beginning of the play Hamlet starts to act a little crazy with meant Ophelia was gonna be treated differently. If Hamlet didn’t go crazy and mad , it wouldn’t have made Ophelia depressed making her kill herself later on in the play. Another foreshadowing of Ophelia deaf would be after Hamlet breaks her heart and then killing her father Polonius c

Case Study of an innovative company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Case Study of an innovative company - Essay Example The staff turnover at this airport is around 4% with the average service length of an employee being 9.2 years and 32% rise is observed in revenue per employee (Dubai Airport Yearbook, 2012). Dubai International Airport, as part of an integrated and holistic approach towards improving their customers’ overall experience, attempts to cater to the vastly diverse and cosmopolitan tastes of their international customers. These services include a large number of client airlines, customs and immigration, duty free shops and other retailers; ground services provider data, efficient security scanning, smart gates and lost and found. A unique concept of â€Å"silent airport† has greatly reduced the number of announcements made in the airport, only to be replaced by screens displaying the flight details in order to alert customers (Dubai Airport Yearbook, 2012). Dubai International Airport is ranked at 25 in 2014 as against 33 in 2013. The key competitors of the Airport are Singapore Changi Airport, Incheon International, Munich Airport, London Heathrow Airport and Hong Kong International Airport. The strong performance of Dubai Airport’s commercial portfolio has boosted the total revenue by 17% in 2013. Aeronautical revenue and commercial revenue rose by 12% and 23% respectively, thereby portraying a strong growth of Dubai International Airport (Martin, 2014). Dubai International Airport is constantly trying to improve passenger experience by incorporating innovative strategies in its work policy. In November, Dubai Airport in a recent partnership with TWSteel Watches and Dubai Duty Free had hosted a live pop-up concert by a headline recording artist, Kelly Rowland. The performance took the passengers as well as the airport officials by surprise and attracted immense attention on the social media as several individuals captured the concert on videos that were uploaded on different sites such as, Twitter,

The Mythical Democratic- Republican National Convention (DRNC) Essay

The Mythical Democratic- Republican National Convention (DRNC) - Essay Example This essay stresses that the recommendations based on the risk analysis include that high security personnel should be deployed in the Bicentennial Park since it will be hosting over 20, 000 protestors who may be targets for a terrorist or bombing attack as well as to prevent them from becoming too violent and disrupting the meeting. The same security personnel with assistance from the security cameras should monitor the Hotel Row which will be housing the dignitaries and media personnel. Majority of the security parameters from the air surveillance to concrete barriers, bomb screening and experts to CCTV cameras and anti-terrorism forces should be present in the arena. There should also be set aside corridors and areas for mass evacuation and mass casualty treatment in case of any attack. The fire department should also be on the forefront with their evacuation skills to lend a hand in case of any risk. During the planning and resource allocation process, the planning committee and sub-committee should make considerations of the number of security forces need with different expertise from ground to air surveillance. This paper makes a conclusion that the combination of the threats, the vulnerabilities and the consequence of the threats happening have led to the identification and ranking of the risk factors and infrastructural assets that need to be considered during planning. The recommendations made are specific enough for the planning committee to consider in their budgetary allocations if curbing of the risks is to not only be effective but efficient as well.

SPITCEROW MODEL Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SPITCEROW MODEL - Assignment Example These needs were unmet by the Russian government starting from their presidents and hence the reason the conflicts started and intensified resulting in killings of even those Russian presidents. The conflict and violence was just an aggressive way of expressing these unmet drives and needs. The conflict enlarged because of inhabitation by the Al- Qaeda recruits who were based in the three camps established for their training in Chechnya. Those who graduated from these camps after two months of intensive training were given missions to conduct and one of the missions was to kill and bring about confusion in Chechnya as a way to divert attention from these three training camps. They increased the conflict by kidnapping prominent people including members of international organizations, created a financial crisis in the country which brought about disorder, they conducted strikes which eventually led to an uprising that was unified against Russia and they also created an Islamic state there. KA-K, Havva. â€Å"Reducing Violence: Applying the Human Needs Theory to the Conflict in Chechnya.† The Journal of Turkish Weekly. Retrieved from:

Channel marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Channel marketing - Essay Example Nevertheless, this paper will assesses the service outputs supply of Wal-Mart and Costco in the food section, hence identify what the firms offers and their structures. Wal-Mart and Costco purchase products from manufactures and producers in large quantities and they are gradually broken down as they reach the consumers. The products of high value are squeezed in to small volumes, since it is cost effective to ship to end-customers compared to the cost of shipping a bulkier product (Perner, 1). Convenience has been identified as a significant factor used to influence the consumer food choices, by Wal-Mart and Costco, since they have changed ways in which the nature of products are provided in grocery stores, and the time consumed to prepare a meal. Wal-Mart focuses on responding to the demand by offering more in-store delis and ready to eat prepared foods such as chicken, salad and sushi, while Costco has introduced an increased selection of frozen and prepared meals for consumers seeking a quick meal from their grocery stores. Wal-Mart has made a substantial investment in information technology and logistics, which facilitates commitment in taking a risk of placing large orders in advance of customer, needs in order to focus on the reducing the waiting time and delivery time. On the other hand, Costco has developed an efficient distribution system, which is based on its information system and enormous demand, though they have short channels for perishable products. Moreover, Wal-Mart and Costco have to incur additional costs in order to ensure that merchandise is distributed quickly. Wal-Mart and Costco consolidate goods by carrying a wide assortment of goods from different manufactures to provide a breadth of assortment, whereby their stores carry different kinds of food from different suppliers. In this case, this makes

E-Marketing Segmentation, Differentiation, and Positioning Strategies Coursework

E-Marketing Segmentation, Differentiation, and Positioning Strategies - Coursework Example ther issue that proper entry research can turn up: no company wants to suddenly find that it has gone from a saturated domestic market to a saturated one. Therefore, companies must research carefully before making the move to market, and know what kind of customers they are targeting. â€Å"With three types of customers-those who shop exclusively through the catalogs, those who purchase strictly through retail, and those who utilize both channels of distribution - The J. Peterman Company is committed to learning all they can about their customers to gain increased market share† (J, 1999). Note that at the writing of this quotation, J Peterman was not involved with online marketing yet. However, at that present, it was proactive, and met the challenge of the future. In terms of the competitor market jpeterman.com shares within various segments, there are various niche competitors, such as Sharper Image, and J Crew, which have a larger market share and presence. It would be a mistake to offer the more lucrative market a product that it could not afford or could easily replace with a cheaper competitor’s product of similar quality. Although this market may be more willing to pay more initially for something faddish than the busy family market segment, it should not be the intention of the company to cash in on a quick fad and lose the long-term perspective warranted by this important market. Therefore, the company should follow a pricing strategy that places a great deal of importance not only on internet price cutting, but also on establishing perceived value in the customer base and leveraging this perception in terms of long-term customer attenuation. J Peterman is in a very competitive industry. The source of this is the popularity of this industry as a commerce supplier that can also now be accessed over the internet. Many businesses like J Peterman are rushing to invest time and money in networked e-commerce systems, so as to enhance consumer

Mumbai Slums Essay Example for Free

Mumbai Slums Essay An earthquake occurs when there is a sudden release of energy in the Earths crust that causes seismic waves. Earthquakes are typically caused by opening of geological faults. They are however also caused by volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and nuclear experiments. The effects of earthquakes are many and far reaching. Earthquakes cause shaking and ground ruptures which result in less or sometimes more severe damage to buildings or other rigid structures. Earthquakes also results in landslides and avalanches, which sometimes causes damage in hilly and mountain areas. After an earthquake, the place can catch fire by breaking of the electrical power or gas lines. Because of the shaking, sometimes the soil liquefies, the loose saturated cohesion less soil loses its strength and temporarily transforms from a solid to a liquid state. Soil liquefaction causes firm structures like buildings and bridges to slant or sink into a liquefied state. Earthquakes result in loss of life, damage to property, fatal diseases, lack of basic necessities and it affects the financial and economical structure of the country. Some safety measures are used so that the government, individual and businesses can prepare themselves against this calamity. To reduce the damage, retrofitting techniques and modern earthquake resistant designs of new buildings and lifeline structures like bridges, hospitals and power plants are used in earthquake prone areas. The emergency services under the local and state government ensure that the public is safe by dealing with the crisis. Individuals and businesses are encouraged by governments to have an earthquake kit and supplies for three days at hand. As a result of an increase of the number of seismic stations today, the earthquakes are reported more than in the past, which help in the preparation process. Slums in Mumbai Slums always existed in Mumbai. In 19th century, slums grew around mills and other places of employment. Now they grow where ever there is empty space. Slum dwellers today cover 60% of Mumbai’s population. The government tried to rectify the problem in 1985 by passing the Slum Upgradation Project. Regrettable the project targeted only 10-12% of the slum population, those who were able to of upgrade their homes. It ignored inhabitants in slums, those who did not have homes at all. In spite of all the attempts to cure the problem of slums in Mumbai, slums are still growing. The growth rate of slums is actually greater than the growth rate of general urban. It is estimated that everyday 100 to 300 new families come to Mumbai. Most of them end up in a slum colony or just put up a shanty on the on the footpath. Due to migration, the city’s population is increasing and with it the slums. These facts show that migration has to stop to cure the problem of slums. According to Professor RN Sharma, (the head of the Urban Studies Unit in Tata Institute of Social Sciences), Mumbai, the city is unquestionably disintegrating into slums. A Jockin of SPARC, (the NGO that works for slums) said that the rehabilitation process is the only solution to the problem of slums in Mumbai. He said: â€Å"This talk about Mumbai having predominantly slums is rubbish. Already 67 per cent of slums on railway land have been re-settled. The airport project and the rehabilitation near Mithi River is also happening at a good pace. These figures of slum population rising is not true†. Former housing minister Nawab Mallik also agreed that rehabilitation is a best way to get rid of slums. References: Earthquake. (2007, November 4). Retrieved November 5, 2007 from World Wide Web: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Earthquake Juneja, Saakshi. (2006, January 9). Mumbai Slums. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://mumbai. metblogs. com/archives/2006/01/mumbai_slums. phtml Slums. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www. macalester. edu/courses/GEOG61/espencer/slums. html Slums: The Magnitude of the Problem. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from World Wide Web: http://theory. tifr. res. in/bombay/amenities/housing/slum-stats. html